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A Donation to Brighten the Pain Clinic 

By Congratulations!, Kudos, News, Staff

A Donation to Brighten the Pain Clinic 

The Nanaimo District Hospital Foundation had the opportunity to chat with Dustin Lahaise, Clinical Nurse Lead and Neuromodulation Coordinator at Island Health. Dustin oversees a multidisciplinary team focused on treating patients with chronic pain through a variety of methods. The department is dynamic and diverse, collaborating with multiple departments within the hospital to provide patients with the best possible care. By taking a holistic approach to chronic pain management, this team helps patients regain control of their lives and alleviate their pain.

As November 5-11 is National Pain Awareness week in Canada, we thought it was fitting to have a chat with Dustin about his department and bring awareness to the importance of chronic pain and its impact on the one in five Canadians who live with it.

This past year, the foundation provided art and reclining chairs for the department, and this is just one way the foundation is doing its part in improving the lives of those who suffer with chronic pain.

Learn more about the Pain Program at NRGH and its impact on the Central Vancouver Island community through the conversation with Dustin Lahaise below:

NDHF: Can you share your role and the work your department does at the NRGH?
DUSTIN: My role is the Clinical Nurse Lead and Neuromodulation Coordinator. I run the day-to-day operations of our program which includes a diverse chronic pain focused multidisciplinary team.

That team is positioned around our interventional fluoroscopy suite where our 2 Pain Specialist Physicians perform fluoroscopic guided spine interventions to treat chronic pain refractory to conservative self-management. We also have three nurses that keep the flow of our interventional suite seeing on average about twenty procedures per day and another twenty consults for new patients seeking care of their chronic pain conditions.

For the patients that we can’t treat with a spine intervention, we focus on the best evidence to manage their care through self-management education from our Rehab colleagues. We also have a pharmacist who assists with medication management, and collaborate with two Physiatrists to manage complex pain cases.

A large part of chronic pain is unmanaged anxiety, stress, anger and poor sleep. Our program takes a holistic approach of mind and body to help patients alleviate chronic pain and regain control of their lives.

NDHF: To bring awareness to the readers, can you describe where the Pain Program is located at NRGH?
DUSTIN: The Pain Program is located on the second floor of NRGH, next to the UBC Family Practice Office and Sim Lab.

NDHF: What kind of people and pain-related issues does your team support within the community?
DUSTIN: Mainly chronic back and neck pain, but we also see a myriad of chronic pain conditioners including complex regional pain syndrome. We also collaborate with the Workers Compensation Board and Department of National Defence.

NDHF: Can you tell us about how the art and furniture donation has benefitted the department and your patients?
DUSTIN:  Our patients are susceptible to depression, anxiety, frustration and have been struggling with their pain for quite some time. The artwork that the foundation provided our patients acts as a distraction and promotes a healing atmosphere where patients can feel at ease. The art is also of local landscapes around BC and becomes a conversation starter amongst the staff and patients.

NDHF: Are there any other items or campaigns for the department that you are fundraising for?
DUSTIN: Our consult rooms and rehab areas are in desperate need of modernization. We are also in need of about $500,000 to renovate a second Fluoroscopy suite. Our catchment encompasses north and west of Duncan all the way up to Cape Scott, so as our population grows, we will need to adapt and grow our program.

Thank you, Dustin and the team, at the Pain Program at NRGH including the nurses, specialists, physicians and front office staff for all the hard work you do for our community. We hope to continue to provide fundraising opportunities to better the Pain Program for those in need.

 

 

 

Canadian Tire Nanaimo – Our 2022 Golf for Life Presenting Sponsor and Wonderful Partner to our Community

By Celebrate!, Kudos, News, Thank You!
Our 2022 Golf for Life Presenting Sponsor is Canadian Tire Nanaimo, a wonderful partner to the Nanaimo & District Hospital Foundation and our community over the years. Canadian Tire Nanaimo has donated close to $100,000 in gifts to us for medical equipment, fundraising events, and special projects. For example, during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic they stepped up to donate dozens of 5 gallon buckets of hand sanitizer, thousands of boxes of face shields and surgical gloves to the medical team at the Nanaimo Regional General Hospital, local medical clinics, private doctor practices, midwife practices, First Nations medical centres, veterinary clinics, and any other establishments that provide medical care in our neighbourhoods. “I think we met every doctor in the city during that time,” said Marc Telosky, General Manager of Canadian Tire Nanaimo (pictured). “We knew supplies were scarce, so we wanted to make sure doctors and healthcare workers got first priority for the donations. We gave them whatever we could, whatever they asked for.”
David McClenahan, Owner of Canadian Tire Nanaimo, took over the business in February 2022 and was keen to grow its already healthy philanthropic efforts. “We know there’s never enough government funding available for service organizations that need it,” he said. “I believe it is my responsibility to support and reinvest in the community that supports our business. They are generous and loyal to us, and we are grateful for them.”
Canadian Tire Nanaimo has a wide range of causes in our region, focusing on the needs of their neighbours. Their primary cause is kids’ sports, providing funding through their signature charity Jumpstart, as well as providing direct funding to families for sports equipment and anything that encourages a healthy lifestyle. They also give to resource organizations that help people without housing and other marginalized individuals, schools, First Nations organizations, and of course, healthcare. Furthermore, 100% of their funding stays in the community. “I’m proud to have Nanaimo Regional General Hospital as my hospital,” said Mr. Telosky.
Last year Canadian Tire Nanaimo was the Golf Cart Sponsor of Golf for Life, the Nanaimo & District Hospital Foundation’s signature fundraiser. This year, they have increased their gift and stepped up into the lead sponsorship role. When asked what inspired them to make this jump, Mr. McClenahan told us: “We at Canadian Tire are happy to help this very worthy cause. The hospital takes care of us, and it’s time for us to take care of them.” We are so grateful to Canadian Tire for their support.
All proceeds from the 29th annual Golf for Life event will go toward the purchase of all of the state-of-the-art critical care medical equipment for the new Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at NRGH, expected to open in late 2023. For more information about Golf for Life and how you can participate, visit www.golfforlife.net.

Thank You, Nurses!

By Celebrate!, Kudos, News, Thank You!

May 8 – 14 is Nurses Week, which is a time for us to recognize and appreciate the hard work and dedication of the nurses that care for us and our loved ones. Please take a moment this week and thank a nurse in your life! We are deeply grateful to all the nurses in our community.

Thank You, Physicians!

By Celebrate!, Kudos, News, Thank You!

May 1 is National Physicians Day. Physicians are critically important to the health of our community. We are deeply grateful to our physicians for their tireless work, compassion, and perseverance in the face of incredible challenges. Your dedication to the health and safety of others inspires us every day. Thank you for all you do.

March 30 is Doctors Day

By Kudos, News, Thank You!

Right now, doctors around the world are dedicating their lives to the health of those around them. They sacrifice their energy, time, and lives to treating the sick, comforting patient families, training their successors, and instrumentally creating a safer and more prosperous world. Our doctors at NRGH provide high quality care for anyone from central and north Vancouver Island who needs them, from mending broken bones to chemotherapy for cancer patients, from life support for premature babies to palliative care for the elderly. For all you do for us, we honour and thank you.

Kudos for NRGH Staff

By Kudos

We are honoured to raise funds in support of the incredible work being done on a daily basis throughout NRGH and other care facilities so we love to share feedback from patients and their families about the great care they receive. Well done 4th Floor!

“Just taking a moment to give a big shout out to your nurses and staff at Nanaimo General. I was in there yesterday on the fourth floor and had wait in the hall for a few minutes while the nurse cared for my dad. There was a sweet elderly woman sitting in a wheelchair singing happy birthday over and over. Sometimes the staff sang along, sometimes she was solo but the nurses told me that she had caught wind of it being someone’s birthday on the floor and it was her way of hinting for cake. After a few choruses, one of the nurses passed me and she was speaking softly to herself how she was so busy and couldn’t really spare the time, but oh well.

A minute later she returned with cake and sat and fed it to the lovely singing patient. We have always received exemplary care at this hospital but I know others that have their issues with it however I have to applaud them for that single moment today. As busy as that young nurse was, she took a few moments to show kindness and consideration for that sweet old lady. Thank you to all the nurses and support staff for everything you do, it doesn’t go unnoticed!!!”