The East Shore Kootenay Lake Community Health Society have been busy since July 2023, when we were featured as member of the month in the July BCRHN Newsletter!
As a quick recap, there are seven communities spread along the East Kootenay Lake shoreline for 80 kilometres, from Wynndel to Riondel. A small community health clinic, located in Crawford Bay, provides some primary and community care services for a permanent population of 2,241 (according to the 2021 Census). To access health services not provided locally, residents have to travel to Nelson or Creston and beyond. Access is by ferry and then a 34 kilometre drive by highway to Nelson on the northern end. Access to the town of Creston on the southern end is a 20 to 90 kilometre drive via a narrow, winding highway.
The community health clinic has funding for a full-time physician, but currently has a permanent physician only one day per week, with additional part-time locum coverage by phone or a small number of in-office days each month. A nurse practitioner is available 5 days per week. Community health nursing services are available 3 days per week, managed from Nelson, and a laboratory tech travels from Nelson one day per week. A social worker from Kaslo is available 2 days per week. Emergency Health Services are provided by one community-based paramedic, and two other paramedics travelling to the area. Additionally, there are volunteer first responders in both Riondel and Boswell.
During the fall of 2023, with a grant from the Regional District of Central Kootenay, the Board members with the assistance of a local consultant, set out to ‘take the pulse of our community’. To gather input from members of our community we used a two pronged approach: four town hall events were organized and an online survey was released after the four town hall meetings were completed. The online survey provided another avenue for community members to share their perspectives with the Society.
The town halls were organized with open-ended questions, with both small group and large group discussions. The small group discussions were organized using the BC Patient Safety & Quality Council’s Quality Matrix – 5 Health Areas, asking participants to identify what activities in that area were valuable, their perspective on the major challenges – and ideas for improvement. The larger group discussion was centred on what priorities should the Society focus on over the short term.
After analyzing the feedback the following themes were identified:
The Crawford Bay Clinic building is overcrowded, lacks privacy as its walls are not sound proof, and is too small to house a primary care team. 40% of respondents receive their care at the Clinic and more would like to have access. The currently services are very much appreciated.
Coordination of care was a big challenge, the realities of the ferry service schedule, and winter road conditions. Most times procedures are scheduled at hours that make it impossible to be there without an overnight stay, expectations of attending in-person pre-procedure, procedure, and follow-up appointments on multiple days, and a lack of knowledge regarding what is available in the community for rehabilitation or post-procedure therapy. The East Shore clinic has telehealth facilities in place, but there were questions as to whether these are being utilized to the extent that they could be.
Supportive health and social services are predominantly volunteer run. Community services, such as Better at Home and East Shore Hospice are seen as important, providing meaningful assistance, especially for those with chronic and/or life limiting health conditions. Underfunding and revenue uncertainty for these programs, as well as volunteer burnout were major concerns.
Information and online services, many residents expressed frustration with knowing where to locate the information they need. Interest was expressed in some form of listing or resource page that could help individuals navigate. Keeping in mind that there is a mix of confidence in using technology to access information and resources online, and the strength and reliability of Wi-Fi can be variable across the East Shore.
Transportation and housing options were two other strong themes raised in all forums. With the East Shore population spread out along the lakeshore over substantial distances, transportation is needed to access even local services and programs. There is very little by way of apartments or seniors housing on the East Shore.
These themes we feel have been echoed in the research undertaken by the BCRHN and other rural jurisdictions. Being a member of the BCRHN provides multiple opportunities to come up with unique solutions.
The Board of the East Shore Kootenay Lake Community Health Society has made some progress in providing information on available health resources in our community. In 2022, the Society hosted the first annual Health Fair! This event provides an opportunity for a range of health practitioners to share information about their services and details on how to access them. The Health Fair was so well-received that it has become an annual event. Our next one is scheduled for June 21st, 2025. If you wish to be an exhibitor, want more information or just want to attend please send an email to eshealthsociety@gmail.com
We have also made some inroads with the coordination of care. The Board has regular scheduled meeting with Interior Health where we are able to bring forward the most urgent matters, including the need for increased services and more transparent communication with our communities and their members. This relationship has resulted in an increase in some vital services at the clinic, as well as a growing understanding between the health authority representatives and our board. Most recently we were invited to join the Kootenay Boundary Family Physician Division Patient Advisory Committee. Belonging to this Committee will be a valuable resource and support as we explore the potentials of a Community Health Centre model to resolve some of our major challenges.
To provide clarity of focus for our small and mighty Board, we recently revisited our report from the community consultations.With the assistance of our consultant, we developed a renewed vision and mission statements. This will guide us, as we work towards attaining stronger connections and relationships in our communities, and with other groups and agencies that have a shared interest in improving services and access on the East Shore.
Our vision: “A vibrant rural community with robust, innovative health services that support the well-being of all community members, regardless of age, state, and means”.
