Pictured is Chandel-Bailey Morrison as the two representatives awaited the start of the career showcase.
Prairie Mountain Health (PMH) continues active recruitment efforts by attending many events throughout the province. On May 8, PMH was on hand for the senior practicum showcase, sponsored by Red River College Polytech in Winnipeg. The event provided PMH with an opportunity to meet students from healthcare career programs which included nursing students, health care aides and health unit clerks and chat about potential employment opportunities within the region.
PMH was represented by Recruitment Coordinator Nicole Gulenchin and Dauphin Regional Health Centre Manager of Health Services Chandel-Bailey Morrison, who were happy to explain what the region has to offer and how they can make the easy transition into the healthcare workforce within the region.
Wes Anderson, and Brent Havelange, far right, joined Dr. Porimol Debnath and Tamara Kemp-Boulet, PMH Recruitment and Retention Coordinator to see the sights.
One of the cornerstones of Prairie Mountain Health’s rural physician recruitment program includes sponsorship of physicians through two innovative provincial programs offered through University of Manitoba’s Max Rady School of Medicine. Prairie Mountain Health (PMH), along with community partners, welcomes physicians who have successfully completed the Manitoba Licensure Program for International Medical Graduates (MLPIMG) to the region.
On March 28, Dr. Porimol Debnath, who is originally from Bangladesh, toured Russell and the surrounding area. He said the experience left a strong impression.
“I really enjoyed my tour of the area,” said Dr. Debnath. “People were very warm and welcoming, and I really liked the hospital and clinic. I’m looking forward to starting work in Russell and building connections in the community.”
Upon successfully completion of the one-year training program, Dr. Debnath is anticipated to begin practicing in Russell later this fall.
Dr. James Honiball meets Dr. Debnath at the Russell Health Centre.
Practice‑Ready Program update
PMH has also welcomed two physicians through the Practice Ready Assessment’ program, which offers an accelerated pathway to licensure to qualified candidates following a three‑month practice evaluation process.
Dr. Tolulope Oni and Dr. Marvis Ofurum completed the program in February and are now practicing in Russell and Brandon, respectively.
Four additional physicians are currently completing this assessment process and are expected to start in Fall 2026, with planned placements in Russell, Swan River and Carberry.
Representatives of the Municipality of Russell-Binscarth were on hand to tour a new physician around the area, including a visit to the Asessippi Ski Resort near Russell.
Dr. Debnath chats with Russell physician Dr. Wickus Pieterse.
SPARK: Supporting Mental Wellness in Our Communities
SPARK: Supporting Mental Wellness in Our Communities
During Mental Health Awareness Week, May 4-10, 2026 the Canadian Mental Health Association encourages everyone to connect—with our communities and with ourselves. What better time than now to introduce a long-standing committee within Prairie Mountain Health: SPARK.
Formerly known as the Mental Wellness and Suicide Prevention Committee, the group has rebranded as SPARK — Suicide Prevention, Awareness, Resilience, and Knowledge, complete with a refreshed look and logo that reflects its ongoing commitment to community well-being.
The SPARK committee is made up of community members from Swan River, Roblin, Dauphin, and Ste. Rose. Members meet bi-monthly, working toward a shared vision of improving mental wellness and reducing suicide risk for individuals across the Parkland region.
Throughout the year, SPARK leads and supports a variety of initiatives that bring people together and promote mental health awareness. These include Blue Monday activities, Mental Health Awareness Week walks, virtual events for World Maternal Mental Health Day, as well as World Suicide Prevention Day activities such as Chalk the Walk and candlelight vigils.
Throughout Mental Health Awareness Week, SPARK members will be hosting events across the Parkland region, including:
Click to enlarge
Roblin HERO Club – A community walk with refreshments and a discussion to follow, along with outreach activities throughout the week and a window display featuring resources from the Canadian Mental Health Association.
World Maternal Mental Health Day
The mission of SPARK is to support and encourage individuals, families, communities, and professionals to achieve the best possible health and wellness. Through education and public awareness, the committee works to strengthen mental health promotion efforts and enhance suicide prevention across the region.
We all have mental health, just like we all have physical health, and our experiences shape how we understand and support one another. By sharing, listening, and strengthening connections, we build healthier communities where people feel supported, valued, and not alone.
For more information or to connect with a SPARK committee member, please contact Ashley Vandepoele at [email protected] or Olivia Acorn at [email protected]. SPARK is always looking to grow, and new members are welcome.
If you or someone you know is struggling, support is available. You can call or text 988 Suicide Crisis Helpline by dialing 9-8-8, anytime, day or night.
Submitted by Kelly Lewis SPARK Member HOPE Community Coordinator
International Harm Reduction Day, May 7, 2026, is an opportunity to recognize not only the many health care workers who center their practice around a harm reduction approach, but also the peers and individuals with lived and living experience of substance use. Their voices and contributions are integral to advancing this work and supporting their communities.
Although harm reduction has been officially recognized since the 1980s and practiced informally for much longer, significant work remains across many sectors to expand its reach. Despite strong evidence demonstrating that harm reduction saves lives, many communities still lack access to essential services such as drug checking, safer consumption sites, and other life-saving supports. Stigma remains pervasive, often acting as a barrier to care and limiting access to health and social services for those who need them most.
At PMH, we acknowledge the importance of peer voices and the individuals who continue to show up for their communities despite ongoing challenges and barriers. In particular, we would like to recognize PMH’s two official Peer Volunteers, who have generously contributed their time, experience, and expertise to our organization. They have spent countless hours developing and maintaining the harm reduction locker outside the 7th Street Health Access Centre in Brandon, co-facilitating coffee programs, supporting the Healthy Sexuality and Harm Reduction team with outreach events, reviewing PMH policies, participating in health event booths, and co-facilitating Trauma- and Violence-Informed Care sessions alongside the Regional Harm Reduction Coordinator & Health Educator from Nine Circles Community Health Centre as well as supporting the development of the Sexual Wellness Health Lodge.
In addition to the Brandon peers, there are many more peers in Swan River, Dauphin, and across the PMH region who contribute in similar ways through the Manitoba Harm Reduction Network and within their own communities. We see peers showing up to respond to toxic drug supply poisonings and overdoses, providing harm reduction supplies at all hours of the day and night, and walking alongside community members to help ensure they have what they need to stay safe, including a place to sleep or a support person at an appointment. Most importantly, they offer compassion, care, and connection to people who use drugs — a group that is often stigmatized and marginalized by the systems around them.
PMH would like to honour peers not only today but throughout the year by acknowledging their efforts and extending a very warm, heartfelt thank-you. We truly could not do this work without the integral voices, leadership, and support of peers.
Throughout the PMH region, May 7 will be recognized with the following events:
Brandon – May 7, 1:00–3:00 PM, Princess Park
Swan River – May 6, 11:00 AM–1:00 PM, Elbert Chartrand Friendship Centre
Electronic blood pressure machines and stands for Rossburn and Melita
The Primary Health Care program would like to thank the Rossburn Health Auxiliary and Melita Ladies Auxiliary for their generous donation of electronic blood pressure machines and stands. The recent addition of new health care providers to these clinics has increased the demand for reliable clinical tools, making this donation especially timely.
These contributions will directly enhance patient care by ensuring accurate and efficient blood pressure monitoring. The Nurse Practitioners and Clinic Nurses will be using this equipment daily to support timely assessments and informed clinical decisions. We greatly appreciate your continued commitment to improving health services in our community.
Spring is the perfect time to get outside, get active, and explore your community in new ways!
Prairie Mountain Health offers a variety of free activity kits that make it easy to plan fun, active experiences for families, classrooms, and community groups. Choose from physical literacy kits to build movement skills through play, geocaching kits for real-life treasure hunts, or nature discovery backpacks for hands-on outdoor learning.
Whether you’re planning a family outing, a school activity, or a community event, these kits are a simple way to support active living and outdoor exploration—at no cost.
Visit our website or check out our poster to learn more and book a kit.
Welcome to PMH Moves – a year-long Health Promotion series shared through PMH Communications. Each month, we’ll highlight a different way movement supports health across the lifespan — from boosting mood and focus to strength, walking, healthy aging, and staying active through the seasons.
While the topics will change, the message stays the same: every bit of movement counts — and it all adds up. Take what works for you and leave the rest.
This month’s article highlights how movement can support mental health by boosting mood, reducing stress, and improving overall well-being.
Movement is one of the simplest ways to support your mental health. It can boost mood, reduce stress, and help you feel more energized—no matter how you choose to move. This month, we’re exploring easy, enjoyable ways to get started.
As the seasons change, spring offers a natural opportunity to refresh routines and spend more time moving outdoors. The sun is shining, days are stretching out, the earth is waking up. Spring is a time of fresh beginnings for nature as trees and flowers sprout new leaves and animals come out from a winter of hibernation. Use nature as your cue to start moving for your physical and mental health.
Being physically active looks different to everyone but can be as individual as each person. If you have not been active recently, start small. Choose simple exercises, 10-minute periods of time and a place where you are comfortable. Choosing activities you enjoy will increase motivation to exercise.
Yoga movements are low impact with a focus on mindfulness and breathing. Benefits of yoga include reducing stress, increasing oxygen flow to the brain and improving flexibility. Videos are available for at-home practice as well as in-person sessions in many communities with classes in chair yoga, and for beginner to advanced skill levels. Tai chi and Pilates are other forms of mind and body exercise worth trying.
Walking is simple, can be purposeful and accomplished virtually anywhere. Sleep improves with walking, especially outdoors in fresh air. Other aerobic activities such as swimming (including aquasize exercise classes) provide low-impact movement for the body.
Dancing in the comfort of your home or with a group is sure to put a smile on your face. Allow your body to move to music without rules.
Gardening counts as exercise. Muscles are engaged as holes are dug, weeds are pulled and the harvest is carried away. This activity has bonus benefits of time outdoors, connecting with the earth, seeing and smelling flowers, and the feeling of accomplishment in harvesting vegetables.
With May fast approaching, PMH is once again preparing for its yearly Regional Accreditation Survey. Accreditation is a voluntary, comprehensive review process conducted by Accreditation Canada that evaluates the health region’s services against national quality and safety standards and required organizational practices. This process helps identify areas for improvement and ensures a commitment to safe, high-quality patient care. Accreditation Canada not only works with health care providers, it includes stakeholders, patients and their families. PMH will be hosting an Accreditation Canada on-site survey, May 24-29, 2026.
This year the standards and practices being surveyed are acute care focused – Critical Care (ICU), Emergency Department, EMS and Interfacility Transport, Inpatient Services, Obstetrics (maternity), Perioperative and es (surgery) and Medical Device Reprocessing (sterilization). As well, Medication Management and Infection Control will be assessed.
Five surveyors, from all across Canada, will be visiting the following 11 health care facilities: Brandon, Boissevain, Carberry, Deloraine, Dauphin, Grandview, Minnedosa, Ste. Rose, Russell (EMS), Neepawa (EMS) and Virden (EMS).
Preparation for the Accreditation Survey occurs year-round, with teams of direct care providers, support staff, administration, management and patients. Ongoing partnerships with educational institutions, First Nation communities as well as physicians occurs continuously to ensure the best decisions are being made for staff, patients and their families.
Accreditation Canada Seal
As a patient or family, if you happen to be at one of the sites being surveyed this May, please feel welcome to participate. Surveyors do approach patients and families, and although conversations are not mandatory, they help provide direct experience on how well PMH is meeting the Standards and Required Organizational Practices.
When you see the Accreditation Canada seal, you can be certain that the health care organization is working hard to meet Accreditation Canada standards to deliver safe, high-quality care. Better quality means better health.
The new Brandon Regional Health Centre (BRHC) Critical Care Centre is set to open this spring, expanding access to services for patients within Prairie Mountain Health (PMH) region and western Manitoba.
The redevelopment project represents an investment of approximately $120 million and includes a major expansion of critical care and inpatient medicine services, along with upgrades to support infrastructure to meet growing demand.
Provincial and Prairie Mountain Health officials gathered April 2 to provide an update on the new critical centre. From (l-r) are Dr. Adrian Fung, PMH VP Medical Services, Brandon East MLA and Municipal Affairs Minister Glen Simard, PMH CEO Treena Slate, Manitoba Health, Long Term Care and Seniors Minister Uzoma Asagwara and Advanced Education and Training Minister Renée Cable.
Manitoba Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Uzoma Asagwara provided the update at a construction milestone event held at BRHC on April 2.
“This expansion means people in western Manitoba can get the care they need closer to home, at some of the most critical moments in their lives,” said Asagwara. “It reduces the need for transfers to Winnipeg, eases pressure on families and helps improve patient flow across the system so care is available sooner for everyone who needs it.”
Once open, the centre will eventually increase adult ICU capacity from 10 to 16 beds, with 12 beds coming online in an initial phase and the remaining four to follow as staffing and system capacity continue to grow. The project also includes a new 30-bed Internal Medicine Unit, with 15 beds opening now and the remaining 15 to follow as additional staffing is in place.
The BRHC is the only ICU between Winnipeg and Regina along the Trans-Canada Highway, and one of four in the province. Prairie Mountain Health CEO Treena Slate says the expansion will transform how care is delivered.
“The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the critical role BRHC plays in caring for patients from across the region and beyond—and reinforced the need for expanded, modern infrastructure, Slate said. “We will eventually be moving from a 10-bed ICU with only three private rooms to a modern 16-bed unit made up entirely of private rooms, many with their own bathrooms. The new 30-bed Internal Medicine Unit will offer single rooms for every patient, promoting privacy, comfort, and improved infection prevention.”
Dr. Adrian Fung, PMH VP of Medical Services, says BRHC is the province’s second referral centre and sees patients from all over Manitoba and even neighbouring Saskatchewan.
BRHC ICU Manager Sheilagh Remillard (right) shows Manitoba Health, Long Term Care and Seniors Minister Uzoma Asagwara one of the new rooms.
“Our current ICU is dated, crowded and lacks the necessary physical layout, capacity and infrastructure that is required today,” Fung stated.
“I can’t overstate that currently, only three spaces in our ICU are private. With private rooms, there will be more space to care for and mobilize patients. With individual rooms, this reduces the risk of infection,” Fung added.
BRHC ICU Manager Sheilagh Remillard says patient-centered care was at the heart of planning for the redevelopment project.
“The new Critical Care Unit has been designed with comfort and care in mind and will make a meaningful difference for patients and families. It will allow the health care team to provide high-quality care in a space better suited to patients’ needs.”
Slate added that projects of this scale don’t happen without strong partnerships.
We thank the province and Manitoba Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care for supporting this project, and recognize the Brandon Regional Health Centre Foundation, and Chairperson Jo-Anne Lewis, for leading the ‘Foundation for Care’ campaign.
The Foundation’s commitment, alongside the generosity of many donors and contributors, has been essential in bringing this project to fruition.
Therapy dogs and volunteers: Keeping it ‘pawsitive’
Therapy dogs and volunteers: Keeping it ‘pawsitive’
Ngaire Abernethy and Koki Therapy Dog since 2023 Breed: Yorkie Birthday: December 28, 2020. Koki is a tiny little dog with buckets of cuteness who is always on the go. As one of the certified therapy dogs in the PATDogs team, she has experienced planes, trains, automobiles, backpacks, bicycles, and boats. However, her favorite places to be are hiking in the woods and curling up on laps. Born in Florida, Koki has been living with Ngaire, George, and her big brother Tai for 3 years.
There are nearly 1100 registered facility volunteers within Prairie Mountain Health who have provided nearly 52,000 volunteer hours this year to the betterment of patients, clients and residents within the region. When we think of volunteers, we naturally assume that it’s all our ‘people’ in the region who are doing the volunteering. However, here’s something to chew on. There are ‘ruffly’ 50 registered pet therapy teams that provide therapeutic visits for the health and well-being of patients and residents within our hospitals and personal care homes.
The Therapy Dogs Program, coordinated through PMH and St. John Ambulance, continues to receive positive feedback across the region. Volunteer Ngaire Abernethy and certified dog Tai have visited Brandon Regional Health Centre since 2017. Abernethy, a volunteer for over 20 years, says dogs’ connections with people lift spirits and may help reduce pain and distress.
“There has been scientific research that has shown those exposed to animal therapy have demonstrated an overall improvement in physical pain. A compassionate visit can also help people cope with illness, trauma, stress and anxiety.”
Louise Stitt is a volunteer canine handler who has retired from working at Prairie Mountain Health.
“People ask me what I’m doing in my retirement, and I say I’ve gone to the dogs!” Stitt said. “Never have I experienced a time in my life when all I had to do was walk into a room with my therapy dog and automatically bring smiles and joy to those I met. It’s like carrying around a magic wand that makes everything a little bit better for people.”
And you don’t have to go far to chase additional accolades for the dog therapy initiative.
“Your visit is the highlight of my day and brings back happy memories of my own dogs.” (care home resident)
Louise Stitt with Sadie Therapy Dog since 2023. Breed: Boxer Mix. Birthday: April 16, 2021. Sadie is a gentle soul her blue eyes and warm smile attract the attention she craves, ensuring she gets the ‘pats’ she thrives on.
“So glad to see Sadie visiting. This will help Mom’s care home transition. We’ll try to visit too” (from new PCH resident’s family at River’s Care Home).
“She’s here (the therapy dog)!! They’re (the residents) all waiting in the multi-purpose room, waiting to give her the ‘pats’ she craves….. but first, come over here, girl. I could use some lovin’ too, ha ha.” (from staff at a care home).
The Trauma Response Emotional Assistance Team (TREAT) is a specialized group of PATDogs who have received intensive training for both canines and handlers to manage more challenging and emotionally intense situations. Their role includes supporting staff who have experienced a critical event during their shift or responding to facility or community crises that require extra support.
