Staying Safe in Ever Changing Moments
At the Health Centre, our team like our community has been working diligently to keep the pandemic at bay. Still it’s a challenge. Every single day things change. But shifting protocols quickly adopted along with training has been instrumental during the pandemic. The tremendous challenges have all of us adapting swiftly to keep patients and staff safe. The incredible community support has also made a difference. New high tech systems and equipment bought by donors has meant proper care when its needed, where its needed throughout the Health Centre. Working to keep patients and medical staff safe.
Despite the pandemic our new CT Scan installed January 2020 undertook a mere 60 scans less than the old one in 2019. In all, our entire medical imaging system undertook 20,613 procedures in 2020. To our donors, please take that as 20,613 thank yous! Our new 4-piece x-ray system is delayed, but January 19th a loaner mobile x-Ray like one of the two we have on order, arrived to take its turn as part of our workhorse team in medical imaging.
COVID-19 Vaccination for Residents Today at Lakeland Long Term Care
Long term care residents in West Parry Sound will begin receiving their first COVID-19 vaccination today, and the Province has announced that all residents will receive their first of two necessary doses by next week.
The first injections of the Moderna vaccine are taking place at Lakeland Long Term Care, the 110 resident home co-located with West Parry Sound Health Centre.
“We are thankful and fully prepared to receive the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine and provide it to all of the consenting residents living at Lakeland Long Term Care. We have been planning for this important delivery and we now know that vaccinations will be provided on Tuesday 26 January,” said Lakeland LTC and WPSHC CEO Donald Sanderson.
The vaccine delivery was confirmed late Monday afternoon by the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit. Immediately after that confirmation, Lakeland staff began notifying residents and families. Preparation leading up to vaccination day has included communication with families and collecting resident consents to receive the vaccination.
A public announcement distributed by the Health Unit on January 25 reconfirmed the Provincial target to “have all long-term care home residents and elder care residents of First Nations communities immunized by the provincial deadline of February 5, 2021.”
“We do not have the information available to make a public announcement about COVID-19 vaccinations for our residents at Belvedere Heights. We are encouraged to see the Moderna vaccine arriving in our community and we are very pleased by the Provincial commitment to have all long term care residents vaccinated by next week,” said Belvedere Heights Administrator Kami Johnson.
“Our turn will come in next few days and we look forward to working with our partners at the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit. As soon as we have a confirmed date for vaccinations, we will be communicating that information with our residents and families.”
Following the vaccination of all long term care residents, the Health Unit announcement describes the high-priority groups that will be next in line.
Once the Health Unit receives additional doses of the COVID-19 vaccine priority will be given to:
• staff, essential caregivers (including family caregivers) and other employees in long-term care settings;
• residents, staff, essential caregivers (including family caregivers) and other employees in retirement homes and congregate living settings for seniors;
• health care workers, including hospital employees, staff who work or study in hospitals and health care personnel;
• adults in First Nations, Métis and Inuit populations;
• adult recipients of chronic home health care.
“Leadership at West Parry Sound Health Centre continues to participate in meetings and planning activities to prepare for additional vaccine distribution in our communities. We strongly advocate for allocations that will fully, fairly, and efficiently vaccinate fulsome targeted, high-risk populations in alignment with the prioritization decisions being established by Ontario’s Vaccine Distribution Task Force,” said Sanderson.