Winter Surge Updates

To reduce pressures on our hospitals during the winter surge months, Island Health is enacting an integrated winter surge response plan to increase capacity in our communities, including community health services, assisted living and long term care. This strategy will aim to reduce the number of Alternate Level of Care(ALC) patients in:

• Hospital by 40-60%, reduce admissions and move appropriate hospital patients to community for support.
• This complex work has been broken down in to three main levers to reach our ALC Reduction Target specifically at our three tertiary sites, NRGH, RJH & VGH:

Last update: February 15, 2023 

	Significant investment to stabilize north island health-care services Posted: January 27, 2023 Slow But Steady Capacity Improvements: EOC Update Posted: January 20, 2023
	Winter Surge Tip of the Week - Coding Practices Posted: February 15, 2023 Including patient and family early in the Discharge Planning process Posted: February 8, 2023 Caregiver Programs and Supports Posted: January 31, 2023 Optimizing the Community Virtual Care Program at Discharge Posted: January 27, 2023
	Community Health Services Goes Beyond Posted on: February 14, 2023
	Winter Surge content is shared monthly in the Medical Staff Bulletin.  *Next Medical Staff Bulletin is March 9, 2023.

This important work will continue into March 2023. Please continue to check The Medical Staff Website and subscribe to the Medical Staff Bulletin to follow along for future updates and learning tips to share with your teams.

Where to Direct Questions: 

• For physician engagement in planning for Health System redesign please contact Deborah.Bartley@islandhealth.ca

• For Island Health Communications Inquiries related to Winter Surge Communications please contact Communication@islandhealth.ca