This month, we're sharing inspiring stories from patient partners in Northern BC, inviting you to get involved in International "What Matters to You?" Day on June 9, highlighting an opportunity to have your say on stroke care in BC, and inviting you to register for a Zoom basic tools learning session!

Patient Partners Changing Health Care for the Better

In March, we introduced you to Roxanne, Rita and John - three people profiled in Northern Health's “Patient Partners Changing Health Care for the Better” blog post series. Now we’re excited for you to meet two more inspiring patient partners who are making a difference.

Jasmine “Jazzy” Pocha joined PVN three years ago. Jazzy has Asperger’s syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder that’s considered to be on the high-functioning end of the spectrum, and she experiences great anxiety when going to new places and meeting new people. She recently participated in a project to improve signage at the Terrace Health Unit, identifying several ways in which clear directions could avoid increasing patients’ anxiety and apprehension. Read Jazzy's story. 

And Sally Rosevear has participated in a variety of engagement opportunities since joining PVN five years ago – from speaking at conferences and training sessions to joining patient journey mapping sessions. Recently, after the death of her husband, Jack, she worked tirelessly with Northern Health to create an engaging training video about her experience that anyone can learn from. Read Sally's story.

International "What Matters to You?" Day is June 9

We’re excited to join partners around the world in supporting the ninth annual International “What Matters to You?” Day! The event encourages meaningful conversations between patients, caregivers, families and their health care providers, which is a great way to advance person- and family-centred care.

From new, virtual health care services to the findings of the In Plain Sight report, the past year has provided many examples of why person- and family-centred care is so important.

Having conversations about what matters is a great way to build the trust and connections which form the foundation of person- and family-centred care. That’s why we’ve created new “What Matters to You?” resources to support communication while wearing personal protective equipment, and to help patients and health care providers have successful virtual appointments.

Stay tuned as we’re continually creating and adapting “What Matters to You?” resources to respond to current needs within the health care system and to support care providers in providing care that is culturally safe and free of prejudice and discrimination.

Help Us Celebrate International "What Matters to You?" Day
We welcome you to join our annual celebration - use the hashtags #WMTYBC and #WMTY21 on social media to join the conversation. Dozens of "What Matters to You?" resources can be downloaded here and orders for supplies can be placed until May 28 so we can ship them to you in time for the big day. 

Share Your "What Matters to You?" Stories
We love telling stories about conversations which were started by asking, “What matters to you?” How did you feel when you were asked what matters, or how did you change your approach after you learned what was important to a patient, family member or caregiver? Submit your story here.

Speaking of which, we want to share this letter written by Katie Cochran, a Registered Nurse living in Vancouver who works in pediatrics and has a passion for person- and family-centred care. She’s a mother to a vibrant 15-month-old who is always keeping Katie on her toes. Katie wrote this letter to her daughter while reflecting on her learnings about “What Matters to You?”

Read Katie's Letter

Provide Feedback on BC's Draft Stroke Quality Standard

The BC Patient Safety & Quality Council, which administers PVN, is leading the development of quality standards that aim to ensure high-quality care is clearly defined for providers and patients. 

Stroke care is the first topic for quality standards, and to lead their development the Council convened a group of health care providers, operational leads as well as three patient partners recruited through a PVN engagement opportunity. Now, we want to hear from you!

The draft Stroke Quality Standard and a Patient, Caregiver and Family Guide are now open for public consultation - and you're invited to have your say on how high-quality stroke care in our province is defined. You can read the draft documents and complete a feedback survey by May 25.

Learn More & Give Feedback

Join Us for an Introduction to Zoom's Basic Tools
June 22 | 10:00 am | Register

Patient partners are invited to join us for an interactive session where we learn to use Zoom’s different tools together. You’ll get to practice with a range of basic features (such as audio/video functions, annotations and reactions) while having fun and connecting with other patient partners!

Feel free to contact us before the session with any Zoom questions, or just bring them with you! Happy Zooming!

Learn More & Register