Back to school time is here – What to do about lunches?

On September 1, 2011, students will no longer be able to buy “junk” food from their school’s vending machine, tuck shop or cafeteria. There will be no more curly fries, no more hot dog days, and no more pop or chips.

We know when given a choice between a healthy or a less healthy food most children will likely pick the latter. To help children make healthier food selections, our local schools will now only provide food and drinks that are nutritious, low in fat and sodium, high in fiber and calcium. Although these food standards do not apply to food brought in from home, these new school rules do provide an opportunity to encourage healthy choices in a packed school lunch as well.

Your child spends a good part of their day at school so their lunch (and snack) needs to provide them with enough energy and nutrients to learn and play. Just like you, if your child is too hungry or tired, they will be more likely to reach for that unhealthy option – like candy! Students who eat nutritious meals feel better. They are also better behaved and find it easier to pay attention to their lessons and to learn.

It can be a challenge to create a healthy lunch with variety day after day so ask for some help – from your child! Studies tell us that children who have had input in making their lunch are more likely to eat it.

Use Canada’s Food Guide to teach your child about healthy food choices and aim to include food items from at least 3 of the 4 food groups in their lunch and snack. Have your child make a list of their favourite healthy lunch foods and help you grocery shop for them. Find other ways to add variety to their packed lunch like using cookie cutters to cut sandwiches into fun shapes or instead of using bread, try using a pita or whole grain bagel.

Making healthy school lunches doesn’t have to be a hassle. Keep a stock of healthy food options on hand and consider making lunches in the evening. For further information on packing healthy school lunches and snacks, visit www.eatrightontario.ca.

Speaking with Patients to Improve Quality

The Emergency Department (ED) values Patient and Family-Centred Care and understands the importance of feedback to improve the experience of both the patient and their family. To demonstrate they are our priority, engage them, and generate feedback to improve safety and satisfaction, the EDintroducedmonthly patient rounding. Included is the Clinical Manager, Professional Practice nurse as well as a patient advisor.

You might wonder what that involves; it includes interviewing patients and their familieswho arepresent in the ED.Participationis voluntary and those interviewed are asked questions about safety and satisfaction. They are given the opportunity to “speak up”.They are encouraged to analyze and evaluate their care, voice their concerns, and discuss all aspects of their care, from timeliness, to aspects of communication, effectiveness, and overall satisfaction.Sitting at the bedside to discuss all phases of care is a personalized approach that demonstrates our commitment to treating each and every one of our patients with dignity and respect, empowering them to partner in their care, listening to and acknowledging their concerns to improve outcomes and enhance their experience.

Collaborating during rounding provides the ED team with a “snapshot” analysis of its current practice and enables the team to acknowledge what they are doing well, and initiate immediate change for areas that need improvement.

Patient feedback is the propeller for quality. Without their involvement, CKHA would not be an organization that our patients would definitely recommend.

Photo shows patient advisor Deb Rice rounding on Lukas in the Emergency Department, while his mother Maria watches on.

Photo shows the Emergency Department rounding team, l-r, Dorothy Letarte, Clinical Manager, Deb Rice, patient advisor, Kathy Lynn Stennett, Professional Practice Nurse.

Chatham-Kent Health Alliance’s “Operation Green” Initiative

Chatham-Kent Health Alliance’s (CKHA)“Green Team” aims to reduceour environmental impact on human health and the natural environment.

The small group of dedicated, volunteer staff contacted a group of medical students at the University of Western Ontario to learn more aboutan initiative called“Operation Green”. Operation Green diverts waste by reclaimingopened but unused and uncontaminatedsurgical supplies and sending them to the developing world. This program has been functioning successfully at University Hospital in London for approximately two years. After learning about the philanthropic idea, CKHA’s Green Team, under the guidance of our summer student, Shawn Segeren,havedecided to roll it out.

Congratulations and kudos to the Green Team!

Chatham-Kent Health Alliance gets Creative in Hand Hygiene Messaging

The Canadian Patient Safety Institute (CPSI) is holding a Hand Hygiene Video Competition to engage organizations in the improvement of optimal hand hygiene. Hospitals across Canada are submitting videos that promote hand hygiene, demonstrate effective hand washing and showcase participation from as many departments in the facility as possible. The winner will be announced during the 3rd Annual Canada’s Forum on Patient Safety in the fall.

Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA) has decided to participate in this competition. The video will be a 50’s inspired mystery theme. Detectives investigate an inexplicable outbreak of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA). Their investigation leads them to discover that super villain MRS. A is up to her villainous ways, spreading her MRSA onto everything she comes in contact with.

The submission is the result of hard work from the Infection Prevention and Control Team, their summer student Amanda Houze,and Mac-Uy Lai and Richard Barry from our Communications Department.

Creating the video was a great way to engage staff and promote the four moments for hand hygiene, another way CKHA demonstrates its commitment to safe, quality patient care.