Three presentations were made at the Hafford/Blaine Lake Community Advisory Network annual meeting Feb. 7 in Hafford.
Nurse Practitioner Kim Kenke presented the People Encouraging Action and Community Empowerment (PEACE), a community planning update. The committee developed a number of statements for a 10-year vision then took four strategic directions: towards improving the services, towards structures that support healthy communities, towards sustainable human resources and towards strengthening people of the community.
An Alternative Clinic Hours Focus group was established in January 2009 and because the relevance to Blaine Lake consisted entirely of Blaine Lake residents: Jean Birkett, Pat Ciona, Caroline Hupaelo, Lorraine Kouznitsoff, Claire Lamontagne, Mary Michayluk, Ruth Morton, Julia Pool and Erna Telehanic.
These women spent three years discussing and developing what health care should look like in Blaine Lake. The working group identified seven key priorities: increased access to a primary care provider, increased awareness of current services, increased access to pharmacy, increased access to alternative health providers, increased access to lab/x-ray services, access to transportation to appointments and access to health education information.
Since then, the group has been successful in installing an illuminated open sign in the Blaine Lake clinic window and it was announced in June 2010 nurse practitioner services would increase in Blaine Lake to allow for three full days of NP coverage a week.
The Emergency Services Focus Group consists of Anna Bad, Ernest Crowder, Andy Ciona, Real Diehl, Sam Grainger, Victor Hupaelo, Walter Jess, Lucien Lamontagne, Kitty Larson, Jean Popov, John Priestley, John Redlich, Keith and Diana Woytiuk. This committee listed priorities and to date have held a first responder forum in November 2010 where seven new first responders were recruited.
Rural signage is progressing throughout the local rural municipalities with the RM of Blaine Lake completed, both RMs of Leask and Douglas in the process and RM of Redberry in the preliminary stages.
The third priority listed was the installation of GPS units in RCMP cruisers and ambulances, which has been completed.
The transportation committee consisted of Jean Birkett, Caroline Hupaelo, Lorraine Kouznitsoff, Claire Lamontagne, Ruth Morton, Julia Pool and Erna Telehanic. This committee has just been established and has identified that many residents require reliable dependable transportation to and from medical/health appointments locally and out-of-town.
These initiatives have been marketed through displays, pamphlets, mail outs, community channels and magnets.
There is also a Youth Empowerment initiative led by Brianne Baraneski, Diane Jones, Cathy Kohut, Denise Kowalchuk, Richard and Tracy Rice. This committee was established to assist with making Hafford a more youth friendly community. The Kinsmen Park was given a facelift and movie nights are held but the main goal is to establish a youth centre.
The second presentation by Doreen Madwid shared the health services that are available in Blaine Lake and Hafford.
The nurse practitioner visits Blaine Lake clinic Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to noon and is in Hafford clinic Monday to Friday. The NP can perform complete physical exams, diagnose and treat common medical conditions, order diagnostic tests and write prescriptions.
Physician services in Blaine Lake occur Wednesday from 9 a.m. to noon and Friday from 2 to 5 p.m. Physician services in Hafford are from 2 to 5 p.m. Monday and from 2 to 5 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday. Laboratory services include blood collection, urine samples and ECGs. This service occurs in Blaine Lake on Tuesday from 9 to 11 a.m. every second week and in Hafford on Tuesday and Thursday from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and Wednesday from 8 a.m. to noon. Other services available through PAPHR includes home care, dietician, addictions services, public health, mental health services, parent support, health promotion and occupational therapy.
The final presentation was the results of the patient experience survey.
Hafford/ Blaine Lake is one of 55 Saskatchewan Primary Health Care sites involved in the patient experience survey. One hundred and twenty six surveys were collected during the spring of 2010 between the two sites. Overall, respondents indicated the care they received from their health care providers met their expectations at a very high level, 84.7 per cent of the people identified that there is a clinic within 30 minutes driving time that is accessible otherwise, if the clinic is closed the majority of the people access the emergency room or another clinic, 34.4 per cent of people wait less than 10 minutes to see a health care professional while 63.2 per cent wait 10-20 minutes for their appointment.
The committee was pleased to report that the PAPHR Primary Health Care Site ratings were higher than the provincial average.
Anyone with health concerns or questions can contact Kim Kenke at Hafford Medical Clinic at 549-2323 or Blaine Lake Clinic at 497-2494.
