We Care :
A welcome note from the editor
Grade 12 student creates care packages for Upper River Valley cancer patients Laura Nancekievill has heard about the
Dear Staff, Physicians and Volunteers, As we near the end of 2020 I have to start by looking back on the year and saying: Wow, so much fabulous work has been done this year at Horizon. You have gone above and beyond in our response to COVID-19, adapting to new and extra pressures, including dealing with the many unknowns and constant new information associated with this virus. As an organization, despite having to scale back our services during the early
on the front of the bag that said: “Thinking of You.” From Hartland Community School Students Grade 5-12. “I’m hoping this small gesture will brighten an oncology patient’s day just a little bit and let them know that ‘we care’ about them,” said Laura. “I’m extremely proud of Laura,” said her mom, Christa. “As a parent you try and raise your children to be kind and caring and to serve others. It is so nice to see her manifesting these important qualities as she grows into a young woman.” Denise Gray, URVH’s Oncology nurse manager was extremely touched by this generosity and thoughtfulness. “A cancer diagnosis is very overwhelming, but Laura’s idea will provide comfort and support to our oncology patients,” she said. “A sincere thanks to the Hartland Community School Students of grade 5-12 for participating in this amazing campaign! You are making a difference in our community and it is greatly appreciated!”
She brainstormed with her mom and her mom’s colleagues and they came up with a list of products that would benefit a person going through chemotherapy. Together, they made a list of items such as hand cream, mild soaps, soft toothbrushes, lip balm, and hard sour candy. Laura then thought of a plan to leverage donations through her school community, and took that plan to her teachers and principal. She quickly garnered their support to run a campaign at school to help collect these items. Each classroom from grades 5 through 12 was responsible for bringing in three different types of products. Each classroom was challenged to bring in at least 30 items. From October 19 to 30, Laura collected donations, and after two weeks, her schoolmates had brought in over 400 items, enough to make 50 care packages. After the campaign ended, she brought the items home, sorted them and bagged them into individual care packages with a sticker
challenges facing cancer patients. Her mom, Christa, is an Oncology Nurse at Horizon’s Upper River Valley Hospital in Waterville. She also knows how much even a small pick- me-up can help soothe and bring strength during these challenging times. While driving to a soccer game one September evening the idea for what became known as the We Care Campaign started percolating. “We were talking about her job as an oncology nurse and how difficult it can be on a person newly diagnosed with cancer,” said Laura. “It can be such an overwhelming time for them when they go to the Oncology Department … My mom said she wished there was a way to make that day a little easier on them.” This got Laura, a Grade 12 student at Hartland Community School, thinking — thinking about the ways she could help make that day a little easier for patients that could also combat some of the side effects of chemotherapy.
Welcome to the 24th edition of the Horizon Star! With just over a month to go in 2020, I’m not the first – and certainly not the last – to say it’s been quite the year. Over the last nine months we’ve adjusted – and re-adjusted – to get to where and what we now consider our “normal” daily lives. Kids are back in school, learning and socializing with added protections, our communities are vibrant, refreshing annual events, like Halloween, Remembrance Day ceremonies and fundraisers, to be COVID-19 safe, and our facilities are operating as safely as possible, swiftly adapting to outbreaks and new information. Even though we have no crystal ball to predict what’s to come in 2021 (we do have amazing teams working on modelling, based on epidemiology, and other public health directives), we can still reflect on what we’ve done to make this happen and what we can continue to do to keep this new normal. This was not – and will not be – an easy feat and not something all regions of our country and world are experiencing. Along with this reflection, I think it’s very important we all take some time to think about our achievements over the past year, despite living and working through a pandemic. I also hope you can take some time to enjoy hobbies and self- care routines, especially over the holidays. I hope you find enjoyment, and even relaxation, in a publication like this. The last few issues have seen some of our highest readership ever, which tells me you do. In this issue, you’ll read many stories of first within Horizon — the first Integrated Mobile Crisis Unit, through which mental health nurses and police officers are making a difference in Saint John area, and the first lung retrieval and organ donation after cardio-circulatory death (DCD) of its kind in New Brunswick. You’ll also hear from our physician recruiters and the challenges and success in recruiting physicians to Horizon. In January 2021, we’ll celebrate 25 issues of the Horizon Star! I hope you will mark this milestone with me by sharing your stories. Reach me at HorizonStar@HorizonNB.ca with your ideas. Happy reading,
phases of our response to keep everyone safe, we were still successful in providing access to safe and quality care as timely as we could. You’ve had to work through other ongoing challenges, too, including staffing shortages. We will continue to work through these issues, such as physician shortages for the Emergency Department in Sackville and the nursing shortages in Perth. These staffing challenges aren’t specific to Horizon; locally, nationally and internationally, recruitment has been difficult. Fewer flights in and out of the region and finding potential recruits in the online world makes this process a bit more challenging. However, I can assure you we certainly have the right people helping on the recruitment side of the house. As you know, and hear time and time again, the virus is still all around us. We must continue
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Karen McGrath President and CEO
to be vigilant in our fight against COVID-19. As I’ve said before, one of the best ways we can do this is by following simple, but effective, public health measures: • Before you enter your facility and when you exit for the day, put on your mask (in this situation, a non-surgical mask works just fine). • As soon as you enter your facility, clean your hands. • While you’re in your facility, continue to wear a surgical (level 3 grade) mask at all times, and remember to keep your distance, staying six feet from one another – unless you’re providing clinical care, eating, or working alone in your office. Another way to help us help people be healthy and manage our hospital capacity is to get your flu shot, conveniently provided by Employee Health and Wellness where you work. Encourage others in your bubble to do the same, as all New Brunswickers can get the flu shot at no cost this year. Building these new public health habits may mean moving away from our normal routines. This can be uncomfortable at times, but it’s truly the easiest way to protect ourselves and one another from this virus. Normally at this time of year, we are looking forward to a restful and joyful holiday season, filled with cheer, parties and lots of hugs. There’s no doubt Christmas holidays will be different this year: you may not be able to see family from outside the Atlantic Bubble and social gatherings with friends will be limited. Because of this — and after dealing with quarantines and other stresses over the past 10 months — I want you to make sure you pay extra attention to your mental health and reach out for support when you need it. I wish you a lovely holiday season, and look forward to what is to come in the new year.
GinaBeth Roberts Editor, Horizon Star
Karen McGrath President and CEO Horizon Health Network
Laura dropped off 50 care packages for oncology patients at Horizon’s Upper River Valley Hospital onWednesday, November 18. The donations were packaged in bags that were able to be sanitized by Horizon staff, as part of our COVID-19 precautions. Back row, from left: Erica Hull, social worker; JoanneWarren, RN; Laura Nancekievill, Grade 12 student at Hartland Community School and the creator of theWe Care Campaign; Angela Flanders, RN; Laura’s mom, Christa Nancekievill, RN. Front row, from left: Dr. Amber Swan, General Practitioner in Oncology (GPO), Denise Gray, nurse manager and Laura-Lee Cogswell, administrative support.
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