The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority s new 74,000. New WRHA Laundry Facility Opens. What's Inside. Aboriginal Health Services: Community Matters

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1 health and wellness news for you and your family Free Spring 2006 What's Inside Aboriginal Health Services: Community Matters The Aboriginal Human Resources Initiative: Reaching Out to Youth Project helps patients with Congestive Heart Failure WRHA s Patient Safety Program Goes Global How happy (and healthy) is your heart? WRHA Achieves Accreditation Get Better Together goes Citywide New WRHA Laundry Facility Opens Opertations Manager Marc Lafleche with the Futurail computer, which allows for complete control of linen stored on an overhead rail system. The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority s new 74,000 square foot laundry facility opened its doors in October 2005, featuring updated equipment and the most recent technologies in energy conservation. The new Winnipeg Laundry, located at 1725 Inkster, will increase productivity and improve working conditions for staff. The WRHA now owns and operates the two largest, most up to date laundry facilities in Manitoba: the new Winnipeg Laundry and the Selkirk Laundry in Selkirk Manitoba. Serving more than sixty customers, the two laundries employ more than 150 staff and process over 20 millions pounds of laundry annually. With the opening of the new facility, there is no need for separate laundry facilities at St. Boniface General Hospital and the Health Sciences Centre. Jan Legeros, Chief Logistics Officer for the WRHA, says the decision to close the two facilities was difficult but necessary. The St. Boniface Laundry Department was built more than eighty years ago, she says. It was 13,000 square feet and spread out over three levels. Productivity was poor due to the lack of space and aging equipment. Conditions at the HSC site were similar. Built in the 1960s, the former Winnipeg Laundry at HSC was not quite as old as the St. Boniface plant. However, it also suffered from poor productivity. In October 2003, it began operating under a disaster recovery plan because of permanent equipment failure. During that time, laundry had to be transferred to the Selkirk laundry site, where it was washed and returned to the HSC site for folding and preparing for delivery to the customers. The result was a cost per pound increase of 19 per cent for the 2003/04 year. The space and equipment at the new plant will enable it to process an additional three million pounds per year. As volumes increase, savings for customers will increase correspondingly, says Legeros. Energy saving technology also helps to reduce costs. Water discharged from washing cycles is used to pre-heat incoming cold water, and relatively clean water discharged from last rinse cycles is re-used for first wash cycles. In the summer, water from an underground aquifer cools the air vented into the laundry production area. In winter the aquifer water pre-heats incoming air via a heat exchanger and a glycol loop. Heat extracted from ambient air by heat pumps is used to pre-heat cold water, and large ceiling fans in the production area reduce the need for mechanical cooling. A de-tuned capacitor bank maintains high power factor levels, minimizing electrical demand charges. Safety and working conditions for staff were also important considerations in the development of the new facility. In the old facilities staff had no shower facilities, and there was no barrier between the clean laundry area and the soiled linen area. The new facility features changing areas with showers and lockers, and a separation wall between soiled and clean linen work areas. Even the air is supplied from the clean linen side of the plant, so that contaminated air is not vented into the clean side. In stark contrast to cramped, dimly lit facilities of the past, skylights illuminate the spacious new plant. New equipment such as the Picker, which picks out heavy, wet sheets from tangled loads that have just come from the washing machine, reduce the risk of repetitive stress injuries. It s just a better facility, says Operations Manager Marc Lafleche. It allows us to produce linen at the lowest possible cost and provide our staff with a superior working environment. Tours of the new laundry are available upon request. For more information, please contact WRHA Logistics Services at

2 The Aboriginal Human Resources Initiative: Reaching Out to Youth Terry Spence was a bundle of nerves when he walked in to interview for the ACCESS nursing program at the University of Manitoba last fall. He knew he was qualified, but his nerves were getting the best of him. It was my first big interview, he says. I didn t know what to expect. So he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Kim Gray among the panel of interviewers. Her familiar face put him at ease and the interview went well. Ultimately, he was accepted into the Spence first met Gray when he worked at Deer Lodge Centre as a helper at a day program for people with Alzheimer s disease in the summer of His experiences at the WRHA inspired him to pursue a career in healthcare. It s really satisfying to see someone go from being a summer student to pursuing a career in healthcare, says Gray, an Aboriginal Human Resource Officer with the AHRI. It lets you know you re making a difference in people s lives. Spence first came to the WRHA by way of the Manitoba Aboriginal Youth Career Awareness Committee, an organization that promotes and provides career awareness information and employment opportunities for Aboriginal high school students. Deer Lodge Centre Administration has been involved with the MAYCAC program for two years. They ve mentored three students in that time, and Executive Assistant Lorri Dahl has appreciated the extra help during the summer months. We're short staffed over the summer months, so it helps to have a student to fill in some of the gaps like photocopying and general typing, she says. It allows us the time to focus on the more detailed aspects of the office. This year, the WRHA s Nursing Leadership Council will partner with MAYCAC to host 12 high school students in acute care sites. WRHA Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer Jan Currie says one of the goals of the partnership is to give Aboriginal high school students the opportunity to explore careers in the field. Previous MAYCAC efforts have been mostly in the area of administration, she says. With this project we hope to interest youth in careers providing direct patient care. MAYCAC is just one of the programs the Aboriginal Human Resources Initiative partners with. In February, the AHRI will begin providing career awareness sessions to youth at risk through the Keewatin Winnipeg Youth Initiative, a life skills program managed by the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs. The sessions will include presentations from Aboriginal and non-aboriginal healthcare professionals and a tour of Seven Oaks General Hospital. It gets youth thinking about their careers, and what they have to do to achieve their goals, says Aboriginal Human Resources Officer Ron Castel. It gives them practical direction. Also in February, 30 students from the Skownan First Nation will receive four hours of hands-on programming at the Health Sciences Centre, experiencing what it s like to work in high demand areas including nursing, occupational therapy, ultrasound and children s pre-operative care. They re participants of Career Trek, a not-for-profit organization that educates students from grades 5-12 about the importance of post-secondary education and career options. Although the AHRI does a lot of work with high school students, it also reaches out to students who are already engaged in postsecondary studies. The WRHA is a sponsor of the Aboriginal Business Education Program, which provides support to Aboriginal Pre-Management and Management students at the University of Manitoba. The AHRI highlights the availability of ABEP students to WRHA managers, who then provide summer employment. Finding summer student employment and internships for Aboriginal students is a campaign that usually begins with a mass memo to senior management in the fall before, telling them about students and different programs such as ABEP and MAYCAC. On a good year we could see as many as 20 students come through the WRHA, versus previous years when we ve only had five or six, says Gray. We re really utilizing other organizations and partnerships. But Castel and Gray agree that one of the most enjoyable parts of their job is attending career fairs. Traversing the province and travelling as far north a Norway House, the pair averages 23 fairs a year. During the winter months, they travel in caravans with colleagues from other organizations. It s usually quite the adventure, says Castel with a laugh. But if you want to get the word out you ve got to bring it to the people. And that word is that there are many career opportunities available in healthcare, and that there is a high demand for certain professionals, such as MRI technologists. We show them they don t need a medical degree to work in healthcare, says Gray. They can have careers in healthcare in half the time, if that s what they want. The pair also travels to schools in First Nation communities to provide age appropriate demonstrations to youth, and the response has been really positive. The AHRI recently sent requests to Aboriginal healthcare staff to determine interest in providing presentations to urban Aboriginal high school students, in the hopes of putting together a series of presentations. According to Angela Bye, Regional Director of the AHRI, reaching out to the growing Aboriginal youth population is key to the development of a representative workforce in healthcare. Showing youth that they have the potential to follow in the footsteps of Aboriginal role models in healthcare can have a tremendous impact for the healthcare system and community, she says. We all have a role in inspiring the youth of our community to set goals and take steps to make them a reality. If you re interested in getting involved contact the Aboriginal Human Resources Initiative at or at ahri@ wrha. mb.ca Kim Gray and Terry Spence

3 Aboriginal Health Services: Community Matters The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority is collaborating with urban Aboriginal community organizations to identify appropriate ways to address the direct service needs of the Aboriginal community. The first Urban Aboriginal Community Workshop was held Jan.13 at the Manitoba Métis Federation, with representatives from a crosssection of urban Aboriginal service organizations attending. According to Louis Sorin, Regional Aboriginal Patient Advocate, it was an opportunity for organizations to come together, share information, and identify means to resolve specific service issues. One of our goals for this workshop was to ensure that Aboriginal people are benefiting from the services we provide, he says. Collaboration with other agencies helps us to establish broader referral networks. The workshop was well attended, with a total of 52 individuals participating. The morning session featured presentations to provide a starting point for discussions and context for the afternoon session. Sorin discussed the role of Aboriginal Health Services within the community and the need to consider the realities and circumstances of individuals and families with respect to service delivery, and Angela Bye, Director of the Aboriginal Human Resources Initiative, spoke about what is being undertaken through the AHRI, factors affecting its success and opportunities for partnership. Brennan Manoakeesick, of Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre, provided a brief presentation about the work being done to implement the Aboriginal Visioning Strategy for the Renewal of Winnipeg s North End, a plan to rebuild and revitalize the neighbourhood that was prepared with input from local Aboriginal residents and organizations. In the afternoon, breakout groups discussed each other s roles, services they offered and needs. Participants work-shopped ideas about how the WRHA and community organizations can work more closely together to address common needs and issues. To facilitate discussion, participants were asked a set of specific questions, including what do you bring to the session, what do you want to take away from session, what can we do better together, and what could or should we do differently as we work together. The questions were intended to foster discussion leading to collective recommendations on next steps and specific actions towards more effective service delivery. Participants were also asked to complete an Asset Map Template developed by the WRHA to gather information about organizations and the services they provide. The information collected is currently being compiled. The discussions included topics such as systemic communications issues and factors affecting access to information, as well as specific capacity to identify issues and problem solve on individual situations. Aboriginal Health Services is also currently in the process of establishing a traditional Elder s In the past, access to traditional Elders within the WRHA has been limited to some hospital sites and referrals through community service agencies. However, as knowledge of spiritual and cultural care as an important aspect of health care and healing has grown, demand for Elder services within WRHA facilities and programs has increased. To meet this need, the AHS has established an Elder s advisory council to assist in the development and implementation of an Elder s The WRHA recognizes the important contributions Elders and cultural advisors make in helping the healthcare system to be more culturally appropriate for the patients, clients, families, and staff they serve, says Sakoieta Widrick, Regional Spiritual and Cultural Care Coordinator. The Council will provide guidance on the selection of Elders, assist in the development of a code of ethics and establish a process for dispute resolution, should it be required. The Council s vision is to support Aboriginal and non-aboriginal people seeking to live satisfying, hopeful, and contributing lives by their choice of using and being able to access culturally appropriate and relevant forms of healing, ceremony, and lifestyle, while dealing with limitations caused by illness and disease. Services will be designed to extend to employees as well as to patients. According to Sorin, the Workshop and Advisory Council are part of Aboriginal Health Services ongoing efforts to strengthen its relationship with the Aboriginal community. It s important for us to stay in touch with organizations that are trying to improve the health and well being of our community, he says. We hope this will be the beginning of a process where the community feels comfortable working with us, so that our programs and services continue to respond to their needs. If you would like more information about Aboriginal Health Services, please call our Central Intake line at (204)

4 Project Manager Linda Coote with I-CARE award Program Awarded for Excellence Health Links-Info Santé was recently awarded the prestigious I-Care Gold Award for its Chronic Disease Management of Congestive Heart Failure via telehealth The award, presented at the Hospital Solutions Conference in Fort Lauderdale, makes Health Links-Info Santé the first twotime recipient of the award. The I-CARE award is founded on the principles of Integrity, Customer, Accountability, Respect, and Excellence. It recognizes the program s success in improving the health of its participants, strong intra-professional cooperation, robust research emphasis, and innovative technological platform. Health Links-Info Santé Director Paul Nyhof is particularly proud of the strong partnerships between the Misericordia Health Centre, Manitoba Health, Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, the Regional Health Authorities of Manitoba and Centre de Santé that have made the program a success. This award is an honour, and it reflects the high level of service standards we offer to Manitobans, he says. Health Links-Info Santé is a strong and vibrant program using the latest technology to link people with helpful and caring health care professionals. Health Links-Info Santé is a provincial program of the WRHA operated by Misericordia Health Centre. Other partners include Manitoba Health and the Regional Health Authorities of Manitoba. The service provides quality primary health care to Manitobans 24 hours a day, seven days a week in more than 110 languages. You can access Health Links-Info Santé by calling in Winnipeg or toll-free at Project helps patients with Congestive Heart Failure Six months ago Allen*, 63, was feeling discouraged about his health. He became short of breath walking from one room to another and required daily oxygen therapy. Allen suffers from Congestive Heart Failure. It s a serious condition in which the heart doesn t pump as strongly as it should. As a result, other organs don t get enough blood supply. Blood flow out of the heart is slowed down, causing congestion as blood returning to the heart becomes backed up. Congestion leads to fluid accumulation in the lungs, which interferes with breathing and causes shortness of breath. So when Allen s doctor suggested he participate in a pilot project that would help him manage his symptoms over the phone he was sceptical. But he signed up anyway, and since then his health has improved dramatically. That s because, although there is no cure for CHF, it can be managed effectively through diet, weight management, rest, exercise, stress reduction and medication. And that s the goal of the Chronic Disease Management of Congestive Heart Failure via Telehealth Project. Working closely with doctors, Telehealth nurses monitor participants at home and offer support in the areas of diet, medication management, and lifestyle. Since joining, Allen has lost weight, is exercising regularly and no longer requires oxygen therapy. I wouldn t have believed that speaking to nurses over the phone on a regular basis could make such a difference in the quality of my life, says Allen. The two-year project, a partnership between Health Links-Info Santé, the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority and the Central Health Authority, also helps to decrease visits to the emergency room. Patients with CHF have to know when to seek treatment, or they can end up in the emergency room, says Project Manager Linda Coote. Our program helps them to recognize the early warning signs. Although enrolment was initially low, there are now 128 patients from the Winnipeg and Central health regions participating in the Access to the program is based on eligibility and physician referral. Manitoba has the third highest rate of hospitalizations for CHF in Canada. In , 319 of every 100,000 hospitalizations in Manitoba were due to CHF, compared to of every 100, 000 on average in Canada. The project aims to demonstrate that education and follow up can help to decrease that number. Currently, it s not a permanent function, but Coote hopes it will be. Even people who were reluctant to participate have had such profound results, she says. They really want to see the program stay. For more information, call or tollfree * Composite patient

5 WRHA s Patient Safety Program Goes Global By Ryan Sidorchuk, Patient Safety Officer In October 2004, the World Health Organization launched the World Alliance for Patient Safety to facilitate the improvement of patient safety practices on a global level. Six specific action areas were identified, including the implementation of the first Global Patient Safety Challenge with the theme Clean Care is Safer Care, which tackles the increasingly prevalent issue of healthcare associated infections. Ryan Sidorchuk The five other action areas include patient empowerment and involvement, the development of a patient safety taxonomy, research in the field of patient safety, solutions to reduce the risks of health care and reporting and learning to advance patient safety. Patient and consumer involvement is the area in which the WRHA has secured a voice at the table of the World Alliance for Patient Safety agenda. I am proud to have been selected from among several excellent applications, some from right here in Winnipeg, to be the Regional Patient Safety Champion for Canada. It s a terrific honour and privilege, and I consider my appointment to be a direct result of the willingness of the WRHA to be open to such partnerships. Together with a group of deeply committed and passionate people from around the world, I will try to represent the perspectives of patients and work towards the elimination of healthcare system induced harm. In this capacity, I hope to hear from any patients and/or family members from the Winnipeg region who have something to say on the issue of patient safety, either for our region specifically or the world generally. Our first meeting took place in November in London, England. The entire experience was humbling, awe inspiring and incredibly empowering. It was both tragic and yet strangely encouraging to know that the patient safety issues facing us here in Winnipeg, and indeed Canada, are the same issues being wrestled with throughout the developed world. Coupled with stories of harm from the developing world that defy my ability to justifiably describe in this format, it is clear that much work is yet to be done. At the same time, however, the number of dedicated people working towards patient safety continues to grow, and it s becoming increasingly clear that there is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come. With that in mind, I feel confident the WRHA is positioned at the forefront of the patient safety movement from the boardroom to the bedside. Patient safety has been identified as one of our three strategic organizational goals, and my colleagues and I on the Patient Safety Team are collaborating with caregivers and site administrators to implement a Regionally Integrated Patient Safety Strategy. Although it s clear to me that we are, indeed, world-leaders, there is still much work to be done: one life lost to preventable healthcare system induced harm is one too many. I will continue to champion meaningful patient and family representation in every program and site in the Winnipeg region, together with my fellow members of the Patient Safety Advisory Council and my colleagues at the WRHA. Opportunities for collaboration with local and national organizations such as the Manitoba Institute for Patient Safety, as well as the Canadian Patient Safety Institute, will also be actively pursued. So stand up, Winnipeg. We should all applaud and acknowledge the fact that we are, indeed, moving in the right direction! WRHA Patient Safety Officer Ryan Sidorchuk and Donald M. Berwick, MD, MPP, President and CEO of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), a leading authority on health care quality and improvement issues. For more information about Patient Safety at the WRHA, please contact Ryan Sidorchuk at or e- mail at rsidorchuk@wrha. mb.ca A Different View By Brenda Lord, Patient Safety Consultant Five weeks into my new office job, I m finding it much different than my previous position as a nurse. In time I ll get used to the office hums, the pager and the meetings, but I m not sure I ll ever get used to not having direct contact with patients. I guess it s because there s a part of me that still feels that, to be a real nurse, one must provide direct patient care. Having said that, I know that my 15 Brenda Lord years experience providing direct care will be invaluable in my new role as a Patient Safety Consultant. For instance, I know that the feeling of responsibility at the bedside can at times be overwhelming. No one wants to make an error, no one wants to cause harm, and no one wants to fail the families and individuals under their care. But, sometimes, it happens anyways. When an error is made a sinking feeling hits you. You may experience weakness and light-headedness, tightness in your chest, burning in your gut or you may become flushed and warm. But no matter what your own physiological and psychological responses, you immediately move to fix and save the situation. How do I know this? I ve been there. Even the task of writing about it evokes a kind of nervous system memory that is hard to express and even stranger to experience. Unfortunately, it does not end there. In the aftermath of a mistake you blame yourself, as do others, and your competence often comes into question. Your goal was to keep your patient safe and restore her health. Not, for example, to administer an incorrect drug or dose. And yet, in spite of these experiences, I can remember feeling reluctant, at times, to accept changes that were being implemented to increase the safety of patients. Whether it was learning how to operate new equipment or changes in charting or dispensing of medications, I remember thinking, I don t have time for this. Why can t they just leave me alone to do my job and look after my patients? Viewed today from a wider angle I can see more clearly. Change is important and necessary for the improvement of patient safety and the reduction of harm from errors that can cause physical and emotional harm to the patient. But improving patient safety involves change at many levels, not just the bedside. So, even though I no longer provide direct patient care, the knowledge and expertise I gained from the years I did will be used in the work I do now to improve patient safety in the Winnipeg health region. Part of that work involves promoting the understanding that blaming individuals in an antiquated model of perfection, and the analysis of systems to find the underlying conditions that provoke harm-producing errors. This opportunity to step back and see the bigger picture helps to keep me focussed on the goal of reduced future incidents and improved safety for all patients entering the healthcare system.

6 How happy (and healthy) is your heart? in motion Healthy Heart Quiz How much do you know about physical activity and the important role it plays in keeping your heart healthy? Take our in motion Healthy Heart Quiz and find out! 1. To help keep your heart healthy, adults should get this amount of physical activity on most days of the week? a minutes b minutes c minutes 2. The older you are, the less important regular physical activity is for good health? a. True b. False 3. What exercise has the lowest dropout rate of any physical activity? a. Walking b. Weight training c. Aerobics 4. What is the most common reason for not being physically active? a. Don t know what to do b. Exercise hurts too much c. Don t have enough time 5. Canadians are more physically active in their day-to-day life than they were a generation ago. a. True b. False 6. Regular physical activity helps to maintain a healthy heart. What other steps can you take to reduce your risk of heart attack? a. Stop smoking b. Reduce high blood pressure c. Maintain proper blood cholesterol levels d. All of the above 7. People who have had a heart attack should not start a physical activity program? a. True b. False 8. The risk factors for heart disease that you have some control over include: high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, smoking, obesity and physical inactivity. a. True b. False Are you a non-smoker? Do you eat a low-fat diet with lots of fruits and vegetables? Are you physically active at least minutes every day? If so, your heart is most likely content because smoking, poor eating habits and inactivity are prominent risk factors for the development of heart disease and other chronic health conditions. Eighty per cent of Canadians have at least one modifiable risk factor for heart disease, and more than 11 per cent have three or more risk factors. Fortunately, making positive changes to your lifestyle can change most risk factors associated with heart disease. The World Health Organization suggests those who smoke, eat a lot of fast food or are inactive can greatly reduce their risk for developing heart disease and other chronic conditions by making positive changes to these habits. Risk factors that you can change Researchers have identified several risk factors that, if changed or modified, could help to decrease your risk of heart disease, stroke and vascular disease and generally improve your heart health. Many of these risk factors are interrelated, and positive changes to one modifiable risk factor will lead to favourable changes in others. Cigarette smoking A smoker has more than double the risk for developing heart disease than does a nonsmoker. If you are a smoker, within 24 hours of quitting, your risk of heart attack starts to decrease. One year after quitting, your risk of heart disease is half of what a smoker s is, and 15 years after quitting, your risk of heart disease is the same as someone who never smoked. There are several strategies that can help you quit, including physical activity and medications. If you re thinking about quitting smoking, free help is available from the Smokers Helpline at or visit Uncontrolled Type 2 Diabetes Uncontrolled diabetes drastically increases one s risk of developing heart disease. Frequent physical activity and a closely monitored diet help to control blood glucose levels and reduce heart disease risk. If you are living with diabetes, along with closely monitoring your blood sugar levels, getting in motion for minutes a day will help maintain or improve your health. For more information on Type 2 diabetes, visit the Canadian Diabetes Association minutes of daily moderate physical activity such as swimming can help prevent heart disease. website at www. diabetes.ca. Abdominal Girth and Obesity Almost half of Canadians are now overweight. Inactivity and high caloric consumption have led to increasing waistlines and increasing cardiac risk. You can reduce your risk by maintaining an abdominal girth of less than 102 cm (40 inches) if male and 88 cm (34 inches) if female. If you feel you are at risk, speak with a health professional, dietician or exercise professional to find out the best course of action for you. Adding minutes of physical activity each day and following a low-fat nutrition plan loaded with fruits and vegetables can help reduce abdominal girth and decrease your risk for developing heart disease. High Blood Pressure and Stress High blood pressure is often related to stress. High blood pressure makes your heart work harder and over time, may cause your heart walls to become thicker and stiffer. Canadian guidelines suggest that optimal blood pressure is less than 130/85 mmhg and high blood pressure is greater than 140/90 mmhg. Get your blood pressure checked by a health professional regularly. If you are frequently stressed, try some deep breathing exercises and help reduce your stress by getting in motion for minutes on most days of the week. Even ten minutes of activity can help combat stress and improve your health. Physical Inactivity It s a great idea to get in motion for good health. Research shows that daily moderate physical activity is key in helping to prevent heart disease. Choosing activities that raise your heart rate for minutes per day will help control blood cholesterol, reduce stress, lower blood pressure in some people and also help manage weight and Type 2 diabetes. If you are new to exercise or have been inactive, please consult a health professional before starting a new physical activity Also, seeking assistance from an exercise professional may help you get started. For more information on how to get active and in motion, visit www. winnipeginmotion.ca. < Continued on next page >

7 < How Happy and Healthy is Your Heart? continued > Risk factors that can t be changed Some risk factors called non-modifiable risk factors are things that can t be changed. These include: Age As we age, our risk for heart disease increases. Men over the age of 45 and post-menopausal women over the age of 55 years are at greater risk for heart disease. Gender Men have a higher incidence of heart disease than women. However, post-menopausal women also have an increased risk of heart disease. Family History If your parents, siblings or children have experienced heart disease before the age of 55 (65 female), you are considered to have a positive family history. A positive family history indicates that an individual has a higher risk of developing heart disease. If you have a non-modifiable risk factor, it is even more important to lower the other risk factors that you can change. February 2006 is National Heart Month. For information on heart health and prevention of heart disease, please visit in motion Healthy Heart Quiz Answers 1. C You can achieve some health benefits with as little as 30 minutes of daily physical activity, but more is better and at least minutes is recommended daily. Children should get at least 90 minutes per day 2. False Regular physical activity is important and provides health benefits for people of all ages 3. A Walking is a great activity, because it s inexpensive and easy to do WRHA Achieves Accreditation Following a visit from surveyors from the Canadian Council on Health Services Accreditation (CCHSA) in November, the second year of sequential accreditation surveys for the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority is complete. The WRHA has been granted accreditation. The accreditation process helps health organizations evaluate the quality of the services they provide by comparing them to nationally accepted standards. As part of the process, the WRHA took part in a series of self-assessments followed by a survey visit from CCHSA. The survey included a review of documentation, team interviews, facility tours, and focus group meetings with various stakeholders. This second phase of the survey focussed on community and home based services. Some successes identified in the survey report include: The development of state of the art regional laundry service and food distribution facilities The central intake process for child, youth and adolescent mental health The ACCESS Centre is a good model for integrated health and social services The family medicine residency training program for Aboriginal and bilingual populations Library Services are available to program staff to support best practices The Winnipeg Integrated Services Initiative 4. C If time is an issue, try squeezing in 10 minutes of activity at different times in your day to get your total of minutes 5. False Unfortunately, we re much less active than previous generations, mostly due to increased use of the automobile and the availability of new technologies like television and video games which encourages a more sedentary lifestyle 6. D In addition to being active on a daily basis, quitting smoking, and having your blood pressure and cholesterol checked regularly can help reduce your heart disease risk. Seek assistance from a health professional or exercise professional to help reduce your risk. 7. False Starting slowly and building up to frequent participation in regular physical activity can significantly reduce the risk of another heart attack. If you ve had a heart attack, consult with a physician before starting an activity program and take advantage of a cardiac rehabilitation 8. True We can control many of the risk factors that cause heart disease. Your in motion Healthy Heart Rating If you got 7-8 answers correct, way to go. You re well informed about physical activity and how to keep your heart healthy. If you got 5-6 correct, you re still doing great. You may benefit by reading about how to become more active (www. winnipeginmotion.ca) and how to achieve better heart health ( ca). If you got 4 or fewer answers correct, increasing your knowledge about the importance of physical activity and how to reduce your risk of heart disease is the first step to better health. Visit as for more information on how to get physically active every day. If you have specific questions or concerns, please speak with a health professional in your community. Canadian Council on Health Services Accreditation Survey Team 2005

8 Get Better Together! Winter/Spring Schedule 2006 February 7 - March 14, Tuesdays ACCESS River East 975 Henderson Hwy Phone: March 1 - April 12, Wednesdays Wellness Institute at Seven Oaks General Hospital 1075 Leila Ave. Phone: March 16 - April 27, Thursdays 5:30 p.m. 8:00 p.m. ACCESS River East 975 Henderson Hwy Phone: Correction Notice April 3 - May 8, Mondays Youville Centre Dakota St. Phone: April 4 - May 9, Tuesdays Mount Carmel Clinic 886 Main St. Phone: April 19 - May 24, Wednesdays Klinic Community Health Centre 870 Portage Ave. Phone: Note: All sessions are free of charge. An article appearing in the December 2005 issue of Aspire stated that the Main Street Project charges an $11 admission fee. A representative from the Main Street Project has indicated that this information is incorrect, and that admission is, in fact, free. We regret this error, and apologize for any misunderstandings it may have created. Get Better Together goes Citywide A new program to help Winnipeggers with chronic conditions is going citywide. After successful testing in two inner city clinics, Get Better Together, a six-week program for living better with chronic disease, will now be available at ACCESS River East, the McPhillips Medical Group, Mount Carmel Clinic, Youville Centre, and Klinic Community Health Centre. Based on a successful program developed at Stanford University in California, Get Better Together! gives participants strategies and support to manage their conditions and make their lives better. The program does not offer treatment, but anyone suffering from chronic conditions such as arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome or fibromyalgia can learn about managing stress, fatigue and frustration. Diseases aren t going to go away from attending the sessions, says Caitlin Keyzer, who coordinates the pilot program for the Wellness Institute at Seven Oaks General Hospital. But people can learn to handle stress and control pain better to reduce their level of disability. They can learn to manage their conditions rather than their conditions managing them. One of the reasons the program is so successful is that meetings are led by people who have completed the program and learned to manage their own conditions. Two-dozen participants have already completed the program at Aikins Street Community Health Centre and Hope Centre Health Care, and almost half have registered for leader training. For more information or to register for Get Better Together, please call or go to To find out more about the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, log onto our website: You ll find information about how we care, where you can find care, opportunities to work in health care, how we re improving and innovating in the field of health care, as well as the latest health care news. Looking for a specific site or service? Click on the Encompass database under Finding Care on the WRHA Web site to search the online health services directory. is produced by the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority to provide information about healthcare, health and wellness. Aspire! is published four times per year and can be obtained at WRHA offices and facilities, or by subscribing by writing to us at the following address. Your feedback is encouraged and appreciated. Reproduction The WRHA encourages reproduction of stories (in whole or condensed) and accompanying photography from Aspire! Requests should be directed to the editor and permission from the Director of Communications is required. A fee will be charged on a per story basis. The editor must review changes to the Communications Department 18th floor 155 Carlton Winnipeg, MB R3C 4Y1 stories before the article can be reprinted. Any reprinted material should credit to the writer, photographer and WRHA. Material will be provided electronically either via or on CD. If articles are pre-purchased, the organization should send the editor an when it is published. Advertising Presently, we are not accepting any advertising in Aspire! We can be reached at: Winnipeg Regional Health Authority Carlton Street Winnipeg, MB R3C 4Y1 Service des communications 155, rue Carlton 18 e étage Winnipeg (Manitoba) R3C 4Y1 CPC sales agreement #