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Digital Health Policy Advisory Groups

2020 was a year of learning to do things in new ways: grocery shopping in a mask, socializing six feet apart, working from home and seeing your doctor through a computer screen. For many British Columbians, 2020 was the first time they encountered virtual care by connecting with a care…

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“We are all cultural beings”: My Experience at the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion UnConference

My name is Bev Pomeroy, I prefer to use they/them pronouns. I had the privilege of attending the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion Unconference this past May. The Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI) is a made-in-Canada solution designed to help employers, diversity and inclusion/human rights/equity and…

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A Guide to Compassionate Phone Conversations During COVID-19

When the pandemic hit, many people felt helpless. They wanted to do more than bang on pots and pans at 7:00 PM to show solidarity to point-of-care workers and support their communities, but were unsure what to do. In the North, three people with a shared passion for and…

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Comox Valley Primary Care Network

In September 2020, the Ministry of Health announced the creation of a Primary Care Network (PCN) in the Comox Valley as part of the government’s Primary and Community Care Strategy focused on team-based care. The Comox Valley PCN is a partnership between Métis, Inuit and First Nations communities, Island Health,…

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Virtual Psychiatry Consultations

The Shared Care team at Providence Health Care has been connecting with patient partners since the beginning of the Patient Voices Network – 11 years and counting! Since its first engagement in 2010, which resulted in winning a national award for the Rapid Access to Consultative Expertise (RACE) project, the…

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Collaborative Heart Attack Management Program

Timely access to care is always important, and especially so when every passing second adds to a patient’s risk of a negative outcome – as in the case of a heart attack. Sumandeep Dhesi, a cardiologist at Interior Health’s Royal Inland Hospital, recognized that precious time was lost by waiting…

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Patient Engagement in Quality Improvement at Burnaby Hospital

In recent years, as the value of patient engagement has become more widely acknowledged, many organizations and hospitals have created designated staff positions to support and expand the practice in their facilities. At Burnaby Hospital, Ryan MacKay acts as the site’s Coordinator for Quality & Patient Experience by supporting efforts…

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Our 2020/21 Annual Report is Here!

The BC Patient Safety & Quality Council is thrilled to share PVN’s 2020/21 Annual Report and celebrate the hard work of the network’s patient and health care partners through a very challenging year. Last year we welcomed 139 new patient partners, which brought our total membership to more than 1,250,…

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How a Patient Partner Helped Improve Medical Imaging in Kelowna

The staff in the medical imaging department at Kelowna General Hospital knew that the ultrasound experience for both patients and staff could be improved. In the spring of 2018, they held a Rapid Process Improvement Workshop to identify potential improvements. In the workshop, participants identified and worked through rapid…

Continue reading… A photo of Kelowna General Hospital at dusk, with a dark blue sky.

From Our Community

Jeanette Foreman

Northwest Quality Improvement Lead, Quality and Innovation, Northern Health

Jeanette Forman

PVN has really helped us engage with patient partners to improve health services at Northern Health.  It is more and more becoming the norm to include patients in the design, delivery and evaluation of health services.  PVN education and supports, involving patient partners, have enabled us to develop the capacity to include the patient voice to make care better and achieve better health outcomes.