August 2
St. Paul’s celebrates major milestone – 2000th kidney transplant
Global BC
St. Paul’s hospital in conjunction with Providence Health Care and B.C. Transplant is celebrating kidney transplant – No.2000.
Kidney donors needed despite transplant milestone
CBC News
A Williams Lake, B.C. woman, says she managed to cut five years off her wait for a new kidney thanks to a B.C. program that allows incompatible couples to swap kidney donors. St. Paul’s is one of three hospitals in the province that performs kidney transplants.
St Paul’s Hospital achieves its 2,000th kidney transplant
CBC News [AUDIO]
CBC talks to Nelda Gill, the recipient of the 2000th transplant at St. Paul’s Hospital.
St Paul’s Hospital doctors perform 2,000th kidney transplant
News 1130
St. Paul’s Hospital has hit a major milestone — doctors just performed their 2,000th kidney transplant. With quotes from Dr. David Landsberg, head of Division of Nephrology at St. Paul’s Hospital.
Struggling in the shadows
Richmond Review
A single mother of three living in Richmond describes the difficulties of living in poverty. With quotes from Dr. James Lu, Richmond’s medical health officer.
Should longboarding be banned on all North Shore streets?
North Shore Outlook
With the number of serious longboarding injuries mounting, police, concerned parents and boarders themselves are searching for a safer solution. Comments by Dr. Brian O’Connor, medial health officer of VCH.
Hastings-Sunrise: Mental health centre blending into area
Vancouver Courier
Opposition to a planned 45,000-square-foot mental health centre at 2750 East Hastings St. was vociferous in 2007. But it appears the counselling and outreach facility hasn’t had the corrosive effects on the community that were anticipated. With quotes from Laura Hansen, manager of mental health and addictions for Vancouver Community.
Heart pumps work as ‘bridge to transplant’
Vancouver Sun
Two cardiac surgeons — along with four other cardiologists — at St. Paul’s Hospital perform all implantations of long-term ventricular assist devices in the province, under the B.C. Acute Heart Failure Program.
August 6
BC’s Little Known Resource for Unhappy Patients
The Tyee
Health care advocates wonder why Patient Care Quality Review Boards are so under-publicized. Quotes from Dr. Jack Chritchley, a physician and chair of the VCH board.
Vancouver beach water quality gets poopy grade
24 Hours Vancouver
Vancouver Coastal Health is closely watching Sunset Beach after its weekly water quality report found a nearly five-fold increase in coliform count — caused by fecal material in water — over the past month. Quotes from Anna Marie D’Angelo.
August 7
Teens don’t grasp risks of bingeing
The Province
Alcohol-related emergency room visits for youth have increased. Quotes from Kerrie Watt, an alcohol and drug prevention educator with VCH.
Vancouver beach water quality gets poopy grade
24 Hours Vancouver
Vancouver Coastal Health is closely watching Sunset Beach after its weekly water quality report found a nearly five-fold increase in coliform count — caused by fecal material in water — over the past month. Quotes from Anna Marie D’Angelo.
Vancouver’s Sunset Beach shows elevated fecal coliform count
The Province
Vancouver Coastal Health is keeping a close eye on Sunset Beach in the West End, after testing revealed levels of coliform bacteria — an indicator of sewage contamination — increased more than 400 per cent over the past month.
False Creek coliform count rises
The Huffington Post – courtesy of CBC
The coliform counts in East False Creek are almost twice the level safe for swimming and wading in the water, tests show, with counts also inching up for Sunset Beach in English Bay.
Increased levels of fecal matter found at Sunset Beach in Vancouver
Global BC
Vancouver Coastal Health is keeping an eye on the waters at Sunset Beach in Vancouver after a report showed increased levels of fecal matter.
Don’t treat heroin and opioid addiction as short-term conditions: paper
Global News (also in The Vancouver Sun)
Addiction to heroin and other opioids is a long-term, chronic disease that can’t simply be fixed with a few weeks or months on methadone, a group of BC-based researchers argue. Refers to the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS.
Island woman’s life marked by stigma
Times Colonist
Nicole, now 30, was diagnosed with HIV at 21. Although she would like to help combat the stigma attached to HIV, she keeps her illness a secret from many in her life. Refers to the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS.
Report says B.C. a model for treating opioid addiction
The Globe and Mail
BC could serve as a model for effective treatment of opioid dependency for the United States, according to a new report by Canadian and American researchers. Refers to the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS.