Lady Minto Hospital Medical Staff Association

Thank you Salt Springers for your efforts to flatten the curve. It has worked and you have given local health care providers time to organize and prepare to care for you in the coming months. Ongoing, we will only post if there is news that is specifically relevant to Lady Minto and Salt Spring. Please continue to follow Dr. Bonnie Henry’s recommendations, wash your hands, do not touch your face and maintain your distance.

Plans are being made to open up businesses and relax some of the restrictive measures that we have all been living with. This is an exciting, but also risky and scary time, and there are a few things to remember. We are incredibly lucky on Salt Spring to have more space than city dwellers to get outside while still maintaining at least 2 meters’ distance from others. However, as businesses open, all of us may find ourselves in situations where it is difficult to keep the appropriate distance. For this reason, masks are another tool we can use to help reduce spread. Even more important will be the need for all of us to be vigilant about our health and not go to work or go out if we are ill. If you develop any new respiratory symptoms - fever, cough or difficulty breathing - you must go home and book an appointment to have yourself tested for the novel coronavirus. Employers must not only allow workers to stay home when ill, but support them to do so. Our culture of going…

As most people know, there are COVID-19 outbreaks around the province including one on a small Island off the Northern part of Vancouver Island. While BC has done incredibly well under Dr. Henry’s guidance, these outbreaks tell us that the risk is still very real and present. At Lady Minto we are looking at ways to restart endoscopies, minor procedures, and non-urgent lab work while keeping staff and patients safe and minimizing the use of personal protective gear. Please be patient while we work out the best processes for these procedures. As we try to better understand the burden of disease in the community, there is now the opportunity for anyone in the community to self refer for COVID-19 testing. If you have symptoms and feel you should be tested, please call 811 and they will arrange an appointment for you at Lady Minto. Please do not just show up and please understand that the test is meaningless if you do not have symptoms. Please use this resource wisely. Fin…

Our efforts are working to flatten the curve, but international experience shows we cannot let up those efforts without putting many people at risk. Lately, we’ve been looking to the south where people are protesting these guidelines and demanding that the economy be restarted. What we really see are people with a complete disregard for those at risk, particularly for workers who literally put their lives at risk daily to care and provide for others. Most of the population remains susceptible to this virus and so we must proceed cautiously as we attempt to reduce some of the restrictions on our daily life. More testing will allow us to track and contain cases and this will be made available very soon. We will post instructions regarding access to testing in the coming days. Many people have been asking about the use of masks. Cloth masks protect others from the wearer’s droplets. As more and more information becomes available about people without symptoms shedding the virus,…

We continue to do extremely well in BC with very low numbers of COVID cases. This is thanks to everyone following the strategy proposed by our health experts to practice social distancing. That said, there continue to be new cases daily, including in our Health Authority. We seem to be settling into a pattern of a trickling stream of cases rather than a surge, which is good in terms of our health system’s ability to care for everyone. If this pattern continues, we may be able to start opening up some activities. While nothing will be done before our Provincial Health officials give the word, conversations are underway about how to safely re-open various community and hospital activities. Numerous businesses and individuals have been sending treats and snacks to the staff at Lady Minto. We cannot thank you enough for your generosity and caring at this time. All the banging of pots at 7:00pm, the gifts and well wishes, really lift our spirits. Thank you so much.

There is not much new to report today, which is wonderful. This is a case where boring is good. Unfortunately, all of us need to continue with what we are doing - social distancing and hand washing in particular.  As the days and weeks go by, new technologies are starting to emerge for diagnosing the virus, new treatments are being trialled, and vaccines tested. Canada is sourcing, purchasing, and ensuring arrival of personal protective gear for those who need it. All of this means fewer deaths. While we appreciate all the thanks being sent our way, we also want to thank everyone in the community who is doing their part. Businesses have stepped up to ensure their customers can be safe, and workers put themselves on the front line to make sure we all have access to groceries and other essentials. Please continue to enjoy the beautiful weather responsibly.

As we go into what looks like a gorgeous long weekend, the medical staff have a few concerns. Please celebrate virtually. It is imperative that we all continue to practice social distancing over the long weekend and not be lulled into a false sense of security. We would like to thank the Farmer's Market Society for making the difficult decision to postpone opening of the market until after the long weekend, so as not to send a contradictory message. The Farmer’s Market will open, as it is an essential service, but at a more suitable time. We are aware that BC Parks have closed. If you have private outdoor space, please stay there. If you need to go outside and have no yard, there are more than 20 other public spaces to visit on Salt Spring, listed here A reminder that the Provincial Medical Health Officer will not be naming individual  communities with positive tests for Covid-19. There is a risk of providing a false sense of security if a community is not named a…

The number of COVID-19 cases in the Vancouver Island Health Authority has remained stable for some days now. This means physical distancing measures are working. It also means that those who need hospital care or a ventilator have access to them. At some point we may be able to ease up on some of the measures but that time is NOT YET. We all must continue to do our part. As your health care team we have been working for many weeks now with the health authority and province on contingency plans should there be an outbreak of COVID-19 on Salt Spring or in any rural community. While plans are in place to address transport needs, it is clear that any rural community could easily and quickly exhaust its resources. Therefore, it is imperative that with the nice weather arriving and a long weekend approaching, each of us stresses to friends and family NOT to visit. Please celebrate and remain connected virtually. It seems that there are more questions than answers about keepi…

We all continue to follow the daily updates from the Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry and the Minister of Health, Adrian Dix, and hope for good news. So far, physical distancing seems to be working in our Health Authority and in BC as a whole. The increase in the number of new cases of COVID-19 has not been as rapid or as extensive as it might have been, and this is undoubtedly due to the extensive measures in place to stop the spread between individuals and within the community. The challenge will be to continue to physically distance, practice excellent hand hygiene, and avoid touching our faces in the days, weeks and months ahead. We need to remember that the virus does not move, but rather people move the virus. This means that staying at home in our community is very important as a way to stop transmission. If you need to travel to a different community, you should be following all of the recommended precautions strictly. Similarly, if you know of people wh…

Fortunately, for the moment, these posts have little new information and are quite boring. This is good. This means we may be flattening the curve, but it is still too early to say. It can be hard to appreciate the severity of what is happening elsewhere in our province and country when the sun is shining, the birds are singing, and Spring is so clearly making itself known. Once again though, we must implore you to carry on with all the physical distancing measures. It is our only hope for slowing the virus, saving lives, and being able to lift some of the restrictions we now face, a bit earlier. Again we offer some resources to help Salt Springers to cope during this time. With school technically back in session, here are some activities for children and youth. Museums around the world are offering free virtual online tours. The US Centers for Disease Control website now has a section devoted to maintaining mental wellness during the pandemic. Editorial Note…

Every single person on Salt Spring has the potential to save a life by practicing physical distancing. Never before have any of us been able to have such an incredible impact by such a small change in behaviour. Simply staying home and maintaining a physical distance from others is the single most effective measure to control and stop this pandemic. The provincial medical health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry’s address yesterday gave us a glimmer of hope, but as many know, statistics can be interpreted in many different ways. Now is NOT the time to relax any of the containment measures. Rather, it is crucial that we hold the course we are on, continue to practice physical distancing, stay home, and wash our hands. The coming days will reveal if we are truly ‘flattening the curve’ of new cases. Lady Minto Hospital remains open with restrictions on visitors and all the recommended infection control measures in place. We continue to be ready and able to care for you. We …

A gentle reminder to people who have been asking whether there are cases on Salt Spring—we are committed to the confidentiality of our patients and will not disclose any more than the information you are receiving from the Medical Officer of Health. Our regulatory body, The College of Physicians and Surgeons has said: “….Dr. Henry is taking great care to ensure the privacy of individuals who are affected, which of course is of utmost importance. The College has recently learned of instances where information has been posted on social media or provided to the press about individual patient cases and test results, including the identification of certain smaller communities. This is not acceptable. Physicians must not disclose information about individual patients in any setting, including stories shared directly with other people, even if patient identities are not revealed. The risk of a privacy breach is too great”. We are also aware that there is a time lag between th…

This is a surreal and strange time for all of us. Going for a walk or looking out at the water, everything looks the same as always. However, all over the world including here in BC people are dying, and intensive care units are filling up. We hear that people are losing patience with the social distancing measures which are being asked of you. You may be feeling frustrated by the limitations of not being able to meet with friends, or just don’t feel you are at risk. Please remember that social distancing and hand washing are the only preventive measures that have been proven to work for the pandemic. We are pleading with you to stick with it! The longer people don’t comply with social distancing, the longer we’ll have to do it. On Salt Spring we are in a period of relative calm and we hope it stays this way. Please remember that all of our local Family Doctors offices are open. They are taking phone appointments and will arrange to see those who need to be seen in p…

It is clear that cases of COVID 19 are increasing. Whether they grow exponentially or start to decrease, depends on all of us. We now have 39 positive cases in Island Health. Throughout the province there are 33 patients hospitalized with COVID 19 and 14 of these are in intensive care. Our message remains the same as our Provincial Health Officer, Dr Bonnie Henry, and our Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau: Please stay at home. Spend time outside but only with members of the same household and always 2 meters away from others. Every day that you and your family stay distanced from others, the better prepared we will be for the coming days and weeks. We must do everything, every day, to protect our community and loved ones. So please go for a walk, get in the garden, go for a bike ride all while adhering to the advice above. Do not meet for coffee or dinner parties. Please do your part. Editorial Note: Read all official, current and ongoing updates on COVID-19 spe…

The physicians of Salt Spring Island are on the frontlines in the battle against COVID-19. This crisis is unlike anything we have experienced in our lifetime. We are working flat out to be there for our patients and their families. Doctors cannot do this alone. What the public does now will impact the health of British Columbians in the weeks and months ahead. Lives depend on your actions now. Our province is in a state of emergency. Here is the directive from our Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry: Stay home unless absolutely necessary. This means no dinner parties. No shopping. No sports, even outside. Have coffee with a friend online. Keep two metres or six feet away from everyone if you must go out. That’s about the width of a car or the length of two arms stretched out. Wash your hands frequently. Tell your loved ones to do the same. This is especially important for young people. We sometimes see you out in the park or at the beach. You can …

We know that you in the community are quite rightly concerned and anxious about COVID-19. Your family physicians have organized ourselves to respond to the situation as it evolves and to provide you with timely and accurate information regarding the novel COVID-19 pandemic currently upon our doorstep. Our goal is to provide information and direction so you may understand your own responsibilities as a member of our community and the greater population during this worldwide outbreak. The Province’s team of public health specialists (the Medical Health Officers) are working hard to support family physicians to have the information that is needed to respond to this pandemic. We want to send out a clear message to you about how local Family Doctor healthcare is changing and explain how you can help our community fare as best it can through what will be a difficult time. We understand many people are frustrated that the Provincial Health Officer and Island Health have not p…

We would like to say thank you to all those in the community who are doing so many things to help during this challenging time. This includes the grocery stores which are making special hours for seniors; pharmacies which are ensuring we have enough medications; all the restaurants which have moved to take out; all the people who are helping their neighbours with their groceries, and so many more. While it is true that this virus affects the elderly and those whose immune systems are compromised most seriously, it will affect all of us. We must make sure that our healthcare system can continue to provide care to everyone who needs it and not become overwhelmed by patients with COVID-related disease. The best way to do this is to prevent person-to-person infection by maintaining social distancing and staying home if we have symptoms. If you are ill and have mild symptoms, please stay at home and take care of yourself. Contact your family doctor’s office if you need advic…

As of today, we are not aware of any definite COVID cases on Salt Spring. The Medical Health Officer keeps us informed on a regular basis. However, given the emergence of cases elsewhere on Vancouver Island, we are assuming that there are cases in our community and are acting accordingly. We will not be sharing information about individual cases (see point 5). If you have any symptoms of a cold or respiratory illness, assume you are infectious and stay at home and self isolate for 14 days. DO come to the hospital if you are having trouble breathing or need medical assistance, or for any other emergency problems your GP can’t handle. Do NOT come to the hospital for minor ailments, doctor’s notes, or prescriptions. This is really helping to keep the emergency room ready to treat emergencies. Thank you so much for your help. Your doctors are working from their offices or remotely from home and offering phone consultations. Please phone your doctors’ office for detail…

Cases of COVID-19 continue to go up in Canada and in our health authority as predicted. With the spread of cases associated with a dental conference in Vancouver in early March, as well as the outbreak in Washington state, the reality is that this virus is likely now in our community, although no cases have been confirmed. While the local team at Lady Minto has been working diligently in conjunction with the Health Authority and Province to prepare, it is now up to each individual to do their part. So please: 1.  If you have any symptoms of a cold or respiratory illness, assume you are infectious and stay at home and self isolate for 14 days. 2. DO come to the hospital if you are having trouble breathing or need medical assistance. 3. Do NOT come to the hospital for minor ailments, doctor’s notes, or prescriptions. 4.  If you want a ventilator to be available for your mother, grandfather, niece, friend … you must do your part to slow this virus down now by limiting …