One of the most unique aspects of nursing at PMH is the opportunity to work in both acute care and in the emergency department (ED). Nurses take turns caring for patients on the floor, and rotating through the ED.
Cameron Webster is living proof that life sometimes has a way of coming full circle. In 2014, Webster became a client of Island Health’s Early Psychosis Intervention Program in Victoria after being diagnosed with psychosis; a year later he was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, which features symptoms of schizophrenia and mood disorders.
Originally exclusive to Northern Health as a way to address staffing challenges in rural and remote sites, GoHealth BC is a collaborative effort between Northern Health, Interior Health, Island Health, the Ministry of Health, and the British Columbia Nurses Union to allow Northern Health nurses to expand their scope of professional practice and take on new experiences in places like NVI.
Martin Poulin departed Royal Jubilee Hospital with a suitcase packed with pliers and portable ultrasound units, and returned with fond memories and the motivation to keep making a difference.
Through an innovative Island Health program called Community Virtual Care, Heather Jansen supports patients remotely from her home to wherever the patient resides.
Since joining Island Health, Kobby has been collaborating on projects like a fuel spill, groundwater contamination and an industrial fire. Coming from consulting, working for private companies in gold mining and oil and gas, he’s excited to put his knowledge and experience to use for the public good.
In celebration of this year’s International Youth Day (August 12) we had a chance to interview an amazing Island Health youth volunteer who lives and volunteers in the Port Hardy region. Isadora, aged 15, started volunteering with the Step Up Youth (SUY) program in the fall of 2022 and has continued to dedicate her time to local Long-Term Care residents, showing a passion for her community and a strong desire to make a difference.
In December 2012, Dr. Paivi Abernethy had an epiphany. As part of her PhD research, she was conducting interviews with various specialists about the fallout from torrential rain in Mid-Wales during the past summer. As a result of the deluge, tailings from historic silver mines overflowed and ran downhill; the concentration of lead resulted in the death of cattle. There were also serious concerns among locals about toxicity in community gardens.
As climate change impacts our world and our health, Island Health continues to put a local lens on a topic of global importance: the stewardship of our water systems.