Figure 1: The Island Health Executive, Board, and CEO tour the facilities at Victoria General Hospital.
Last week, Island Health's Board and Executive were in Victoria to hold a public forum, meet with partners, and visit Victoria General Hospital (VGH) and Royal Jubilee Hospital (RJH).
The Board took a behind-the-scenes tour of Victoria General Hospital, where they met with mechanical, electrical, carpentry, and maintenance staff to learn about ongoing sustainability initiatives to minimize the hospital's impact on climate change.
They also visited VGH's Perinatal Unit, the primary care center for mothers and infants across the island and a leading provider in the province for complicated pregnancies and neonatal/pediatric surgery. The Board was even lucky enough to see newly born triplets and meet their parents briefly!
Dr. Hayley Bos, Medical Director for VGH and Maternity at Island Health, highlighted the importance of including Indigenous midwifery services in patient-centred care. She shared a poignant example of a patient who needed to leave her children and community in Duncan to receive care at Victoria General Hospital due to a pregnancy complication. Dr. Bos shared it could have been a negative experience for a young Indigenous mother away from home, but thanks to the Indigenous midwives who facilitated family visits and provided holistic care, she felt very supported.
The afternoon included a visit to Royal Jubilee Hospital, where the Board met with staff from the Young Adult Mental Health Services Unit and heard from a valued patient partner who shared her story and, as a result, how the Young Adult unit at Royal Jubilee Hospital, from her perspective, has positive outcomes on the patient population it serves.
"I want to stress what a positive difference these improvements would have made in our daughter's life. Young adults are so vulnerable during the transition into adult care. I would also like to say that as a caregiver partner, I feel heard, valued, and included," said the patient partner.
They also visited the RJH Pharmacy to see for themselves the immense positive impacts of the recent IHealth go-live of Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE), which has modernized prescription ordering across the site and improved patient safety.
The Board also held a public forum the evening before their tours. Dr. Christina Kay, Medical Health Officer for Greater Victoria, provided a population health update for the Victoria region, highlighting positive developments in perinatal care, such as the Nurse-Family Partnership program. This program, which enhances services for young first-time mothers at increased risk for poverty, mental health issues, substance use, and intimate partner violence, is a beacon of hope in our efforts to improve health and care in the region.
Mental Health Recovery Partners South Island also presented to the Board. Janine Theobald, Executive Director, and Zoe Newson, Peer Support Manager, delivered a passionate and lively presentation. They outlined their efforts to provide services for individuals experiencing mental health concerns and support for their loved ones and community partners. They also highlighted to the Board the importance of partnership when delivering support and care to the broader community. The public forum was live-streamed and is available to watch here.
The Board and Executive team sincerely thank all local leaders, partners, community members, staff, and medical staff who contributed to the success of this final engagement tour for 2024.