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Dr. Greg Linton and his spruce-roots-style band Dr. Fishy are excited about fundraising for the REM Lee Hospital Foundation. As published on www.terracestandard.com on September 19, 2023

New neonatal unit for Northwest BC will be life-changing for expectant mothers and newborns

Community support is essential to make the dream of the new NICU come true

A groundbreaking project to bring care closer to home for women and newborns with preterm or high-risk births will be life-changing for families in and around Terrace and Northwest B.C.

Led by the R.E.M. Lee Hospital Foundation, the "Closer to Home” campaign is raising funds toward the $14.5 million to add a new, four-bed, Tier 3 neonatal intensive care nursery (NICU) for the Mills Memorial Hospital replacement project, where construction is underway to create a new state-of-the-art hospital at double the current capacity.

The new NICU means vulnerable babies and anxious mothers, predominantly from Indigenous communities, will have access in and near their own communities and families, instead of leaving to receive care in Vancouver or Prince George.

It will offer the most current models of care for all high-risk, expectant women who walk through their doors. The Mills Memorial Hospital is also doubling its size with construction for a 78-bed hospital.

Currently, women with higher-risk pregnancies typically have to fly to Vancouver or Prince George to receive care and prepare for preterm deliveries, while their spouses and families often must stay back to care for the rest of the family in an already anxiety-filled situation. More than 75,000 people, including 40,000 in 28 area First Nations communities will benefit from the improvements to newborn care. The facility will be able to care for births as early as 34 weeks in regular cases and 32 weeks in emergencies, rather than the current 37 weeks.

“Infants, newborns are in a tender state. To have them go through the ordeal of being flown to Vancouver on a place when they should be cuddling with their Mom is harsh on a little one,” notes Ron Bartlett, a longtime Chair of the Dr. R.E.M. Lee Hospital Foundation .

Fundraising is underway

Fundraising for the new NICU kicked off on June 3rd, 2023, in conjunction with the Kitsumkalum Walk for Health event. Local Indigenous nations impacted include the Haida, Haisla, Kitselas, Kitsumkalum, Nisga’a and Tahltan nations. Others include surrounding areas from Atlin to Dease Lake, East to Smithers and Houston, and West to Prince Rupert including Haida Gwaii.

“It was phenomenal to be there with the Kitsumkalum Nation, and to have one of the nations served in this catchment area of 250,000 hectares help us kick off this NICU campaign, and highlight these incredible partnerships among nations and communities,” reflects Jeff Sodowsky, the Vice President of Global Philanthropic Canada, who is spearheading this campaign with a cabinet of dedicated volunteers and First Nations leaders from several communities.

Even a doctor, Dr. Greg Linton, and his spruce-roots style band called Dr. Fishy, are getting involved with this effort!

“When we heard about this $14.5 million Closer To Home project, we knew that we had a long way to go. So we contributed the $1,400 we raised to this event,” says band leader Linton, who gathered a large crowd at his home for an August fundraiser.

Local industries have also stepped up in the fundraising for the NICU, with Newcrest Mining making one of the campaign’s first gifts, Sodowsky says, but emphasizes that just as it takes a village to raise a child, it also takes a community to build a special care nursery. All donations – large and small – are both welcome and needed in the community effort.

For more information and to support this crucial fundraising effort for the new NICU in Terrace, visit: remleehospitalfoundation.org/current-needs

We enjoyed talking to you all about working in health care, the new features and floor plans of the new hospital, and the importance of the Closer to Home campaign for Northwest BC families.

In the photo to the left, in front of the Northern Health booth, from left to right, are:

• Eva Visscher, Northwest Recruitment and Retention Ambassador, Northern Health
  
  
• Sarah Artis, Project Liaison for the Mills Memorial Hospital Replacement Project
  
  
• Heather Bellamy, Executive Director, Dr. R.E.M. Lee Hospital Foundation

Here’s Eva biking in Deventer in The Netherlands, her home country. Eva Visscher is new to Kitimat and new to Northern Health. She joined the Northwest BC team in June 2023 as the Recruitment and Retention Ambassador for the region.

Learn a little bit about Eva and why she’s passionate about her new job and promoting careers in health care.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background?

I’m originally from the Netherlands and I came to Canada in 2005. I graduated from the University of Alberta in 2019 with a degree in Political Science and German but struggled to find work that would allow me to use my degrees.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit I went back to school. I completed my certificate in Human Resources Management from the University of Alberta in March of 2023. In that same month, my partner and I packed up our lives in Edmonton and moved to Kitimat.

As for me, a few things I love are soccer, reading classic novels, and travelling. I recently travelled to Australia and New Zealand.

What are you most excited about your new role?

I’m excited to work with many different people and communities. I love that I’m working with different teams in the region on how to best support recruitment and retention activities.

What are you most excited about moving to and now living in Northwest BC?

When they aren’t working, Eva and her husband Adam enjoy cross country skiing at the Onion Lake Ski Trails between Terrace and Kitimat.

We were looking for a new adventure. We wanted to get out of the big city. We really wanted a change of scenery, to be closer to nature and spend more time outdoors. We have not been disappointed. This is such a beautiful part of British Columbia. I can’t believe I’m able to see mountains from my office window! We feel completely at home.

What are your plans to reach out and connect with community in your new role?

Building connections with local communities is very important to me. This position is still very new, so I want to make sure I’m very visible and available for our community members. I’m currently working on sending out introduction emails to various key stakeholders and community groups, and I’m hoping to begin in person visits shortly. In-person conversations can be so impactful and meaningful, so I really want to prioritize meeting with people in person as much as possible.

Why do you think a career in health care is worth pursuing?

Working in health care is so rewarding. You can really make a difference in someone’s life. You are supporting your community and supporting others in their journeys and empowering them. There’s also so many different options and so much opportunity to grow.

Reach out

If you are interested in a career at Northern Health in the Northwest, check out job postings on the NH Careers website.

If you see Eva in your community, make sure you to say hello, or email her at eva.visscher@northernhealth.ca.

Passing the torch

Brad Leier of Terrace initially started in the NW Recruitment and Retention Ambassador position in 2022 but moved into a different role at Northern Health. He is now the Manager of Northwest Specialized Services (Mental Health & Substance Use), Acute & Tertiary Care.

During her first week of work, Eva spent time learning the ropes from Brad. Their paths will continue to cross going forward too, as Eva helps recruit and retain employees for the new Terrace hospital and Seven Sisters, a facility that Brad manages.

Lynn and Bryan Gascon in front of the Closer to Home campaign board at Mills Memorial Hospital. The Gascons, a Terrace couple well-known for their generosity, have made the largest ever personal contribution to the Dr. R.E.M Lee Hospital Foundation in the foundation's history.

The undisclosed amount, announced this past weekend during Riverboat days in Terrace, will go to the 'Closer to Home' campaign to support Tier 3 level services in the birthing unit at the new Mills Memorial Hospital.

This is the second history-making contribution the Foundation has announced this year, with Newcrest Mining contributing $2 million, the largest donation the Foundation has ever received from any donor, to the same campaign. Kitselas First Nation has also donated $10,000, and the Foundation hopes others will jump on board and contribute to this great cause.

'Closer to Home' Campaign

The Closer to Home campaign is fundraising to increase the level of neonatal and maternal services from Tier 2 to Tier 3 in the new hospital in Terrace. There is no other facility that offers Tier 3 level services in the Northwest Health Services area.

Currently mothers and infants that need emergent care, must experience often stressful and weather-dependent medical evacuation to either Prince George (Tier 4) or Vancouver (Tier 6.) Having care closer to home means mothers and babies will be surrounded by the people they need and their families less burdened by the financial and emotional costs of travel and long-term stays in unfamiliar settings.

For more info about the Closer to Home campaign and the expanded neonatal and maternal services, check out the Closer to Home video and case study.

And a big thanks to the Gascons!

Starting this week and over the next couple months, workers will be preparing to pave the road that runs along the west side of the Mills Memorial Hospital property. They will also be developing another 18 temporary unpaved parking spots near Haugland Avenue, south of the new Seven Sisters.

The work may result in a temporary increase of noise, vibration, dust and at times, smells. While these impacts may be unavoidable, as usual, we will minimize their severity and duration wherever and whenever possible.

This work will occur during regular construction site working hours (7am to 7pm). We aim to share more details as the work proceeds. However, the schedule of the work often depends on the conditions needed to perform tasks and this information is not always predictable ahead of time.

Paving will start at the south end of the site, near Haugland Avenue and proceed north towards Keith Avenue and then east, towards Tetrault Street.

The road being paved, currently being used for construction purposes, is the service road for the new hospital. The service road gives service vehicles and delivery trucks safe access to the property while minimizing disruption to emergency, staff, patient and visitor traffic.

Kitselas First Nation has donated $10,000 to the Dr. R.E.M Lee's Foundation's 'Closer to Home' campaign to support Tier 3 level services in the birthing unit at the new Mills Memorial Hospital.

Check out the local TV station CFTK News coverage of the generous donation.

This is the second major contribution since the campaign launched on June 3, 2023. The first donation was $2 million, the largest in the Foundation's history, from Newcrest Mining, which runs the Brucejack and Red Chris mines in Northwest BC.

The Closer to Home campaign is fundraising to increase the level of neonatal and maternal services from Tier 2 to Tier 3 in the new hospital in Terrace. There is no other facility that offers Tier 3 level services in the Northwest Health Services area.

Currently mothers and infants that need emergent care, must experience often stressful and weather-dependent medical evacuation to either Prince George (Tier 4) or Vancouver (Tier 6.) Having care closer to home means mothers and babies will be surrounded by the people they need and their families less burdened by the financial and emotional costs of travel and long-term stays in unfamiliar settings.

"This type of unit in the Terrace area would greatly benefit the whole region," said Kitselas Elected Chief Glenn Bennett, who is also helping with the fundraising campaign.

For more info about the Closer to Home campaign and the expanded neonatal and maternal services, check out the Closer to Home video and case study.

And a big thanks to Kitselas!

Yes! Parking at the hospital will continue to be free.

In other good news, parking is doubling, increasing from approximately 150 to 300 spots.

Adequate parking for patients, visitors and staff is an issue at the current hospital and an important part of the new build.

A significant number of the parking spots at the new facility will be where the existing hospital now stands. For this reason, parking for the entire project won't be complete until the middle of 2026. It can only be completed after the new hospital is already in operations and the current facility has been removed. Northern Health is working on finding solutions for parking in the interim.

Record breaking temperatures are in the forecast the next week in Terrace. And what accompanies hot weather? Dust!

Similar to previous years during hot and dry months, PCL is taking preventative measures to manage dust on and around the Mills Memorial Hospital construction site.

A water trailer is - and will be - on site at all times throughout the summer. Depending on conditions, the water truck sprays the site and surrounding areas, several times a day, to keep dust settled.

Part of the truck's route is along the road, between the site entrance on Tetrault Street (Gate 1) to the site entrance on Haugland Avenue (Gate 2), near the main entrance of the current hospital.

A hose is also located at each site entrance, and is used, as needed, to hose down vehicle tires. This prevents the tires from gathering and spreading dust into the air.

Stay cool!

Want to know more about the Dr. R.E.M Lee Foundation Closer to Home campaign? And why a Tier 3 level birthing unit at the new hospital in Terrace is so important for mothers, babies and all residents of Northwest BC?

Watch the Closer to Home Video

Read the Closer to Home Case for Support