June 18, 2020 Innovation & Research Across PHSA

New PHSA-led research shows falling childhoodasthma rates linked to declining use of unnecessaryantibioticsAMOS, HEATHER [BCCDC]

Communications Officer

A new study by PHSA researchers shows asthma rates are falling, thanks to efforts by physicians to avoid

prescribing antibiotics to young children, except when necessary. The study, published in Lancet Respiratory

Medicine, a prestigious medical journal, also shows that being prescribed antibiotics within the first 12 months of

life is associated with almost double the risk of being diagnosed with asthma by age five. 

The work brought together clinical expertise in childhood asthma from BC Children’s Hospital with population-level

health data on asthma and antibiotic use from the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) and microbiology

research at the University of British Columbia (UBC). It’s the first time population-level data has been linked to the

effect on the immune system when an infant is prescribed antibiotics early in life.

This study confirms findings from previous research that suggests preserving the diversity and abundance of healthy

gut bacteria promotes good immune system functioning and makes children less susceptible to developing asthma

later in life. 

“This research points to the powerful role ‘good’ bacteria play in health and

disease. This finding takes us a step closer towards our goal of identifying babies

at risk for asthma and developing new treatments that would prevent this

chronic disease,” said Dr. Stuart Turvey, senior author of the study and a pediatric

immunologist and investigator at BC Children’s , Aubrey J. Tingle professor of

pediatric immunology and professor in the UBC department of pediatrics.

Antibiotic use can destroy the bad bacteria that make someone sick as well as the good bacteria like the microbes

found in the gut. Using population-level trends and data from 2,644 Canadian children, researchers found that every

10 per cent increase in the prescribing of antibiotics was linked with a 24 per cent increase in asthma incidence. The

findings support efforts to use antimicrobial drugs such as antibiotics carefully and appropriately to preserve their

effectiveness.

“The threat of antibiotic resistance was already reason enough to reduce

unnecessary antibiotic use,” said Dr. David Patrick, first author of the study and

director of research and medical lead of the antimicrobial resistance program at

the BCCDC. “This research suggests that declining use is doing more than

slowing down antibiotic resistance, preventing drug reactions and reducing

costs. It also appears to reduce the risk of asthma – childhood’s most common

chronic disease.”  

Study participants were recruited as part of the CHILD Cohort Study, which was launched in 2008 by the Canadian

Institutes for Health Research (CIHR) and the Allergy, Genes and Environment Network (AllerGen NCE). Among the

kids who received antibiotics before their first birthday and developed asthma by age five, researchers found their

gut bacteria were less diverse overall. Significantly, they lacked a few key strains of bacteria that are known to

benefit the overall functioning of the immune system. The absence of these bacteria has previously been linked with

a higher risk of developing asthma.  

Learn more about antibiotic resistance. Read the study in Lancet Respiratory Medicine

Think twice and seek advice if you believe you have a penicillin allergy

Antibiotic Wisecing antibiotic use, one campaign at a time: PHSA+ Award winner profile on the

Community Antimicrobial Stewardship team

June 18, 2020 Health & Wellness Across PHSA

Motivated to moveKLAVER, KELSEY [PHSA]

Lead, Psychological Health & Safety

PHSA’s Psychological Health and Safety Fitness Challenge, held June 8 to 12, had many staff increase their levels of

walking and running, as well as participate in virtual yoga and Pilates classes during their lunch hour. Kudos to the 82

staff who joined PHSA’s Club page on the Strava app and tracked their runs and walks around town! It's never too

late to get active - scroll down for at-home fitness ideas or share your own in the comments section!

"This challenge motivated me to get back to my routine of being consistently active, as the workload as a

result of the coronavirus pandemic has really been challenging to all of us here at the BCCDC public

health lab." - Andrew Balbirnie, PHSA Laboratories

Congratulations to all our winners!

Congratulations to the following staff members who won prizes of donated Vega protein powder and sports drink

energizer:

Walkers:

Bronwen Moeller walked the furthest distance at 24.95 km over nine walks! Narsis Afghari was a close second with

a total distanced walked of 23.11 km!

Runners:

Andrew Balbirnie ran 48.43 km during the five days! Janet Walker ran 33.67 km and was also selected for the

runner category!

Pilates and yoga:Russell Bonaguro and Bonnie Lam won for participating every day for five days straight! Way to go!

Words of motivation: hear from more winners!

"The challenge pushed me to block off time during my day to focus on my body and posture and also

allowed me to disconnect for a short time to relax and regroup. And seeing all the walker and runners on

the PHSA Strava group was motivating to get outside. Community connections is key in these times,

and the challenge really helped to nurture that." - Russell Bonaguro, BC Children’s Hospital

"With the start of COVID outbreak, I planned to spend more time

being physically active to improve my mental health and avoid

anxiety, so I started my training for 5k running in April. Joining

the PHSA club and participating in this challenge was a great

motivation for me to continue this training and encouraged me to

be even more active, which feels amazing!" - Narsis Afghari, BC

Cancer

Looking for some at-home fitness ideas during COVID-19?

Related story

Beyond physical health, keep reading about ways to support your mental health by building and maintaining your

resilience.

You can find at-home workouts, online workouts, running tips, and class recordings on the Curtis

Health Thrive site. Password: Health

Looking for ways to get active with kids in the outdoors? See this Citizen’s Tool Kit for ideas.

Lessen the negative effects of sitting with this five minute desk workout you can do at your desk.

No weights at home? Here are some at-home exercises that use your body weight only.

Looking for a gym/rec centre discount? See PHSA’s staff discounts on the POD.

June 18, 2020 Health & Wellness

Apply for $1,000 to make your workplace healthierand greener!ELMI, HALIMA [PHSA]

Project Coord Health Promotion

Do you have a great idea for a healthy and/or environmentally sustainable workplace project? Starting July 1 until

November 15, 2020, you can apply for up to $1,000 in funding from the PHSA Psychological Health and

Safety Health Promotions Initiatives Fund to support the physical, emotional, spiritual, social health, overall

wellness, and/or sustainability in your workplace!

New for this year: the ‘Green’ Sustainability Stream, sponsored by the GreenCare team. This will support energy and

environmental sustainability related projects within PHSA, like energy conservation, healthy transportation,

recycling/waste reduction efforts and more.

Perhaps you and your colleagues have already talked about great ways to support overall well-being in your team or

department. This is especially important as we transition to our new normal of co-existing with COVID-19. Past

funded projects include mindfulness meditation sessions, active commuting-to-work opportunities, community staff

gardens and wellness rooms, health and fitness challenges, choir groups and musical therapy, to name a few.

Facilitating health through a workplace Bike-to-Work program at BC Children's

Hospital

This project was led by Damian Duffy, executive director, and Dr. Jugpal Arneja, from the Pediatric Surgical

Department at BC Children’s Hospital. 

The aim of this project was to help facilitate bike commuting as a way to increase daily exercise among staff. This

project provided three bike repair/tune up days for staff members at BC Children’s and BC Women’s Hospital +

Health Centre. Participants felt the events supported sustainable methods of transportation to work and provide

positive feedback: 

“…It's just really great to have biking infrastructure and support. Very convenient to have this done at

work, and a great gesture altogether. I'm convinced these kinds of things will encourage others to bike

more throughout the fall and winter months - it's really not difficult!” - Robin van der Lee, BC Children’s

Hospital Research Institute 

Animal-assisted intervention: Paws-itive dog therapy sessions

Another successful HPIF project was  “animal-assisted intervention” at PHSA’s Corporate office, led by Eli Carmona

(Workplace Experience Coordinator). Several animal-assisted intervention sessions (AAI sessions) were held with

therapy dogs to promote mental and physical well-being for employees.

Lara Ahmed (advisor, talent on demand and external recruitment) and a pet therapy dog!

“Attending the Paw-sitive session was very much needed during a busy week! The dogs were super

playful and calm and the trainers were very great to be around as well. I am very happy we were able to

have this type of session at PHSA as it was a fun way to de-stress. I’m looking forward to the next time!” –

Jasleen Hundal, administrator, learning and development and eLearning

“Taking a break at work is usually just a nice time to chat or get a coffee but add a dog into the mix and the

day couldn’t have gotten any better! I felt totally uplifted for the rest of the day after having just 15

minutes with the dogs. Way better than a cup of coffee!” – Nasstassia Bohn, team lead, Leadership

Online Systems

The year-round application process opens July 1! 

If you have an innovative idea for a healthy and/or environmentally sustainable workplace project, you can apply for

up to $1,000 from the PHSA Psychological Health and Safety Health Promotion Initiative Fund to make it happen. 

This year, the application period will be open from July 1 until November 15, 2020. After submitting your

application, you’ll receive notification of whether it was successful or not within approximately four weeks.  If your

application is unsuccessful the first time around, you’ll have the option to make changes and resubmit after receiving

feedback from the Health Promotion program and the GreenCare team. 

How to apply

The Health Promotion Initiative Fund is open to all employees from any team, department or site of any PHSA

services or programs.

If you want to learn more about the fund and get all the details for applying, visit POD or phsa.ca, or download the

HPIF Application Toolkit or application form. You’ll find an FAQ, application deadlines, eligibility criteria, and the

process for how projects are chosen.

Not sure if your idea qualifies? Contact Health Promotion to discuss your idea in more detail. Please contact us at

healthpromotion@phsa.ca or 604-875-7222.

PHSA’s Psychological Health and Safety team supports the mental health of all employees in any PHSA program,

service, or division. To learn more about the programs and services available to staff, visit us on POD or at PHSA.ca.

Questions? Email healthpromotion@phsa.ca.

June 18, 2020 Health & Wellness Across PHSA , BC Cancer ,

BC Centre for Disease Control , BC Children's and BC Women's ,

BC Mental Health & Substance Use Services

This Stroke Awareness Month, join the conversationthat could help save livesARSENAULT, SACHA [PHSA]

Prov Director StrokeSvcsBC

Do not hesitate to call 9-1-1 if someone has signs of  stroke, even during the coronavirus disease outbreak. Hospitals are prepared. Don’t let COVID-19 destroy more lives.

This public service announcement from the Heart & Stroke Foundation (HSF) is echoed by urgent calls from the

Canadian Cardiovascular Society, the Canadian Stroke Best Practices Advisory Council and multiple reports from

the front lines of hospitals around the world, indicating a drop in the number of stroke and heart attack emergency

room admissions.

This global trend is being followed closely by PHSA, Stroke Services BC and all our partners across the health system

delivering stroke care to British Columbians every day. Recently, we issued a reminder about the importance of

seeking emergency cardiovascular care.

June is the official Stroke Awareness Month in Canada. Stroke Services BC and the health authority stroke programs

are committed to supporting our patients and ensuring access to care as the situation evolves with COVID-19. This

Stroke Awareness Month, we are emphasizing the importance of three key areas of stroke care;

Know the signs of stroke and act FAST; time lost is brain lost. Every minute counts when you or someone you

know is having a stroke.

1

People experiencing strokes should call 9-1-1 immediately – even during the COVID-19 pandemic.2

3  Stroke is a major life event. It can affect different parts of your ability and your day to day life. It affects each person differently. Learn about the different changes you might encounter, and get advice on how to manage.

Living with stroke

Stroke often has a long recovery time, and coming home from the hospital requires adjustment for patients,

families and caregivers. The links below are provided from expert organizations, which can assist in your recovery.

Additional resources to support stroke care during the COVID-19 pandemic:

For people living with stroke:

For stroke care providers:

The Canadian Stroke Best Practices website provides a number of resources around stroke and TIA

prevention, getting on with your life after stroke and taking charge of your stroke recovery.

The Heart & Stroke Foundation also has many resources to support living with stroke. This includes

the HSF healthcare insights during COVID-19: Stroke systems of care podcast with Dr. Andrew

Demchuk, a stroke neurologist and Director of the Calgary Stroke Program. Dr. Demchuck shares his

expert perspective on the most critical challenges facing stroke systems during COVID-19 and insights

into potential solutions.  

The Stroke Recovery Association of BC has information and resources on their website around

recovery and life after stroke. This information is for both stroke survivors and their families and

caregivers.

Stroke Recovery Association of BC's virtual stroke recovery programming includes a number of online

sessions, meetings and workshops so people experiencing stroke can maintain their connection with

the community from home.

An aphasia friendly information sheet about COVID-19 has been developed by Tactus Therapy.

Stroke best practice guidance during the COVID-19 pandemic has been published in the Canadian

Journal of Neurological Sciences to support evidence-based stroke care in these challenging times.

Strokes and TIAs are medical emergencies. Knowing the signs of stroke and acting quickly can improve your chances of survival and recovery.

What is a stroke?

A stroke is a rapid loss of brain function due to a lack of blood supply

to the brain. Eighty per cent occur from a blockage due to a clot

(ischemic) and 20 per cent are caused by bleeding (hemorrhagic).

“Mini” or "Temporary" strokes

A transient ischemic attack (TIA) produces the same symptoms as a stroke, but those symptoms are temporary

and are usually gone within an hour. However, it can be a warning that a stroke is imminent and is still a medical

emergency.

Signs of stroke

When it comes to stroke care, a number of clinicians and providers diagnose, treat and rehabilitate patients. One

group of care providers in particular plays a key role as the initial point of contact: paramedics.

Advanced Care Paramedic, Nadine, explains the importance of identifying the signs of a stroke and acting fast:

If you or someone around you experiences any of these signs, call 9-1-1 immediately. Do not drive to the

hospital; an ambulance will get you to the best hospital for stroke care. Quick treatment helps limit damage and

increases chance of a better recovery.

One-third of stroke patients in Canada wait too long for help and with stroke, brain damage begins in minutes.

June is #StrokeMonth! As we still face the unintended consequences of a global pandemic, please

remember: a #stroke is a medical emergency. Think #FAST when you think you or someone you’re

with is experiencing a stroke. Learn more at http://www.phsa.ca/about/news-

stories/stories/emergency-cardiovascular-care

Call 9-1-1 immediately if you experience or witness symptoms of a stroke, heart attack or cardiac

arrest. Don’t be afraid to seek medical help. This #StrokeMonth, remember to think #FAST when you

think you or someone you’re with is experiencing a stroke. Learn more at

http://www.phsa.ca/about/news-stories/stories/emergency-cardiovascular-care

From the first symptoms of stroke to recovery at home, here’s how Stroke Services BC helps health

care professionals across the system of care to save lives and improve care.

Join the conversation (that could help save lives)

Encourage your followers to know the signs and symptoms of stroke, so they can take quick action and perhaps

save a life. Join the conversation and share one of the social media messages below on Twitter and Facebook

with the hashtag #StrokeMonth. Make sure to tag @PHSAofBC.

PHSA's Office of Virtual Health (OVH) and Digital Health Team have developed a Virtual Health toolkit for

use during the COVID-19 pandemic. It features solutions and support for health care providers so they

can continue to provide care to their patients while maintaining physical distancing.

June 18, 2020 People Across PHSA

This Friday, PHSA team members are invited to theVirtual National Indigenous Peoples Day celebrationMINOOSE, SAVANNAH [PHSA]

Co-op Student

As a well-known hip hop artist and youth educator, JB the First Lady will share a powerful live music set, some of

which you’ll find on the four studio albums she’s released.

Does music stir your soul? Or is it dancing and fitness that set your heart racing? Maybe you’re a fan of podcasts and

storytelling? Or, maybe you’re a foodie, interested in learning how to make bannock, a delicious treat either savoury

or sweet. 

JOIN THE CELEBRATION

Regardless of what inspires you, you’ll find it – and more – at tomorrow’s virtual National Indigenous Peoples Day

celebration. PHSA team members are invited to gather online and celebrate the heritage, cultures and achievements

of First Nations, Métis and Inuit people.

"I encourage staff and medical staff to take part in these virtual celebrations as a means to forging your personal

understanding and connection to Indigenous people and culture," said Benoit Morin, president & CEO. "By doing this

you deepen our organizational ability to safely provide health care to Indigenous people of British Columbia."

The event will run from 11 am – 3 pm on Friday, June 19, 2020, and is divided into multiple performances and

lessons that will enable you to participate during your work day. The Indigenous Health team has also assembled

educational and exciting prizes to showcase Indigenous-owned businesses to award to lucky participants. 

Local talent prepared to entertain and engage with PHSA staff online

The virtual event brings an uplifting celebration right to you. Gerry

Oleman, St’at’imc Nation Elder will share stories and will host the

event. Tawahum will share spoken word poetry, FitNation

Movement will lead a fitness class. DJ Kookum and JB The First

Lady will share powerful performances. 

As host for this year’s virtual celebration, St’at’imc Nation Elder, Gerry Oleman, will share stories from his nation's past as well as introducing an exciting cast of the day's performers.

Note for Friday’s FitNation Session at 11:30

Wear comfortable loose clothing/workout gear

Create some open floor space (your office/living room/patio/etc.)

Have a chair ready for modified movements (if needed)

Towel/yoga mat for floor movements

Tiffany Adams and Daniel Mercer-Young are the two FitNation instructors who will be putting PHSA team members

through their paces during the fitness class portion of the National Indigenous Peoples Day event.

Bannock workshop on the menu – some preparation required

Beginning at noon, Darnell Stager, Manager of Salmon n’ Bannock Bistro, will share how to make bannock. Salmon n’

Bannock is co-owned by renowned Chef and author Inez Cook. For any questions, they will be available on the Q&A

portion of this session! 

If you would like to follow along at noon, be prepared with these items:

With easy, online access and a schedule designed to promote participation, you wouldn’t want to miss this virtual

opportunity to celebrate National Indigenous People’s Day. All performances will be recorded and available post-

event. 

JOIN THE CELEBRATION

The Vancouver office where this article was written is located on the unceded traditional and ancestral territories of

the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. These nations have agency over the land.

All purpose flour (3 cups) 

Baking powder (2.5 tbsp) and

Salt (1-1.5 tsp)

Cold water (300ML - 500 ml)

Canola oil for brushing 

Mixing bowl and spatula

June 18, 2020 Health & Wellness Across PHSA

Resilience: Using the Sustain 7 Model duringuncertain timesGEORGE, KATHRYN [PHSA]

Violence Prevention Program Lead

Resilience is a dynamic process that is influenced by our response to our environment. This means we need to

regularly review and track how we are ‘travelling’ throughout our day. Building and maintaining resilience is a

continual work in progress.

The R@W Sustain 7 Model has been designed specifically for workplace challenges that we face within

organizations. Self-check-ins can help us to explore everyday actions that we can take to help us to stay mentally and

physically fit, thus increasing our agility. Mental fitness is defined as ‘a state of well-being and a positive sense of how

we feel, think, and act’. Just as we can improve our physical health by moving our bodies, we can improve our mental

health by using strategies and practices that keep us mentally well and build our resilience.

During this time of uncertainty and turbulence, increasing our resilience by interacting cooperatively with our

colleagues not only promotes adaptability, but helps us to thrive in a complex work climate. COVID-19 has

fundamentally challenged the way we traditionally work together, creating a demand for careful and thoughtful

planning to provide excellent support and service to our provincial patients, clients, and partners. We all play a role

in creating a psychologically and physically safe environment. Seeking and receiving feedback, and asking for and

providing support to others is foundational for collectively managing our work during this challenging time. 

As we learn how to co-exist with COVID-19, being resilient at work requires creating sustainable resilience skills

rather than only coping in the moment. Awareness and application of the seven R@W Sustain factors can help us

increase our self-awareness of when we need to invest in each of the factors. Through the development of individual

resiliency action plans, we learn what works well for us. We CAN develop resilience and we need to regularly review

and maintain the actions that support our resilience as our circumstances change.

To build a good level of overall resilience, exploring and investing in each of the seven components can help us

identify what we are doing already that is working well and where we want to increase our investment in our

resilience.

Learn more

Want to learn more about the seven components above and how to maintain or boost your resilience? Register on

the LearningHub for Resilience in the Workplace – Co-Existing with COVID-19: What is your plan? Ninety minute

interactive Zoom sessions facilitated by R@W accredited practitioners are now being offered, either as open forum

(any PHSA employees can sign up) or for teams. Leaders can request sessions for their teams through contacting

psychhealthsafety@phsa.ca.

Looking for information and resources to support you during COVID-19?

S1 – Living Authentically

S2 – Finding your Calling

S3 – Maintaining Perspective

S4 – Mastering Stress

The Centre for Mindfulness is hosting Tune-in Tuesday mindfulness sessions for all PHSA staff. Join us

Tuesday (7:45am-7:55am) on June 23, 2020. For the zoom information and to be added to our

distribution list please email mindfulness@cw.bc.ca. 

Visit PHSA’s Supporting Our Workforce page for articles, resources, and tools that provide psychosocial

support during COVID-19.

WORKING WELL is a collection of information, resources, and strategies to support you with working well

during isolation.

Starling Minds, a digital mental health tool, can help you combat the stress, anxiety, and worry related to the

COVID-19 pandemic. Access their free and confidential digital mental health program with no strings

attached.

Don’t hesitate to call Homewood Health, PHSA’s Employee & Family Assistance Program (EFAP) provider, to

speak with a clinical counsellor at 1-800-663-1142 or www.homeweb.ca. Homewood Health offers free and

confidential coaching and counselling services for staff through video, phone, private online chat, or private

messaging.

For additional information about Resilience at Work: A Framework for Coaching and Interventions.

S5 – Interacting Cooperatively

S6 – Staying Healthy

S7 – Building Networks

June 17, 2020 People Across PHSA , BC Cancer , BC Centre for Disease Control ,

BC Children's and BC Women's , BC Mental Health & Substance Use Services

Leaving a legacy: How this lab team lead bringscompassion to work every dayJOKIC, CARLY [PHSA]

Director, Workplace Experience

Throughout Elaine Taylor’s career, she’s been driven by curiosity, compassion, and an

unwavering commitment to improve patients’ experiences. 

In her current role as team lead for pre and post analytics at BC Children’s  Hospital

and BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre, Elaine and her team support everything

that happens before and after a lab test, from ordering of the test to sharing results. 

Throughout it all, Elaine brings a special passion to her work – which is why her

nominators jumped at the chance to recognize Elaine with a PHSA+ Award. 

“We cannot say enough great things about Elaine Taylor and her compassionate engagement and partnerships with

staff, patients and families alike,” said Baljit Singh, director, and Jenn Danielson, strategic lead, both at Lower

Mainland Labs Quality & Process Improvement.  

“Elaine has dedicated her career to serving with purpose and exemplifies this each day.”

Drawing professional inspiration from personalexperiences

Elaine was planning to be a high school science teacher until she got sick while studying science at UBC. 

“I ended up spending quite a lot of time in and out of medical labs, because it took months to figure out what was

going on,” said Elaine. “I was completely fascinated by the labs and the diagnostic journey."  

"That first blood test at 20 years old completely changed my career path – I ended up doing science

instead of teaching it!” 

Elaine began working as a lab assistant, and eventually went to BCIT to become a lab technologist. She started at

PHSA right out of school in 1985, working as a hematology tech. “I absolutely loved the bench work - looking in

microscopes and differentiating cells.”

After her second daughter was born, Elaine took some time away from the lab. But, she was soon asked back to help

with some accreditation processes, which evolved into ongoing part-time work. 

Around that time, Elaine’s family was also visiting BC Children’s Hospital often for care and treatment. 

Elaine’s youngest daughter, Nadine, has sensorineural hearing loss. The family’s care team at BC Children’s

supported the entire family through the experience. 

“It was so amazing -  in a lot of ways, the experience we had as a family taught me about the high standard

of care BC Children's gives to all patients and families,” said Elaine.

Elaine continues to be inspired by her own family as well. “I’ve seen these people I love face adversity with such

courage and persistence,” she said.

Nadine (second from right) earned a master’s in public health and now works in research and evaluation of health

and social policy, and Elaine’s eldest daughter, Gillian (far right) became an audiologist – her interest sparked by

those early experiences with her family and BC Children’s care team. 

“They’re so kind, hard-working and courageous – they inspire me in my work every day,” said Elaine.

Outside of work, Elaine loves to garden and take in nature, whether around her home in the North Shore or on trips

to U.S. national parks – like this past trip to Arches National Park in Utah.

An unwavering commitment to improve care for all

In 2002, Elaine was asked to work in pre and post analytics for “just a short time” – and that’s where she’s stayed for

the last 18+ years. Elaine said she loves being involved in so many aspects of the diagnostic and testing process.

“We support everything before and after the lab test: the ordering of tests, the collection of samples, getting the

right sample to the right department for the right test, and then getting those results to the right people after,” said

Elaine.

There are countless examples of Elaine’s contributions at work in every setting.

There are countless examples of Elaine’s contributions at work in every setting. 

“She is well-known for her consistent, unwavering commitment for improving care for all, and this is

demonstrated repeatedly in every day moments and larger deliverables,” explained Baljit. 

One major project has been implementing individual ‘care plans’ for patients interacting with the lab at BC

Children’s.

Elaine recognized some patients faced obstacles to successful blood draws – things like having difficult veins,

needle anxiety, and hypersensitivity to pain. She also saw it was challenging lab assistants, who don’t want to

cause pain or stress for their young patients, but had to collect the samples. 

A care plan acts as a communication tool to better explain the patient’s needs when they arrive for lab work. 

Plans can range from one page to many, and include information about the patient, their concerns and

preferences for blood work, and how lab assistants can help them overcome any challenges and make them

feel more comfortable.

This simple tool enables more successful blood draws and better collaboration between a team of care

providers and the family, explained Elaine. 

From a patient perspective, the care plan saves the patient and family from repeating and explaining their

preferred blood draw processes, and provides vital information  in emergency situations.

“Having my care plan gives me a security that has built my foundation for my health care,” explained a now

grown-up patient at a 2018 quality conference. “I was the first child at [BC Children’s] to have a blood work

care plan and now there are over 300. The continuity of care has made my transition to adult care, that much

smoother and easier.”

Elaine has been thrilled to see how use of care plans has grown in BC Children’s lab. She’s quick to attribute

credit and gratitude to the supportive leaders, mentors and teammates - especially the medical laboratory

assistants - who made the program possible.  

Elaine (centre front) with the pre and post analytics team at BC Children’s and BC Women's.

But implementing the lab-specific care plans was no easy feat and Elaine deserves major credit for her role,

explained Baljit and Jenn. 

“It required advocacy, influence, partnerships across multiple groups and development of new

protocols…Elaine’s work is truly leaving a legacy.”

As use of the care plans has increased, Elaine was able to advocate for a child life specialist to join the BC Children’s

and Women’s lab team. 

Child life specialists are trained in child development and promote effective coping for patients and families through

play, preparation and education. Together with families, child life specialists help write care plans to support patients

when they arrive at the lab. This collaboration also involves the medical laboratory assistants who have become used

to incorporating a playful patient centered approach.  

Elaine hopes that one day, every child and family interacting with labs across B.C. will benefit from this kind of

unique care and attention and the expertise of child life specialists. 

It’s all part of the bigger picture of bringing more compassion and trust into each patient’s experience with labs,

explained Elaine. 

“My vision would be that all children grow up unafraid to get their blood taken,” said Elaine. “If we can get

them comfortable on their very first blood collection, we’ll have a whole generation of adults that aren’t

afraid needles.”

The PHSA+ Award program is managed by our Workplace Experience team, part of PHSA Human Resources.

Workplace Experience also manages overall employee recognition programming including our Long Service Awards,

e-cards, perks and a variety of other recognition efforts. For more information,

contact employeerecognition@phsa.ca. 

June 17, 2020 Awards Across PHSA

Daring to innovate and reducing antibiotic use, onecampaign at a timeJOKIC, CARLY [PHSA]

Director, Workplace Experience

The Community Antimicrobial Stewardship team taking a break for a photo op (left to right): Nick Smith, Hattaw

Khalid, Hannah Lishman, Kate O'Connor, Stephanie Dion, David Patrick and Abdullah Mamun. Absent: Emily Rempel

and Erin Fraser.

Antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats to global health, killing 5,400 Canadians in 2018 alone. As part of

the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC), the Community Antimicrobial Stewardship (CAS) team promotes

appropriate antibiotic use at the local, provincial and federal level to prevent antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The

group's innovative work and collaborative spirit has led them to many successes, including a well-deserving PHSA+

Award win. 

"It's a great feeling," Nick Smith, CAS project manager, says of the honour. "This team does some great

work, and I feel we sometimes don't trumpet our own horn enough when it comes to our own

accomplishments. So it's nice that there is recognition of the work the team does."

Small but mighty

With the goal of promoting wise use of antibiotics, the CAS team has contributed widely to public and health care

practitioner knowledge of antibiotic utilization and prescription practices through public and professional outreach,

education, surveillance and research activities. In 2019 alone, they ran three provincial public campaigns,

participated nationally in Antibiotic Awareness Week, trained 1,634 students in community antibiotic education,

published three academic articles, engaged with countless community partners and more.

"We have a great, small team of people who each have their own strengths and expertise," Nick says.

"Everyone is really kind, smart, caring and passionate about what they do. It's just a pleasure to work with

them every day."

Making a difference

Nick and his colleagues enjoy the process of seeing projects through from an initial idea to development, rollout and

evaluation. "It's really rewarding to see something that you helped steer out there in the world, whether it's a clinical

resource, a public advertisement or an educational program like our penicillin allergy campaign, and then hearing

from people that it was useful," he shares. "We're doing our small part to address a public health issue of global

concern, and that's very fulfilling. There's growing recognition that antibiotic resistance is not just some far off

problem, it is impacting people here and now. Over 5,000 Canadians die each year from antibiotic resistant

infections, so I have an appreciation for the fact that what we're doing is important and potentially life-saving."

Daring to innovate

While the CAS team and its work touches on all of PHSA's values, the one that stands out the most to Nick is "dare to

innovate." "Surprisingly, the idea of an antimicrobial stewardship program that focuses on community prescribing is

still fairly unique worldwide, even though our program started with Do Bugs Need Drugs 15 years ago now," he says.

"With 90 per cent of antibiotic prescribing happening in the community, it seems like a no-brainer, but our team has

been at the forefront of addressing unnecessary prescribing in this setting. We've seen some tremendous results,

with huge drops in prescribing since we started our work."

Congratulations to the CAS team and thank you for continuing to forge a path toward a healthier British Columbia!

The PHSA+ Award program is managed by our Workplace Experience team, part of PHSA Human Resources.

Workplace Experience also manages overall employee recognition programming including our Long Service Awards,

e-cards, perks and a variety of other recognition efforts. For more information, contact

employeerecognition@phsa.ca. 

June 16, 2020 Education & Development Across PHSA , BC Cancer ,

BC Centre for Disease Control , BC Children's and BC Women's ,

BC Mental Health & Substance Use Services

Jobs of the WeekCHARACH, ASHLEY [PHSA]

Representative, Talent Acquisition

Heads up: Jobs of the Week is moving!

Starting Tuesday, June 23, we'll be highlighting jobs across PHSA in our weekly operational bulletins that come

direct to your inbox! Continue to read PHSA news for stories and features on some of the amazing things

happening across PHSA.

This week's featured jobs across PHSA

Administrative positions supporting our incredible patient care areas:

EA to the Chief Medical Officer, BC Children's Hospital and BC Women's Hospital & Health Centre

Physician Secretary, Intensive Care Unit, BC Children's Hospital

IT Positions:

Senior Developer, IEHR Solutions

Data Analyst, Cardiac Services Data Registry

Finance Roles:

Senior Financial Analyst, Business Planning

Payroll Clerk (Casual Opportunities)

Know someone who may be interested in any of these roles? Encourage your colleagues to apply!

More Career Opportunities

If those positions aren't quite what you are looking for, browse all our current positions:

BROWSE INTERNAL JOB POSTINGS

BROWSE EXTERNAL JOB POSTINGS

If an internal posting link has expired, please apply through jobs.phsa.ca.

Don't forget to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram to see our job openings in your

social media feed!