February 4, 2019
The Operating Room team at Peace River Community Health Centre has been recognized with an RhPAP Rhapsody Health Care Heroes award.
Story by Diana Rinne | Photo courtesy Rural Health Professions Action Plan
A pair of North Zone teams and a physician have been recognized with Rhapsody Awards by the Rural Health Professions Action Plan (RhPAP).
Dr. David Welch of Peace River will receive the 2018 Rhapsody Physician Award for his outstanding patient care and notable contributions to the community and medical practice.
“I nominated Dr. Welch because he cares deeply about his patients and provides the community with services above and beyond the usual scope of a family physician’s practice,” says Dr. Karen Lundgard.
“For more than 20 years, he has provided cardiac stress testing and care of complicated diabetic and cardiac patients in addition to his full family medicine practice including emergency department shifts and obstetrics.”
“Dr. Welch has gone above and beyond the call of duty, making significant contributions to medical practice, and ensuring ongoing local access to cardiac stress testing and diabetes treatment,” notes the RhPAP release. “Dr. Welch takes care of himself, his colleagues, and his patients, while also finding time to stay involved in the community. As an active member of his church, Dr. Welch has also provided medical missionary services to underprivileged populations around the world.”
For more on Dr. Welch’s Rhapsody Physician award, check out his RhPAP video.
Peace River Community Health Centre OR Team
The Operating Room Team at the Peace River Community Health Centre is also being recognized with an RhPAP 2018 Health Care Heroes Award.
“Our Peace Regional Healthcare Attraction and Retention Committee (PRHARC) chose to put forward the Peace River OR team for the Rhapsody Award this year from among the many deserving departments at the Peace River Hospital because the committee as a whole has had connections with people the OR group has worked with, from babies being born to other operations,” says Elaine Manzer, chair of PRHARC.
“All the committee spoke highly of the patience and dedication of the OR team and wanted to take the opportunity to recognize their excellent work with the nomination and are very happy the group received the award.”
“The Operating Room staff at Peace River work well together, taking care of their patients, and each other,” states the RhPAP release. “A wonderful, cohesive group with a proactive focus on teamwork, they are there for each other and their patients, resulting in outstanding care for the residents of Peace River and area, and a readmission after-surgery rate that is substantially lower than the national average.”
“The OR team at the Peace River Community Health Centre consists of a small team of individuals that go above and beyond the call of duty for their patients. The team is skilled, caring and dedicated,” says Tara Elliott, Acute Care Manager at the Peace River Community Health Centre. “We are honoured that the community shares our views about our great OR team and spearheaded the nomination. We would also like to thank RhPAP for recognizing the team by selecting them as an award recipient for the Heroes of Healthcare Rhapsody award.”
Read more on the Peace River OR team’s Heroes of Healthcare Rhapsody Award.
Hythe Continuing Care Centre
The Hythe Continuing Care Centre has also received an RhPAP 2018 Health Care Heroes Award.
“The compassion and loving care exhibited by the healthcare team at Hythe Continuing Care Centre has earned them the status as highest-rated long-term care facility in the Alberta Health Services North Zone, as determined by a 2017 Health Quality Council of Alberta survey of families experiencing long-term care across Alberta,” the RhPAP release states.
“Our local Health Advisory Council (HAC) members were encouraged by the high scores the Hythe Continuing Care Facility received on their accreditation review,” adds Sandy Baker, a Peace Health Advisory Council member, of the decision to nominate the facility for the award this year. “We were particularly impressed how, in some areas, they scored the highest in the province. We were also pleased to note the high score in relationships between staff and families. This flows well with AHS work to keep seniors comfortable in their own communities.”
Manager Cheryl Klassen says a team that includes frontline workers, physicians, pharmacists, volunteers and resident family members committed to working together has been the key to success in Hythe.
“It’s the unique strengths of each individual when combined with the talents of co-workers that we achieve this excellence in patient-centred care and the positive family experience,” she says.
“As spokesperson for this team, I am so truly appreciative of the contributions from each team member. We are all in this together, we are ecstatic and full of gratitude for these awards of recognition.”
Read more on the Hythe Continuing Care Centre’s Health Care Heroes Rhapsody Award.
