How they’re continuing the impact of their work
Every year, our Quality Awards celebrate inspiring projects and individuals that are helping to improve the quality of care in BC. Winners are recognized in many ways, including being awarded a $2,500 sponsorship to help disseminate learning from their work and support ongoing development. We love checking back in with them to hear the inspiring ways in which they have used their sponsorships. We’ve followed up with the 2017 Quality Award winners and are thrilled to share with you what they’ve been up to!
Feeling inspired by these stories? Do you know someone who has been doing improvement work like this? You can nominate them for a Quality Award too! The 2019 Quality Awards’ nomination period is open until July 15, 2018. Click here to learn how to nominate.
Featured image: Delia Cooper (top right), the winner of the 2017 Leadership in Advancing the Patient Voice award, with members of the Hang Tough arthritis support group at the 2017 Walk to Fight Arthritis. Delia put some of her sponsorship towards supporting this fundraising event.
Delia Cooper, the winner of the 2017 Leadership in Advancing the Patient Voice award for her dedicated volunteerism for arthritis and other chronic conditions, used her sponsorship to help two organizations host free community educational events in May 2017. The first was a Pain and Arthritis Forum in Coquitlam, hosted by the Arthritis Society, and the second was an Education Day in Burnaby with the Canadian Immune Deficiency Patient Organization (CIPO). “Education is always the first step in addressing problems,” says Delia. She also donated some of her sponsorship funds to support the Walk to Fight Arthritis in June 2017. Read more about Delia’s work on the Patient Voices Network blog!
Louise Johnson, the winner of the 2017 Quality Culture Trailblazer award, is the Quality Coordinator at Park Place Seniors Living, creating initiatives that have improved the environment for both staff and residents. Louise used her sponsorship to establish the Park Place Louise Johnson Scholarship, which provides funding for staff to access conferences, classes and other educational opportunities related to geriatric and/or dementia care – because, Louise says, “Park Place Seniors Living wants to walk the talk of a learning organization.”
Lisa Young, the 2017 Everyday Champion winner (as voted by you!), excelled at making hand hygiene interesting, relevant and important to her colleagues at BC Emergency Health Services, in her role at the time as Leader of Infection Prevention and Control. “I am always looking for innovative ways to translate knowledge for all staff,” she said. With her sponsorship, Lisa purchased an ATP bioluminescence monitoring device and swabs, which show quantitative results for how contaminated a surface is. She used the device as a visually engaging training tool for staff to show the thoroughness of the cleaning that has taken place on a surface.
Cheryl Ward, the Director of Indigenous Health at PHSA, won the 2017 Leadership in Quality award for her pivotal role in developing and directing PHSA’s San’yas Indigenous Cultural Safety Training program. Cheryl plans to donate her sponsorship to the San’yas program to use for staff development.
Nanaimo’s John Barsby Wellness Centre – the first multidisciplinary health and wellness centre to be located in a Vancouver Island high school – has used their 2017 Staying Healthy award sponsorship to purchase needed physical and mental health supports and supplies, including a new printer/fax machine, medical equipment, and student lounge equipment, as the program has expanded to a second high school.
BC Renal’s one-year Assisted Peritoneal Dialysis (PD) pilot project won the 2017 Living with Illness award for helping PD patients continue to receive care in their own homes. Since then, it has expanded into the province-wide PD Assist program. The sponsorship will help facilitate engagement of clinician and patient stakeholders across the province in an evaluation of the provincial implementation.
Vancouver General Hospital’s ICU Wishing Well Project, the winner of the 2017 Coping with End of Life award, grants “wishes” for patients in end-of-life care. The sponsorship was used to fulfill some of these wishes and purchase supplies for patients (favourite snacks, beverages, personal care items and art supplies). Some memorable wishes granted recently include a commemorative game of mini-putt for the family of a golf lover; a tree for the family of an outdoor enthusiast to plant in memory of their loved one; and a family get-together featuring the patient’s favourite music and favourite food – fried chicken. The funds have also been used to support research in partnership with two other ICUs in Ontario to investigate the impact of interventions like the Wishing Well project.
