“I think the Alberni Valley is one of the most beautiful places I have ever lived. I love small towns – people look at you in the eyes when you pass them on the street.”
Melody Richardson has been a registered nurse for the past year and a half, working at a large hospital in the Lower Mainland. Recently, she re-joined the team at West Coast General Hospital (WCGH) where she once worked as a medical imaging clerk, moving with her husband from the hustle and bustle of North Vancouver back to Port Alberni.
“It’s calmer and quieter, and housing affordability and cost of living is also a big factor. We were able to buy a house here,” Richardson said. “Plus, my co-workers are so friendly, welcoming and supportive.”
As a recent nurse graduate, Richardson is particularly impressed about how working at a busy community hospital is allowing her to respond to a variety of patient care situations that she has not previously experienced.
“One of my biggest awakenings about working at an integrated community hospital is how it is quickly expanding my scope of practice. I have the opportunity to continuously challenge myself and learn and grow as a nurse,” said Richardson. “In my first week of orientation I learned 7 or 8 new skills that I had never experienced in a larger setting.”
WCGH site director, Derek Keller, also relocated to Port Alberni for work last April from Williams Lake. A former resident of Saskatchewan, Keller is grateful for the opportunity to live, work and play in a scenic area surrounded by towering mountains, emerald forests, crystal clear rivers, lakes and the vast Pacific ocean.
“The community here has been so welcoming and staff and medical staff at the hospital are like one big family,” he said. “I was privileged to see first hand how everyone came together when wildfires closed Highway 4 over the summer. Health-care professionals who are looking for a supportive work environment and spectacular natural surroundings should really consider joining our team.”
Derek Keller (left), WCGH site director and Melody Richardson, registered nurse at West Coast General Hospital
To demonstrate our commitment to building and retaining a strong workforce and fostering the health and well being of our employees, Island Health is investing $4.1 million to add more than 17 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) positions to the WCGH team, a more than 20 per cent increase in the site’s annual clinical operating budget.
Our latest recruitment campaign is aimed at attracting a variety of clinicians and administrative staff to enhance and strengthen clinical services provided to Port Alberni residents through an integrated model of care that will positively impact patient and family experiences, staff and physician satisfaction, and overall community health outcomes.
“Throughout the challenges presented by the Highway 4 closures and a nationwide shortage of health-care workers, our dedicated teams of frontline health-care providers and support workers at WCGH have rallied to ensure that our community continues to receive the health-care services they need and deserve,” said Dr. Greg dePape, Medical Director for Alberni-Clayoquot and the Division Head of Family Practice for WCGH.
“These additional resources will strengthen our ability to provide those services and better support our staff and medical staff in improving access to healthcare for Port Alberni residents. We will continue to work with the Central Island Division of Family Practice, the City of Port Alberni and the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District to recruit and retain physicians in both the hospital and the community.”
New positions at WCGH will include:
- Nursing staff:
- Perinatal Registered Nurses to increase perinatal capacity at the site. ICU Registered Nurses to increase critical care capacity at the site.
- Post Anesthetic Recovery Room Registered Nurses to support patients recovering from surgery.
- Registered Psychiatric Nurses to provide coverage in the emergency department to provide expertise in the management of patients presenting with mental health and/or substance use concerns.
- Medical Day Care Licensed Practical Nurses to provide seven days/week coverage to care for patients requiring outpatient services. - Acute Respiratory Therapists to provide seven day/week coverage to support physicians and nurses in caring for people with respiratory concerns while opening up access to respiratory testing.
- Social Workers to provide seven days/week coverage to help patients and families in their transitions back into the community from hospital and prevent readmissions where possible.
- Unit Clerks to increase the capacity of clinicians at WCGH to provide direct care to patients and remove administrative tasks from care teams.
- Administrative assistants to support WCGH physicians in reducing documentation burden and offer additional supports to improve productivity.
The additional WCGH positions are currently being posted to the Island Health job board and Island Health will continue working with community partners to recruit and retain health-care staff and physicians in Port Alberni.
“We recognize the invaluable contributions of frontline healthcare and support staff in our local hospital and the critical role they play in providing a safe and nurturing environment for patients. This investment demonstrates a commitment to providing comprehensive care by enhancing the capacity of our hospital to deliver exceptional care and improve the overall patient experience,” said City of Port Alberni Mayor Sharie Minions.
“We are grateful for the dedication and hard work of health-care staff, and we are committed to working with Island Health and the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District to support the continued success and fulfillment of staff in serving our community.”
Over the past two years, West Coast General Hospital investments to strengthen services and support care team providers included a $6.25 million, 244-square-metre (2,626-square-foot) expansion of the emergency department. Improvements include complete modernization of the Emergency Department, three new patient exam rooms, new space for patients awaiting tests and results, new front entry to the triage and admitting area, and a dedicated entrance for ambulances.