Their mission is to work with families under a certain income level to ensure their children can access dental services, from regular check-ups and cleanings, to more intensive work like extractions, restorations and even interceptive orthodontics.

“No matter the scope of work we do during the visit, the family’s fee will depend on a variety of factors like total income, government benefits they may be receiving, number of children, etc. And the convenience of being located in a school is that if a patient from the community cancels a scheduled appointment or doesn’t show up, we can go into the student population and fill the appointment with a child in need of dental care.”

Their small oral health team gets quite a lot done, teaching school children how to brush and floss properly and conducting cavity screenings. They track cavity rates in some schools in the Winnipeg School Division, and they focus on addressing the needs of high-rate schools – those in which they’ve identified cavities in 15% or more of students.

According to Linda, there are many significant scientific studies pointing to the connection between good oral hygiene and overall health, and poor oral health can even be dangerous. The mouth is the first stop in the gastrointestinal system, which means it’s the initial collector of bacteria found in food and from other items that kids may put in their mouths, like soothers, toys, fingers, etc.

Researchers have also found links between periodontal disease and risk for pre-term, low-birth weight-babies, as well as connections to an increased risk of heart disease and stroke.

S.M.I.L.E plus provides important knowledge to patients all over the city, in schools and daycares, and to parents through community groups like Healthy Start. In addition to operating the Monday to Friday dental clinic, the team delivers presentations to teach new parents about the importance of oral health and how to minimize risks, so they can pass on the knowledge to their kids.

In addition, every three months, they visit 44 preschool/daycare facilities to apply a fluoride varnish on the teeth of more than 1,000 children. The varnish protects against the effects of improper brushing, sugary drinks, being put to bed with a bottle, or simply having the bacteria that cause cavities. For 20 years, Linda has been going directly into homes to perform this varnishing service, working mostly with low-income families, Indigenous people and newcomers.

“This is public health dentistry and much of the work we do is preventive,” says Linda, who was nominated in 2018 by a colleague for The Canadian Dental Hygienists Association Superhero Award for the origins of the varnish program and her ongoing commitment to community.

“Many of us don’t realize just how difficult it is for a low-income, uninsured family to access dental care. Recently, with rising costs due to inflation, combined with things like unexpected job loss or benefits termination, we’ve been seeing children whose parents never thought they would need to access a service like ours. There is no judgment when you enter our clinic. We want to help make sure all children have healthy mouths, so we are working to secure pedodontics dentists (children’s dentists) to work in our program so we can increase community appointment availability.”

Linda plans to spend her retirement years enjoying cottage life in Belair, while continuing to advocate for access to pediatric dental care across Manitoba’s health regions.

 “S.M.I.L.E. plus is an important training ground for senior-level dental and dental hygiene students. We’re making a real difference to children’s health and an unhealthy mouth can lead to significant costs to the health-care system down the line. I would love to see this program expanded to help people throughout Manitoba, not just in Winnipeg. We know there are great needs for care everywhere and we do it cost-effectively and professionally.”

The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority’s S.M.I.L.E. plus team of dentists, dental hygienists and assistants works with senior dentistry students from the University of Manitoba, Faculty of Dentistry and School of Dental Hygiene to deliver services, including:

• Oral health needs assessments
• School and community-based oral health promotion
• Dental pit and fissure sealant treatment
• Topical fluoride treatment
• Assertive follow-up for children in need of treatment
• School-based clinical treatment

The post Meet Linda Pharand, Dental Hygienist: Bringing smiles to children of all ages appeared first on Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals.

“There are only two of us in the province actually, myself and Dr, Marshall Wilkinson, and we both work out of HSC, so I would definitely call us a tiny, understaffed team,” laughs Kristine. “Another city hospital has been wanting to use neuromonitoring for certain high-risk cardiac surgeries for over a decade, but we don’t have nearly enough staff to cover two centres.”

Kristine started her post-secondary journey by completing a Bachelor’s degree in Physiology & Pharmacology at the University of Saskatchewan, and then decided to pursue the two-year diploma in Electroneurophysiology at BCIT in Vancouver.

“When you complete this program, you can become an electroencephalography technologist who performs EEGs (brain scans) to assess for seizure disorders like epilepsy; you can specialize in performing sleep studies, or you can work in a nerve conduction clinic to diagnose degenerative and peripheral nerve disorders. Once I found out I could combine all of these different tests together and work in an operating room, I chose that path.”

Kristine has been at HSC for eight years working as part of a multi-disciplinary team supporting neurosurgeons and orthopaedic spine surgeons. She also completed a two-year program in Intraoperative Neurophysiological Monitoring through the Michener Institute concurrent with her on-the-job training.

“While they’re under anaesthesia, patients obviously can’t express things like abnormal sensations or weakness, so it’s our role to monitor the body systems during surgery and sort of act as the patient’s voice while they sleep.”

Kristine consults directly with surgeons in advance to collect information about the patient, their diagnosis and the surgical plan, then places electrodes on the patient’s body to enable her to monitor motor and sensory function. She then reads the ‘squiggly lines’ on the computer screen throughout the surgery. If there is a change in the patient’s function, she alerts the surgeon, who can often reverse the last surgical maneuver before permanent damage occurs.

“It’s amazing how many things are plugged in and connected to a patient during an operation. It’s very crowded in an OR with all the equipment and monitoring going on, from EKG and ventilation to neurophysiological. Any time there is a concern, the entire team – surgical, anesthesia, nursing and neuromonitoring – works together to make sure the patient is stable and safe.”

The IOM team assists in a wide spectrum of surgeries with the majority being spinal, and also including brainstem and cranial nerve surgeries, brain tumor resections and neurovascular procedures.

“The reality is that it can be anywhere from really boring to really stressful, depending on the surgery, but even uneventful operations require continuous monitoring. We can’t bounce back and forth between ORs to accommodate multiple surgeries, because a patient’s situation can change at any moment.”

Example day in the life of a neuromonitorist: Brain tumor resection

6:45 AM – Feed cat
7:15 AM – Arrive at work
7:30 AM – Conversation with surgeon and anesthesiologist regarding patient’s clinical status, tumor location, anatomy at risk, anesthetic considerations, and plans for neuromonitoring.
8:00 AM – Apply electrodes to anesthetized patient.
8:45 AM – Leave OR; inhale a coffee during surgical exposure.
9:15 AM – Back to OR; stare at squiggly lines; try to look relaxed so surgeon doesn’t get worried.
10:00 AM – Assist surgeon in creating a ‘map’ of eloquent brain areas so nothing functional is resected.
10:15 AM to ? – Continue monitoring squiggly lines and updating ‘brain map’ as resection continues. Alert OR team if anything changes and work together to reverse the change.
End of surgery (could be any time) – Remove electrodes and clean equipment.
After work – Go home; eat dinner; relax; feed cat again; bed.

Typically, Kristine and Marshall each have one OR booked per day, with surgeries often scheduled for the entire day.

“Once the surgery begins, we aren’t able to leave for lunch breaks, or even bathroom breaks, unless someone takes over monitoring. With our current staffing shortage, this means we’re often in the OR for many hours without relief, and sometimes, surgeries can go unexpectedly late due to unforeseen circumstances. If we have to stay late into the night to finish a surgery, we still have to be back bright and early the next morning to start another case because there is nobody to cover the scheduled ORs.”

According to Kristine, sometimes a surgery may go ahead without neuromonitoring if the physician feels the risks of delaying it until a neuromonitorist is available outweigh the risks of proceeding without neuromonitoring. Unfortunately, sometimes, surgeries have to be bumped because of a lack of staffing, and that’s disappointing to Kristine.

“This is obviously never what we want. We want patients scheduled for surgery to undergo their procedure in a timely fashion, and for the procedure to happen in the safest way possible and leading to the best possible outcomes. It’s frustrating for the whole team knowing that surgeries are happening without neuromonitoring because the patient isn’t able to wait for our schedule to have an opening.”

Kristine loves her job but she’s concerned. This year, the Government of Manitoba announced it would increase the number of spinal surgeries by 50 per cent, but that will be difficult without adding to the IOM Technologists team. Ideally, with the planned increase in spine slates, HSC would have six neuromonitorists, which would mean they could support all surgeries and have appropriate back-up coverage.

“There’s no doubt we work hard here in Manitoba. In other jurisdictions, neuromonitorists earn better wages and often have a lesser level of responsibility. At HSC, with our current staffing situation, each neuromonitorist must be an expert, solely responsible and able to run their own OR from beginning to end. Two technologists have been recruited to join our team in the past year and they each only lasted weeks before leaving for other opportunities in other jurisdictions.”

Outside of work, Kristine loves animals and gives of her time to Manitoba Mutts Dog Rescue. She fosters cats, attends adoption fairs, supports those who adopt and raises funds to help the rescue. She loves to cook, finds peace in her garden and spends most of her vacation time visiting family and friends scattered all across Canada.

“I have a lot of really positive things in my life and work is definitely one of them. I would just like to see some investments in our team so we can support the spinal surgery expansion and make sure that all surgical patients get the best care they deserve.”

The post Meet Kristine Pederson: One-half of all Manitoba’s Neuromonitorists appeared first on Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals.

As a mom to three kids ages 10, 12, and 13, Colleen enjoys spending time with family, including at the family cabin with her parents and grandmother where she water-skis, kayaks and hikes. 

Since 2005, Colleen has applied this same level of enthusiasm and zest for life to her work with patients receiving radiation treatment.

“I am lucky to be able to say that I love the job, and the opportunity to have fun here. I’ve dressed up in several different costumes at work to help our pediatric patients feel more comfortable with treatments, but my favourite costume is a large inflatable purple Dino,” said Colleen, a past board member of the Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists – Manitoba division (CAMRT-MB).

“I want the kids who come for treatments to be OK with coming for treatments, and even to enjoy their time here, so we plan themed days for fun, like dance parties, country music day, Taco Tuesday, Dinosaur day…anything the patient is excited about, really.”

And clearly, Colleen’s energy is infectious. She is persuasive, easily convincing her colleagues, and even members of other teams, to get in on the action. The dosimetrist team has decorated the linear accelerator (radiation machine) upon special request, transforming it overnight into a giant cat, complete with ears and a tail, as well as into a rabbit or dino, or any other required animal.

The team has printed out pictures of dinosaurs and decorated the room for a dino-loving kid. They had a patient who loved googley-eyes, so each day, they hid eyes somewhere in the room so the child would be excited to go on a scavenger hunt to search them out. They team has worn cowboy hats and sombreros, and they’ve worked with Child Life Specialists to design themed incentive charts with stickers.

“We have such a great group of staff here. We all want to see patients do well in treatment and be able to relax. We try to find out what patients like and then work with that theme to make it all just a little less painful of an experience.”

“We owned a house together in Winnipeg already, so I would pop in an audio book and hit the road for the six-hour drive. My teammates in Regina were so kind and wonderful, and they would let me work the early shift so I could get the machines warmed up, then end my day early and get behind the wheel. Then Marco finally said, ‘it’s time to come home,’ so I accepted a casual position with CancerCare Manitoba, which turned into a term, and now I’m permanent.”

Colleen has spent a lot of time working with the machine shop at CancerCare to learn how to fabricate the specialized accessories the team needs to conduct safe and effective radiation treatments.

“If we’re treating a skin cancer like a basal or squamous cell, we use radiation that doesn’t go very deep. And we want it to only treat the affected area, not the surrounding tissue. In consultation with the doctor, we’ll determine the precise area to treat, then we can use materials to protect around that area.”

To fabricate custom accessories, Colleen might draw on a patient’s skin to make a template from which she will fabricate a thin piece of metal outlining the exact area to treat. Or she might use a silicone putty to fill a cavity (like an ear) and create a block.

“We sometimes do full body treatment, but we typically try very hard to lessen the radiation to surrounding structures. I also see it as my role to try to limit the negative emotional aspects of treatment. The calmer our patients are, especially children, the less likely they will move out of position. Sometimes kids will need to be sedated, which is a big process that takes a lot of resources, so we want to try to avoid that if we can.”

Healthcare Hero

In 2023, Colleen’s coworker, Renee Gentes, nominated her for Mark Scheifele’s Healthcare Hero award, and she was the lucky person to be picked. She invited Renee to join her, and together, they enjoyed a pregame meet-and-greet with Mark, a tour of the area and lower level, dinner and tickets to the game, and lounge access during the game. Colleen also received a signed health care hero jersey from Mark.

Colleen’s father also dedicates some of his time to CancerCare.

“My dad has volunteered for a variety of organizations throughout his life, and after retirement, he was looking for another way to give back. Every Monday, he drives back and forth from CancerCare to patients’ homes picking them up for treatment and dropping them off after. He is super social and loves talking to people, so driving the Wheels of Hope shuttle is just perfect for him. The funny part is that he’s so busy all day, I barely see him, even though we are at the same place.”

Colleen says that her work at CancerCare is both professionally and personally rewarding.

“It can be a long journey from the time of testing to a cancer diagnosis, then the person may have to go through surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. They’ve likely been scared, struggling and dealing with feelings of a loss of control for quite some time. Anything we can do can to relieve some of those feelings is only going to be a benefit.”

When patients finish a course of treatment, they can choose to ring a bell to honour the milestone and the team will take photos and video with family, if desired.

“Honestly, I guess you could say I get pretty invested in the outcomes, but it’s difficult not to be. We get to know people quite well over the course of their treatment, so we want to help and celebrate them.”

The post Meet Colleen Peluso: CancerCare Manitoba Radiation Therapist (and so much more!) appeared first on Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals.

“My family knows that if I won the lottery tomorrow, I would still be working in some capacity! I love my job but I also enjoy spending time at our cabin in Grand Marais, taking care of our two dogs and cat now that my two girls are grown. I also love to read and, of course, make or listen to music!”

– Cecilia Bellingham

QUESTION 1: Tell us about music therapy. What are the effects of music therapy?

As trained music therapists, we use music to try to improve the lives of the people we work with. This could include restoring a sense of balance in terms of physical, emotional and mental health. The relationship the person cultivates with the music and the music therapist are imperative to the process. Music therapists have all of the qualities of music at their disposal…melody, rhythm, tempo in order to tailor the experience for the individual. 

In our training, we are taught to assess, set goals and objectives and to determine a plan. Within a hospital setting, we assess affect, body language, communication, ways of coping, ability to move, tolerance to activity and indicators of stress behaviours, for example. 

When patients are hooked up to monitors, we can also observe and note the physiological signs related to illness and to skillfully use music to have a positive impact on the oxygen saturation, heart rate and rate of respiration. In fact there have been a handful of times when I have sung to a patient in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and the nurse has noted that the child’s heart rate and rate of respiration decreased during the music. In these instances, it was more than just the music at work, because I also had previously worked with these patients, and therefore I sung the songs that they usually loved and responded to. 

QUESTION 2: Tell us about what it’s like working at Children’s.

At HSC Children’s Hospital, we have the privilege to work with infants, children, teens and their families. We provide music therapy at the bedside on all of the inpatient units and we also provide group experiences in certain areas. 

In our sessions, we try to give patients choices…choices of songs, instruments, level of participation, changing lyrics, choice of music activities, learning an instrument or writing a song for example. To promote choice-making through a safe outlet within an environment that does not function on personal choice is important for children and teens and their development. They are a child or teen FIRST before they are a patient with a illness or disease.

“In order to do our best work at the hospital, we have to be focused within the moment and what our intention is for the patient and the session. This is the essence of our work. Whether it is to relax an irritable infant who is weaning off narcotics, or to provide comfort and structure while singing and rocking to a child whose little world has been turned upside down due to trauma, disease, illness or separation from family…it is important to the health and well-being of every patient we see!“

Even if I have to sing Twinkle, Old MacDonald or Baby Shark 20 times a day, then that is what I must do to try to get a glimpse of the child’s first smile while being in hospital, or to see them move or rock to the music. Children naturally respond to music without judgment and/or criticism. I have always felt that it is rewarding to witness the resilience of a child. It is a life lesson that we get to observe on a daily basis within the landscape of healthcare.

QUESTION 3: Tell us about your career path.

“Over the years, I have worked extremely hard to gain the trust and respect of members from the health care team. The nursing staff appreciate when we can relax, distract or provide gentle stimulation to patients. We are also extra eyes and ears. We also appreciate when staff delay their ‘task’ because they see how the child is benefitting from the music therapy session. In this way, the child always wins!”    

I have been a music therapist for 26 years! It is easy for me to remember because I started my career by creating the music therapy program here at HSC Children’s. I have a Bachelor of Music from the University of Manitoba and then I completed my Bachelor of Music Therapy from the Open Learning University in British Columbia. 

My main instrument is actually the violin, but I use guitar, voice and rhythm instruments in my work at the hospital. To my surprise within the last few years, I have even met some teens who have played the fiddle, so I have been able to put my skills to use and of course there are many interested in learning guitar or ukulele, so I am able to support that as well.

I was fortunate to have completed my internship here at HSC Children’s and thereby had the opportunity to demonstrate how music therapy could contribute to the health and wellness of little patients within the existing framework and programming at the hospital. It was my passion to work here and I received positive support and feedback from families, managers and administrators to apply for grants to begin the program. I was able to begin with my dream job as a new grad and I am still as passionate now about the work as I was back then!

QUESTION 4: Tell us about the Music Therapy team.

Currently there are two of us working in pediatrics (including Lacey Friesen, profiled also in time for 2024 Allied Health Week) and there is one music therapist working in mental health at HSC. We are very fortunate to not work in isolation as many other music therapists must do in other settings. There is something to be said when you don’t have to explain or defend what you do because the other music therapists just understands. I think the only other facility in Manitoba that would have more than one music therapist would be St. Amant Centre.

QUESTION 5: I assume you love music – where did that love come from? What instruments do you play; what are your favourite types of music?

I grew up in a musical household with my dad playing fiddle. I chose to switch from taking piano lessons to violin lessons at the age of eight. My twin sister and younger sister were both musical too, but I seemed to gravitate to it as an outlet of expression. I also learned to play the clarinet and bass guitar through my school years. 

“If you were to ask me now what my favourite instrument would be, I would say my voice. Once I learned guitar and became competent enough to accompany myself, it opened up a whole new world for me. It is that connection that I try to inspire and/or share with others, whether it be for the benefit of patients, families and/or staff. Currently, I am trying to teach myself how to play the cello as it is on my bucket list!“

I listen to a variety of music. Pop, rock, hip hop, R &B, country, classical. I will listen to just about anything and everything. It is helpful that I still listen to most of the music that is requested by the teens at the hospital. It is much easier to earn their trust and respect if you can pull off a believable version of “Hotline Bling” by Drake or “Numb” by Linkin Park.

I have always preached to my music therapy students and interns over the years, that you have to try to emulate the style of music, the sound of the vocals/band to convey the essence of the song in order for teens to ‘buy into’ what you are doing, especially when you may only see them once! You have to try to make every minute or ‘note’ count!

HOW TO TRAIN TO BE A MUSIC THERAPIST

In Canada, there are undergraduate and graduate music therapy training programs, including in Manitoba at the Canadian Mennonite University. The four-year undergraduate degree consists of music history, music theory, psychology and clinical music therapy courses. In addition to the academic courses, four practicum placements and a 1000-hour internship are part of the degree. 

Upon completion of the degree, candidates are eligible to take the board exam and become a certified music therapist. The national organization, the Canadian Association for Music Therapists (CAMT), supports music therapists to maintain professional standards of practice, abide by a Code of Ethics and to fulfill continuing education credits to maintain certification.

The post Meet Music Therapist Cecilia Bellingham: Q & A with the HSC Program’s founder appeared first on Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals.

“Every day in the hospital I am reminded of the healing power of music and the way it is able to break down barriers with kids and families. I love that singing the theme song to a child’s favourite TV show can create an instant bond; that entering into a child’s imaginary play with their beloved stuffy or favourite toy can open a door to their world; and that singing a silly song gives them permission to let their guard down in an unfamiliar and often scary place.”

– Lacey Friesen, Music Therapist

I guess you could say that music runs in Lacey Friesen’s blood. Her role as a Music Therapist at HSC Children’s Hospital could not be better suited to her interests, personality or way of life.

“I grew up in a very musical family, with a mother who taught private music lessons, a father who plays drums and sings, and two musical sisters. We grew up singing in church together,” said Lacey. “There was just so much music around me.”

Lacey hails from Rocky Mountain House, Alberta, a town of 8,000 residents with the slogan, “Where adventure begins”, and located roughly 80 kilometres west of Red Deer at the confluence of the Clearwater and North Saskatchewan Rivers.

Growing up, Lacey’s love for music was strong. She started with piano and singing, joined band in elementary school playing clarinet and saxophone, and eventually learned guitar. But healthcare was calling out to her.

“As a child, I had it in my head that I was going to work in the Calgary Children’s Hospital one day, and after high school I began looking at my options. I was considering physiotherapy or occupational therapy when I stumbled upon ‘music therapy.’ I had no idea this thing even existed.”

Right then, Lacey started researching what it would take to become a Music Therapist and she applied to Winnipeg’s Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) in 2015.

“As part of a degree in Music Therapy, students need to do a 1,000-hour internship. I was so lucky to end up with music therapist, Cecilia Bellingham, as my supervisor at HSC. And then it all just unfolded for me as a position opened up. I jumped at the opportunity and I am still here today. This is such a great career and I am so lucky to be able to do what I love.”

Lacey and Cecilia are still a dynamic duo, with just the two of them working in the Children’s Hospital. Their work includes individual sessions on each of the units, and some groups both in CancerCare, PsycHealth and in the patient playroom.

“We work very closely with HSC’s child life specialists, so I come in to work and together we identify the priority patients and confer on how best to approach the week. We discuss who would benefit most from music therapy – who could use some calming tunes leading up to or after a painful or uncomfortable procedure or treatment; who’s feeling good and needs a safe outlet for their energy and could benefit from a positive, fun-filled interaction. Some days I come in prepared with ideas and end up throwing them out the window because a child I planned to visit is just too sick for a high-energy session, or vice versa: I planned a quiet relaxing session and they are up for a party! We are constantly improvising and adapting.”

According to Lacey, one of the beauties of music therapy is that children have a say, a sense of control and some autonomy.

“These kids are in hospital, sometimes for a very long time, and they rarely have the option to say no. Most have to face blood work pokes, IVs, dressing changes, meds, etc. With me, they can direct the session, choosing whether they want relaxation or some laughs and silliness, depending on how they feel. It’s also something they can say ‘no’ to.”

Lacey says that what has amazed her most is just how much kids open up with music. As soon as she walks into a child’s hospital room, she begins looking around for clues that point her to something they love, like a Paw Patrol lunch kit, a dinosaur stuffy, a movie or a book.

“It’s so important to build a level of trust and make a connection. On top of that, it is vital that we are aware of the medical environment that we’re walking into. We have the benefit of observing the positive physiological changes when a child is connected to a monitor. We see that during our sessions, oxygen saturation increases, and respiration rate and heart rate decrease. But once we get going, it’s also so wonderful to see their little faces light up, and to know they might be feeling some joy and a sense of normalcy, even just for a brief time that day.”

Lacey and her husband, Jason, have one son, aged 15 months, who had a recent visit to children’s emergency after he suffered a fall down the stairs that broke his little leg.

“I had the ‘unfortunate privilege’ of seeing my coworkers in action while my son was on the receiving end of care. Honestly, it was incredible to see the impact the music and play had on him during the painful experience. After having been on ‘the other side’ of treatment, I see even more how parents with sick and injured children are suffering for them. It is a terrible thing to see your child in pain and I am so grateful to be part of a team that aims to brighten the lives of patients and families during challenging times.”

In addition to HSC’s Children’s Hospital, CancerCare and PsycHealth, Music Therapists work in private practice and in personal care homes with older adults.

THINKING ABOUT A CAREER AS A MUSIC THERAPIST?

The post Meet Music Therapist Lacey Friesen: She doesn’t sing ALL day—oh wait, yes she does! appeared first on Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals.

Maddy worked in the ER, ICU and COVID wards, helping out wherever needed, then in Fall 2021, she took a position in the Rehabilitation unit, working mostly with patients adjusting to life-changing physical injuries.

“The majority of the clients I worked with in the rehab unit had suffered a spinal cord injury, which obviously results in severe physical trauma because it can cause paralysis, but this type of injury also has significant mental and emotional impacts. A spinal cord injury, an amputation or other type of serious injury can change everything about your previous life, and that means adapting to a whole new reality.”

According to Maddy, the Rehab unit’s social workers help clients consider all aspects of their new way of living and access resources and services.

“I supported clients in assessing their current housing and whether it could continue to meet their needs. I helped them navigate the home care program, apply for disability benefits, figure out transportation, develop coping skills, connect with counsellors, and more. Then there are the caregivers, including partners and family members. This type of severe injury changes everything for everyone in the circle.”

In 2023, Maddy accepted a position in the Central Dialysis unit, working mostly with outpatients.

“There are five renal social workers on the team, and I follow roughly 80 clients at any given time. My typical clients are very complex, as they’re mostly lower-income folks with advanced to end-stage renal disease. They’re coming here for dialysis, but they often have many chronic diseases and co-morbidities, as well as social issues and barriers to deal with. We really try to meet folks wherever they’re at, which means doing everything we can just to get them here for treatment. Once they’re here, we can offer additional types of support and resources to try to meet their other needs.”

Maddy says roughly one-quarter of her clients are from Northern Manitoba, which often means relocating to Winnipeg for dialysis and separating from family and community. They can’t work, which means they don’t have an income, and that means they may not have a safe, clean and comfortable place to stay while they’re here either.

“I have even booked taxis for clients because they don’t have a phone or vehicle or any money for a cab…I want to try to do anything I can to support them and reduce the harm that would come from missing dialysis. What’s most important to our team is a dignified quality of life for our clients, and of course, we are concerned about their overall well-being. I spend a lot of time chatting privately on the phone or texting with people, because it can be tough to talk confidentially about difficult things while dialysis is happening. This unit is big and busy and there’s a lot of activity here all the time.”

Maddy says that social work plays a vital role across the health-care system and that career opportunities exist in a variety of units.

“Social workers provide incredible value to the system because we remove barriers to treatment and we work preventatively to reduce hospital admissions. Hospital stays are intensive and extremely expensive, so we work hard to try to keep people out of hospital and reduce pressure on the system. We are problem-solvers working in a very fast-paced environment, and we try to learn and share information with clients about everything that may be available to support them.”

Maddy met her husband, Brent Moyer, a Rehabilitation Clinician at HSC, and says that working together in health care has its benefits.

“We definitely help each other out dealing with the stress and emotional baggage that comes with a health care career. We talk a lot, but we set boundaries. We also travel a lot and we live an outdoorsy life, cycling, hiking and swimming.”

Professional success for Maddy is about listening and she spends a lot of her time doing exactly that.

“People need to talk and express themselves. I always want to treat my clients as people first; people who deserve kindness. I find myself frequently serving as a mediator between all the elements of a very complex system and acting as an advocate to try to shield my clients from judgment and limit risks to their cultural safety. Their emotional needs often supersede the physical, so I would love to be able to do more counselling, but building strong relationships to help them feel comfortable coming to the unit for treatment is what matters most.”

The post Meet Maddy Goodwin: Supporting Clients in HSC’s Central Dialysis Unit appeared first on Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals.

Kind, gentle, well-spoken and compassionate, Andrew is an Occupational Therapist (OT) with Community Therapy Services (CTS), a private, non profit agency that provides OT and physiotherapy (PT) services to meet the rehabilitation service needs of individuals, care providers and care organizations in Manitoba. Andrew has worked as an OT for more than 11 years in a variety of settings, including pediatrics, acute care, neurology and stroke rehabilitation, and the last nine years with CTS.

“I always knew I wanted to help people and make a difference in others’ lives, and I learned that OT had among the highest job satisfaction ratings of the health-care professions,” says Andrew. “OT has provided so many opportunities for me to make a difference. I get to work together with clients to increase their independence and improve their overall quality of life. What could be more rewarding than that?”

A mentor told Andrew early on that he should try a variety of professional settings and find his niche. Within CTS, Andrew receives referrals from within the WRHA directly from the Home Care program, hospitals, physicians and other community programs.

Among the clients he carries on his caseload, he has carved out a unique space, specializing in consulting with and supporting clients living with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

“ALS is a devastating diagnosis for individuals and their loved ones because it’s a progressive disease that affects all aspects of life – physical, cognitive and emotional – and there’s no known cure for it. Working with clients in their home environment is a very collaborative process, and when we work with people in their own homes, there is a noticeable power shift. They feel a sense of control over their lives as compared to if they were in hospital, where they may feel vulnerable and uncomfortable. They don’t feel in control. It’s our job to help clients achieve their personalized goals and make the best of their situation.”

Andrew performs functional assessments, which can include the client’s activities of daily living (ADLs), mobility, transfers, cognition and complex wheelchair systems. He provides recommendations for home accessibility, activity adaptations, and long-term care planning to help improve a client’s living situation.

Photo: Community Therapy Services team.

OT’s assess and address the mental and physical aspects of client illness and injuries:

• Personal care: showering, feeding, dressing, medication management, etc.
• Accessibility: does their current living situation meet their needs or are they exploring options? do they require home adaptations such as a mechanical lift?
• Mobility: what is their level of mobility? are they using a walking aid or wheelchair? What type of wheelchair do they use (manual/powered)? is it meeting their needs?
• Home Care: are they receiving home care already? is the level of care appropriate?
• Level of cognition: are they displaying deficits like memory loss? can we provide them with equipment or techniques to mitigate these losses?
• Mental health: how are they coping? can we connect them with counselling to support their emotional well-being?
• Caregivers: what does the client’s caregiver(s) need in terms of support and resources? do they need guidance navigating the complex system?

“Throughout the health-care system, we hear a lot about the value of aging in place. Accommodating people at home is an intensive process but it’s important to their dignity, safety, comfort and to keeping them out of hospital. We know how much it costs to care for an individual in hospital, and how long-term stays can block patient flow. OT’s provide impactful and effective interventions that help to improve the overall efficiency of the system.”

OT’s develop individualized care plans, rounded out by a lot of listening and counselling. Andrew says it can be challenging to process it all.

“There are some tough cases, especially because we often get to know our clients and their family members well, so we connect with and care about them. We are lucky in CTS because there are 45 OT’s and PT’s (physiotherapists) to bounce stuff off and we can help one another work through those tough cases. We are a tight-knit group and there is very little turnover. Plus, my wife Julie is an OT, so we give ourselves 10 minutes at the end of each day to debrief, share ideas and insights, confidentially, of course, and we get some things off our chests.”

Andrew and Julie both graduated in 2012 from the Master of Occupational Therapy program at the University of Manitoba, and they were immediately recruited by the Saskatoon Health Region. They moved back to Winnipeg in 2015.

“My wife works in one of the WRHA’s community rehabilitation programs. She is from Carlyle, Saskatchewan, and I grew up in Northwestern Ontario, so we decided to make Winnipeg home so it would be middle ground between both our families.”

Together, the couple has travelled extensively and visited many countries, a love which they both inherited from travel-loving parents.

Andrew’s mother and father emigrated from Laos to Canada in 1979, and made Fort Frances, Ontario, their home. His dad is a chemical engineer who works in the pulp and paper mill industry, and for the past 10 years, he has been crossing the bridge into International Falls, Minnesota, to work at the mill there. His mom is a retired hospital dietary aide who still works casual.

“Fort Frances is a naturally beautiful place, and I fell in love with fishing and camping, hiking, basically all aspects of outdoor living there. Maybe when I retire from Occupational Therapy, I will go work at Cabela’s or something. That seems like it would suit me just fine.”

Andrew and Julie have one child, Mila, age 4, and another due in June.

Andrew is a dedicated MAHCP activist and joined our team of volunteer Member Advocates in 2023 to support his colleagues in Community Therapy Services.

The post Meet Andrew Sonnasinh, OT: Supporting Client Quality of Life appeared first on Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals.

Sharon Young, Registered Social Worker at Women’s Health Clinic, calls herself a “worker at heart,” and says that her career has been the result of opportunity, circumstance and getting behind causes that align with who she is at her core.

“I started out in health care 26 years ago as a volunteer at Women’s Health Clinic. I was at the University of Winnipeg doing an Honours degree in Sociology and I came across a clinic poster advertising for volunteers. Reproductive health really spoke to me, so I started out as a volunteer and worked my way through the organization. Community health is the space I landed and it definitely connects with who I am.”

Sharon is fascinated by the complexities of the human experience and says that her very nature put her on a social work trajectory. After applying for an employee position at the clinic’s front desk, she then trained and spent time as a medical assistant and eventually moved into the Mothers Program, now known as Families and Community Program.

“Eventually, I figured I may as well actually become a real social worker. Over all my years in community health, all the work I was doing was social work-related. I was an outreach worker and coordinated the Provincial Healthy Baby Community programs, developed and ran a mother mentoring program, and eventually led the Mothers Program team while also working at the Morgentaler Clinic on Corydon Avenue.”

Sharon graduated from the Faculty of Social Work in 2013 and proposed an official staff social worker role to the clinic’s then-Executive Director.

“There are now two of us doing triage, counselling intake assessment and brief treatment counselling. The clinic offers both brief, action-focused care, as well as a longer-term general counselling program for more complex needs.”

Services are available to all women and women-identifying persons from anywhere in the Winnipeg.

“Anyone in Winnipeg can call us; we are not catchment-based. Most of the clients we connect with initially contact us for similar, broad-based themes, and although the specifics may be different, the outcomes are the same. We can definitely see a trend: We are all doing more with less, and labour and resources are stretched thin. The expectations around work are very difficult for people to manage because there are individual people doing multiple roles. When you have this kind of role overlap, stress levels are going to be high.”

According to Sharon, whose advanced area of practice is in mental health, there are considerable wait list problems when it comes to accessing public system counselling. She has become a self-professed ‘master’ at assessing clients’ needs and private benefits programs, and identifying opportunities to get them the care they need, quickly.

“I have always had an ability to strike up meaningful conversations with people. I am a curious person and interested in learning about others’ experiences, so therapeutic alliances come naturally to me. I truly want people to get the help they need in a timely manner. I’m actually good at small talk and getting to know people; in this case, it’s a very helpful skill.”

When Sharon started at Women’s Health Clinic, it was a small organization with around 30 employees at one site. Today, this feminist, non-profit clinic has approximately 200 staff, a larger operating budget, and three sites including the abortion clinic, the main office at 419 Graham Avenue and Ode’imin (formerly the birth centre). Clinic services include a medical program, midwifery, abortion, pregnancy and birth control counselling, mental health counselling, a Provincial Eating Disorder and Recovery Program, training, support groups, community programming and more.

Sharon says that she enjoys her work very much and is grateful to be a repository for people’s stories and experiences. “I learn just as much from our clients as they learn from us.” But she also acknowledges that keeping perspective and balance is critical.

“I get up in the morning with purpose, and that purpose can be as simple and straightforward as eating a good breakfast or going for lunch with my mom. I find some degree of purpose in everything I do, but I am motivated and inspired by the people I love – my family and friends.”

The post Meet Sharon Young, RSW: Driven by purpose appeared first on Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals.

“I came back to Winnipeg, entered the Faculty of Social Work and graduated in 2017, pregnant with my first child,” laughs Jasmine, who is now a busy mother to two children, ages three and six. “I worked for a short time in a community mental health agency and then took a term position with the stroke team after having my son. Three years ago, after having my second baby, I was thrilled to become permanent with the stroke service team so now I get to do what I love every day.” 

A day in the life of a stroke service social worker

Jasmine’s role is varied, determined by the range of clients’ individual needs and circumstances. She typically has in her caseload anywhere from 10 to 15 clients of varying ages and socioeconomic statuses.

“Surviving a stroke can result in physical health changes, as well as emotional, mental and financial concerns. Navigating our complex health-care system and social services to access resources and support is very difficult for someone who doesn’t do this all day like I do. That’s where we come in!” 

Because she works in the community, Jasmine travels between appointments, assessing client and caregiver needs, recommending services, dealing with housing challenges, filing administrative paperwork and consulting with the stroke service team, which includes physiotherapy, occupational therapy, case coordinators and more. She typically meets with her clients once per week over the course of three to six months.  

“Strokes can affect all dimensions of a person’s life: their ability to work, where they live, their communication skills, relationships, their mental health… Many stroke clients deal with emotional changes, so it’s important to get them connected with proper care for those concerns. Then there are caregivers, who may become stressed and overwhelmed. They may experience grief, increased roles and responsibilities, and financial changes, so we need to connect caregivers with support as well.” 

Jasmine’s clients are referred to her by the team’s case coordinators and allied health team, usually for a specific reason or category of issues.  

“I go in and do an initial assessment. An example of an issue might be accessibility and housing. So that client might be exploring assisted living or alternative housing, so I’ll work through their criteria with them and whittle down the list so they can process options.” 

Jasmine’s entrepreneur husband owns a fence and deck-building company, and he is keeping himself very busy building a home he designed himself for their family.  

Meanwhile, Jasmine devotes time to the union as a MAHCP District Director, and is a member of four committees and boards, including the boards of her kids’ daycares. She is dedicated to promoting social work through involvement with the professional association and by taking on students. She is grateful to be able to give back.

“It’s heartbreaking to see people struggling with health and life changes post-stroke, made even more difficult with systemic barriers and challenges with program eligibility, wait lists, costs and availability. I love helping others, and I strive to reduce client stress and time spent navigating the various systems in Winnipeg. Clients deserve the best quality, most competent care they can get.” 

Read another profile of Jasmine: Social Work Month: Helping clients piece together the puzzle | Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (wrha.mb.ca) or learn more about National Social Work Month: National Social Work Month 2024.

The post Meet Jasmine Masse, RSW: Connecting with clients & caregivers during challenging times appeared first on Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals.

Gurminder Thindh was just 16 when his older sister married a pharmacist, and he says that set him down the path to a career in pharmacy.

“I really admire my brother-in-law; he is a positive role model and I look up to him. I decided then that I wanted to emulate his strengths and character traits, and after my first year at U of M taking the pre-requisites, I applied to the Faculty of Pharmacy and followed in his footsteps. It was a great decision; pharmacy has been an excellent career.”

Thindh graduated in 2007 and immediately went to work as a member of the massive team of pharmacists supporting Health Sciences Centre’s 24-hour acute care needs.

“I graduated at a very young age and had the stamina for HSC, but it’s really an intense environment. I was working in the Adult Medical and Surgical Intensive Care Units. We were working under high pressure, and had to work 12-hour shifts. The patients I was dealing with were often very unstable or severely ill. As a pharmacist, you must work quickly and accurately to make sure they get the medicines they need in order to survive. A few minutes could mean the difference between life and death in the ICU.”

After 13 years working the rotational schedule, which included 12-hour night shifts and plenty of overtime, Thindh got married and decided that the frantic pace no longer vibed with his lifestyle.

“I really enjoyed my time at HSC, but I worked so many nights, so many weekends, and the 12-hour shifts mean you come home, eat, pack your lunch for the next day, and go to bed. When you’re working this type of schedule, you may be present physically when you get home, but it’s tough to be present emotionally and mentally.”

In 2019, Thindh saw a term position come up at Concordia Hospital, a low acuity facility, and although he wasn’t sure how he was going to do with the different pace, the role turned out to be a great fit. Fast forward four years, and now he understands why people get excited for the weekend, and he appreciates his Friday nights. Thindh works only every third weekend, and sometimes does the ‘late shift’ (10:45 AM to 7 PM) with on-call duties overnight, but nothing like the schedule he maintained at HSC.

“Occasionally I work on the surgical ward, but I predominantly work in family medicine: patients who are ill, but not gravely ill. I deal with patients who have one or two medical issues like an infection, pneumonia, allergic reaction, asthma attack, or elderly patients who need care, but they don’t require constant monitoring. Some shifts we can be run off our feet just due to the sheer quantity of work and volume of patients, but they’re typically not life or death emergencies.”

Concordia’s Pharmacy team is made up of eight Pharmacists, five Pharmacy Technicians, 15 Pharmacy Assistants, two managers and one administrative assistant. Their approach to work is supportive and collaborative. Pharmacy Technicians are Pharmacy Assistants who have taken additional education and certification enabling them to take on expanded responsibilities that would normally have been completed by the pharmacist.

“The collaborative team environment frees me up to connect directly with patients and to spend time on the wards consulting with medical colleagues because the hospitals are starting to rely on pharmacists more and more for our clinical knowledge. With the time I’ve gained, I can spend more time digging into patient charts, researching medical issues, solving problems, and be more available to answer questions for the nurses/doctors on the unit. Activities like these increase our value to the facility.”

– Gurminder Thindh

Thindh says that his discipline is unique because the team is involved with almost every single patient who comes through Concordia’s doors.

“Whether we’re examining a patient’s existing medications to optimize their care, or screening new medications for safety and clinical appropriateness, we touch basically every case.”

At home, Thindh is an avid learner, reader and researcher. He digs into science fiction and fantasy books (one to two per week!), and he loves watching sports including The Winnipeg Jets and Tottenham Hotspur, a North London-based football (soccer) club.

He’s also a self-taught woodworker who designed and built a shed for his yard last summer. He has been married to his wife, Manbir, since 2016. Being married to a healthcare worker isn’t always easy, but he states she has been supportive and understanding despite the challenges.

“I know it can be hard on her as I may have to work odd hours or be away from family during holidays like Christmas. At the end of the day she knows that what I do provides a value to people in need. We are both empathetic souls and into helping others. In fact, my toxic trait is probably my desire to always help people. Someone is moving? Sure, I will help. Building something? Yes, I can help. Wanting to help others is the fundamental goal of any health care worker.”

When asked about his perspectives regarding the work he does, Thindh says he is grateful and considers himself very lucky.

“When it comes to my profession, I make a good living doing something I love and I take my responsibilities very seriously. I picture my grandmother. How would I want her to be treated and cared for? I believe that if someone is in a time of need that we should hold out a helping hand.”

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