If you haven’t had a chance to experience our recent Vancouver All-Staff Forum, it’s not too late. The webcast is available for viewing at your convenience and you can watch from the comfort of home. We welcome your feedback, too. Our brief and confidential survey on the forum will remain open through Friday, February 14.

Since the forum, Mary Ackenhusen has continued the conversation in her blog “We’re not in Kansas anymore”. We encourage you to read it and add your thoughts to the discussion.

Today, we answer more of your questions. For past Q & As, refer to our February 6 article and previously published submissions to VCH News-Vancouver.

If you have a question you’d like to ask, email us.

Today’s answered questions

Q. With the number of vacancies and need to support staff retention would there not be value in opening up more full-time lines to those wanting to job-share, or creating part-time lines? As many staff take career breaks, for example to study or raise a family, leaving the workforce entirely is not an option. Many of us want to stay working but the need to juggle families and/or study plus working creates conflict for many of us and this results in some greatly skilled staff leaving the workforce with many not returning. I have noticed fewer jobs are available part-time and job-share opportunities are rare. Perhaps it’s time to review this hiring process.

A. Thank you for this question. As a society, establishing a work/life balance is one of our greatest challenges, regardless of profession or industry. There just never seems to be enough time, energy or money to do all we want to do — personally and professionally.

For employers, there are costs and benefits to job-sharing. Duplication of benefit packages and staff orientations (when replacing one full-time person with two part-time people) come at a cost. Adjusting rotations, when needed, is a time-consuming and laborious process. But, as you note, job-sharing also helps employers retain high-calibre staff and, in our case, part-time staff help us manage staff relief costs.

Job-sharing arrangements exist under collective agreements covering nurses, paramedicals and community staff. These arrangements are entirely voluntary for both managers and employees, and they’re regularly reached by both parties here at VCH. The process requires an employee interested in job-sharing to initiate a request in writing to his/her manager. When considering job-sharing requests, managers must weigh the costs and benefits and consider a number of operational concerns, including service continuity and service coverage. If the request is approved, a notice will be posted to determine interest in job-sharing a specific position. The process also calls for the notice to be posted within the originating department only, where staff most familiar with the work and team are located. For excluded staff interested in job-sharing, the process and considerations for managers are much the same.

If you’re interested in job sharing, we encourage you to speak with your manager and discuss the potential. Human Resources advisors are also available for support in considering and implementing these arrangements.

Q. Can you provide an update on Home Health Redesign and the Powell River project?

A. Home Health Redesign is a regional initiative that began in June of 2012 with the Powell River team. Powell River is acting as our VCH prototype community and our colleagues there are leading the way in using a care management model developed collaboratively with staff, clients and physicians.

Much has been accomplished since this initiative began. The Powell River team has established its new staffing model and rotations, and work has begun to maximize the number of clients seen in an ambulatory setting. By March 2014, the team also aims to:

• begin care management model education for all staff
• identify the most responsible clinician for all clients (a new concept)
• identify each client’s goal and implement shared care planning
• implement an interim approach for documenting each client’s goals and shared care plan
• conduct team huddles
• implement an interim client scheduling system to fit new model
• enhance GP care conferencing

After March 2014, Powell River will continue their transition with the implementation of telephonic care. They’ll continue to enhance their system for documentation and shared care planning, and enhance proactive scheduling of clients.

In addition, the other VCH home health communities of care are moving forward in parallel to Powell River, with a concentrated focus on telephonic care, GP care conferencing and care management education.

A great deal has been accomplished — and for very good reasons. This initiative will enable us to meet the needs of an aging population with growing incidences of chronic disease and disability, while supporting clients with their decisions to stay at home as long as it’s safe to do so. Clients’ access to services, ability to self-manage their health and quality of life will all improve.

For much more on Home Health Redesign, visit the initiative’s intranet site on VCH Connect (accessible within VCH only).