Alandra Corrigan’s Post

#TheHeartofBarwonHealth 𝐃𝐫 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐦 𝐍𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐡, 𝐄𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐩𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐧 "I am an emergency medicine physician and have worked here as a consultant for about six years. I graduated from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland in 2006, and after spending about five years in the local health service. We then moved to Melbourne where I commenced my ED training at The Alfred. I joined Barwon Health in 2016 as a registrar. The lifestyle opportunities and excellent specialist exam training are what drew me here. The support and camaraderie in the emergency department, as well as the dynamic leadership group, are what keep me here. It’s certainly a challenging role, but it offers numerous growth opportunities. One of the biggest challenges we face is adapting to the evolving landscape of healthcare. Populations are growing and there’s increasing demand. However, it’s not just about treatment and management; it’s about being a companion on a patient’s journey. That companionship validates our work and makes patients feel heard. Improving access and reducing anxiety and negative patient experiences in neurodiverse patients is a project that I'm passionate about. Many neurodiverse individuals face significant challenges when visiting the emergency department, including heightened anxiety and sensory overload. These experiences can make an already stressful situation even more daunting. My goal is to create a more inclusive and supportive environment in the emergency department, where neurodiverse patients feel understood and cared for. By implementing tailored strategies and training for staff, we can better address the unique needs of these patients, ultimately leading to more positive healthcare experiences and outcomes for them."

How long do you have to wait to see a doctor where you live? I live in Jurien Bay, 2.5 hours north of Perth on the coast. We used to have 3 doctors 3 years ago. We are now down to 1 doctor, though the local shire is contracted to provide a minimum of 2 doctors. The single doctor serves the population of 5 towns and the farms in between. The current wait time for an appointment is 7 weeks. We were offered a teleconference call with a doctor for my 83-year-old dad last week. He couldn't understand her accent and she couldn't see his severely swollen feet because it wasn't a video call or an in-person visit. The call was a waste of time. When you are dealing with someone who has a terminal illness, you need access to doctors. For a rich and developed country, Australia lags behind other countries for resources. People in the country are having to drive hundreds of kilometers to see a doctor (if they can get an appointment). And yet the local shire just says sorry but there's nothing we can do. They are chasing overseas doctors who need to have their qualifications recalibrated to Australian standards - it can take months for this to happen. Even to get an ambulance, the local one couldn't be used because there was no nurse available. One was sent 300km from Perth, even though there are 3 in the town 😱 How long does it take for you to get a Dr appointment where you live? #doctors #rural #health

Why Acadian Health? #servantleadership We ask how we can help our team members do their own jobs better — then listen. #beinghuman We ask how we can help our patient’s improve their quality of life — then listen. #patientcenteredcare #traumainformedcare #culturalawareness

  The Ranters and Levellers and Diggers are no longer household names, although they were very popular in 1650. However, they have been resurrected in a new form – as junior doctors. "Pull down the NHS, destroy it, give us anywhere else to work for but the NHS, intellectual validation and days off and going to Canada are the main game now, as is attacking NHS support workers - and, please, why should we pretend Full Pay Restoration of 35% has anything to do with caring for patients. We are founding the New Jerusalem of health care here, with doctors at the top once again, so get on board or go kill yourself you old fashioned doctor or patient." This is a fairly typical post on most junior doctor web forums. As communicators do we not have a duty to call out when something is wrong and rotten with the health service? The rot and the wrong are the morality and ethics that our future doctors seem to believe in.  

Continuity of care is very important for anyone advancing in age or approaching the end of life. As end of life doulas, it's our job to bridge the gap between the medical care provided and the many and varied other aspects of end of life through practical, emotional, physical and spiritual support. We can provide that all-important continuity of care. Continuity of care has been shown, repeatedly, to result in better care outcomes for people – better experiences, greater satisfaction in care, quicker treatment, increased treatment adherence, and improved outcomes for individuals and those close to them. Unfortunately, finding continuity of care in our healthcare system can be difficult. Particularly when the active dying stage is treated as a medical event, as it so often is, this may mean lots of lights, sirens and emergency visits, and the chances of receiving the same care each time are unlikely. As end of life doulas, we couldn't possibly do our jobs without the tremendous support and expertise of medical and nursing personnel. And, that is also why our role is so very crucial. Because we CAN do it. We have the time to sit with our clients and those close to them and talk. We have the time to be emotionally available, to make sure they've understood their diagnosis, the care directives, the doctors' recommendations and support options. We can provide them with the continuity of care and support they need and deserve. #doula #EndOfLife #EndOfLifeDoula #PalliativeCare #PreparingTheWay #ContinuityOfCare #healthcare

Often, I engage in conversation with friends or colleagues expressing frustration about their inability to secure a family doctor. As BC and frankly, all of Canada faces a primary care crisis - earlier this year, healthcare professionals, the Ministry of Health and Doctors of BC teamed up to launch an innovative new longitudinal family physician funding model to support BC family physicians and their offices. The data suggest that this effort is already establishing new ground for family doctors to practice comprehensive family medicine (amazing to see this change in only 7.5 months!). In addition, we recently had a citizen panel of 31 British Columbians come together to deliberate the strengths and opportunities of our current healthcare system. I am beyond proud of the leadership that has led these changes and am looking forward to seeing the positive impact they yield on our society's health and overall well-being. With all of this said, we need to continue to build on this great work. Here are some key recommendations put forward by the citizen panel, along with an op-ed providing further context by Drs. Goldis Mitra Christie Newton Tara Kiran - Expand community Health Centres to every community - Organize primary care like the public school system - Give patients access to their own health records/expand virtual care options #primarycaretransformation #qualitycare #healthcareaccessibility

Interesting piece on EMcentric about some of the challenges related to rural emergency medicine: https://lnkd.in/eP9Ud9ym #emergencymedicine #er #ruralmedicine #healthcare #health #career

Spoiler alert: $10k signing bonuses for select Laboratory roles at Island Health!! Something I learned since starting with Island Health is that there's a critical shortage of Medical Laboratory professionals across Canada. Beyond that, this shortage leads to cascading effects negatively impacting patients everywhere. This can lead to the more inconvenient effect of increased wait times, but also leads to more severe effects in terms of negative patient outcomes, and increased suffering due to unknown causes. When labs don't have the staff to stay open, they have to shut down services. Specimens from areas without coverage have to be transported to other areas, creating backlogs. Emergency rooms can shut down, mystery illnesses go undiagnosed, more populated areas go through longer wait times to deal with the added capacity, while rural or remote areas may not have the ability to help patients for days. All this to say.. to help address shortages here on the island, we're offering signing bonuses for new Medical Lab Technologists, and Combined Lab / Xray Technologists for permanent fulltime, and part time positions (over .6 FTE)! If you or someone you know could be interested in bringing their skills to the island, here's a list of our eligible positions! https://lnkd.in/gvZi9fmx

"Wherever the art of medicine is loved, there is also a love for humanity.” – Hippocrates This timeless quote from the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates captures the essence of why so many of us are drawn to the field of healthcare. It's not just about the science and technical skills, but the deeper calling to care for and serve others with compassion. As healthcare professionals, we have the privilege of connecting with people during some of the most vulnerable and important moments of their lives. No matter our specific role - doctor, nurse, therapist, administrator, or otherwise - we are united by a shared purpose to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those we serve. Let us continue to cultivate this love for humanity in all that we do. #Medicine #Healthcare #MeaningfulWork #HealthcareCulture