News and Events

National Heart Manual Webinar - November 26, 9:30am-11:30am (PST)

Learn how the Heart Manual:

• Addresses gaps in care
• Decreases hospital admissions (COST SAVINGS)
• Meets patient and provider needs
• Benefits primary care practices

Contact us to reserve your space:

Clinical Prevention at 6th National Conference on Tobacco or Health - November 1-4, Montréal

Dr Bass of the Clinical Prevention team will present the Health Coordinator Pilot at the 6th National Conference on Tobacco or Health in Montréal, November 1st through 4th. Offered by the Canadian Council for Tobacco Control, this year's conference theme is Navigating the Shifting Landscape: a decade following the release of the 1999 National Strategy, what can we learn 10 years later?

Learn more about the NCTH conference on their website.

Heart Manual at 2009 Canadian Association of Cardiac Rehabilitation Symposium - October 23-25, Edmonton, Alberta

Healthy Heart Society will sponsor a reception for the 2009 CACR Showcase event for health professionals involved in cardiac rehabilitation. The Showcase will feature the Heart Manual.

HHS and CACR are exploring a partnership, working together on a national basis for increasing availability and access to cardiac rehabilitation.

UNBC nursing students staff Lakeland Mills hearts@work - October 24, Prince George

UNBC has partnered with Healthy Heart Society to train their nursing students in the delivery of the hearts@work program. Following training, the students will volunteer to staff a hearts@work screening event for Lakeland Mills and SHARP (United Steel Workers and Forest Industry "Safety and Health Research Program") at their mill in Prince George on October 24. Thank you to ManthaMed^® for their involvement in supporting the student training.

Heart Manual Facilitator Training Course - October 5-6, Fort McMurray, Alberta

A team of twelve health professionals from the Wood Buffalo Primary Care Network (PCN) attended the two-day course conducted by Madelene Daniel, RN, of Nanaimo, and Dr John Soos, R.Psych, of Vancouver. Over the next few months, the PCN will pilot the Heart Manual with 60 patients.

HHS Attends SHARP Conference "SHARPen Your Safety Knowledge - Understanding the Human Factor" - September 24-25, Prince George

Healthy Heart Society is pleased to participate in the USW-Forest Industry Safety and Health Research Program (SHARP) 2009 Safety Conference. In partnership with the BC Forest Safety Council, SHARP's bi-annual Safety Conference will focus on the Human Factors of Safety towards making workplaces safer and healthier.

Peer Health Network Steering Committe Meeting - September 16

In partnership with the Ministry of Health Services, BC Medical Association, ImpactBC and the regional Health Authorities, Healthy Heart Society hosted an Open Forum on July 15th towards personal involvement in improving healthcare in BC. The first Steering Committee meeting was held September 16. Watch for updates!

hearts@work pilot with Vancouver School Board - August 27 

On August 27 at Charles Tupper School, 45 Vancouver School Board employees will have the opportunity to be screened for risk factors related to heart disease, diabetes and other chronic conditions.

hearts@workMD pilot in Penticton - August 19 

Healthy Heart Society is looking forward to launching the new hearts@workMD strategy at a practice in Penticton, with a second pilot date to be confirmed later in August. Feedback from these pilots will inform improvements and streamlining for the program toolkit and implementation strategy.

Click here to find out more about hearts@workMD...

Welcome to the Peer Health Network

In partnership with Ministry of Health Services, BC Medical Association, Impact BC and the regional Health Authorities, Healthy Heart Society hosted an Open Forum on July 15th. The purpose of this gathering was to inform, from the early stages, what patients and community volunteers want and need in terms of personal involvement in improving healthcare in BC. We tackled this issue from a number of different levels: Peer supported, activated communities and a higher level of informed policy and planning.

Since this evening we have sent out the large discussion minutes from the meeting and an internal working group will discuss the potential directions of the Peer Health Network next week.

Healthy Heart Society sponsors Vancouver Board of Trade's Health Care Forum - July 21

Healthy Heart Society is the title sponsor for Vancouver Board of Trade's Health Care Forum coming up July 21st. This exciting event will bring together different sectors to address the role of business in meeting our health challenges in BC.

The forum objectives are Prevention, Health & Wellness, and Productivity.

When: July 21, 2009, 8:00am to 4:00pm

Where: Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue, Vancouver

People helping people! Open forum towards Peer Support Network

As partners and stakeholders in the BC Primary Health Care Charter and Patients as Partners agenda, the Healthy Heart Society of BC, Ministry of Health Services and Impact BC has invited twenty patients from around the province to participate in an Open Forum towards the development of a Peer Support Network.

As experts in the patient experience, participants will be invited to share how primary health care works for them and be part of a new initiative centering on patient and family involvement in care, quality improvement and redesign of the health system.

When: July 15th, 2009 5:00 - 9:00pm

Where: Executive Hotel Vintage Park, Vancouver

hearts@workMD Strategy launched

The hearts@workMD initiative is a cardiovascular risk assessment and group medical visit for patient self-management. This strategy takes the resources and learnings from hearts@work and applies them to primary care using a group medical visit format.

Click here to find out more about hearts@workMD...

Revised Smoker's Guide now available

The newly revised Smoker's Guide is now available through Healthy Heart Society. The Smoker's Guide is a self-management tool to support patients on the road to quitting smoking. Healthcare providers may include this resource as part of evidence-based clinical tobacco intervention. If you are a smoker thinking about quitting, talk to your healthcare provider. For more information, visit the Tobacco Intervention page for tobacco users...

Heart Manual Training follow-up with found Dr. Bob Lewin

Participants from the Heart Manual Facilitator workshop earlier this spring will have to opportunity to follow-up their training with Dr. Bob Lewin, founder and principle research of the original Heart Manual program. Dr. Lewin will review the practicalities of using the Heart Manual with patients with the HHS team of HM Facilitators on Monday, June 8th.

hearts@school evaluation of demonstration sites

Healthy Heart Society will host event coordinators from the three hearts@school demonstration sites on June 10th for an evaluation and debriefing session. Feedback will be used to evaluate the success of the demonstration events and incorporated into the hearts@school Community Toolkit before the official program launch. Demonstration sites included Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows, Langely and Oak Bay.

hearts@school exhibit at 2009 BCRPA Symposium Strength In Community

Learn about the hearts@school program at the BC Recreation and Parks Association's 2009 Symposium, May 27-29 in Whistler. This year's Symposium is themed Strength In Community and will explore innovative approaches to programming in an environment of changing cultures, including organizational culture, physical culture, arts & culture. Read more about the program on the BCRPA website.

Tobacco Intervention's Health Coordinator Pilot presented at COPD Learning Session

Physicians had the opportunity to learn about the Tobacco Intervention program's Health Coordinator Pilot project at the COPD Learning Session in Quesnel on May 20. Healthy Heart Society consultant Dr. Fred Bass presented in collaboration with staff from the Avery Clinic - one of the seven pilot sites in BC - about their experience so far. The project is piloting integration of systemic tobacco intervention in primary care.

Read more about the Health Coordinator Pilot...

The Heart Manual Facilitator Training Workshop

May 11-12 at the Granville Island Hotel, Vancouver.

Please contact info@healthyheart.bc.ca for registration details.

hearts@school Spring 2009 Community Events

• Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows, April 23
• Langley, April 30
• Oak Bay, May 6

Contact hearts@school coordinator info@healthyheart.bc.ca for more information.

Health Coordinator Pilot training sessions: April 6-8 

Tobacco Intervention team members will facilitate learning and training in clinical tobacco intervention with healthcare professionals at Valemount Health Centre in Valemount and the Avery Clinic in Quesnel. These two sites in northern BC are associated with the Health Coordinator Pilot:

• 5-hour training session with the healthcare team: medical office assistant, nurse practitioner and primary healthcare coordinator
• 1-hour meeting with physicians and clinic staff at the pilot sites

IHI's 10th Annual International Summit "Redesigning the Clinical Office Practice" (Co-hosted by ImpactBC) - March 23-24

Healthy Heart Society is an exhibitor at this year's IHI summit, the first time the Summit will take place in Canada at Vancouver's Trade and Convention Centre.

14th World Conference on Tobacco for Health - March 8-12, Mumbai, India

Poster: Piloting the Health Coordinator Role was presented outlining the progress to date of the pilot project looking at expanding the role of the medical office assistant in primary care and the delivery of systemic clinical tobacco intervention.

hearts@school nominated for BCRPA Program Excellence Award - February 20

Each year, the BC Recreation and Parks Association recognizes a number of individuals and organizations for their outstanding contributions to the field of parks, recreation, culture and health promotion. Bob Pope, recreation coordinator at Penticton Community Centre, is a champion of the hearts@school initiative in his community. Healthy Heart Society is delighted that Bob has nominated hearts@school for the BCRPA Award for Program Excellence.

"In 25 years as a recreation coordinator, hearts@school is the first health promotion program I have experienced that continues to successfully unite community health providers, education, and parks and recreation departments, as well as a host of other community and provincial stakeholders," says Bob. "Individuals benefit from the hearts@school program in endless ways - whether it is an increase in knowledge of healthy lifestyles or exposure to a variety of new physical activities leading to new lifetime leisure pursuits. All of these positive changes can ultimately prevent chronic disease in future years and enhance the quality of life."

Learn more about the BCRPA Provincial Awards...

hearts@work campaign captures the Spirit of 2010 - February 14

Participants at Nanaimo's Sports Fest 2009 will have the opportunity to have their heart health screened at this Spirit of BC Week event. hearts@work is part of an afternoon of activities celebrating the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, hosted by ActNow BC, Healthy Heart Society of BC, and the Ministry of Healthy Living and Sport.

Join us! Free to the public!

Read more about Sport Fest 2009

Okanagan-Skaha School District awarded funding for hearts@school

The Union of BC Municipalities has granted the Okanagan-Skaha School Disctrict $24,000 towards hearts@school events, resources and program development in the community.

Aboriginal ActNow - Honour Your Health Challenge participants join hearts-in-training

hearts-in-training had a successful kick-off in Lillooet last week, where 47 Honour Your Health Challenge participants were screened for heart health before embarking on a physical activity program. The same participants will be invited to have the screening 13 weeks from now to see how physical activity has impacted their health. The screening involved body mass index, blood pressure, cholesterol and blood glucose to identify risk factors for heart disease and diabetes. Participants were invited to speak with a nurse about setting other healthy lifestyle goals, such as quitting smoking, reducing stress, and eating more fruits and vegetables.

hearts-in-training will travel to 9 communities for screening events as part of the Honour Your Health Challenge and SportMedBC's RunWalk clinics. Watch for updates!

Read more about hearts-in-training...

Thousands of British Columbians motivated to live healthier...

Almost 5000 British Columbians had their heart health screened with hearts@work over 2007 and 2008 with the ActNowBC On The Road To Health Community Tour.  Participants were educated about their risk factors for heart disease, and the majority set goals for adopting a healthier lifestyle to reduce their risk. Screening also identified those at high risk for heart disease and diabetes, and these participants were referred to their doctors for follow-up. The hundreds of health professionals and community members trained for the events along with the healthy lifestyle changes adopted by participants will leave a lasting legacy in the 30 communities visited.

Findings:

• 75% of males were overweight or obese, compared to self-reported provincial statistics of 57%
• Less than half of participants reported achieving the recommended five or more days per week of physical activity
• 87% of participants reported screening motivated them to make healthy lifestyle changes
• Of participants who had set a goal of quitting smoking, 40% managed to quit with the remainder still working hard towards this goal

Read more about hearts@work screening on the ActNowBC Tour...