The next time you walk into Bulkley Valley District Hospital (BVDH) in Smithers, BC, be on the lookout for the “BVDH Celebrates” board in the main hallway. The board was created by BVDH staff including Dr. Kalah Blackstock, local family physician and Quality Improvement Physician Advisor for the Physician Quality Improvement program, Dr. Kate Niethammer, family physician and Co-Chief of Staff, Elena Raykov, OR Manager, and Ashley van der Meulen, Clinical Practice Lead nurse.
Team inspiration from quality forum
The team found inspiration for the board while attending the 2024 Quality Forum in Vancouver. During the forum, the team got together over lunch and talked about all the good work that was happening behind the scenes at BVDH; work that no one really knew about, except for those people doing the work. The team noticed morale had been low post-pandemic, and BVDH had high rates of agency nurses and vacancies.
The concept of the board was to create a space to showcase all the good work going on in the background at BVDH, to help improve morale for hospital staff, and to be shared with the public so patients and visitors could also see the good work happening.
The team initially met monthly to plan themes for the board but later decided to change the theme every two months. Since the first theme in September 2024, the BVDH Celebration board is a huge hit, and the community feedback is overwhelmingly positive. The planning team is considering ways to make the board more accessible to the public in the future.
BVDH Celebrates themes
Staffing was the first board theme. In September 2024, nursing vacancy rates at the facility saw a drop from 59% down to 29%. The team used the board to welcome new physicians, nurse practitioners, and allied health care workers (social workers, physiotherapists, etc.) joining BVDH, and highlight the factors that are improving vacancy rates.
In November 2024, radiology, laboratory, and maternity departments were the next theme. For radiology, the computed tomography (CT) scanner got a software and camera upgrade, which improved the quality of images it produces at lower radiation doses. For lab, the main analyzer was replaced with a new, state-of-the-art analyzer which helps reduce process time and increases the number of tests that can be run locally. For maternity, a post-partum hemorrhage trolley was created to better manage that condition.
The January 2025 board showcased a contest where hospital staff took pictures with a life-size Elf (actor Will Farrell) around the hospital. This brought many smiles to staff, patients, and the public visiting BVDH.
Dr. Blackstock and the team are currently working on a “Joy in the Workplace” project in collaboration with medical staff, hospital administration, and the Quality Improvement team which will involve a kudos project. Next time you visit BVDH, remember to check out the BVDH Celebrates board to see how the amazing team at BVDH are being recognized and celebrated.
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