Thursday January 6, 2022 | VICTORIA, BC
by Mary P Brooke, B.Sc. | Island Social Trends
Here’s how to SUBMIT YOUR THANKS to Island Health health-care workers:
If you would like to give thanks to health-care workers, you can share your appreciation with the Island Health care teams by emailing to thanks@islandhealth.ca, or on their website at www.islandhealth.ca/thanks.
The thank-you webpage and email intake was launched just before Christmas has — as of January 4 — had received 900 contributions (500 from online and 400 by email) thanking health-care teams for all their work providing care throughout the pandemic.
“Messages are thoughtful and grateful to our staff, medical staff and volunteers for their dedication during such a busy time,” it was stated by Island Health on January 5.
What health-care workers do:
Since the beginning of the immunization program in Island Health, their mass immunization teams have delivered 1,615,568 shots of COVID vaccine (as of January 6, 2022).
Island Health acknowledges the support of many community partners and the Province of BC. And today on snow-covered roads with many BC Transit routes down, health-care workers were assisted in getting to work by Van Isle Toyota 4×4 club, the Victoria Harbour Cats, local taxi companies and helpful neighbors of the staff who stepped up to provide transportation of health-care workers to where they needed to go.
As of today, 524,524 COVID tests have been administered in Island Health.
Integral to Island Health’s pandemic response are acute care, long-term care, and community and primary care teams. From nurses and physician partners, to lab and medical imaging staff, to community health care workers, to those who prepare food and clean our facilities, these are the people who show up each and every day to care for our loved ones in emergency departments, ICUs, on inpatient units, in long-term care homes and in the community.
“Across Island Health we are working to meet current and future health needs of people in the region. This is so much more than acute care. From public health and primary care, to environmental health and community home services, a healthy community is the result of teams across and beyond Island Health,” said Island Health Board Chair Leah Hollins at 2021 year-end.
“COVID-19 has presented its latest challenge – the Omicron variant – and we will once again stand up, together, to meet the challenge as we have done through each phase of this pandemic,” said Hollins in a statement.
“While we continue to test the limits of our resilience, our teams will continue to face these challenges with courage, and as a community that cares we will do everything we can to support them as they strive to deliver excellent health and care for everyone, everywhere, every time.”
===== RELATED:
Overnight snowfall produced power outages, snowdays (January 6, 2022)
Vancouver Island COVID at Jan 6 in Year-3 (January 6, 2022)
2021 year-end COVID on Vancouver Island (December 31, 2021)
Island Health tips for holiday season health-care options (December 23, 2021)
Omicron mid-Dec: three COVID updates this week (December 16, 2021)
Esquimalt UPCC opens at permanent new location (December 6, 2021)
New Westshore Community Health Centre will ‘make a dent’ serving 6,700 patients (November 12, 2021)
Island Health Chief Medical Officer Dr Stanwick retiring at 2021 year-end (November 8, 2021)
===== ABOUT ISLAND SOCIAL TRENDS:
News by Island Social Trends is presented through a socioeconomic lens, in support of a healthy, knowledge-based society and economy. Covering news of the west shore, South Vancouver Island, BC and national issues as impact life and living here on Vancouver Island. Editor: Mary P Brooke, B.Sc.
===== LETTERS & COMMENTS:
Send letters or comments to letters@islandsocialtrends.com