A night for speeches and photos

Saturday night at the Prince Rupert Regional Hospital must have resembled a Toastmaster club public speaking contest, as Rupertites gathered to celebrate a new look for PRRH.

Politicians, hospital representatives and first nation’s leaders all provided oratorical skills in praise of the city’s refurbished hospital project and rededication of the wooden panels that greet those who arrive at the hospital.

The Hospital management and staff which has been under quite a bit of scrutiny of late over staffing issues and other health care decisions could find one night of relief from the onslaught of negative news with a bit of a positive news for a change.

With the Premier in attendance they cut the ribbon on the completed $2.4 million dollar project.

The Daily News had coverage of both events in its Monday edition,

PREMIER OPENS $2.4 MILLION HOSPITAL WING
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Monday, July 10, 2006
Pages One and Three

It was the involvement of Prince Rupert Regional staff that will make the $2.4 million redesign of the hospital translate into better patient care, said Premier Gordon Campbell on Saturday.

Campbell, Jeff Burghardt, chair of Northern Health and Sharon Hartwell, chair of the Northwest Regional Hospital District, were among the many dignitaries who attended the ribbon cutting for the $2.4 million renovation project.

“This is a modern hospital.. there is a ceiling here, walls and a bed, but without the staff that are a part of this hospital, that provide the care and attention people need when they come to this hospital, it would just be walls and a ceiling and a empty bed,” said Campbell.

The renovation project relocated several hospital departments to the main floor. Ambulatory care and day care surgery services are now located immediately next to the hospital’s operating room. The hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU) is now closer to the facility’s emergency room. The relocation provides better use of surgical time, better flow of patient activity, and improved nursing activity in day care surgery and the post-anesthetic recovery room.

Burghardt said it was truly a staff driven project.

“Staff were able to fully explain the efficiencies they could offer the public,” he said.

Melanie Basso, a nurse in emergency room and intensive care for 18 years, spoke on behalf of those who helped provide input on the project.

”It was probably about two years ago administration asked the staff to form committees… and make recommendations and they worked for many months on this. At one of our last meetings we got a letter from Jeff that said ”We got it,” she said.

While she couldn’t speak for other departments as they haven’t moved in to new space yet, she said those working in the emergency room can already see many efficiencies.

“Before this happened if you were a patient who had a heart attack and you were seriously ill, you were probably three feet from the nursing station with the curtains open, with a crying baby and people who were very ill themselves beside you, it was just not a great situation,” she said.

“Now we have an area for you if you are sick like that, we have a big nursing station and in the last couple of months we found out we are getting funding for more nurses.

“I think we are getting better care because of it.”

The government of British Columbia paid for 60 per cent of the project’s costs through capital funding to Northern Health. The North West Regional Hospital District provided the remaining 40 per cent.

Construction started in July of 2005 and took a year to complete.

HISTORIC PANEL UNVEILED AT PRRH
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Monday, July 10, 2006
Pages One and Five

A traditional ceremony using smoke and cedar boughs was held to officially mark the opening of the renovated hospital and rededicate the panel of crests that marks the entry way.

During a solemn event on Saturday, chiefs and matriarchs blessed the panel which was installed 30 years ago and moved into the new lobby area during the recent renovations.

It was carved by Harvey Robertson, using the designs of the late Frieda Diesing.

“I call this a re-education of the public, letting the people know what the panels are about instead of just walking by them every time they come here,” said Chief Clarence Nelson, who welcomed the dignitaries and public to the ceremony.

“After 30 years they forget what the panel means.”

The panel represents all four crests of the Tsimshian – Eagle (Laxsgiik) Raven (Ganhada, Killer Whale (Gispudwada) and Wolf (Laxkibu.)

“(When people enter the hospital) they realize the great spirit of the Creator is here with them, the creator who showed us the designs of the crests,” said Nelson.

The panels were installed for the hospital’s official opening 30 years ago, It was Queen Elizabeth II who attended to mark the event.

At the time of the original blessing, Robertson was out on the grounds for the fishing season, although his daughter Joan Athanasopoulos, who was five at the time, presented flowers to the Queen at the event.

On Saturday, Robertson’s granddaughter, Tehya Athanasopoulos, handed out cedar branches for the blessing.

“We appreciate having the Master Carver here with us who wasn’t here during the original opening,” said Nelson.

“We ask the Creator to bless this panel and the carver who carved it and Fried Diesing, the artist, and all those who walk by this to use this facility.”

He explained it was symbolic that cedar boughs were used to bless the panel.

Even though the panel is carved of California red wood, cedar is what the Tsimshian use because it means so much to their culture, and is used in everything from clothing to transportation.

“Each crest was blessed individually, as the public watched.

Robertson called it a “very touching” ceremony.

“It is even more special when you share the tradition with the general public,” said Nelson.