Wednesday September 9, 2020 ~ VICTORIA, BC
by Mary P Brooke, B.Sc., editor | Island Social Trends
The Province of BC will be investing $1.6 billion in a fall and winter preparedness plan that today the Premier and Health Minister said will significantly build upon and strengthen measures that respond to the health-care requirements of COVID-19.
The plan is largely hospital-focussed, as well as training more health care workers and expanding the flu-season vaccination program.
Much of the human resources side of things means a continued long term investment, and hence an expansion of the overall health ministry budget in the years ahead. And if the flu program enhancement proves successful, that could well continue in future years as well.
Almost everyone is eligible for free flu shots:
Seniors in long-term care homes and assisted-living facilities will be encouraged to achieve a 100% vaccination rate. And with more British Columbians than ever before being eligible to get a flu shot, the goal for the Ministry of Health is to reduce the chance for transmission of COVID-19 in B.C. hospitals.
Normally anyone under age 5 and over age 65 is eligible for a free flu shot in BC, as well as people with underlying health conditions (e.g. heart, lung, diabetes, and auto-immune), and people who take care of others who are health-compromised or who visit people in long-term care.
Today Provincial Health Officer Dr Bonnie Henry implied that this approach covers nearly everyone. BC will have almost 2 million influenza doses available for the 2020-2021 fall-winter flu season (most was already ordered in February and then a top-up order was placed once it was seen that COVID would overlay the next respiratory flu season); of that, 45,000 doses are aimed at people in long-term care.
Health Minister Adrian Dix has throughout the COVID-19 pandemic held hospital capacity as a priority, and Premier John Horgan is backing him up.
“The actions we are taking today are a big step to help protect everyone in our province as we head into the fall, and in doing that, will also help lessen the impact the pandemic has had on our economy,” said Premier John Horgan. “We know people have stepped up to stop the spread, and right now we need good people to step forward to help deliver these life-saving initiatives.”
Bumping up the human resources contingent:
The Government of B.C. is dedicating $44.1 million to launch the Health Career Access Program and recruit an estimated 7,000 health-care workers in long-term care homes and assisted-living facilities throughout the province. The program will provide a path for approximately 3,000 applicants who may not previously have had health-care experience to receive on-the-job training.
Premier Horgan today suggested that young adults who now find themselves without work due to a collapsed hospitality industry might shift their career focus to health care. “They understand service,” said Horgan, though serving drinks and taking care of aging people are two different things. But Horgan defends that, saying “they understand the importance of treating people as individuals and they know it’s essential to treat people with respect and dignity”.
“Those critical core skills, with our specialized training, will provide them with a rewarding, well-paying career that will make a significant and positive impact on our health-care system and the seniors who rely on it.”
New hires in the program will be paid right from the start: employment in one of the new health-care support worker positions will include paid training that leads to full qualification as a health-care assistant.
It is a massive human resources undertaking that benefits the B.C. health-care system and economy.
Stronger level of care in long term care homes:
“Expanding the number of health-care assistants in our province will significantly strengthen the level of care in long-term care homes,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health.
“The Health Career Access Program will help people get trained for some of the most important jobs in B.C. These jobs ensure seniors get the quality care they need and deserve — 7,000 new health-care workers will make a huge difference in the lives of our seniors.”
Funds for the flu campaign:
To further protect vulnerable British Columbians, the Province is providing $374 million to bolster public health measures, including significantly building out the fall flu immunization campaign. As part of this, 45,000 Fluzone-High Dose immunizations will be made available to all long-term care and assisted living residents. Fluzone-High Dose is a higher dose vaccine designed specifically to protect people over age 65 from influenza. An additional 450,000 influenza vaccine doses will be made available in the 2020-21 influenza season, for a total of approximately two million doses.
“The COVID-19 pandemic makes it more important than ever to protect yourself and your family from influenza,” said Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry. “By getting immunized against influenza, you’re protecting yourself and those who are vulnerable to complications from the flu. Staying healthy also helps to reduce strain on our health-care system as we deal with COVID-19. Getting the flu shot is safe and effective, and this year more than ever, I ask everyone who can to get a flu shot.”
New ‘Hospital at Home’ program:
The Government of B.C. is also dedicating $42.3 million to ease the pressures off B.C. hospitals and reduce the chance of COVID-19 transmission in the hospitals. Hospital at Home, an innovative program that has succeeded in Canada and around the world, allows patients who meet the criteria to be offered 24/7 care at home rather than being admitted to hospital.
Through in-person and virtual visits, patients will receive safe, effective care from nurses and physicians experienced in hospital medicine and acute care. Hospital at Home will launch through the Victoria General Hospital, then through additional hospitals over the coming months.
Long long ago, doctors used to make house calls. In-person visits nowadays are likely to be by nurses and care aides. Medical guidance through virtual visits will likely include by doctors.
Continually revising and moving forward:
The Health Career Access program, enhanced fall immunization campaign and Hospital at Home are vital new additions to the B.C. pandemic response, but do not stand alone. A constant focus is to ensure that strength is added where necessary, and that it supports or enhances existing initiatives.
Today the Premier, Health Minister and Provincial Health Officer all emphasized how adaptation during the pandemic has been key, and is really the only way to stay on top of issues as they develop.
They frequently mention their observation of what is being done in other jurisdictions and other countries, though the transferability or applicability of those observations is never a certain thing (e.g. the rapid spread and high infection numbers in Italy early in the pandemic led, in part, to BC cancelling surgeries to make thousands more hospital beds available, for a surge that never came — what cannot compare between Italy and BC is the level of education in the population as relates to public willingness to comply, the overall age of the population, and the levels of industrial air pollution).
Early in the pandemic (April 10) BC did lead within Canada on the idea of single-site employment for long term care workers, as a way to prevent cross-infection between facilities. And BC did keep certain economic sectors open during the early phase of the pandemic without shutting everything down. This was observation and adaptability at its best.
The adaptability profile is supported by BC with this as well: “On April 20, we announced help to rural, remote and Indigenous communities so they have access to critical health care during COVID-19 and beyond,” Premier Horgan said. “On August 12, we announced we were hiring approximately 600 additional health professionals to increase contact tracing capacity. To date, 86 have been hired, approximately 200 are in the interview and offer stage, and the remainder are in the screening phase. Work to increase testing continues, and this fall, lab capacity will allow for 20,000 tests per day. The Ministry of Health also continues to ensure the Province is equipped with personal protective equipment (PPE).”
Through its experience with COVID-19, the Province has learned and adapted to ensure its strengths and resources are developed and positioned to protect and keep safe those who are most vulnerable to the virus.
“All of these initiatives support our ongoing efforts to keep British Columbians healthy and stop the spread,” Premier Horgan said.
===== Learn More:
To view the presentation, visit: http://news.gov.bc.ca/files/COVID-19_capacity_modelling.pdf
To read the complete COVID-19 health-sector plan for fall/winter 2020-21, visit: http://news.gov.bc.ca/files/COVID-19_fall-winter_preparation.pdf
For more information on the Health Career Access Program, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/careersinhealth
For the latest medical updates, including case counts, prevention, risks and testing, visit: http://www.bccdc.ca/
Or follow @CDCofBC on Twitter.
For non-health related information, including financial, child care and education supports, travel, transportation and essential service information, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/covid19
Or call 1 888 COVID19 (1 888 268-4319) between 7:30 a.m. and 8 p.m. (Pacific time), seven days a week.