Dedicated to Sea to Sky

Cindy Sellers loves what she does. She wouldn’t have stayed with the same organization for nearly 40 years if she didn’t. Being based in Squamish as Sea to Sky Manager is a bonus – it’s where Cindy grew up. It’s also where she worked as a nurse for 28 years.

“Being in your own community certainly has its rewards, and it also has its challenges,” she says, “but I’ve also worked in BC Children’s ICU and Lions Gate Emerg, so I know the other side, too.”

Cindy is so invested in her community that she even works long hours on weekends, providing on-site care at the many music festivals held in the Sea to Sky corridor – and she doesn’t miss a beat when it comes to her managerial duties, showing up bright and early for work on Mondays.

“I like the challenge and helping people,” she says.

Thrives on change

Besides not shying away from a challenge, Cindy thrives on change. That’s why she’s looking forward to the changes that will be brought about by the Clinical and Systems Transformation (CST) project, which is designed to improve the quality, safety and consistency of patient care across VCH, PHSA and PHC.

The Sea-to-Sky sites – Squamish General Hospital, Whistler Health Care Centre and Pemberton Health Centre – and the Lions Gate Hospital campus will be the first to implement the large-scale changes, including the new shared clinical information system, next year. For some, this might seem daunting. For Cindy, it’s an opportunity to make positive improvements.

“The patient will be able to move seamlessly through our health organizations – that’s the thing I’m probably the most excited about,” she says. “The care they receive will be there to see in the system; we won’t have to worry so much about people at other sites knowing what we did here in Squamish.”

CST a challenge worth taking on

She’s also on board with adopting consistent clinical and process standards.

“Making care consistent across our facilities will give us the best practice, instead of having to define practices for ourselves locally,” says Cindy.

Clinicians in rural areas are used to a lot of change, she adds, but CST is a challenge worth taking on.

“If it leads to less errors and improved quality of care, then I’m looking forward to it.”

Learn more about the CST project at CSTproject.ca.