The Seymourville community recently celebrated the achievements of its newly graduated class of health-care aides.

Eight enthusiastic students graduated from an IERHA-developed uncertified health-care aide training program that included a practicum day at Sunnywood Personal Care Home in Pine Falls. Dozens of friends and family members gathered on Oct. 6 at the Seymourville community hall to celebrate their success.

The celebration started with a smudge and song, followed by speeches. Then each student proudly received a certificate to acknowledge their achievement — and many students indicated they looked forward to serving the community’s elders through their new role.

Ian Magnan, recruitment and community engagement officer, shared his sentiments about the celebration.

“To witness the students come in bright and early on the first day and then watch them walk up on stage with emotion to collect their certificate was absolutely amazing,” he said.

“Our partnership with the communities is something to be shared. We couldn’t have done it without them. This was a great experience for me and something I’ll always remember.”

Tricia Tyerman, director, health services, home care, noted that the experience has been a highlight of her career.

“In health care, we do not always get to see immediate results from our work,” she said.

“However, over the past three weeks, every story, experience and moment seems like we were witnessing it.”

Congrats to all the grads and all the best in your bright careers ahead! Thank you to all staff who had a hand in developing and helping us host this training. 

Doctors Manitoba's Top 40 Under 40 Awards celebrate exceptional physicians and medical learners in Manitoba under the age of 40 who have made significant contributions in their field.

The award recognizes those who have demonstrated excellence and a strong commitment in the areas of research, clinical practice, education, leadership, and advocacy for improvements to patient care and/​or physician and student well-being.

Apples are a versatile fruit; you can add them to virtually any meal and it will be delicious. Apples are filled with nutrients such as antioxidants, Vitamin C and fibre (however, if you remove the skin on the apple, you will not get as much fibre ... so leave it on).

Apples are also low in sodium, fat and cholesterol, so eating one a day may help keep the doctor away.

Check out this recipe for cinnamon apple muffins, as well as some apple facts and tips to make your money stretch with apples.

Thank you to community wellness facilitator Marilyn Sitar, dietitian Caroline Le Clair and nursing student Dana Mandryk for sharing this great info, which was originally published in IERHA's Community Wellness e-news. To receive this free monthly e-newsletter, email wellness@ierha.ca and type “Subscribe” in the subject line or click here to fill out an online form. 

Hailey Graboweski is a full-time respiratory therapist at Selkirk Regional Health Centre.

Respiratory Therapy Week runs from Oct. 22 to 28 with the theme "Inspiring Excellence in Respiratory Therapy."

The Canadian Society of Respiratory Therapists proclaims the last week of October as Respiratory Therapy Week in Canada to celebrate the respiratory therapy profession and the outstanding dedication and passion of RTs. This includes all areas of respiratory practice, including anesthesia assistance.

What is a respiratory therapist? A skilled professional who helps people of all ages manage problems with their lungs, heart and other organs (e.g., asthma, heart attack, respiratory failure). RTs provide airway and breathing support to patients in hospitals, clinics, the community and patients' homes. RTs educate patients about lung health and the use of their breathing medications and devices to manage their own care.

Please help us celebrate our RT team here at Selkirk Regional Health Centre!

Thank you to clinical team manager Victoria Wilgosh for this submission!

$5 Club member Bonnie Peloski with Barbara Pasaur, Our Daily Bread board treasurer

$5 Club member Sherisse Picklyk Dear with Jim Dao, Interlake Sexual Exploitation Educators board chair

The IERHA $5 Club is a rewarding club to be part of and an easy way to support our community. Funds are raised through automatic payroll deductions – members receive a tax benefit and the community benefits from your generosity!

Club members determine how these funds are distributed on an annual basis. In December, nominations are submitted for organizations and programs to receive funding. Early in the new year, members vote on which organizations will receive funding.

$5 Club members who nominate funding recipients are invited to attend and present donations whenever possible.

In 2022, the IERHA $5 Club raised and donated $23,000 to nine organizations. A big thank you to all $5 Club members. It is truly amazing what we can do $5 at a time.

Organizations that received funding were:

• Mental Health/Crisis Centres for rural communities
• Interlake Sexual Exploitation Educators
• Harvest Manitoba
• HERO's Alliance
• Our Daily Bread Soup Kitchen – Selkirk
• Wings of Power
• Riverton Food Bank
• Selkirk Friendship Centre Daycare
• Beausejour food bank

Don’t miss out on the fun – if you aren’t a member yet, please contact payroll to set up your automatic donation. Click here for the $5 Club enrollment form.

$5 Club member Bonnie Peloski and Averill Stephenson, executive director of IEHF with Selkirk Friendship Centre children and staff

Back row: Kristine Wood, Allison Dann, Karen Melnychuk, Kirsten Bates, Debbie Richardson, Denise Smith. Front row: Sheryl Steinthorson-Taylor, Lori Martin, Macha Sweetland 

Recreation co-ordinators from around the region met for a day of training, sharing and collaboration. 

One topic was the importance of reminiscing, using all five senses to bring back memories of days gone by. 

Recreation staff joined in on the fun in remembering the '80s to show that when you have the right topic for the right target group, the memories, joy and laughter that can come are so worth the effort. 

It was a fun educational day that even brought smiles from all the people they encountered. Thank you to the staff who were willing to get out of their comfort zones to make the education session a success! 

We hope these pictures put a smile on your face and help you to remember the '80s too!

Thank you to Lori Martin, regional recreation manager, for this submission!

Nursing knowledge flows from experienced professionals to those who are starting in the field through a nursing mentorship initiative.

Manitoba’s Nursing Mentorship Program supports new nurses who are launching their careers by matching them with a nurse mentor who can offer guidance and advice.

While she was still a student, mentee Keyara Smith began working at Beausejour Hospital where she’s now employed as a nurse. After Keyara wrote her licensing exam, her manager asked if she thought a mentor would be beneficial.

Similarly, Sheri-Ann Yarecki’s manager asked if she would consider becoming a mentor. She agreed and was paired with Keyara.

“Keyara has grown vastly in fundamentals and as a person over the last several months,” Sheri-Ann said.

“It pleases me to see that our new grad nurses are getting support through mentorship. This program will help develop stronger nurses.”

And as she launches her career, Keyara is grateful for the mentorship experience.

“The best part is getting to build a strong, supportive relationship with a senior nurse on the floor,” Keyara said.

“Having an experienced nurse who you can ask for support from and ask questions was beneficial.”

Read the full story.

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month in Canada, and this year, we’re asking you to Step up your cyber fitness.

Click here to learn about work station and desk space safety, virtual meetings and conference calls, and USB storage devices.

For more information on cybersecurity, visit the newly updated Information Security website or go to getcybersafe.ca.

Lakeshore Hospital Guild teamed up with Southern Chiefs Organization (SCO) to buy a new crib for Lakeshore General Hospital in Ashern.

Due to the number of emergent births at the hospital and the care of young children, hospital staff requested a second crib to meet the demand. SCO donated over $3,500 for the hospital-grade crib and mattress.

Lakeshore Hospital Guild asked SCO’s Health Transformation Team to partner with them by donating to the Lakeshore General Hospital, which serves people from many surrounding communties, including First Nations

Staff at the hospital appreciate this donation for the care and comfort of newborns and young children with this additional crib. A plaque to acknowledge SCO's donation will be put on the crib.

Pictured left to right: Shelley Bjornson, president of the Lakeshore Hospital Guild; Gwen Traverse, director of Health for Pinaymootang First Nation; Candace Blahey, director of health services for IERHA.

We welcome the following new staff members who have agreed to have their names printed in the Wave. We wish you all long and rewarding Interlake-Eastern RHA careers!

• Caleb Dawson, courier driver, Selkirk Regional Health Centre
• Jugsir Grewal, registered nurse, Kin Place – Oakbank
• Laura Golembiski, material management warehouse clerk, Selkirk Regional Health Centre
• Hannah Magnusson, pharmacy assistant, Selkirk Regional Health Centre
• Tara Brasseur, unit assistant, Selkirk Regional Health Centre
• Anne Cielen, home care attendant, Oakbank
• Aaron Maytwayashing, housekeeping aide, E.M. Crowe Memorial Hospital
• Kathryn Nicanor, registered nurse, Selkirk Regional Health Centre
• Augustine Sivanertok, dietary aide, E.M. Crowe Memorial Hospital

Thinking about a career upgrade?

IERHA continues to strengthen its partnerships with various post-secondary institutions to develop a stronger workforce.

Efforts are underway to develop education opportunities closer to home for students and employees in the Interlake. 

Click here to see a list of courses available.

Order cut-off is Nov. 17 for delivery to corporate office on Dec. 8.

Visit our online shop.

We're looking for your story ideas!

Send your submission of 250 words or less to ierhawave@ierha.ca by Friday and we'll work to get your story into the next issue.

We're taking a break from publishing editions in weeks following statutory holidays.

There will be no issue of the Wednesday Wave published on Nov. 15.