* Coronavirus update * Surgical Renovations - an overview * Flu Shot Draw winners * Celebrations - see who was recognized * Long Service Award Recipients * Medication Managment Improvements * Construction Corner * Health and Safety News * Our latest draw winners * DI celebrates investment in technology * New Labour Relations Manager * Flu Shot campaign continues * Upcoming events - save the dates! * PRH Foundation news and events * Valentine’s Day Raffle success * Special donations for AMH/Outreach

Investment In New X-Ray Equipment Is Celebrated Joining together to celebrate installation of the new x-ray equipment at PRH are representatives of

the Senior Leadership Team and the Diagnostic Imaging Department.

From left: Vice-President of Clinic Support Services/Partnerships and Integration Sabine

Mersmann, President and CEO Pierre Noel, Radiologist Dr. Stephanie Kenney, Sydney Forbes,

Chief of Diagnostic Imaging Dr. Abram Choi, Amber Hein, Melissa Hellmig, Natalie Coulas, Theresa

Kerr, Jesse Gosnell, Angela Keddy, Kathy Cardiff, Diagnostic Imaging Director Jim Lumsden

and Lori Phinney. To learn more about the recent investment, check out the story inside.

The Pulse

A Monthly Newsletter for PRH Staff, Physicians and Volunteers - February 2020

In This Issue:

Submissions and suggestions

are always welcome.

Please direct all submissions

and queries to ext. 6165 or

carolyn.levesque@prh.email or

drop off submissions in the

Public Affairs Mailbox

(PRH mail room) or Room B446

(Tower B, 4th Floor Link).

The Pulse

A Monthly Newsletter for PRH Staff, Physicians and Volunteers - February 2020

Staff Association Winners Congratulations to February’s $50 Cash Crazy draw winners Brandy Lewis (Diagnostic

Imaging) and Susan Crigger (Medical). Draws are held the first Monday of each month.

Do You Have a Question or Need Some Guidance? Call our clinical education office at

extension 6320. Available Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Do you have Rehab or Stroke-Related questions? Call our District Stroke Centre clinical

educator Rachel England at extension 7312. Available Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Have any ideas for education sessions? Contact MJ at extension 6237 or by email

marilyne.beier@prh.email

Pembroke Library Lends Free Museum Passes Looking for something to do this winter...your library card is the ticket

to a variety of FREE museum passes including:

National Gallery of Canada and Canada’s Museums of Science and

Technology, Agriculture and Food, Aviation and Space, History, Nature

and War. They also have passes for the Ottawa Museum Network which

includes the Diefenbunker, Watson’s Mill, Bytown Museum, Pinney’s

Point Historic Site, Fairfield’s Heritage House and Billings Estate

National Historic Site and more!

Tues. June 2

4:30 p.m.

Details

coming soon!

Pierre’s Perspective – February 2020 February 24, 2020 Here we are already two months into a new year and a new decade and, as is often the case, there are a lot of things to celebrate and there is a lot on the go. As you’ll see in this edition of The Pulse, we are recognizing 101 staff and physicians who achieved long service milestones in 2019 ranging from five to forty-five years of service! Those recognized for milestones of 20 years and more have been invited to attend a special catered luncheon on April 9th. Clearly, having so many long service recipients highlights the dedication and loyalty our staff and medical professionals have to PRH, to our community and to our patients. On April 9th we will also recognize 17 staff who retired in 2019 and who have collectively contributed over 400 years of service! A truly amazing contribution! In the coming weeks those who achieved perfect attendance will be celebrated and then on April 21st we will host a lovely dinner to honour our volunteers. At PRH we believe in celebrating and recognizing peoples’ contributions and I invite all of you to acknowledge your co-workers if you see their names listed. On another note, as you saw from the recent construction update which is also included in The Pulse this month, we are now about a year away from the start of the major renovations on our Surgical Floor. As you can imagine, there has been a significant amount of behind-the-scenes planning and back and forth between our hospital and the Ministry of Health in order to reach this stage. But the end of the planning phase is coming and before we know it construction will be underway. Future project updates will keep you in the loop on activity taking place as well as all the moves and prep work that must be done in order to allow for these major upgrades to proceed. Of course, tied in with this is the completion of our Cutting Edge Campaign lead by the PRH Foundation. With only $150,000 left to raise of the $2.5 million goal, we are getting very close! We are hoping that the March 6th Connect to Care Radio-Telethon will bring in some significant contributions bringing us closer to successfully closing off this campaign. You can help support this event by buying tickets for the basket raffle, hosting a fundraiser of your own in support of the event, or encouraging friends and family members to contribute – every dollar raised brings us that much closer to having new and improved surgical space! Until next month…Pierre

AMH And Outreach Program Receive Special Donations

Our Acute Mental Health unit recently received a generous donation from Grow For You Inc. The vertical indoor aeroponic garden tower was donated by business owners Eric Mooney (pictured here) and his wife Kate Mooney who is a Community Case Manager with our Mental Health Services program. The tower has been set up in the unit's quiet room and is a lovely and therapeutic addition with its trickling water, living greens and full spectrum of lights; all of which contribute to a calming and soothing environment for our patients. With the assistance of Recreation Therapist Shannon Reckzin and Social Worker Gabrielle Burnham, we look forward to developing a beautiful, sustainable floral garden that can be incorporated into our program with patients participating in its maintenance. A similar set up was also donated to the community-based Outreach program operated by Mental Health Services of Renfrew County.

Valentine’s Day Raffle Raises $1,575

Congratulations to Sheldon Lanthier (Occupational Health and Safety) who was the lucky Valentine’s Day winner of the Scratch Ticket Basket in the draw hosted by Inpatient Rehabilitation. Through ticket sales, a total of $1,575 was raised and donated to staff member Judy Kargus (Rehab/Medical) who is supporting a family member with serious medical issues.

Flu Shot Draw Winners Congratulations to Amanda Stewart (Mental Health Servcies) who was

the Flu Shot Draw winner the week of January 24th. Amanda won a bottle of local maple syrup.

Other recent winners who took home gift certificates were Natasha Schipilow (Food Services), Richard Corman (Mental Health Services),

MJ Beier (Clinical Education) and Tracey Baxter (ED/ICU).

Priority Parking Spot Winner! Staff who take part in the Caring from the Core payroll deduction program will be automatically entered to win a priority parking spot across from the staff entrance (in the parking lot off Bell Street) – designated only for the winner or whomever they choose to assign.

Congratulations to Sam Moreau who won this priority spot to enjoy from February 1st to 29th 2020.

Please make sure to not park in this designated spot.

Kelly Adams Nominated by James Hutchinson:

“I had day surgery and was nervous and scared, being that I don't deal well with anesthesia post-op. Kelly was my nurse and had predicted I didn't respond well afterwards. She was kind, patient

and did everything in her power to make sure that my road to recovery started off on the right foot. She kept my wife well-

informed. And when it was time to go home, Kelly helped me to get to our family van and ensured that all instructions were given. She is a skilled and patient nurse and anyone would be blessed to

have her care for them!

Maureen Gleason Nominated by Fraser Strachan:

“Maureen can be heard from anywhere on the 3rd floor. This warning gives the patient ample opportunity to complete

his/her tasks she’s assigned you; to bathe, get dressed, sit up on the side of your bed,or go for a walk. It may be tough

love but it’s still LOVE.

Thank you for being such an inspiration to our family when we’ve been your patients.”

Jessica Manny, Sharon Merriman,

Patricia Savard, and Kim Laronde

Nominated by Fraser Strachan:

“Jessica is an all-around fantastic nurse. With her knowledge, compassion, energy, sense of wit, and even gentle reprimand when required (I.e. using the stairs)… I

was always glad to see Jessica’s name hand-written on my patient dry-erase board. Thank you for your youthful,

winsome and professional demeanor. “

“Rumoured to be retiring, nurses like Sharon are to be revered. Despite the list of duties a senior nurse on shift is

responsible for, Sharon still manages to find time to provide her patients some added extras. Outside of the normal provisions, any patient of Sharon’s can find themselves

receiving a late night cup of tea, a back rub or neck message, or just a friendly chat. Thank you for being such a blessing to the health care system, and all of your patients

throughout your career.”

“If any patient needs uplifting, Patricia is definitely the nurse for the job. Naturally bubbly, a little giggly, with an

infectiously positive outgoing personality. Thank you for bringing your joyous spirit to my bedside.”

“If ever there was a kind, gentle, and peaceful person deserving

the distinction of an “angel”, it has to be Kim.

With an aurora of tranquility and such a soothing voice, Kim naturally puts any patient at

ease. Thank you for being so genuine throughout all your

shifts.”

A Sincere Thank You

to each and every staff member who contributed to the Radio Telethon Basket Raffle!

Tickets are on sale:

$5 each, 3/$10, or 10/$20

At PRHF Office in Tower A (x 7408) or at the Pembroke Mall Office

Draws will take place March 6th at 4 p.m. at the Pembroke Mall

Coronavirus

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause illnesses ranging from the

common cold to more serious respiratory infections.

The 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is a respiratory infection that originated in Wuhan,

China. The symptoms of COVID-19, which can include fever and cough, are similar to other

respiratory infections, including influenza. As a result, individuals who may simply have the

flu are being tested out of an abundance of caution and in line with Ontario’s robust detection

protocols. This means that most individuals who are tested are unlikely to be infected with the

2019 novel coronavirus.

As of January 25, 2020, a small number of cases of COVID-19 have been announced in

Ontario. While it is anticipated that we may see additional cases with travel history to the

impacted region, based on the information reported through Ministry of Health, the overall risk

to the community remains low.

At this time, while the 2019 novel coronavirus has evidence of limited human-to-human

transmission: 

- Almost all cases have direct or indirect epidemiological link to China

- Effective infection prevention and control measures are in place across Ontario’s health

system.

As with any germs that cause respiratory illnesses, there are things you can do to help

prevent the spread of those. Take these everyday steps to reduce exposure to the virus and

protect your health:

- wash your hands often with soap and water

- sneeze and cough into your sleeve

- avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth

- avoid contact with people who are sick

For those patients who have had a positive symptom screening and have had recent travel to

mainland China, or have come into contact with people with that travel history, the Ministry of

Health has recommended the use of routine practices and additional precautions (contact +

droplet + airborne) for patient care. These precautions include:

- usage of gloves, gowns, fit tested N95 Respirator and appropriate eye protection

- removal of PPE immediately upon exit from a patient room and disposed of in a waste

container at the exit

- performance of hand hygiene to appropriately doff PPE without self contamination; hand

hygiene must be performed following the removal of all PPE

- airborne infection isolation rooms must be used when possible

Employees are responsible for ensuring that their mask fit testing is up-to-date and for

knowing their N95 mask fit number. If you need a mask fit test, please contact Occupational

Health at extension 7202.

If you have questions or concerns, please contact Infection Prevention and Control at

extension 7106 or Occupational Health and Safety at extension 7202.

Things you need to Know About The Surgical Program Renovations at PRH

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Surgical Program will be under renovations from February 2021 to August 2022.

Highlights of the renovations are:

• Relocation of the Endoscopy Suite into a new space • Relocation of Multifunction Room into a new space • Creation of a new Ophthalmology Suite • Creation of a new Surgical Day Care Unit in the old Operating Room (OR) • Renovations and relocation of the Endoscopy Cleaning Room into new space • Relocation of Medical Device Reprocessing (MDR) • Creation of four new private rooms with private bathrooms on the Surgical Unit • New air conditioning, new sprinkler system, new windows and renovations for Surgical

Inpatient Rooms and the Nursing Station

This project will include the following early steps in preparation for these renovations: • Relocating services from the old OR space • Relocating the Chapel from 3rd Floor to the space currently occupied by the President & CEO These early steps will result in:

- Creation of offices in the old Laboratory Department (Tower A, 1st Floor) - Creation of offices and support space in the old Paediatric Unit (Tower A, 4th Floor) - Renovations of the President/CEO office and Administrative Assistant’s office to create new

Chapel space - Creation of new space for eLearning

This is a very exciting time and over the next few months you will start to see the beginnings of the earliest stages of this project. We will keep you informed of any significant changes. Thank you in advance for your understanding and patience throughout this renovation process. Future construction project updates will highlight:

• Renovation Plans for Ground Floor Tower C • Pharmacy improvements

February 2020

#1

Long Service Award Recipients Congratulations to the following staff and physicians who achieved long service milestones

ranging from five years of service to 45 years of service in 2019.

Those who have achieved five to fifteen years of service receive a certificate and a service pin, presented at the department level. Those staff who have achieved service milestones of 20

years and above have received an invitation to attend a luncheon on April 9th where they will be presented with a certificate, a service pin and a gift of their choosing. Staff who are unable

to attend the luncheon or choose not to, will receive their awards at the department level.

In addition to a certificate and a service pin, physicians who achieve 20+ years of service will have a donation made on their behalf to the PRH Foundation.

Five Years of Service

MJ Beier, Kayla Chaput, Katherine Clark, Shannon Clark, Brenda Forbes, Melanie Gosselin,

Teirsa Head, Melissa Hellmig, Kristin Leitch, Kim Meadows, Laurie Menard, Brittany Mirault,

Angela Montgomery, Kimberley Morgan, Madison O’Neil, Tina Pettigrew, Jacqueline Powers,

Kristen Purcell, Judy Sack, Amanda Schneider, William Tippett, Alyssa Willis, Joshua Yourth,

Tanya Zadow

Ten Years of Service

Erin Allard, Andrea Boudens, Lisa Bradley, Sandra Bretzloff, Abraham Bruhns, Sandra Davies,

Cathy Drew, Crystal Kelly, Sylvia Luckovitch, Emily Malette, Patrick Mulroy, Matthew Ott,

Marg Palubiski, Caitlyn Risto, Christine Rosien, Shannon Wara, Kerrie-Lynne Wilson,

Betty Wood

Fifteen Years of Service

Marilyn Adam, Amanda Arbic, Jill Barter, Tara Clouthier, Annette Davidson, Lucia Della Penta,

Dana Draper, Rachel England, Xiao-Qun Gong, Olga Hynes, Angela Johns, Cherie Kozakevich,

Tammy Lanthier, Shelley Leahy, Sara McKean-Schulthies, Colleen Morris, Melanie Prescott,

Shawn Richard, Elizabeth Rosamond, Bonnie Smith, Jennifer Splinter, Bernadette Turcotte,

Ashley Wasmund

Twenty Years of Service

Jaime Allen, Carleen Clouthier, Trina Dick, Catherine Gervais, Lloyd Gervais, Colleen Gribbon,

Janice Hunt, Angela Keddy, Theresa Kerr, Suzanne Kramer-Martin, Tracylee McTaggart,

Sabine Mersmann, Samantha Moreau, Vincent Newman, Dr. Debbie Timpson, Gina Waito

Twenty-Five Years of Service

Corinne Demerchant, Sheila Neuman, Melinda Ritza, Michele Smith, Dr. John Menzies,

Dr. Daniel Plante, Dr. Judith Plante

Thirty Years of Service

Lisa Brazeau, Susan Crigger, Connie Doering, Robert Lair, Kim Laronde, Connie Marquardt,

Chester Nieforth, Colleen O’Brien

Thirty-Five Years of Service

Linda Davidson, Sylvia Hicks, Susan Smith, Shelley Sullivan

Forty-Five Years of Service

Alma Turcotte

It’s Time To Celebrate! Each day at PRH, individuals, departments and

teams are being recognized for the work being done

and for special contributions which are made.

While many of these celebrations take place at

Lean huddles, not all departments have a forum in

which to provide such recognition.

The Pulse Newsletter has become our forum to post celebrations which have taken place at

the huddles and have been reported throughout our organization.

With your help, we try to share as many celebrations as possible in each edition.

Maternal Chlid Care

- Marlene H. who went to help on another floor.

- Maren, Chanda and Teena for decorating the unit for the

holidays. It looked great! 

- Sandra Wells for developing umbilical prolapse and

antepartum hemorrhage protocal.

- Sylvia for bringing in gifts for us.

- Patty and co-workers for giving Synagis injections to two

of our babies who were not able to attend our clinic. It is so

important that we treat our babies as soon as we can if

they miss a day. Much appreciated - Grace, Pharmacy staff and parents of our two babies. - Congrats to Patty, Nancy and Chanda on their Guardian

Angel nominations. Well done ladies.

- Celebrating a lower c-section rate this month. (December)

- Thanks to Rhonda for the ceramic Santa boots.

- LDRP staff have been above hospital average for

handwashing the past three months.

- Dr. Lianeri wanted to thank Nancy for her compassion

and caring of a medical patient over the holidays.

Pharmacy

- Thank you Anna Johansen for accepting 0.6FTE Clinical

Pharmacist and working temporary full time while Ann is on

maternity leave.

- Thank you to all of our staff who came to work on the

weekend despite the snow storm.

- Great job by our team for pitching in and helping each

other out.

2nd Medical

- Ashley Maczko and Karen Gauthier and one of the Carefor drivers

for their professionalism and patience in dealing with a very difficult

situation.

- 2nd Medical is sorry to see Lori Schultze complete her rotation. Many

thanks to her for her hard work, energy, cheerful smile and practical

jokes. Best of luck in your new position in Garbology.

- Thanks to Christine for the beautiful decorations on 2nd.

Finance

- Thanks Amanda for your short stay with the Finance team. You did

great! Wishing you all the best in your new role in Health Records.

- Welcome to the team Raven. Good luck in your new role.

- Kudos to Maintenance staff for their ingenuity in collecting the drips on

5th floor.

- Celebrating Karen Hammel and Carolyn Levesque for their efforts in

creating a pamphlet for expiring health cards. Great initiative.

- Recognizing Amy for doing all the extras for the last few months.

Thanks for keeping it all running smoothly.

AMH

- May for completing RAI packages with patients. Makes

inputting information into the computer much more efficient

and accurate. Thank you for adding that to the RAI folder.

- Celebrating donation of a horse clock for the quiet room.

- Welcome back Shelley! 

- Celebrating installation of safety enclosure.

- Welcome to our students.

- Celebrating lots of compliments in our comment box.

- Celebrating Kirsten for donating her small filing cabinet

to assist with May’s handout project.

- Celebrating our new nurse Sydney.

- Celebrating help by Naomi.

2nd Medical

- Thank you Jennifer N. (wound care nurse) for assisting Medical floor on

a very busy day.

- Congratulations 3B staff for 100% compliance for hand hygiene at all

four moments in December. Keep up the great work! 

- Patient’s family acknowledged Haley Stewart for her compassion and

consideration.

- Thank you Ashley Wasmund for cleaning and organizing our clean

utility room.

- Ashley Markus and Kerri Timm for coordinating assignments after a

busy night shift.

- To all staff working over the Christmas holiday - thanks for working

together and making our patients feel better whle away from their

families.

Human Resources

- Janna for a very informative and engaging RN recruitment session with

the clinical group. The feedback has been very positive and engaging.

- On behalf of Dianne O’Connor, celebrating Leah Williams for going

above and beyond when replacing sick calls.

Rehabilitation

- Congratulations Rehab team for achieving 100% compliance for

hand hygiene at Moment #1 in December. Keep up the good work!

- Kennedy, thank you for always being a great co-worker. You are

such a valuable members of our team.

- Thanks to all staff for pulling together when working

short-staffed.

- Thanks to the team for a great job December 11 with seven

discharges and four admissions. Awesome job! 

- Thanks to Dr. Timpson for coming in to help a patient in need at

11 p.m. on December 5th. You are the best!

- Two patients complimented the wonderful staff on Rehab and

in the Stroke Prevention Clinic.

- Thanks to the awesome crew January 11th (Alyssa, Kellie D.,

Sara, Mila, and Caitlyn R. plus day staff Liz, Tracy and Erin L.)

for covering my patients while at a code for three hours.You guys

are truly amazing. Matt. - Thanks Matt (RPN) for helping me do stairs with a patient. Kumar - Thank you Caitlyn Risto and Jennifer Splinter for taking care of

my patients while I was dealing with a critical patient in the ICU. Liz Rosamond, RN - All staff who worked the weekend (January 22). Clinical

Resource complimented all staff for helping out the entire building.

- Megan for getting a tough IV insertion done.

- Nancy G. for getting a difficult patient showered - gold start to

you.

Diagnostic Imaging

- Karen Vaillancourt was the successful applicant for the 1.0FTE

Organizational Porter role. Congratulations Karen.

- Welcome to new X-ray students Sidney and Nigel.

- Kim Ball was recognized December 20th by a patient for her

kind and compassionate care.

- Congratulations to Melissa Hellmig for successfully completing

the installation of X-ray room #4.

- Brad Lecours was recognized by PRH Senior Leadership for his

great communicatoin during December’s power outage.

- Thanks to Tefani and Brad for getting creative when we needed

orbit X-rays during December’s power outage.

- Congratulations to Dorothy Bechamp on her retirement at the

end of December.

- Thanks to Katie for organizing our amazing lunch December

11th.

- Great job Laura running her first huddle December 2nd.

- All of the MRI crew - celebrated by December 3rd patient who

said they were the most nice and polite he has experienced.

- Thanks to Teresa for uploading 100+ Echo reports to the

transviewer.

- Congratulations to Stephanie Eckford for being the successful

candidate for the 0.4FTE PPT clerk role.

Ambulatory Clinics

- Congratulations Naomi on completing ortho training.

- Sue V. for picking up my patients towards the end of my

shift so I could put a PICC in so someone could be

discharged.

Outpatient Therapy

- Welcome Scott, our part-time intern.

- Big thanks to Jen J. and Kaitlyn in assisting CPC

during Christmas week.

- Welcome Jessica to CPC.

- Thanks to Ashley for coordinating the holiday potluck. It

was a wonderful social and team building event.

- Thank you to all of the staff who worked over the

week of Christmas short-handed to allow for others to

be off over the holiday.

- Thanks to Maryanne being full time here and able to

assist with registering and greeting and rescheduling

prehab patients. This helps things run more smoothly and

efficiently.

Surgical

- Celebrating Lisa from Environmental Services who

did a thorough cleaning of the nursing station and Lisa

Horton, Ward Clerk who went through files at the desk

and helped tidy up.

- Thanks to Connie who helped with the December 19th

workload when we were short and to Maddy for coming

in early.

- Celebrating additional unit clerk hours.

- Thanks to Tammy-Lynn Donahue, Allison Reynold,

Joelle and Jordan (Rehab), Brittany W. and Lisa B. for

assisting in decorating the unit.

Information Technology

- Sharon Allain for quick and efficient response to problem with

label maker in CT bookings. Your professionalism is much

apprecited.

- Thank you to IT and Maintenance for helping with PCVC and

our TV. We look more high tech than before and we’re excited to

use it with our patient endo visits. Diabetes Clinic

Emergency Department

- Jessica McRobbie was complimented by a family for

care.

- Carson and Sam for remaining calm and having a

positive attitude on a busy shift with 8-9 patients each.

- Kirsten Woito for assisting with discharge planning

services in the ED.

Patient Information Centre

- Jessica for boxing the 2018 TD “No Filing” - your hard

work is appreciated.

- Bella and Jana R. for strategically putting away the

holiday decorations.

- Alicia - thank you for covering the ortho clinic Dec. 30

and Dec. 31 and taking care of current issues.

- Liz and Jersey and all those who generously gave of

their time and voices to bring joy to the seniors at

Miramichi Lodge.

- Thanks Santa for the great visit and Dr. Pan / everyone

for the delicious food and desserts.

- Big thank you to the entertainment committee...also

Kim and Gamil..the Christmas dinner was lovely.

- Beth Brownlee celebrated Dean Quade for all the work he has done over the past few weeks in covering for Martin Burger

while keeping his own areas going including some bigger projects.

- Thank you “Kerri in Echo” for sending a mutual patient to ED urgently for assessment after identifying a thrombosis on the

patient’s echo. Her prompt actions prevented this patient from having another stroke! This is a perfect example of how

interprofessional teamwork leads to fewer strokes and better patient outcomes. We value your expertise. Stroke Prevention Clinic - Special thank you to Sheldon (Occupational Health and Safety) for transporting our Radio-Telethon beast of a basket to

the Foundation office and assisting with the transfer. Everything stayed in one piece. Much appreciation. Danielle and Ambulatory department - Congratulations Dr. Timpson on having your name as an author in the “International Journal of Stroke”. We are fortunate to

learn from your expertise. We at PRH are very proud. Lisa Keon, RN and Karen Schaffel - The Senior Leadership Team celebrated Kirsten Johnson for her dedication and diligence in helping the hospital in its

preparation for the coronavirus. She has been on top of all the information and implementation.

- Mireille Delorme celebrated Sarah Selle, Liz Michaud, Cheryl Summers and Robert Wynja for stepping up to complete

the staffing schedules when someone was off sick.

Miscellaneous Celebrations

New Labour Relations Manager We are pleased to announce that Kevin Dulude will be joining the team at Pembroke

Regional Hospital assuming the role of Labour Relations Manager on February 24th.

Kevin is fluently bilingual, with extensive educational and work experience within the

area of labour relations. Kevin holds an M.B.A. from the University of Montreal and was

called to the bar in 2015. Kevin has held former positions with the Department of

Defence and the Department of Justice, with more recent experience as a labour and

employment lawyer with Huckabone O’Brien Instance Bradley LLP.

Kevin’s office is located in Tower C on the 2nd floor, room C209.

We are confident that Kevin will enhance the labour relations and leave and attendance

portfolio and is a value-add to the HR team, as well as to the hospital as a whole.

Please join us in welcoming Kevin to Pembroke Regional Hospital.

PRH Flu Shot Campaign It’s still not too late to get your flu shot! Flu outbreaks are being monitored in facilities

in surrounding areas and influenza A has been confirmed as the main culprit.

Fortunately, the flu vaccine this year is a good match so get your flu shot before you get

sick or pass it on to others.

Thank you and congratulations to everyone who has received their flu shot for the

2019/2020 flu season. Let’s see how many staff we can get immunized!

Call the Occupational Health Nurse at extension 7202 or contact Clinical Resource at

extension 6820 after hours and on weekends. If you have already received your flu

vaccine elsewhere, please inform the Occupational Health Nurse for our records.

Things You Need To Know About The

Medication Management System Improvements at Pembroke Regional Hospital

1. PRH has a new committee that meets regularly called the “Medication System Planning Committee”. The committee membership includes staff from the Pharmacy department,

Information Technology, Nursing and the Management Team. This team is working on the

implementation of a new medication system.

2. We have recently purchased new medication carts equipped with computers; these will be

put into service this year! 

3. We have recently purchased a unit dose package system. The implementation of this new

medication delivery system should start within the next six months.

4. A team is working on implementing liquid unit dose medication instead of having stock

bottles on the units. This is coming soon! 

5. We are working on a three to five year renovation plan for the Pharmacy department.

6. We are hoping to have in the year 2021 new sterile anterooms and sterile rooms to prepare

hazardous and non-hazardous products.

Pembroke Regional Hospital’s Diagnostic Imaging Department Celebrates Investment In New X-Ray Equipment

The Pembroke Regional Hospital has made a significant investment in new state-of-the-art x-ray equipment for its Diagnostic Imaging department which will help meet expanded service demands while offering improved imaging and reduced radiation doses for patients. “Our original x-ray equipment was installed over a decade-and-a-half ago when the new department was built as part of Tower B,” said Diagnostic Imaging Director Jim Lumsden. Since then, he said, imaging has come a long way and, with the launch of the hospital’s Orthopaedics program in 2017 came a significant increase in patient volume and the need for improved imaging,. “With the launch of our Orthopaedics program, the number of x-rays in our Diagnostic Imaging department increased from approximately 2,500 to 3,000 per month. Our existing x-ray machines couldn’t keep up with demand which caused some added delays. In addition, our existing equipment had reached an age where replacement was necessary so the timing for this investment was right,” Mr. Lumsden said. He added that the MRTs (Medical Radiation Technologists) did a great job managing the disruption over the past year to ensure there was minimal impact on the patients. Melissa Hellmig, the department’s X-Ray Team Lead said staff appreciated the public’s patience while replacing equipment in the hospital’s two x-ray rooms over the past year. Work included the demolition and removal of the old x-ray units as well as the installment of the new equipment. Ms. Hellmig said the new equipment is fully automated and provides far better imaging quality and options, while greatly reducing the risk of musculoskeletal injuries for staff who, previously, had to move a number of pieces of equipment manually. Dr. Abram Choi, Chief of Diagnostic Imaging, said the image quality output from the new machines is impressive, and the leg length views are dramatically better which is important for the Orthopaedics program. “Overall, the processing of imaging is far better now than it was before. When the original equipment was new, digital imaging was cutting edge – we can now say our image quality is state-of-the-art,” Dr. Choi said. Technologists in the department have received comprehensive training from the vendor. PRH President and CEO Pierre Noel said the new equipment is an important part of the hospital’s efforts to bring high quality care close to home for our community. “While we recognize that upgrades and renovations do impact our patients, even in a minimal way, we are thankful for their understanding and we are pleased that they will benefit from our investment in leading edge technology.”

PRH Fundraising Lottery Winners Congratulations to the following staff who each took home approximately $325:

Mila Schryer (Resource Team), January 30th and Sheldon Lanthier (Occupational Health and Safety), February 13th.

Entry in the hospital’s fundraising lottery which takes place every second Thursday

(opposite to each pay week), is organized through Human Resources at a cost of $2 per pay. To determine if you are entered in the draw, it should show a deduction under the heading “RAFL” on your pay stubs. Staff are able to purchase more than one entry to

increase their odds if they wish. The fundraising lottery raises approximately $8,450 per year which is used to fund the purchase of clinical equipment for the hospital.

Staffing Office Hours A reminder that the Staffing office is open to

employees and volunteers Monday to Friday

between the hours of 6:30-8:30 a.m. and 2-4

p.m.

Should you require assistance outside of office

hours, please schedule an appointment by

emailing: hrstaffing@prh.email or by calling

extension 6155,

Employees are to place time off requests and

exchanges in the Staffing mailbox in the

mailroom.

Corporate Orientation

Documents Available

On The PRH Intranet Did you know that, for quick and easy

reference, all documents provided to staff at

orientation are now available on the Intranet

under the heading of “Education”.

February 2020 Tower A:

• The standby generator upgrade project has a few unresolved issues which are the

commissioning of the electric heaters for the emission control system and some control

wiring.

• Renovation work is ongoing on the 4th floor west wing (old paediactric wing) with most of

the electrical work now completed.

• In the 5th floor rotunda, work on the fire stopping, the sprinkler system and the suspended

ceiling are almost complete. The new LED lighting has already been installed.

• A new air curtain was installed in the front foyer entrance to reduce the cold air coming in to

the building when the doors are opened.

Tower B:

• Minor renovation work was completed in the DI Mammo Room B028.1 with additional data

and electrical outlets installed and the sink and counter removed to make more room for

another work station. Pot lights and additional data outlets were also installed at the same

time in the new DI Echo Testing Room B036.

• The Arjo ceiling lift and track were re-installed in the DI x-ray room #4.

• A new one piece stainless steel counter and sink was installed in 3rd Medical where water

issues were damaging the drywall near the soap dispenser and the doors underneath the

cabinet.

• Work started on installing back pressure and check valves on the three Thermogenic boilers

in order to save on chemical costs and to be able to start the boilers from the building

automation system.

Tower C:

• Removed a redundant fire hose sprinkler system pipe on the ground floor to allow for a wall

to be refinished and the orange tarping to be removed for addiional seating space. As a safety

precaution, some bricks in the ceiling area were also removed.

• The last of the old windows was replaced in the ground floor corridor next to the ramp in

Mulvihill Drug Mart.

D’Youville Warehouse:

• Installed a door rack system to safely store used doors for future renovation projects. The

stacking of the doors on one another was flagged as a Health and Safety issues which has

now been resolved.

PRH Staff Association Membership for Casual or Temporary/Contract Staff

Existing Staff/New Staff: (Casual/Temporary/Contract) - Regardless of Hire Date: You are welcome to enroll in the PRH Staff Association by paying the amount equivalent to the number of weeks remaining in the year at the time of registration or the amount equivalent to the length of contract in the Finance office. (5th Floor, Tower A). Maximum enrollment fee per year is $39. Regardless of enrollment date, ALL Casual/Temporary/Contract memberships expire December 31st of each year. For more information, or if you have any questions, please contact Carolyn Levesque at extension 6165 or carolyn.levesque@prh.email.

Working Together on Health & Safety

January 2020

Thank you to everyone who has had their flu shot. For those who have not received their shot, the flu season is presently peaking so it’s a good time to do it! Contact the Occupational Health Nurse (x 7202) or Clinical Resource after-hours (x 6820). We are still giving out weekly prizes and I see pizza in our future!

Everybody wins when you get vaccinated Smoking on Hospital Property Just a reminder that PRH is a completely smoke free/vape free facility; this applies to all buildings, grounds, and parking lots. No person will smoke tobacco products, cannabis products, vapour products or a prescribed product or substance, including the use of electronic cigarettes. Sharps Safety

In 2019 there were eight (8) needlestick/sharp incidents and fifteen (15) near misses. These numerous reports are related to sharps not being used appropriately or disposed of appropriately. These incidents/near misses can cause serious exposures or injuries to staff working directly with the sharps or downstream staff working in Laundry, Housekeeping, Plant Services, and Dietary. There can be considerable side effects including anxiety and disruption to work, personal and family life.

Talk to your colleagues about the importance of Sharps Safety. Working together we can reduce the risk of medical sharps injuries and downstream exposures to our health care teams.

Dos of Sharps Safety

Plan for the safe handling and disposal of sharps before beginning any

procedure. Always use safety-engineered medical devices (SEMD) in the

specified manner and engage all safety devices as per the manufacturer’s recommendations before disposal.

Wear gloves while performing any procedure. Wash hands (or sanitize if washing not possible) upon removing gloves and before beginning next task.

Avoid handling sharps near the sharp end and avoid bending, breaking or manipulating a needle by hand.

Always dispose of sharps (used and unused) immediately after use in an approved sharps container and ensure full containers are replaced promptly.

Report all sharps-related incidents and near misses promptly to your supervisor and complete an OH&S report online.

Quiz – Do you remember last month’s newsletter info? 1. It takes approximately 14 days for the flu vaccine to become effective in your body. True ______ or False ______ 2. Unimmunized HCW’s who choose not to be vaccinated will not be permitted to work in an

outbreak setting. True ______ or False ______ 3. Unimmunized HCW’s with a documented medical contraindication will be given priority

for work re-assignment in an outbreak. True ______ or False ______ 4. In an outbreak situation, non-patient care functions such as H&S, IT and Finance may be

relocated to the Emerg department so they can triage and give needles to sick patients. True ______ or False ______ 5. Power bars should not be plugged into power bars. They should be plugged directly into

an electrical outlet. True ______ or False ______ (True/False Answers: 1-T 2-T; 3-T; 4-F; 5-T)

Working Together on Health & Safety

February 2020

Thank you & Congratulations to everyone who has had their flu shot. We are presently at 51% which means we have surpassed our goal of 50%, Hooray!!! Flu shots are still available by contacting the Occupational Health Nurse (x 7202) or Clinical Resource after-hours (x 6820). Stay tuned for details on pizza!

Everybody wins when you get vaccinated Pink Shirt Day – Feb 26

Pink Shirt Day began in 2007, in Cambridge, Nova Scotia, when David Sheppard and Travis Price, two grade 12 students, heard that a grade 9 student was being bullied for wearing a pink shirt to school. They knew they wanted to do something to help and they realized no one would be bullied if everyone wore pink. That night they got the message out to as many people as they could and bought as much pink clothing as they could find. The next day over 800 of the 1000 students in their school were wearing something pink. That one act inspired a movement that now, more than a decade later, is still going strong as a national and global event. This Pink Shirt Day, we are being encouraged to think about how we can say ‘no’ to bullying behaviours and say ‘yes’ to encouraging, supporting and uplifting one another. How can kind words and small actions have meaningful impacts in our communities, all year long? Wear pink on Feb 26 to show your support! Wet Floor Signs

We use wet floor signs to indicate there is a potential slip/trip/fall hazard in an area. These signs can also be a potential slip/trip/fall hazard if they are out and are not needed. If you see a sign in the middle of the floor, there is no housekeeper around and the floor is completely dry, please pick it up and move it to the side.

Being Sensible When It Comes To Scents Reminder!! Scents can be a serious problem in the workplace. They can cause some individuals to experience adverse health effects and in extreme cases, it may even lead to life-threatening reactions. You may not even notice the body lotion or the laundry detergent/fabric softener you use has a scent because you are use to it. Take a few minutes to review the products you use and strive to leave a scent-free footprint at work to protect patients and co-workers.

Respirator Fit Testing With the recent outbreak of coronavirus in China, PRH IPAC team in collaboration with the Public Health Unit has been working to ensure we are prepared for any potential cases. The risk to our community remains low but it is better to be ready. An important component of preparation is respirator fit testing for staff on units that could be caring for sick patients. You are required to be fit tested for a N95 mask every two years and it is your responsibility to make sure you are up-to-date. You must also be clean shaven when being fit tested and when wearing your N95 mask to ensure a good seal. Other reasons for being re-tested include:

• If you lose or gain 10% of your body weight. • If you have dental extractions or fracture your nose.

If you are working on a high risk unit and need to be fit tested, please contact the Occupational Health Nurse (x 7202).

Quiz – Do you remember last month’s newsletter info? 1. Vaping and smoking electronic cigarettes on PRH property is ok because it’s just

like smoking Popeye candy cigarettes. True ______ or False ______ 2. Sharps injuries can change our lives instantly, so it is extremely important that we

all work together to do everything possible to prevent them! True ______ or False ______ 3. Plan ahead for the safe handling and disposal of sharps before beginning any

procedure. True ______ or False ______ 4. Always use safety-engineered needles in the specified manner and engage all

safety devices before disposal. True ______ or False ______ 5. Always dispose of sharps (used & unused) immediately after use in an approved

sharps container and ensure full containers are replaced immediately. True ______ or False ______

(True/False Answers: 1-F 2-T; 3-T; 4-T; 5-T)

BEST WESTERN FITNESS CENTRE

CORPORATE FEES ARE: 3 Months $110 + HST 6 Months $185 + HST

Family members receive 10% off

special rates if spouse is a PRH employee.

Discounts are for Staff Members Only.

PRH photo ID must be shown to receive

discount.

Dundonald Hall Fitness, Sports

and Aquatic Centre PRH staff and their families are eligible

to receive a corporate rate for the CAC (Community Access Cards)

which include gym membership for Dundonald Hall as well as reduced

rates for community recreation programs at Garrison Petawawa.

Single $185 + Tax (6 Months), $250 + Tax (1 year) Family $275 + Tax (6 months), $400 +Tax ( 1 year) For more information, call 687-2932

Located in Ottawa’s

Carlingwood Shopping

Centre, PRH staff are

entitled to a 10%

discount with ID badge.

Location:

2121 Carling Ave.

(613) 724-7771 www.scrubsforthem.com

www.perkopolis.com

T

Don’t forget to also register on Perkopolis Hotels by going to hotels.perkopolis.com!

*This program is exclusive to your company, not intended for the general public. Once a member, you can login from any device at any time.

1 2 3Go to perkopolis.com and click Register in the top right corner.

Enter your corporate email. You will receive an email to complete your registration.

You are now a Perkopolis member!* Enjoy your perks!

JOIN NOW TO ACCESS YOUR PERKS!

A FEW OF OUR BRANDS

TRAVEL PERKS INSURANCE PERKS

HEALTH & WELLNESS PERKS

RETAIL & SHOPPING PERKS

AUTOMOTIVE PERKS

ENTERTAINMENT PERKS

Corporate Program for Pembroke Regional Hospital

Now available to all employees – take advantage of these great savings. Park’N Fly’s “Best Value” in Airport Parking can be used for business

or personal travel.

To access the discounted rates* you have two options:

1. Sign up to Park’N Fly Rewards (click on the image). Upon completing the enrolment form, you’ll receive a rewards card that you can

use to access the automatic discounts plus earn FREE parking and Aeroplan Miles on every stay!

2. Use the Discount Code: No reservation required! Simply use your discount code at time of check out (returning to pick up vehicle) and automatically receive the discount rates.

DAILY WEEKLY Corporate Rate Reg. Rate Corporate Rate Reg. Rate

Vancouver Valet $17.99 $27.99 $71.99 $119.99

Toronto Valet $17.99 $24.99 $79.99 $136.99

Self Park $15.99 $19.99 $59.99 $98.99

Montreal Valet $18.99 $29.99 $94.99 $159.99

Express A $15.99 $24.99 $74.99 $129.99

Edmonton Self Park $8.99 $11.99 $44.99 $59.99

Ottawa Self Park $11.99 $15.99 $57.99 $74.99

Halifax Self Park $11.13 $13.91 $55.65 $69.56

Winnipeg Indoor Valet $16.99 $24.99 $79.99 $129.99

parknfly.ca

Park’N Fly Rewards Program not applicable in Halifax. Corporate Rates are discounted off regular rates. Various conditions apply. Rates are valid as of January 1 2020 and are subject to change. Please visit parknfly.ca and enter your corporate discount code to validate rates. *Taxes and car care services excluded from corporate pricing. Aeroplan not available at Montréal location. Aeroplan and the Aeroplan logo are registered trademarks of Aeroplan Inc. Park’N Fly is a registered trademark of 1884901 Alberta Ltd. Updated 12-03-2019.

SPEED CONVENIENCE SECURITY

24/7 shuttle bus Minutes to airport terminal Well lit, secured lots

VALET SERVICE SELF PARK SERVICE OPTIONAL SERVICES

Just pull up, check in and go. We park, you fly. It’s that easy!

You park, we pick you up and drop you off at the terminal – 24/7.

Selecting the Valet Service gives you the option of oil and detailing services done while you’re away.

Join now

Discount Code:

967682

Upcoming Events February 28 - Mindfulness Session, 12:10 p.m., PRH Chapel

March 2 - PRH Staff Association Cash Draws

March 5 - Staff Association Treat Day

March 6 - Connect to Care Radio-Telethon

March 14-15 - Gift Shop 50% off scarves, gloves, mitts

March 28 - Sunshine Gift Shop closed for inventory

April 1 - Daffodil Day Supporting Canadian Cancer Society

April 8 - Patient Information invitational Trivia Night

April 9 - Long Service/Retirement Luncheon

April 21 - Volunteer Appreciation Dinner

Save the dates:

June 2 - Big Bike for Stroke

December 13 - Family Christmas Party (Petawawa Civic Centre)

December 19 - Christmas Dinner/Dance (Germania Hall)

Staff Support Bell’s

Let’s Talk Day The Pembroke Regional Hospital's

Mobile Crisis Team and the Upper Ottawa

Valley OPP supported Bell Let’s Talk Day

on January 28th.

Staff from Mental Health Services of

Renfrew County also supported the

initiative by buying special fundraising

cupcakes from Wilkies.