We received over 200 submissions for how you provide patient & family centered care!  Your submissions exemplify how you make a difference, speak to WHY you do what you do, and the incredible, collective heart behind it all.

Here is how YOU make a difference in the lives of patients and families:

I held a mother while she held her young daughter’s hand during CPR. (VGH ICU)

I stay at the patient’s side and hold their hands if necessary, until they are asleep. (UBCH OR)

I work with the birth centre team to be sure every baby is skin to skin with their mom as soon after birth as possible so that little newborn feels safe and secure, close to mom’s beating heart and the warmth of her body’s love. (PHYSICIAN, RICHMOND BIRTH CENTRE)

Patient was petrified and in tears before her surgery. I was able to speak with her, calm her down and ↓ her anxiety. We connected! I stayed with her as she fell asleep and it felt amazing to be there when she said ”Thank You”. (VGH OR)

I follow patients throughout their journey from the ED, during their inpatient stay and after discharge, when they return home to the community.  I connect with them at all stages of this journey to help me understand the patient and family perspective. (Jennifer MacKenzie, COO RICHMOND HOSPITAL)

I assisted with a family request to help the patient “look like himself” prior to removal of life support.  We have him a mani-pedi and styled his hair like he usually does it. (VGH ICU)

Showing my patient (who suffers from dementia) coloring sheets for her to colour. She became so enthralled with it, that it was difficult to interrupt her from colouring! (RICHMOND ERN)

We facilitated a birthday party for a young family member to take place in the ICU after the patient died. The family was from out of town so they had no place for the party. We arranged for decorations, balloons, a present, and a room. Several doctors and nurses sung Happy Birthday to the little girl. (VGH ICU)

I stayed an hour post-call with a family to explain their loved one’s illness trajectory (PHYSICIAN, VGH ICU)

I started the practice of sending condolence cards to all of the families of patients who have died in our unit.  Many families have responded, in turn, to say that they appreciate the gesture because it lets them know that their loved one was not “just a statistic”. (VGH ICU)

Taking a dying patient’s last wish, to go outside and feel the sunshine and fresh air, and making it happen. (RICHMOND MEDICINE)

We do our best everyday! (Dr. Bas Masri, UBCH OR)

Pizza lunch

Winner of the pizza lunch with 52 submissions is the VGH Intensive Care Unit!  Well done!

Stay tuned

There were so many wonderful submissions, we decided to award a Quality Forum registration to each Community of Care (Vancouver, Richmond, Coastal).  Stay tuned for the final two winners over the next two VCH News publications.

This week’s winner

Congratulations to our first winner, Vancouver Community’s Health Services for Community Living!

Here’s their story:

We are a small, yet mighty team in the community who are committed professionals striving to improve the lives of adults with developmental disabilities. We are challenged daily to find creative ways to support our clients to access health care. We are especially proud of a recent team effort where we all worked together with a client who had been traumatized and unable to leave her house for two years. Members of the team developed a relationship with the client and her mom, thereby gaining trust and access to their home. Nursing, OT and the Dental Hygienist visited the client at home. The PT and dietitian were consulted. We all advocated for her to have more support in her daily life and included her mom as an ally. She began to take small excursions outside her home with the help of her new support worker. Recently, she attended an appointment at our worksite where she was greeted in the parking lot and made welcome in our space. She allowed us all to examine her in unfamiliar surroundings and this, ‘practice clinic’ is a first step to her being able to go to her doctor’s office, have her bloodwork done, or visit the dentist. We hear that she and her mom have been able to go out for coffee in their neighbourhood and that our client appears happier than she has for a long while. Margaret Mead’s quote, “never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has”. (submitted by VCH Health Services for Community Living)

L to R: Patti Bonisteel, Jay Yip, Laurian Wallis, Jean Cremin. Team members not pictured: Michelle Dummond, Catherine Andrews, Rene Lieu, Elana Berger, Heather Burgess.