Power to Heal

Hospital emergency departments were originally designed for just that: treating urgent medical needs that require immediate attention. If a lengthier stay was necessary, patients were sent upstairs to one of the wards where longer-term care and comfort could be provided. 
But with overcrowding becoming increasingly common in ERs around the province (and all across Canada), many patients find themselves spending days—and nights—in hallway beds located in one of the busiest, brightest and noisiest areas of a hospital. 

None of this escaped the attention of Peace Arch Hospital ER Physician Dr. Amir Behboudi. Noticing a hallway patient struggling to sleep in this 24/7 hub of activity, Dr. Behboudi was inspired to research and implement low-cost solutions that address the main impediments to a patient getting much-needed sleep in a busy hospital corridor: namely, noise, lack of warmth, and bright lighting. 

In this episode of Power to Heal, the story of how one Peace Arch doctor’s compassion and ingenuity is resulting in more comfort and faster healing for patients in what is often a stressful environment.  

For more information or to make a donation, visit Peace Arch Hospital Foundation at pahfoundation.ca

About Power to Heal
Hosted by former Peace Arch News editor Lance Peverley, the Power to Heal podcast takes listeners behind the scenes with the Peace Arch Hospital Foundation as this innovative fund-raising organization develops partnerships with donors, medical staff and community groups to help foster better health and wellness in the community of South Surrey/White Rock BC.

#podcast #hospital

The model for Foundry youth centres is based on “coming together, listening and learning.”  This is more than just a slogan: It’s what they actually do. 

Created to remove barriers to quality care for youth ages 12-24 in British Columbia, Foundry centres bring together integrated health, wellness and social services for young people in one location. At a time when one in four Canadian youth are affected by mental health or substance use challenges, being able to open one door to access a range of support services can make all the difference.

But Foundry centres also feature another unique aspect: opportunities for young people to share their ideas and feedback on how these wellness hubs can better serve their peers and provide preventative support for mental health or substance use—issues that, left unchecked, can result in future visits to already over-crowded emergency departments.

In part two of our compelling exploration of Foundry and the integrated health and wellness services it provides, you’ll met Ruby and Oscean, two articulate post-secondary students who are volunteering to help shape the new youth centre coming to South Surrey/White Rock. Both speak candidly about their own lived experiences with mental health, and the challenges facing their friends and others from their age group.

Also joining the conversation is George Passmore, Executive Director with Sources BC, a non-profit, community-based provider of social wellness programs and services and, with support from the Peace Arch Hospital Foundation, the lead organization behind the new Foundry centre.

Links: 

Foundry BC foundrybc.ca | Sources BC sourcesbc.ca

For more information or to make a donation, visit Peace Arch Hospital Foundation at pahfoundation.ca

About Power to Heal

Hosted by former Peace Arch News editor Lance Peverley, the Power to Heal podcast takes listeners behind the scenes with the Peace Arch Hospital Foundation as this innovative fund-raising organization develops partnerships with donors, medical staff and community groups to help foster better health and wellness in the community of South Surrey/White Rock BC.

#podcast

Power to Heal Season 5

An integral part of hundreds of thousands of communities worldwide are their hospitals.  The engine that drives those institutions are their foundations, without which, the wheels of progress would turn very slowly.  This series uncovers the ways the Peace Arch Hospital Foundation in White Rock, British Columbia connects with the community to stay ahead of health issues, challenge the norm and foster a spirit of innovation.

#podcast 

Season 5 Episode 1 

Show Notes

Young people in their teens or early 20s should be enjoying a special time filled with hopes, dreams and discoveries as they lay the groundwork for adulthood. But today, too many are instead experiencing a precarious world teeming with danger, instability and uncertainty. 

The statistics bear this out: 1 in 4 Canadian youths are affected by mental health or substance use challenges, with 80% of substance use issues in this country beginning by age 20 and 75% of all mental health disorders developing by age 24. At the same time, less than 25% of youth are currently receiving the mental health services they need. Help is available but it’s too often delivered in a fragmented manner across multiple facilities scattered around communities.

But one organization in British Columbia has been working hard to reverse this alarming trend by combining vital services for young people all in one location—and more importantly, by also building trust and strong relationships during a precarious time in a young person’s life. And their latest centre will be right across the street from a place they hope to keep their young visitors away from: The Peace Arch Hospital Emergency Department.

In this first installment of a special two-part Power to Heal podcast, we’ll explore how community partners—including the Peace Arch Hospital Foundation—have come together to help establish a new Foundry centre, an urgently-needed hub of health and wellness services for youth at risk in the South Surrey/White Rock area.

Guests:

• Julie Zimmerman, Provincial Director of Primary Care & Virtual Services, Foundry
• George Passmore, Executive Director, Sources BC
• Amy O’Leary, Director of Philanthropy, Peace Arch Hospital Foundation

Links: 

Foundry BC foundrybc.ca | Sources BC sourcesbc.ca

For more information or to make a donation, visit Peace Arch Hospital Foundation at pahfoundation.ca

About Power to Heal

Hosted by former Peace Arch News editor Lance Peverley, the Power to Heal podcast takes listeners behind the scenes with the Peace Arch Hospital Foundation as this innovative fund-raising organization develops partnerships with donors, medical staff and community groups to help foster better health and wellness in the community of South Surrey/White Rock BC.

#podcast #health

Welcome to Season 5 Of The Power To Heal.

An integral part of hundreds of thousands of communities worldwide are their hospitals.  The engine that drives those institutions are their foundations, without which, the wheels of progress would turn very slowly.  This series uncovers the ways the Peace Arch Hospital Foundation in White Rock, British Columbia connects with the community to stay ahead of health issues, challenge the norm and foster a spirit of innovation.

S4 E6 A Doctor’s Cancer Journey: From Healing to Hope

Cancer journeys can begin in many different ways, with symptoms often appearing to be minor: a seemingly innocent skin mole that starts changing colour or size; an annoyingly persistent cough; or inexplicable weight loss.

“I was in the operating room at Peace Arch Hospital getting ready for a day of surgery. And alongside me was one of my surgical colleagues. And he noted that I had an unusual mole on the left side of my back. And he said, Roy, it looks a little unusual and you should probably get it taken care of.”

In this special episode of Power to Heal, our sole guest, a doctor himself, has not only personally experienced the sometimes easy-to-miss early warning signs of cancer, but also the all-too common heartbreak of a repeat cancer diagnosis after initially believing the disease was in his past.

What makes Dr. Roy Jackson’s journey especially poignant is its reminder that cancer can impact anyone, anywhere, anytime—including medical professionals. But his story is also about hope and determination, as an experienced doctor turns his life-saving skills from the operating room to the world of cancer research and promising new treatments.

In a powerful interview, Dr. Jackson, a former obstetrician and gynecological surgeon at Peace Arch Hospital, speaks openly about not only the life-altering reality of his cancer diagnosis, but also his determined advocacy for both innovation in cancer treatments, and the philanthropy that drives them forward. 

Guests:

• Dr. Roy Jackson, obstetrician-gynaecologist and entrepreneur. 

Power to Heal is hosted by Lance Peverley, a former newspaper reporter, editor of the Peace Arch News for 12 years, and a longtime resident of the White Rock/South Surrey area. 

About the Power to Heal podcast:

Presented by Peace Arch Hospital Foundation in White Rock, British Columbia, Power to Heal takes you behind the scenes of an innovative hospital Foundation and introduces you to the team who find new and sometimes surprising ways to engage with the local community and help fund the best healthcare possible in the region. 

Since 1988, the Foundation has raised over $250 million for capital projects, medical equipment, and community health programs. Its passionate and caring team’s number one priority is the prudent stewardship of your gifts and the resulting positive impact on patients and medical staff at Peace Arch Hospital and the entire White Rock-South Surrey community.

Download Power to Heal wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Links:

Peace Arch News: “From doctor to patient: Dr. Roy Jackson's melanoma journey”

Support the Peace Arch Hospital Foundation’s commitment to delivering the highest quality of care. Make a donation today.

Easing the way in the ER for kids (and grownups)

A visit to the hospital’s emergency department can be stressful for anyone, but for children it’s downright terrifying. All the strange sounds, smells and equipment in this unfamiliar place only heighten the fear an ill or injured child is already experiencing.

But an ER doctor at Peace Arch Hospital in White Rock, British Columbia, is determined to change all that. Using an innovative combination of high-tech and what might be called “no-tech,” he is shifting his youngest patients’ focus from needles and sutures to absorbing virtual reality roller coaster rides, helpful little robots—and a puppet named “Magrau.” 

In this episode of Power to Heal, you’ll also learn how Dr. Amir Behboudi’s determination to improve the ER patient experience isn’t limited to children: he’s been the driving force behind an inexpensive treatment that is offered in PAH’s emergency room to reduce feelings of nausea in adult patients waiting for treatment.

Dr. Behboudi’s story begins with a trip to a neighbouring emergency room with his own son. What he experienced there inspired a technique that, with support from the Peace Arch Hospital Foundation, is capturing the attention of local media—and other hospitals in the area. 

Guests:

• Dr. Amir Behboudi, Emergency Room physician at Peace Arch Hospital.
• Stephanie Beck, CEO Peace Arch Hospital Foundation

Power to Heal is hosted by Lance Peverley, a former newspaper reporter, editor of the Peace Arch News for 12 years, and a longtime resident of the White Rock/South Surrey area. 

About the Power to Heal podcast:

Presented by Peace Arch Hospital Foundation in White Rock, British Columbia, Power to Heal takes you behind the scenes of an innovative hospital Foundation and introduces you to the team who find new and sometimes surprising ways to engage with the local community and help fund the best healthcare possible in the region. 

Since 1988, the Foundation has raised over $250 million for capital projects, medical equipment, and community health programs. Its passionate and caring team’s number one priority is the prudent stewardship of your gifts and the resulting positive impact on patients and medical staff at Peace Arch Hospital and the entire White Rock-South Surrey community.

Download Power to Heal wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Links:

Peace Arch News: Making the ER less scary for kids

Global News: “New anti-nausea treatment”

Support this and many other innovative programs and initiatives at Peace Arch Hospital. Visit www.pahfoundation.ca/ways-to-give/ to learn more.

PAH S4 E4 – Show notes

Portable Pain Management

“One of the biggest risks of delirium in hip fracture patients is pain management—and we usually treat that pain with narcotics and sedatives. And of course, too much narcotics and too much sedatives also leads to delirium. So it's a real fine line between our treatment and the disease itself.”

Imagine visiting an elderly family member or friend who has just undergone hip surgery, but instead of the tired but smiling face you expect to see, you’re greeted by a stranger. This person looks like someone you know well, but their behaviour is completely different: they seem agitated, irritable and belligerent, or perhaps lethargic and confused.

This is post-operative delirium. And while this condition may have a number of causes, one of the most common is from the use of narcotic pain killers—a necessary measure to counteract the often-excruciating pain associated with hip fractures.  

But thanks to a generous donation by one couple, patients with hip fractures at Peace Arch Hospital now have a lower risk of complications, including delirium, from the use of narcotic pain management. It’s all thanks to a leading-edge portable ultrasound, no bigger than a laptop computer, that guides pinpoint delivery of targeted nerve-blocking anesthesia while avoiding nearby structures.

In this episode of Power to Heal you’ll meet a passionate advocate for this revolutionary, portable technology that allows physicians to implement nerve blocks wherever necessary in the hospital—and in the process, is transforming a small, community-based medical centre into a leader of intraoperative and postoperative pain management.

Guests:

Dr. Marshall Cheng, Department Head of Anesthesiology, Peace Arch Hospital

Sean Kenny, Philanthropy Officer, Leadership Giving, PAH

Power to Heal is hosted by Lance Peverley, a former newspaper reporter, editor of the Peace Arch News for 12 years, and a longtime resident of the White Rock/South Surrey area. 

About the Power to Heal podcast:

Presented by Peace Arch Hospital Foundation in White Rock, British Columbia, Power to Heal takes you behind the scenes of an innovative hospital Foundation and introduces you to the team who find new and sometimes surprising ways to engage with the local community and help fund the best healthcare possible in the region. 

Since 1988, the Foundation has raised over $250 million for capital projects, medical equipment, and community health programs. Its passionate and caring team’s number one priority is the prudent stewardship of your gifts and the resulting positive impact on patients and medical staff at Peace Arch Hospital and the entire White Rock-South Surrey community.

Download Power to Heal wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Link:

Discover the many ways you can make the greatest impact on your hospital and your community of White Rock/South Surrey. Visit www.pahfoundation.ca/ways-to-give/ to learn more.

PAH S4 E3

Putting the Hospital in “Hospitality”

A visitor to the kitchen at Peace Arch Hospital would likely be surprised to discover that very little food preparation and cooking is taking place. Warm expectations of clanging pots and pans and tantalizing aromas from freshly prepared soups and sauces would be quickly cooled by the sterile, industrial environment that actually exists.

That’s because Peace Arch, like many hospitals, converted to a “prepared and retherm” kitchen model a number of years ago (“retherm” refers to pre-cooked, mass-produced meals that are purchased from a supplier and then reheated onsite prior to serving). 

Initially viewed as a lower-cost, more efficient alternative to a full production kitchen, over time the retherm process has come to be seen as anything but practical: the ageing refrigeration and heating equipment required for retherm is expensive to maintain, and food waste from the tasteless, unappealing meals that are returned mostly untouched from the hospital wards is staggering.

There’s also a human cost to retherm meals, as patients—some already arriving malnourished at the hospital—take longer to heal due to a lack of fresh, healthy meal options.

But all that will be changing as the Peace Arch Hospital Foundation gears up for a $5-million-dollar campaign to bring back chef-approved freshly prepared dishes courtesy of a state-of-the-art full production kitchen. As you’ll hear in this episode, the new facility will be based on a philosophy of “food as medicine” to help speed patient recovery while providing custom menu options for those with specific dietary or cultural food requirements.

Guests:

Chef Matthew Richmond - Manager of Support Services and Food Operations, Fraser Health

Chef Steven Courtney – Culinary Food Services Lead, Fraser Health

Amy O’Leary – Director of Philanthropy, Peace Arch Hospital Foundation

Power to Heal is hosted by Lance Peverley, a former newspaper reporter, editor of the Peace Arch News for 12 years, and a longtime resident of the White Rock/South Surrey area. 

About the Power to Heal podcast:

Presented by Peace Arch Hospital Foundation in White Rock, British Columbia, Power to Heal takes you behind the scenes of an innovative hospital Foundation and introduces you to the team who find new and sometimes surprising ways to engage with the local community and help fund the best healthcare possible in the region. 

Since 1988, the Foundation has raised over $250 million for capital projects, medical equipment, and community health programs. Its passionate and caring team’s number one priority is the prudent stewardship of your gifts and the resulting positive impact on patients and medical staff at Peace Arch Hospital and the entire White Rock-South Surrey community.

Download Power to Heal wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Links:

Media release: “Reimagining Food in Health Care: Healing Starts Here”

Donate here for the Peace Arch Hospital Foundation’s production kitchen campaign.

“Planning Your Legacy”

“I always say that estate planning is for everyone. That's because at the end of the day, no one lives
forever, and anyone can experience an accident or illness that renders them incapable.”

- Grace Cleveland, lawyer (Estate Planning, Administration and Litigation)

It’s something that too many people put off until, sadly, it’s too late. And without it, your hopes of
leaving a thoughtful legacy for your loved ones might never be realized.

“It” is a properly crafted will, your final statement on what should happen to the assets and financial
resources you’ve accumulated by the end of your life. But even beyond that, your will can continue to
make an impact long after your passing -- especially when you include a legacy gift to a charitable
organization that reflects the causes you care about the most.

In much the same way we would prepare for a long outdoor adventure trip, our journey through life can
seem a little less uncertain when we make a thoughtful estate plan sooner rather than later. For
younger people, especially, this may all seem a bit premature. But stop and think about what would
happen if tragedy or illness struck, and your life was cut short. Who would take care of your children? Or
your pets? Or any business ventures you’re involved in?

This episode of Power to Heal will help demystify what goes into planning your estate, why preparing a
will isn’t just for older people, and how—sometimes--bad things can happen when your good intentions
aren’t captured in a clearly written will and estate plan.

Note: The topics discussed in this episode of Power to Heal are intended for educational purposes only.
Please consult a lawyer to discuss your individual estate planning needs.

Guests:

- Grace Cleveland – Lawyer and Vice Chair of Peace Arch Hospital Foundation Board of Directors

- Selina Lai – PAHF Philanthropy Officer, Legacy Giving

Power to Heal is hosted by Lance Peverley, a former newspaper reporter, editor of the Peace Arch News
for 12 years, and a longtime resident of the White Rock/South Surrey area.

About the Power to Heal podcast:

Presented by Peace Arch Hospital Foundation in White Rock, British Columbia, Power to Heal takes you
behind the scenes of an innovative hospital Foundation and introduces you to the team who find new
and sometimes surprising ways to engage with the local community and help fund the best healthcare
possible in the region.

Since 1988, the Foundation has raised over $250 million for capital projects, medical equipment, and
community health programs. Its passionate and caring team’s number one priority is the prudent
stewardship of your gifts and the resulting positive impact on patients and medical staff at Peace Arch
Hospital and the entire White Rock-South Surrey community.

Download Power to Heal wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Links: Learn more about Grace Cleveland: https://www.clevelanddoan.com/team/grace-cleveland
To leave a legacy gift for Peace Arch Hospital, visit https://www.pahfoundation.ca/ways-to-give/leave-a-
gift-in-my-will/