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Front-line Health-care Workers Helping Improve Patient Care with Innovative Ideas

Six Innovative Health Projects Honoured, Community Groups Applauded for Enhancing Healthy Lifestyles

The Manitoba government is honouring the work of front-line health-care workers and community groups whose ideas and initiative have improved patient care and inspired healthier lifestyles, Health Minister Erin Selby and Healthy Living and Seniors Minister Sharon Blady said today.

“We are always looking for ways to improve care and ensure patient safety while maintaining dignity and compassion,” Minister Selby said at today’s Health Innovation Conference at the Winnipeg Convention Centre. “These award-winning projects were initiated by staff members and are excellent new ways to provide innovative care that will benefit patients and ensure a high-quality, sustainable health-care system.”

The award-winning projects are:

assigning a nurse to improving patient flow in the emergency room at St. Boniface Hospital in Winnipeg;
introducing hospital home teams in Winnipeg to better manage vulnerable patients and help them continue to live in their own homes while reducing the number of emergency room visits;
launching a partnership between the Northern Regional Health Authority and Speechworks Inc. to use Telehealth and iPad technology to provide patients living in northern and remote areas of Manitoba access to regular speech pathology services and swallowing assessments after a stroke;
improving access in Winnipeg to care for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to reduce the need for hospital admissions;
supporting patients in the Prairie Mountain Health region who have had a recent hospital stay for mental health services so they can remain healthy by using community-based psychiatric services to reduce the risk of re-hospitalization or suicide; and
introducing a Winnipeg project using new tools and methods to better manage patient flow in the Woman and Child Program, which provides a variety of services for mothers and their newborn infants at St. Boniface Hospital.

In addition, the health minister presented the Enid Thompson Award for Health Care Innovation to Jeanne Strutinsky, recognizing her exemplary 30-year career working with children and families. The award recognizes the efforts of an individual to make changes that have had a positive effect on patient care in the health-care system.

In 1983, Strutinsky helped introduce a program at Children’s Hospital that co-ordinated family and health services to support families and children with developmental needs. She provides ongoing leadership to the Child Development Clinic. Her work epitomizes the qualities of patient-centred care and she is recognized by her peers as hardworking, collaborative, an innovative thinker and a team motivator, Minister Selby said.

The healthy living and seniors minister presented the Mino Bimaadiziwin Innovation Award for Healthy Living to two organizations that have enhanced healthy living activities among Manitobans.

The Gambler First Nation Health Centre received the award for sharing the wisdom of its elders, cultural traditions and experiences with families of all ages, and working with the chief and council, community members and other partners to learn about healthy eating, physical activity, smoking cessation and mental well-being.

The POW program of the Portage la Prairie Friendship Centre received the award for connecting instructors and elders with youth of all ages to offer positive activities and teach traditional Aboriginal dance.

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