RURAL & NORTHERN HEALTH CARE CONFERENCE

Digital health might be the largest untapped clinical quality improvement resource available to us. Far beyond just technological tools and their associated impacts, digital clinical transformation is about transforming care. Many health care providers quickly adapted to digital health care tools as a safety measure during the pandemic, however, many still struggle to seamlessly incorporate digital health care experiences. And while in-person care has safely resumed for most providers, the reality is digital health care will remain a necessary part of service delivery, particularly for rural and northern communities.

The North Bay Regional Health Centre recently completed a large-scale technologically complex system implementation, including regional integration, and will share some strategies and lessons learned.

Key Session Takeaways Include:

• The role of technology in delivering shared services across regions
• The need to fix processes before building out the systems in order to avoid incorporating dysfunctional processes
• The importance of connecting all provincial healthcare assets
• What next steps are taking hold, and where will they lead us?

Paul Heinrich
CHE, LLM, C.Dir., CPA, CMA, MEd, BBA
CEO
North Bay Regional Health Centre

Moderated by:

Marilee Nowgesic
CEO
Canadian Indigenous Nurses Association

Every jurisdiction in Canada is facing challenges with attracting and maintaining key staff. There are shortages of nurses, doctors, and specialists across the country, but the shortages are particularly troublesome in rural and northern communities.

Take advantage of this special panel as we explore the successes and challenges of providing care to rural and northern communities. We tackle some of the current models, and how new research is exposing evidence-based insights and rethinking possible care models.

Key Session Takeaways Include:

• What new research is revealing about quality care in fly-in communities
• How nurse centric communities with fly-in doctors compare with single doctor communities
• Why a hub and spoke community health care model can better serve rural and remote communities and improve recruitment and retention
• How to tailor your message for finding the right candidate for your area
• Best practices in creating an onboarding program that educates candidates on the cultural expectations of patients

Maria Mathews
Professor, Department of Family Medicine, Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics
Western University’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry
Theme Leader, Canadian Health Force Network

Moderated by:

Diana Urajnik
Research Director
Centre for Rural and Northern Health Care
Professor, Laurentian University

For many rural and northern patients, access to care often means they must be flown out of their community to receive care, then flown back for ongoing care in their community. To effectively provide care for remote patients, a great deal of coordination must take place, built on interinstitutional and interprovincial relationships.

As such, the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada has published a call to action and statement of standards for patient transfers.

Key Session Takeaways Include:

• What the research is showing for establishing new processes and partnerships to facilitate efficient and equitable patient transfer
• Best practices on negotiating patient transfers from both the receiving and transferring hospitals
• Successful coordination strategies to overcome difficult settings, including large geographical distances, and extreme weather
• Determine how the increasing role of technology to connect with remote care units and patients is delivering timely care and limiting the need for transfers

Dr. C. Ruth Wilson
C.M., M.D., C.C.F.P., F.C.F.P., LL.D
Professor Emerita, Department of Family Medicine
Queen’s University
Family Physician, Yellowknife

Moderated by:

Steph Ouellet
VP Strategic Partnerships
Middlesex Hospital Alliance

The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted First Nations, Inuit, Métis and northern communities in Canada placing an enormous burden on healthcare providers, administrators and leaders. As leaders across the system have come together in the collective fight against COVID-19, there have been silver linings in the form of strengthened relationships and emerging opportunities and innovations.

As we continue our collective journey through the pandemic, Healthcare Excellence Canada (HEC), is committed to supporting improved access to high quality, culturally safe and equitable care across health systems in Canada, particularly in First Nations, Inuit, Métis and northern communities. Through partnerships including the Canadian Northern and Remote Health Network, First Nations Health Leadership Network and the Promoting Life Together (PLT) Collaborative, HEC strives to support capacity development, networking and learning opportunities for First Nations, Inuit, Métis and northern healthcare leaders.

Partnerships such as these form the foundation for the work of HEC, including the design, development, and implementation of our efforts to support improved cultural safety and address the systemic racism experienced by First Nations, Inuit, and Métis in healthcare systems. Through this panel presentation, learn more about the relationships which have guided the work of HEC in First Nations, Inuit, Métis and northern health, and opportunities to build on the silver linings emerging through the pandemic as we journey together towards high quality, culturally safe and equitable care.

Learning objectives:

• Understand the importance of relationships as the foundation for work to support First Nations, Inuit, Métis and Northern health
• Identify opportunities to build on the silver linings emerging through the pandemic through efforts to support First Nations, Inuit, Métis and northern health leaders’ capacity, and improved cultural safety in healthcare systems

Maria Judd
Vice-President, Strategic Initiatives and Engagement
Healthcare Excellence Canada

Helga Bryant
RN, BScN, MScA
Chief Executive Officer
Northern Regional Health Authority

Nicole Robinson
Director, Northern and Indigenous Health
Healthcare Excellence Canada

Moderated by:

Lori Webel-Edgar
Senior Healthcare Risk Management Specialist
HIROC

Frontline rural physicians in Canada are vulnerable to the psychological impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially considering their high pre-pandemic burnout rates compared to their urban counterparts. This qualitative research identified the mental health impacts and any associated stressors faced by rural physicians of Ontario to guide the future development of rural physician wellness supports and policy-making as part of Canada’s pandemic recovery and preparedness plans.

Key Session Takeaways Include:

• The mental health impacts on rural physicians and the key stressors involved
• The researcher’s recommendations to help improve the mental health of rural physicians
• Identify ways to implement changes in their respective organizations to support rural physicians

Anchaleena Mandal
She/Her
MD Candidate 2023, School of Medicine
Queen’s University

Dr. Sarah Gower
Queen’s University

Eva Purkey
She/Her
MD, MPH, CCFP, FCFP
Assistant Professor, Health Equity/Global Health Director
Associate Research Director, Department of Family Medicine
Queen’s University

Moderated by:

Marilee Nowgesic
CEO
Canadian Indigenous Nurses Association

Taking into account the need to bring together human services such as housing, social services and early year within the health care system, the Kenora District Services Board and the All Nations Health Partners have partnered to integrate systems and bring together the traditional medicines of Indigenous people with modern medicines in order to create a more equitable and accessible health care system.

Key Session Takeaways Include:

• The Ontario Health Team’s models work well with northern regions by allowing communities to look at and change how people access health
• Human Services and Health Care Systems need to come together and work in an integrated manner, and establish holistic determinates of health
• Physician support is essential, especially in rural and northern communities

Henry Wall
CAO
Kenora District Services Board

Colleen Neil
Executive Lead, All Nations Health Partners Ontario Health Team
Executive Director, Sunset Country Family Health Team

Moderated by:

Nicole Robinson
Director, Northern and Indigenous Health
Healthcare Excellence Canada

Terrence Sooley
Director of Conference Production & Development
Spark Conferences

Enjoy your lunch with some musical accompaniment or in dedicated networking rooms with fellow attendees.

Session delivered via Zoom video conference.

Suicide is a continuing issue among young people, but it is particularly concerning among indigenous peoples. To address this, the indigenous communities have developed their successful response based on an indigenous worldview, one that promotes a mental health continuum framework, and that also includes longevity.

Key Session Takeaways Include:

• What a life promotion tool kit entails, its rationale and its impact
• Why a paradigm shift to life promotion has proven to be successful and adaptable across diverse populations
• Understanding of the resources available and where you can get more information
• Lessons learned and success stories

Dr. Ed Connors
Advisory Co-Lead
Wise Practices

Moderated by:

Marilee Nowgesic
CEO
Canadian Indigenous Nurses Association

With limited resources for both specialist care and diagnostic technology, most rural and northern communities rely on key partnerships to fulfill their health care needs. And while this is a difficult challenge, it is nonetheless a common occurrence.

From physicians, surgeons and psychiatrists to physiotherapists and mental health therapists, rural and northern communities are accustomed to experts flying in to fill gaps in their services.

Some of our most remarkable success stories involve exceptional partnerships. Join this discussion of some of those successes, and how you can expand on your partnership programs.

Key Session Takeaways Include:

• What makes a profitable partnership work, and how do you expand on it to each other’s benefit?
• How do you work efficiently and effectively with patients and care providers to facilitate and coordinate care?
• Where do we see partnerships going in the near and long term? How will these partnerships be structured?
• Relationship building with indigenous partners and patients

Treena Greene
Regional Indigenous Cancer Medical Lead
The Ottawa Hospital

Stephanie Beadle
Neurorehabilitation Clinic, Prosthetic & Orthotic Clinic
Grand River Hospital, Freeport Campus

Moderated by:

Steph Ouellet
VP Strategic Partnerships
Middlesex Hospital Alliance

Rural and Northern populations and conditions are differ from urban populations, and so are their needs. Successful community-research partnerships can provide insight into how to structure evaluation activities that yields knowledge relevant to northern populations.

Drawing on patient-oriented research and health care, we will explore features of community-research partnerships that may optimize capacity-building and improved patient outcomes.

Key Session Takeaways Include:

• Successful characteristics of community-research partnerships within a northern and rural context
• Ways in which an academic centre has leveraged support and structures to address organization, health care need

Diana Urajnik
Research Director
Centre for Rural and Northern Health Care
Professor, Laurentian University

Robert Barnett
OHT Impact Fellow, Muskoka and Area Ontario Health Team
Senior Research Associate, Centre for Rural and Northern Health Research

Moderated by:

Lori Webel-Edgar
Senior Healthcare Risk Management Specialist
HIROC

Palliative care is an essential component of the continuum of care and our health care system. However, delivering high-quality care in rural and northern communities need not be as difficult as imagined. Although delivering care to rural and remote locations can be challenging, some resources and approaches can help you meet challenges.

Join in the discussion as we explore how your peer organizations are providing palliative care in their communities.

Key Session Takeaways Include:

• Approaches and resources for delivering care in rural and remote communities
• Delivering palliative care services with paramedics
• Providing culturally appropriate palliative services to Indigenous peoples

Dr. Cornelius J. Woelk
MD, CCFP(PC), FCFP
Medical Director, Palliative Care, Southern Health-Santé Sud
Medical Director, Boundary Trails Regional Cancer Program hub
Assistant Professor, Dept of Family Medicine, University of Manitoba
Family Physician, C.W. Wiebe Medical Centre

Holly Prince
HBSW, MSW, (PhD. Cand.)
2019 Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Scholar
2018 SSHRC Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholar
Project Manager, Centre for Education and Research on Aging & Health
Lakehead University

Cheryl Cameron
MEd, ACP
Director of Operations
Virtual Hospice

Moderated by:

Steph Ouellet
VP Strategic Partnerships
Middlesex Hospital Alliance

Marilee Nowgesic
CEO
Canadian Indigenous Nurses Association

Steph Ouellet
VP Strategic Partnerships
Middlesex Hospital Alliance

Lori Webel-Edgar
Senior Healthcare Risk Management Specialist
HIROC