July 27, 2011 |
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Val and Dulcie share insights on active aging
These insights come from two Patient Voices Network members who wowed an audience of non-profit partners, service providers, and community members at the 2011 Active Aging Symposium held on June 9 in Vancouver. The symposium was hosted by the Seniors’ Healthy Living Secretariat of the Ministry of Health, with a “Planning for Healthy Aging” theme. The day combined panel discussions, a showcase of services, a film, and presentations by a number of experts in seniors’ services and healthy aging. Val and Dulcie gave presentations on “reclaiming health” followed by participation in a panel discussion. Both worked with PVN staffer Catherine North to carefully tailor their presentations to the event, and their work paid off. While they come from different backgrounds and shared different experiences, both Val and Dulcie provided valuable insights on financial, physical, and emotional health throughout all life stages. “Both Val and Dulcie spoke passionately about living with a chronic disease and how important it is to find balance in life,” said Kim Abraham, one of the event organizers. “The audience thoroughly enjoyed their inspiring and thought provoking presentations which were delivered with humility, grace, and humour.” Partnerships lead to skill building opportunitiesAs word spreads about the value of the patient perspective, it’s exciting to be approached by new organizations looking to involve our members. When the Freedom of Information and Privacy Association (FIPA) approached us looking for patients to test a new website on Health Information Privacy in BC, we sent the request to our network and 21 patients came forward. In exchange for their contribution, FIPA arranged for lawyer Sara Levine to provide a skill-building webinar for members of PVN and Vancouver Coastal Health’s Community Engagement Advisory Network on the topic of health information privacy. The participants were impressed by both the webinar and the website itself. “I thought it was excellent and was easy to understand,” said a PVN member. “I had a chance to review the website and thought it to be top rate.” Read a synopsis of the webinar. First orientation session in NanaimoThe Patient Voices Network has come closer to its goal of hosting an orientation session in every health authority in BC. On June 11, we held an orientation in Nanaimo, our first one in the Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA). We were fortunate to be joined by Kelly McQuillen (Director, Patients as Partners, Ministry of Health) along with Caryl Harper (Manager, Public Participation and Collaboration, VIHA) and three VIHA community developers. Kelly and Caryl gave presentations to the group, lending their unique insights on the province-wide Patients as Partners activities and current work in the region. Learn more about PVN orientation sessions. Sek enrolls in the Art and Science of Innovation and ImprovementNew to the activated network, Sek learned about ImpactBC’s quality improvement (QI) work at the May 14 orientation in Vancouver. An engineer and businessman by trade, he was intrigued by what he learned and accepted the invitation to participate a unique ImpactBC professional development opportunity. He joined health care workers, administrators and providers from throughout BC for the Art and Science of Innovation and Improvement program.
Interested in enhancing your own understanding of quality improvement? Try our online Quality Improvement basics course under E-learning on our website. Provincial forums recap
Thank you to the PVN members who attended the April 15 Patients as Partners Provincial Forum, the April 16 Voices In Action Forum, or – in some cases – both! Watch a short video recapping Voices In Action, or view highlights from a presentation made by our keynote speaker, David Gilbert. Peer coaching by prescriptionOn May 24, Premier Christy Clark announced the Healthy Families BC strategy, which includes the Prescription for Health. This program supports family doctors in providing referrals to patients who wish to make healthier lifestyle choices. One of these options is the PVN Peer Coaching Program and we hope this allows more British Columbians to become aware of this effective, personalized, free service. PVN in the newsFollowing their participation in the April 15 and 16 provincial forums, a couple of PVN members were profiled in their local media outlets. Brian Deakin of Fort St. John was featured in the Alaska Highway News. Angela Achoba of Kamloops was interviewed by Kamloops this Week (page A5) and radio station 610 NL. PVN’s Joyce Resin was a guest blogger for the Health Council of Canada, talking about the patient-centred approach to health care. |
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Patient Voices Network is led by ImpactBC in collaboration with Patients as Partners, Ministry of Health. Patient Voices Network - 450-1385 W 8th Ave - Vancouver, BC - V6H 3V9 |
