Wheel2Heal May 6, 2012
Eagle Ridge Hospital Foundation
Wheel 2 heal is a fundraising bicycle ride for Eagle Ridge Hospital Foundation. W2H is a great way to give back to a local hospital, get active and have fun with family, friends or as an individual. A team of Eagle ridge Nurses, Doctors (and friends) have come together to ride for the foundation and also to commemorate the life of a friend and an emergency department colleague, Juri Chkhartishvili. Please click on the picture to view the W2H homepage and consider sponsoring a member of the team. There is also a facebook page dedicated to the ride! Volunteer, donate, or just give the team members a pat on the back for a job well done!
A letter to the public from the Royal Columbian Hospital Emergency physicians.
The Problem, Consequences and Solution
The Problem
The Royal Columbian Hospital (RCH) Emergency Department (ED) has over 50 patient stretchers. However most of the ED stretchers are filled with admitted patients who deserve to be in hospital beds outside of the ED – this is hospital overcrowding. Because of this there few properly equipped areas available for incoming emergency patients. As a result, Emergency Physicians and Nurses have been forced to examine and provide care in inadequate and unsafe areas such as the waiting room, lobby, hallways. Examinations are delayed and incomplete. Medications are often delayed or not given due to lack of monitoring. There is no privacy for patients in the hallway. All of these problems are not because of a problem in the ED, but because the hospital is overcrowded, something that is not under the control of ED Staff. ....please click on the
to read the entire letter.
Hospital OvercrowdingEmergency department overcrowding, mortality and the 4-hour rule in Western Australia
Introduction of the 4-hour rule in Australia led to a reversal of overcrowding in three tertiary hospital EDs that coincided with a significant fall in the overall mortality rate in tertiary hospital data combined and in two of the three individual hospitals. ED overcrowding (as measured by 8-hour access block) at the tertiary hospitals improved dramatically, falling from above 40% in July 2009 to around 10% by early 2011, and presentations increased by 10%, while the mortality rate fell significantly (by 13%; 95% CI, 7%–18%; P < 0.001) from 1.12% to 0.98% between 2009–10 and 2010–11. Monthly mortality rates decreased significantly in two of the three tertiary hospitals concurrently with decreased access block and an increased proportion of patients admitted in under 4 hours.
New Members
We are proud to welcome 5 new physicians to the Cepa group as of July 1st. Welcome to the team:Dr. Tom Green,Dr.Carolyn Kelly-Smith, Dr. Cimi Achiam,Dr. Jon Theoret , and Dr. Amy Cheng
CONGRATULATIONS!
The RCH Emergency Physicians were chosen to receive a Teaching Award - 2010-11 PGY-1 YearDrs Mike Mostrenko and Rory MacKay were awarded "Preceptor of the Year" awards by the PGY-1 Year ResidentsDr. Joe Haegert was awarded the CCFP-EM Teacher of the Year Award. Dr. Adam Lund was nominated for the MUS Year 3 Undergrad Teaching Award.If anyone else was nominated or chosen for any awards, please let us know!
Shift Start Times
ERHE06 - 6am-2pm (8hr)E09 - 9am-4pm (*7hr) E13 - 1pm-8 pm (*7hr) E16 - 4pm-11pm (*7hr) E19 - 7pm -3 am (8 hr) E23 - 11pm-7am (8 hr)
RCH (all 8 hr shifts)R06 - 6am-2pm (Acute) R07 - 7am-3pm (ACR / MTU) R10 - 10am-6pm (ACR / MTU) R11 - 11am-7pm (Acute) R14 - 2pm-10pm (Acute) R15 - 3pm-11pm (ACR/MTU) R17 - 5pm-1am (ACR) R19 - 7pm-3am (Acute - ACR) R23 - 11pm-7am (Aute - ACR)
Editors Wanted!
We are looking for nurses and other ED Team members who would like to help us to contribute to the web site. We would like this site to be our own best resource for news, accessible from anywhere with Internet access (as opposed to the Intranet!). Contact Kelly and Adam at webmaster@rchemerg.com.
Updates
Herb Parkin Day 2012 - Emergency Medicine Grand Rounds
Please plan to join us for Herb Parkin Day Grand Rounds on May 2nd, 2012 at RCH in the Sherbrooke Theatre. Lectures will run from 0800 to 1500, and span a wide variety of topics ranging from stroke management and trauma to the history of emergency medicine. Save the date!
Advanced Hazmat Life Support - SAVE THE DATES
I'm very excited to announce that AHLS is coming to BC (Advanced Hazmat Life Support - www.ahls.org). AHLS is a two-day provider course, and the most comprehensive training program to provide the critical skills needed to treat victims exposed to toxic substances. Working with DPIC (the Poison Control Center), BC Ambulance's CBRNE/Hazmat Program, and OHM Medical, we have managed to organize two leadership courses for 2012. We are pleased to announce that Dr. Frank Walter himself, the Founder of AHLS and a renowned Toxicologist from the States, will be coming up to offer both the Provider Course and the Instructor Courses on May 11-13 (Lower Mainland) and September 26-28 (Whistler; assoc with SPH Emergency Medicine Update Conference).
Regional "Hot Stroke Orders"
Trial : Starts Monday February 13 - March 2nd
see link for inclusion criteria and order set
Podcasts
Overcrowding a hospital-wide concern
How can royal columbian solve its emergency room issues?
Location, location, location.
It's a maxim most frequently used in real estate, but in the case of Royal Columbian Hospital's emergency ward, it's not too far off the mark.
"The emergency (ward) has to maintain a priority for emergency situations," said Dr. Adam Lund. "It's not the right place for in-patients."
Lund and his fellow ER doctors gave a letter to hospital administration earlier this week indicating that, as of next Wednesday, patients who have been seen, admitted and are effectively on hold for a spot in another area will no longer be housed in ER beds while they wait for a bed.
