Provincial Health Services Authority
1333 West Broadway V6H 1G9 Vancouver, BC, Canada

Blood test to reveal whether select prostate #cancer patients will respond well to treatment and may detect if their cancer is inherited which could have implications on cancer risk for their children. ow.ly/G04Q50D2Iz8

The latest map of COVID-19 cases by Health Service Delivery Area has been posted: ow.ly/TzX050D3Ztd You can find more maps and data here: ow.ly/aUuF50D3Ztc

How can Deaf or Hard of Hearing patients that rely on lip reading communicate with paramedics wearing a mask? Paramedics can now connect them with live ASL interpreters using an app on their @BC_EHS issued iPhones. Read more: http://ow.ly/GIJB50D3Y5K #virtualhealth

B.C. reports 617 new cases of #COVID19 and 18 new deaths. There are 358 individuals currently hospitalized with COVID-19, 75 of whom are in intensive care. A total of 46,259 people have received the COVID-19 vaccine. The outbreaks at Amenida Senior Community, North Peace Seniors Housing, Rotary Manor, Royal Arch Masonic Home and Tabor Home are over. http://ow.ly/h8jb50D3VAw

BC Children’s Hospital administered #COVID19 vaccines to approximately 188 health care workers at an on-site clinic today. Learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine: http://www.bccdc.ca//diseases-co/covid-19/covid-19-vaccine

Did you know you can get COVID-19 results by text message in B.C.? In the week following its launch B.C.’s COVID-19 results texting service reduced the volume of calls to the BCCDC results line by 50%. #DigitalHealthWeek. For more information or to sign up to get results by text message go here: http://ow.ly/H8Hx50CpyQv

#COVID19 update: 538 new cases for a total of 24,960 cases. There are 6,929 active cases. There are 217 individuals currently hospitalized with COVID-19, 59 of whom are in intensive care. There has been one new COVID-19 related death, for a total of 321 deaths in British Columbia. There has been four new health-care facility outbreaks at Cottage-Worthington Pavilion, Langley Memorial Hospital, The Residence at Clayton Heights and Windermere Care Centre. There has been one new community outbreak at JGC Fluor BC LNG Joint Venture. http://ow.ly/f8P650CpMmu

"Digital health is like an iceberg, you only see the top, but it's made possible by work at health care organizations across B.C." - Hilary Horlock, Senior Enterprise Architect, PHSA When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, people throughout B.C.’s health care system worked together to make virtual health tools available to the public quickly. As we recognize #DigitalHealthWeek, thank you to all the people on the frontlines and behind the scenes who’ve come together to bring these tools to the people of B.C.!

#COVID19 update: 516 new cases for a total of 25,474 cases. There are 7,122 active cases. There are 227 individuals currently hospitalized with COVID-19, 57 of whom are in intensive care. There has been ten new COVID-19 related deaths, for a total of 331 deaths in British Columbia. There has been three new health-care facility outbreaks at Agecare Harmony Court Care Centre, Discovery Harbour Care and Youville Residence. http://ow.ly/XQrH50CqPZr

Meet Kimberley Korf-Uzan, Director of eMental Health and Special Projects at BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services. Her collaboration with the Office of #VirtualHealth began in 2018. Since March of 2020, there’s been a really big shift and I’ve become even more focused on virtual health initiatives. In terms of my role and responsibilities, a big part of my job is making sure that I can support, first and foremost, all of our clinical program areas in accessing the bas...ic virtual health platforms and tools that they need to deliver health care services while working remotely. The Breaking Free Online initiative was unique because it was the first time that we were using tablets to support access to treatment for clients. For that project, we worked with the Office of Virtual Health to provide clients at the Burnaby Centre for Mental Health and Addiction with access to an online substance abuse relapse prevention program, which was supplemented by facilitated group activities. One of the initiatives that had the greatest impact during COVID-19 was the deployment of tablets in all of our in-patient programs, where patients are often staying for multiple months. This was a project led by our patient and family experience team to allow clients to connect to friends and loved ones in the community because visitation to our in-patient units was limited. We just heard such amazing stories of connection that have occurred, and that go beyond what we could have expected. Our patients come from around the province, and there are some who haven’t seen family or haven’t had that opportunity for visitation in such a long time. It’s really been an opportunity for them to reconnect. Staying connected is just so powerful for recovery, and can go a long way toward helping our clients stay motivated and engaged in their recovery journey. #thinkdigitalhealth #digitalhealth #healthcareinnovators #healthtech #virtualhealth

Attention all mummies and daddies: if you’re taking your child out trick-or-treating this #Halloween, remember to stay bright, clean hands frequently, check candy and don’t crowd: http://ow.ly/UDdy50C59B8

Devon Haag is a project manager with the Digital Public Health Services and the BCCDC. I liaise with different program areas, mostly clinical, to identify virtual and digital health needs, then work with OVH to assess, implement and evaluate solutions. I work closely with clinicians, practice leads and public health managers to re/design workflows, procedures and training materials. I also oversee GetCheckedOnline, our virtual sexual health clinic. Most recently, however..., I’ve been heavily involved in various COVID-19 related projects focused on improving public access to testing results. One project that I’m really excited to be working on is Clinical Digital Messaging, which essentially is low-barrier text messaging between providers and clients. We’ll be launching this in both our TB and sexually transmitted infection (STI) clinical areas in the new year. It has the power to reduce no-shows in our clinics, improve medication adherence and generally facilitate better communications between clinicians and our client populations. #thinkdigitalhealth #virtualhealth #virtualcare #healthcareinnovators

Meet Janice, a business analyst with the Office of Virtual Health since June of 2020. She supports projects by working on a variety of tasks; developing testing plans, working with privacy and security, creating evaluation plans and working with end users. The launch of the OneTouch solution at the Diabetes in Pregnancy clinic at BC Women’s is a pretty cool project. Our team was able to help a clinic move from a traditional paper log book of transcribing and transferring a ...patient’s blood sugar reading to using Bluetooth transmission to allow for real-time and accurate blood sugar readings. This allows for the clinicians to make more accurate and timely decisions to provide patients with the best care possible. In honour of #DigitalHealthWeek , stay tuned for more introductions to staff working with the Office of Virtual Health! #thinkdigitalhealth #virtualhealth #womenshealth #childrenshealth #bchealth

#COVID19: 762 new cases for a total of 24,422. There are 6,861 active cases and 209 people are in hospital, 58 of whom are in intensive care. There have been 10 new COVID-19 related deaths, for a total of 320. There are three new health-care facility outbreaks at Agecare Harmony Court Estates, Menno Home and at Peace Villa. The outbreaks at Normanna and La Casa Resort are now over. http://ow.ly/JyIF50CoDaE

#COVID19 update: 272 new cases, for a total of 14,381 cases. There are 2,390 active cases with 78 people in hospital, 25 of whom are in intensive care. There has been one new COVID-19 related death, for a total of 263. There have been three new health-care facility outbreaks: Hawthorne Seniors Care Community, CareLife Fleetwood and Queen’s Park Hospital unit 3C NMSK 2. The outbreaks at Fort Langley Seniors Community, The Village and Sunset Manor and Good Samaritan Victoria Heights have been declared over. http://ow.ly/kIbT50C7JgQ

Trick or tweet! For those who choose to trick-or-treat, try to keep things outdoors if you can and stay in your local neighbourhood, ensuring adequate space between you and others throughout the night. If the porch lights are off, respect the homeowner by staying away: http://www.bccdc.ca//Treat-yo-self-to-a-safe-Halloween.aspx

Naloxone saves lives by reversing opioid overdoses. The Take Home Naloxone program provides training and kits through more than 1,700 sites across the province. Find a site: http://ow.ly/FsSN50BdGtp #StopOverdose

Here are some creative ways to distribute candy this #Halloween that are really a breath of fresh scare! Use tongs, a baking sheet or make a candy slide to create more space when handing out candy. Hand out individually sealed, pre-packaged treats instead of offering a shared bowl. For more tips: http://ow.ly/QuAQ50C5jAv

#COVID19 update: 234 new cases, for a total of 14,109 cases. There are 2,344 active cases. Currently there are 86 people in hospital, 24 in intensive care. There has been one new death, for a total of 262. http://ow.ly/qPQA50C6HA8

Although we know ghouls (and boys) just want to have fun, this #Halloween, keep it safe and fun by using your COVID-sense. Skip big group parties and opt for a more intimate gathering by keeping it small, local and within your social group: http://ow.ly/GPd750C5k1k

If you’re coffin up a storm and feeling sick, the best thing you can do is to self-isolate and stay home. Don’t forget to turn off your porch light to let others know you are not participating in #halloween activities: http://ow.ly/ajVB50C5iQi

#COVID19 update: 287 new cases, for a total of 13,875 cases. There are 2,316 active cases. Currently, 87 people are in hospital, 25 of whom are in intensive care. There have been two new COVID-19 related deaths, for a total of 261. There is a new health-care facility outbreak at PICS assisted-living facility. The outbreaks at Dr. Al Hogg Pavilion and at Delta Hospital are now over. There has been one new community outbreak at the Okanagan Men’s Centre. ow.ly/2qj450C5BaD

If you use substances, please do not use alone. Use an overdose prevention site or buddy up but make sure there is one person who can respond to an overdose and waits to use themselves. Carry naloxone. Find an OPS and harm reduction supplies: http://ow.ly/fhXW50BNtnC

If you’re foraging for mushrooms be alert to poisonous varieties. Go with an expert and if you are unsure, don’t eat it. If you suspect you consumed a poisonous mushroom, call the Drug and Poison Information Centre 24-hour phone line at: 1-800-567-8911. http://ow.ly/bNz650BNt0v

Remember that one of the best things you can do to prevent infection and protect loved ones is to wash your hands regularly and avoid touching your face. http://ow.ly/BOjK50BwMyD