December 2016
FROM JO-ANNE'S DESK
FEELING GRATEFUL
I am very happy to begin this month’s column with good news. After more than a year of very hard work, VON has completed its restructuring under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA). On Monday, VON Canada implemented a payment plan with our creditors and on Tuesday we emerged from creditor protection, and we are once again able to operate like any other charitable organization. VON East and West have also completed creditor payments, and in the course of the next few weeks will wind down completely.
While there is much to be grateful for, I am drawn back to November last year, when our Board and Senior Management Team were grappling with very difficult decisions. One year later, we still have deep personal regrets about having had to make a decision that so closely affected the lives of many of our employees and clients. At the same time, having now come out the other side, we know that the decision was the right one for our organization. Simply put, it allowed us to continue to serve our clients in Ontario and Nova Scotia, where we remain important contributors to the health system – something we would not otherwise have been able to do.
We are now able to focus more fully on our future. In Ontario, we are reorganizing our teams to better respond to our funders as they begin to integrate home and community care by merging the Community Care Access Centres (CCACs) into the Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) under the newly-enacted Patients First legislation. In Nova Scotia, having reduced our rates and contributed to ending wait lists for people approved for home support services, we are now awaiting performance-based contracts for our visiting nursing and home support work. And at VON Canada, we are very much focused on how we work together as a strong network of sites and of people, and on the systems that connect and improve that work.
The work each one of us does to help Canadians remain healthy and in their own homes or surrounded by the people they care about is critically important. I am grateful for your work, for your care for our clients and for your commitment to our ongoing success. I am grateful too for the support of our many partners, volunteers and donors.
Please take a few minutes to read the stories below. Some are about your colleagues, some about the ways we work, and there’s a special offer for you as well, from one of our telecom partners.
I wish each of you a wonderful Christmas and holiday season. I hope that many of you are able to take time with your family and friends. Please also take a moment or two to think about the difference you make in people’s lives – we do have much for which to be grateful.
President and CEO
FROM THE FIELD
CARING IN CAPE BRETON
It started to rain like crazy in Cape Breton on Thanksgiving Sunday….and it didn’t take long for people to realize this wasn’t just a normal storm – it was the tail end of Hurricane Matthew, and it hit hard. Heavy rains and winds slammed the island that afternoon, flooding buildings and washing out roads, dropping power lines and toppling trees. By Sunday evening, 20,000 homes were without power.
Laurie Clark, Nurse Manager, says that for the team up there, everything came together to make sure that our staff and clients were safe, that our efforts were coordinated with Continuing Care, and that our clients were notified and visited if needed. The team had planned for an emergency preparedness drill later in the month, but the storm and floods put the whole team through its paces that weekend.
By Thanksgiving Monday, power to our Cape Breton office was down too, and the whole CSA team moved over the Holiday Inn, which welcomed VON with open arms – and free of charge. When the wifi there went down, with help from Tracy Atkinson from the Lean team and Mike Cavanagh in IT, the team hotspotted from their mobiles to keep everything going.
Laurie says that lots of things from those few days really stand out for her. On Day 1, the disaster and emergency training really kicked in and they got everyone home safely while keeping the lines of communication open with staff and clients. No red tape, just a lot of people thinking on their feet and relying on their training. The way the CSA team came together to keep things running, Tracy’s leadership in setting that up, the way the nurses checked in with each other, with our clients and with the CSAs helped everyone remain in close contact… all these things stand out in Laurie’s mind.
The team learned plenty of lessons that they are working into their day-to-day. But the biggest lesson was that everyone showed courage, everyone participated …. and in spite of the adversity, they managed to do this with a real sense of fun.
Congratulations to Laurie and the whole Cape Breton team.
FROM THE FIELD
SMILE – WE’RE WINNERS!
Have you heard of Seniors Managing Independent Living Easily? That’s VON’s SMILE – a great self-directed care program that helps seniors do just what the name says.
VON’s SMILE team was awarded the 2016 Award for Commitment to Exceptional Client and Family Care by the Ontario Community Support Association at a gala presentation this fall.
SMILE served more than 2500 clients last year, making it possible for seniors at risk of premature dependency to remain independent in their own homes. By providing flexible access to a range of traditional and non-traditional services that help with activities of daily living, the program serves clients with needs comparable to those waitlisted for long-term care.
In one memorable instance, the program coordinator received a call from a senior in a desperate situation – his spouse had been admitted to hospital in another city, and he was unable to care for himself. He had no food in the house, and no one else to turn to for support. Fortunately, he was admitted to the program, received a visit from a CSS agency that very afternoon, and began receiving meals and housekeeping services immediately. That was three years ago, and the client and his spouse continue to live independently.
PRIORITY PROJECTS
MAKE MEETINGS MATTER!
Many of us feel like we spend too long in meetings. Sound familiar? Charlie Hawkins, an author and meeting facilitator, has some great guidelines for making meetings matter. The Culture Priority Project team thinks that they’re worth sharing. They are clear, practical and if adopted should help free up our time for more high-value work. We’ll send out a little poster with the next newsletter, but in the meantime, you can start adopting these practices today.
Before the meeting (4Ps)
- Purpose – know why you are meeting
- People – who should participate and the roles they play
- Place – make the most of the space, real or virtual
- Preparation – create an agenda and come prepared to participate during the meeting
During the meeting (4Fs)
- Focus – stay on track and on time
- Facilitation – keep the discussion energized and relevant
- Feedback – evaluate ideas without crushing them
- Fun and fellowship – ways to lighten up
Ending the meeting (4Cs)
- Consensus – decisions everyone can live with and support
- Closure – determine clear follow-up action steps
- Critique and celebration – evaluate meeting effectiveness
- Communication – publish a summary of the meeting
SPECIAL OFFERING
SMART PHONING
Would you or someone on your shopping list like a new smart phone for Christmas? TELUS, our main telecom partner, has an online offer just for you. Click on TELUS’ VON Employee Portal to get access to discounts of up to $400 on new phones, and monthly plans at rates that are on average 30% lower than you’d find in a TELUS store or through many other vendors. Whether you’re already a TELUS customer and are looking to upgrade your phone or add subscribers to your plan, or if you’re in the market for a new phone and plan, this online-only offer is worth a look.
SPOTLIGHT
IT’S FLU SEASON
Remember that now’s the time to have your flu shot. Whether you’re working clients, or in an office, or even if you’re working from home – your health matters. If your site is offering clinics this year, please take the opportunity to protect yourself and those you care about from the flu. And if your site doesn’t have a clinic, stop by your local pharmacy and roll up your sleeve. Let’s challenge each other to make sure that all of us – staff, volunteers and our family members – are ready for flu season.
National Director, Safety, Health and Wellness
FINANCE FACTS
IT’S BUDGET TIME!
The Finance team and many others across VON are focused on planning for next year. As part of that, we are drawing up our annual budget. Out in Operations, this is a complicated effort that is part science and part art. It requires a really solid grasp of the number of visits and units of service we will deliver next year, an understanding of what our funders are doing and expecting, and adherence to really specific business basics like productivity targets in home care and visiting nursing. It’s complex, but getting it right is critical to VON’s ability to manage and plan for investment in our future. If you’re part of the process, your Finance team is here to help.
Senior Director, Finance
