Radiology, the new long-term care facility and the high quality of health care in Powell River were discussed at an open forum with Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) on Friday, April 13.
About 20 people had lunch at the Tree Frog Bistro while listening to officials from VCH discuss local health care. Wendy Hansson, chief operating officer for VCH, began by assuring people that VCH checked with ministry officials and has no intention of merging Powell River with Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA).
“We’re continuing to build a robust network for Vancouver Coastal Health and Powell River is an intricate part to it. So I can’t speak to that rumour,” she said.
Hansson added there has been “absolutely no dialogue at Vancouver Coastal Health” about such a merge.
Dr. Kelle Payne, director of clinical quality at VCH, announced the operating hours for diagnostic imaging have been extended by two hours from 6 pm to 8 pm Monday through Friday at Powell River General Hospital (PRGH). She also brought updates about how radiology is being handled at the hospital, without a radiologist, through the picture archiving and communications system (PACS).
“What that basically means is we now have conversation between your system and the coastal system at the Vancouver hospital,” she said. “So if I was to come in to have images done at 8 o’clock on a Tuesday morning here in Powell River and there was no radiologist on site, my images are sent into an archival computer system which is then accessible to radiologists on call at the Vancouver Lion’s Gate Hospital. So he or she reads them almost immediately.”
A radiologist is always on call at Lion’s Gate as is a neurologist. Payne said every image goes through at least two radiologists and if there is a difference in opinion, a third radiologist is consulted. None of the radiologists know what the others said about the image, a practice used to prove competency in skills.
Payne explained that it means there are immediate second opinions on CT scans and diagnostic imaging. The same system is in place for weekends and includes ultrasounds.
“There is always, 100 per cent of the time, a radiologist on call,” she said. “You have a radiologist on site Mondays. There are some procedures you need to have a radiologist perform for you.”
However, Payne also explained radiologists don’t need to be present for medications to be administered to patients.
The search for a full-time radiologist continues. Payne said VCH is working alongside Powell River to recruit a new radiologist to town. “Vancouver Coastal is going to be right beside Powell River in the decision making because we want your radiologist to be of the same high standard and competency as the radiology at coastal.”
Brenda Langevin, director for coastal community of care, a region of VCH, announced some updates to the new long-term care facility to replace Olive Devaud Residence. She said architects have been hired and the planning has started for the 102-bed facility.
“It will be an all-wood building,” she said. “We can build to three levels with wood. It looks like probably a two storey. The design will be more or less in houses so that there may be 17 people in a house. And the house will be designed so that everybody has a single room, a dining room just for those 17 folks. There won’t be these great big common areas.”
Lastly, Payne reviewed an evaluation that was done on the health region, announcing that in review of over 3,000 regulations and looking at care for every kind of patient, PRGH scored 92 per cent on patient/client/resident care. There were six problems identified at PRGH including fall prevention and re-evaluating patients who had falls.
Payne added that over the last four months VCH has worked to address the issues and will be creating an 85- to 95-page report showing how VCH has brought itself into compliance. Still, Payne said overall PRGH is providing high quality care.
“Your staff in your areas and your community are doing an excellent job. We’re just tying it all together.”
