While job action by MGEU and CUPE essential service agreements are in place to ensure care continues to be provided, with the sickest and most injured patients prioritized. Essential health services will be provided even if strike occurs
Residents living throughout much of Manitoba, excluding the Northern Health Region, are advised that community health services – particularly home care services – and some clinic appointments could be significantly disrupted next week if planned job action by CUPE and MGEU-affiliated staff proceeds. Click here for more information.
Young local artists are being recognized for their heartfelt designs in honour of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30.
Youth aged 12 to 18 entered a contest launched by Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority to design a poster for this important national recognition day, which honours survivors of residential schools and children who never returned home.
Health authority staff and select community partners reviewed 25 submissions from across the region and selected three winning entries.
The winning submissions were created by Vanya from Stonewall, Nicholas from Garson and artistic duo Hunter and Evan from Stonewall. Their designs will be featured on posters that will be on display in Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority facilities across the region.
Vanya’s poster depicts an image of girl in an orange shirt without any facial features.
“I drew this girl without a face because in residential school, lots of identities were lost,” Vanya wrote in her artist’s statement.
The artwork by Nicholas shows a dreamcatcher with handprints in the background.
“I put the handprints and orange on the poster to remember the children that went to residential schools,” Nicholas said. “The dreamcatcher is for Indigenous people. I also wanted to remember the survivors in my own family.”
Evan and Hunter worked together to create a poster that depicts a dreamcatcher on a background of green leaves and purple flowers.
“The poster has a dreamcatcher and nature, which are both significant to the Indigenous culture,” they shared in explanation of their design.
Each winning submission received $100. Members of the public will be able to see this artwork posted in IERHA facilities at the end of September.
Visit https://engagemb.ca/health-cards to vote for your preferred design. Act soon as the poll closes Sunday, Sept. 29.
Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority (RHA) hosted the 2024 Family Medicine Resident Retreat in Gimli September 20 to 22 to showcase the region’s many practice and lifestyle opportunities.
In total, 110 first- and second-year family medicine physician residents attended the event planed by their colleagues to participate in education presentations, explore the area with their families and rekindle relationships with their classmates.
“The weekend would not be a success without the help of our local communities who understand the value of investing in this retreat to help with physician recruitment in our rural communities. Thank you for your sponsorship,” says Interlake-Eastern RHA chief medical officer Dr. Charles Penner. “A special thank you to the individuals who represented their communities, who handed out the welcome baskets and who extended a warm welcome to these young doctors to start their weekend off right.”
The weekend included a variety of tourist, social and educational events with a focus on rural practice and rural living. Among educational sessions offered were family practice, physician wellness, suturing, rural emergency medicine and Indigenous health. A special thank you to physicians practicing in Interlake-Eastern RHA who took time to speak to residents and attend the job fair. Hosting the resident retreat rotates among rural regional health authorities. The last time Interlake-Eastern RHA hosted the was in September 2019. As a result of the overwhelmingly warm welcome young physicians receive from communities as well as physicians practising in the health region who offer training opportunities combined with the work of the RHA, 14 former University of Manitoba family medicine residents have started practising in the region. That’s more than the region has been able to attract in the past. These doctors could have started their practices anywhere in Canada or abroad but they chose Interlake-Eastern RHA.
Thank you to the following communities who supported the event:
Eighteen inpatient beds are now open at Selkirk Regional Health Centre’s new inpatient unit with 12 more beds to open by November. Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority (IERHA) staff, community members and construction partners joined to celebrate the formal opening of the 30 bed inpatient expansion on September 13.
“After years of cuts, our government understood adding beds and staff to the health care system was the first priority. These beds will free up space in Selkirk’s wards and reduce access blocks in the emergency department, which will in turn reduce wait times for families,” said Minister of Health, Seniors and Long Term Care Uzoma Asagwara. “Funding a bed is only part of the solution, we have to staff it as well. I want to thank the front line workers and IERHA staff who helped us open this new unit and welcome the patients.”
IERHA CEO Marion Ellis acknowledged the people who worked to bring this project to fruition.
“Completed ahead of schedule, this inpatient expansion project is a credit to everyone involved from planning through to completion,” said Ellis. “Expansion of Selkirk Regional Health Centre will help us better meet the needs of residents across the health region and health system.”
Ellis acknowledged Interlake Eastern Health Foundation and Selkirk gift shop volunteers for their ongoing contributions to supporting patient care.
“It’s our collective privilege to be in a position to offer care to people when it’s needed. We remain grateful for the community support that we receive,” Ellis said.
In addition to the 28,627 square foot inpatient expansion, the project also included enlargement of the health centre’s emergency department waiting room.
BACKGROUND
Selkirk Regional Health Centre Inpatient Unit Addition
The new 30 bed inpatient unit and emergency department expansion are improving Interlake-Eastern RHA’s ability to care for patients across the region and health system.
Inpatient Addition
Emergency department waiting room expansion
Manitobans will see cost savings with the introduction of no-cost coverage of prescription birth control, beginning Tuesday, Oct. 1, Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Uzoma Asagwara announced today.
Hot weather has arrived in Manitoba. Individuals who are elderly, living alone or with compromised health will benefit from a regular check-in during times of high heat.
All Manitobans can take care to prevent heat illness by:
Premier Wab Kinew and Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Uzoma Asagwara announced the upcoming provincial budget will include funding to build a new personal care home in Lac du Bonnet. Read more about this commitment to build
There has been a significant rise in measles cases in many parts of the world, with several cases recently detected in Canada. Immunization is the best way to protect against measles. Protection against measles is especially important for people planning travel. Check your immunization status, especially if you are travelling outside of Canada, to ensure you are protected. Individuals are encouraged to be alert for measles symptoms, especially if you have recently travelled. Read more about measles symptoms and vaccine recommendations.
The first baby of 2024 has arrived in Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority.
Safia Sharif and her husband Talal Tasse of East St. Paul welcomed their daughter, Reham, at 11:14 p.m. New Year’s day at Selkirk Regional Health Centre.
Weighing seven pounds and 15 ounces, she is the Tasse family’s third child. Excited to meet their baby sister were brother Zyad, 10, and sister Reem, 9.
The Tasses said their experience in the obstetric unit was unsurpassed.
“The staff were very helpful. It was quiet and this has been the most comfortable room for us,” Sharif said.
Tasse noted the attentiveness of staff.
“Whenever she was uncomfortable, there was always someone there to take care of her,” Tasse said.
Chair of the Selkirk Hospital Gift Shop volunteers, Betty Milkowski, maintained a tradition by gifting Reham’s family with a hand knit outfit and blanket, diapers, a hamper, playpen and other items to celebrate the arrival the first baby to arrive at the health centre. She said the volunteers make the New Year’s baby gift tradition possible.
“The most important thing is all the work that the volunteers do to help us. They make it possible for us to donate and help. This has been going on since the first hospital was built in Selkirk and the original ladies auxiliary was founded. We extend our best wishes to the family,” Milkowski said.
Dr. Jennifer Preun attended the delivery. In 2023, 444 babies were born at Selkirk Regional Health Centre. That’s an increase over the 397 babies born in 2022. Anyone interested in delivering with Selkirk’s obstetrics unit is invited to call 204.482.5800 for more information and to arrange a tour of the facility.
As Manitoba sees increasing respiratory virus cases in health-care facilities, Dr. Brent Roussin, chief provincial public health officer, and Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara are asking people to get their flu and COVID-19 shots. Watch the media conference
Please click here to read the provincial respiratory virus update.
Red River College Polytech in partnership with Fieldstone Ventures will be hosting health care aide training course in Eriksdale area. Come to the open house for more information:
Eriksdale August 8, 2023
Time: 4:00p.m – 6:00p.m.
Location: Eriksdale Wellness Board Room, 35 Railway Ave
Contact Fieldstone Ventures ASAP if you are interested 204-768-3797 or 1-888-777-1059
The Manitoba government has provided patients with more than 72,300 additional diagnostic and surgical procedures, ensuring more Manitobans are getting care faster with increased capacity in a stronger, more resilient public health system, Health Minister Audrey Gordon announced today. Read more
