Our recent blast of winter weather has made things interesting, if not treacherous for some. It certainly reminded me of the many years I lived in Vermont and northeast Ohio.
As providers, we have a unique perspective on how these kinds of conditions affect our patients. It could be new injuries as the result of a fall or chronic health conditions that flare up during the cold. Some can be life-threatening.
One of PeaceHealth's doctors in Springfield,
Dr. Brenda Ormesher, successfully treated a gentleman for carbon monoxide poisoning (see video) this past week. I imagine others have seen the impact of the frigid temps, snow and ice as well -- not just health-related but travel, cancellations, broken pipes and so forth. Still, it hasn't deterred caregivers from being bedside, in the exam room or at the office. The extra efforts--particularly by those in the areas hardest hit--are sincerely appreciated.
Also, this week, a dozen or so clinicians in Oregon watched the simulcast of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) national forum on Tuesday and Wednesday. Thanks to
Shane Rush for a great
summary of each presentation. Recordings of those talks will be made available in January on the PeaceHealth Leadership Institute website.
It is gratifying to see that IHI is focusing on many of the same issues we are addressing at PeaceHealth to improve the care of those who live in the communities we serve.
