Manitouwadge Hospital & NWCCAC Make Province’s 1st myCare Pilot Permanent
Green Light For myCare
MGH CEO Jocelyn Bourgoin and NWCCAC CEO Tuija Puiras signed an agreement to make myCare a permanent program in Manitouwadge. Supplied Photo
MANITOUWADGE, ON – Late in 2012, the Manitouwadge General Hospital (MGH) initiated a one year pilot project with the North West Community Care Access Centre (NWCCAC) to deliver home nursing services by the nursing staff of MGH to the residents of Manitouwadge. This unique pilot project dubbed myCare studied the possibility of meeting the needs of residents with local nursing resources that would be funded by NWCCAC, hosted by the hospital and managed by the family health team. The home visits are a key component of the hospital’s
mandate to “Meet the Changing Health Care Needs of our Community With Excellence”.
MGH CEO Joceylyn Bourgoin and NWCCAC . Supplied Photo
The pilot project was reviewed in November of 2013 and declared a great success for all parties involved. NWCCAC enjoyed the quick response of the MGH nurses and the collaborative attitude of the Manitouwadge Family Health Team (MFHT). To date, over 690 visits have been conducted and those patients appreciate the availability of the service, especially by staff who often already know their medical history because they see them at the MFHT or at MGH.
December 19th, 2013 MGH CEO Jocelyn Bourgoin and NWCCAC CEO Tuija Puiras signed an agreement to make myCare a permanent program in Manitouwadge. The myCare program, believed to be the first in Ontario based in hospital is key to help vulnerable patients live safely at home, especially in small and rural communities. Bourgoin credits the nurses for the program’s success. “They saw the need and agreed to step forward to make the system work for Manitouwadge by sharing duties and placing the patient at the centre of the care plan” said Bourgoin adding that he “commended the MGH Board for its vision to support myCare for a year and taking a chance on making it work”.
NWCCAC CEO Tuija Puiras stated that, “This pilot is a first in Ontario and has worked very well for the community of Manitouwadge. We are very happy with the outcome and look forward to continued success”.
TELEMEDICINE CAMERAS MOVE TO ER FOR TRAINING
The Manitouwadge General Hospital is always seeking new ways of improving skills to ensure the provision of quality patient care. Isolation, minimal staffing and travel costs makes this a challenge for delivery of hands on training. Usually, only one nurse is sent out on course at a time. Recently, the nursing department, moved a mobile video-conference system to the emergency department so that an out-of-town instructor could coach them on advanced wound care for a patient that might otherwise have to be referred to Thunder Bay. By developing this expertise on site, more nurses were able to participate in the session while the instructor was able to monitor the patient’s and nurses’ progress throughout the treatment. The use of videoconferencing continues to be a major factor in better access to services for Manitouwadge. Until now, educational sessions and patient sessions were held separately. By combining both in the clinical setting, the hospital has moved the technology further to better serve our residents.
FLU VACCINE
As most of the public has heard, this year’s flu season has already caused five deaths in the District of Thunder Bay. Thunder Bay Regional and other district hospitals have had moderate surges of respiratory illnesses due to the flu for the past few weeks. What has surprised everyone is that this strain is impacting the very young (under 16) and the healthy adults (under 65). Only one death was over 65 years of age. The type of flu identified as most commonly circulating in the district is Influenza A (H1N1) which is a component or part of this year’s vaccine. Even if you received the H1N1 vaccine in 2009, you should still get this year’s vaccine to be fully protected. There is still time to get the vaccine by calling the Family Health Team at 826-3174.
LEARN MORE
- Learn more about the Manitouwadge General Hospital’s programs and services
- Learn more about health care at home supported by the North West Community Care Access Centre
- Read other articles about Manitouwadge General Hospitals
