Craving Change® in 2024?

As we prepare to flip calendars and ring in a new year, people may find themselves making new year’s resolutions for the year ahead. Often these resolutions centre around goals of improved personal fitness and nutrition and people find themselves making a promise to quit some of their usual habits, resolving to make improvements in these areas. If finding ways to improve your eating tops your list, Prairie Mountain Health wants you to know about the Craving Change® program and let you know how you can get involved.

Craving Change is a 3-session course that has been developed by a registered dietitian and clinical psychologist to help people understand their triggers for problematic eating, discover ways to control cravings, and to maintain healthy changes!

Sherrill-Lee Hyra, a Health Promotion Coordinator, with PMH is one of the facilitators who leads Craving Change® in the region. “We live in a society where outside factors greatly affect our eating. The Craving Change® program takes a look at our eating environments as well as explores how emotions and learned behaviours influence the decisions we make around food,” Hyra said. This is a necessary first step when working towards sustainable changes to our eating behaviour.

If you have ever struggled to maintain healthy eating habits and want to learn more about what your eating is all about , attending a Craving Change® class series might be for you. “The program is not about dieting. It is about understanding the many factors that influence our eating behaviours,” Hyra said. “Having other participants in the class to share and learn from is also helpful.”

Prairie Mountain Health is offering several courses throughout the new year. Starting the 3rd week of January, courses will be offered virtually using the MS Teams Platform. While space is limited there is still room for people to sign up. If you would like to register for a class this new year please call Prairie Mountain Health’s Healthy Living Toll free line at 1-877-509-7852 to learn about the course times and dates.

MONDAY AFTERNOONS
January 15, 22 & 29
1:30-3:30pm
Offered virtually by MS Teams

THURSDAY EVENINGS
January 18, 25 & February 1
6:30-8:30pm
Offered virtually by MS Teams

Find a printable poster here.

***Pictured:*** *Katrin Olarte, second from left, Jeffrey Olarte and 2-year-old daughter, Kristelle, with Chandel Bailey-Morrison (middle).* Shared Health representatives- Roselyn Garcia and Jhunell De Rivera

PMH Philippine Recruitment Update

Prairie Mountain Health (PMH) warmly welcomed four more new Filipino health-care workers, some with family members, who were recruited earlier as part of Manitoba’s Philippines Recruitment Initiative earlier this year. The new arrivals landed at Winnipeg Richardson International Airport on November 28. They were understandably tired but excited for the next steps in their journey. Here’s some additional background on Prairie Mountain Health region’s newest residents.

Jay-ar Felipe is an internationally educated nurse who will be working at Dauphin Regional Health Centre as an Undergraduate Nurse Employee – Internationally Educated Nurse until such time gap training is complete as full licensure as a Registered Nurse is obtained.

Ruth Navarro will be working as a health care aide at Rideau Personal Care Home, Brandon. Ruth is arriving with her husband, Joey, and 7-year-old boy, Ethan. Ruth, excitedly, will be reunited with her sister, who lives in Brandon.

**Pictured:** Lisa Merrill, Provincial Nursing Practice Lead, Kris Reynon (Michelle’s husband), Chandel Bailey-Morrison (DRHC Care Team Manager), Jay-ar Felipe, Michelle Reynon, a new recruit (unknown name for another health region, Ruth Navarro, Monika Warren, Chief Operating Officer for Provincial Health Services, Joey Navarro (Ruth’s husband) and Ethan Navarro (Ruth & Joey’s son).

Michelle Reynon will be employed as a health care aide at Swan River Lodge. Michelle is arriving with her husband, Dan.

Katrin Olarte will be employed as a health care aide at Westman Nursing Home in Virden. Katrin will be arriving with her husband, Jeffrey and 2-year-old daughter, Kristelle.

“We’re very pleased to welcome these recruits and their family members to Manitoba and our health care region!” stated Brian Schoonbaert, CEO of Prairie Mountain Health.”

“We know our staff, community partners and stakeholders will go that extra mile to make their arrival and settling process as smooth as possible!”

Larissa Kominko, PMH Recruitment Manager, says members of regional care teams volunteered their time to assist and welcome the new arrivals to PMH.

“Thank you to Chandel Bailey-Morrison, Amanda Watts, Vicky Ketch and Amanda Campbell, who are graciously helping with the arrival, settlement and orientation of the Philippines recruits to our province and the region. We depend and sincerely appreciate their willingness to help,” Kominko added.

**Pictured:** Jay-ar Felipe arrives at Winnipeg International Airport and is greeted by Chandel Bailey Morrison, Care Team Manager of Dauphin Regional Health Centre.

PMH is already working on its next arrivals, which will be welcomed to Minnedosa, Neepawa, and Russell throughout December and January.

*Felipe gets into the spirit of the unusually warm weather when arriving in Dauphin.*

Food, Family and Traditions

Food is part of celebrations across the globe. Regardless of culture or religion food is part of our cultural identity and has a way to strengthen bonds within our own families and our community , helping us to connect with one another.

To celebrate the diversity of our community, bring awareness to the importance of food celebrations and family traditions in our lives, we encourage you to take time this holiday season to enjoy a family meal together, involve family member’s in the preparation of a family meal and discuss why eating with others is important.

Here are some discussion questions you may want to explore over the winter holiday break with your child:

What are our family favourite foods?
What family mealtime or food traditions do we have to help celebrate special occasions? (Christmas? Birthdays? Weddings?)
What is the role of food in families and their traditions?
Is there a new meal time tradition that we could create in our family? If so what would it be?

The best part of any holiday is enjoying the opportunity to connect with family and friends. If you feel some of the holiday traditions need a refresh, re-imagine the holiday with a new tradition and enjoy!!

Here is a tasty recipe to try this holiday season!

Texas Caviar

Brine:
1/2c sugar
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp cayenne pepper
1/2c oil
3/4c vinegar

Vegetables:
1 yellow pepper, 1 red pepper, 1 orange pepper, 1c celery, 1/4 of a 4oz jar of jalapenos (chopped)
1 can corn
1 can black beans
1 can chickpeas

Directions:

1) Make brine- add sugar, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, oil & vinegar in sauce pot; bring to a boil & cool
2) Finely chop vegetables & add these to the brine along with the 1 can corn, 1 can black beans & 1 can chick peas.
3) Stir all together & refrigerate overnight.

Serve with taco chips, over rice or place filling into a lettuce leaf and enjoy!

PMH CEO extends warm wishes for the holiday season

November 2024

It’s hard to believe we are less than a month away from the holiday season and the start of 2024! The mild weather has certainly masked the countdown to the holidays. This ‘El Nino’ climate effect has undoubtedly flipped the script weather-wise. Here’s hoping the nice weather continues and we still get a white Christmas!

Since announcing my intention to retire in April 2024, it’s given me pause to realize this will be my last festive season message to you as CEO of Prairie Mountain Health. I think back to a few years ago, around this time, when we were still deeply mired in the COVID-19 pandemic. Although it seems like a blur now, it was a difficult time for everyone. Each of us had to navigate through that intense and strenuous time, though we continue to feel its impacts to this day! Thankfully, we are not in such difficult pandemic circumstances right now, though we continue to experience COVID and respiratory outbreaks at several of our sites.

We have many facilities that operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. I greatly appreciate the staff that provides care over the holidays. Many times, our staff are the ones who are there to lend an extra hand and extra ear to those who are in our hospitals, personal care homes and the community and are not able to be with their families during the holidays.

Our tremendous staff continue to give of themselves and do what they do best ‘all year long’ — provide quality care to the people we serve. We really can’t say thank you enough! We know residents within our health region remain incredibly grateful for the dedication, commitment, and compassion you bring to work with you every day!

When considering visitation at our sites, if an ‘in-person’ visit isn’t possible, PMH encourages families to consider providing a personal device, such as a cell phone or iPad, to their family member that allows for a direct connection. You can also let health centre patients and personal care home residents know you are thinking of them by visiting the PMH website and filling out the “well wishes” information. By making this well wishes request, it will be delivered directly to the person on your behalf. A direct link can be found here.

For those who have lost loved ones or for those facing other stressors and challenges, the holiday season is an extremely difficult time of year. Prairie Mountain Health provides mental health services and support for those in need. We all have mental health, and we have to continue to make our well-being a priority. Remember, ‘that if you don’t make time for your wellness, you will be forced to take time for illness.’ To learn about the available resources and supports, please visit our website.

Here’s to a holiday season filled with love, happiness, fellowship and memories.

Decorating the tree, exchanging gifts, singing or listening to songs, celebrating traditions, watching heartwarming movies, enjoying a festive meal, playing games, volunteering —whichever ways you choose to celebrate or recognize this time of year —our wish is that you make it as enjoyable as it can be!

On behalf of the PMH Board, our Executive Management Team and our staff, we wish everyone a safe, healthy and happy holiday season and all the best in 2024.

Brian Schoonbaert, CEO
Prairie Mountain Health

Coping for December

It’s that time of the year again. Winter and the holiday season are upon us.

This holiday season can be a great time to reconnect with others, make family recipes for holiday dinners, and spread holiday cheer.

However, this time of the year can be very challenging: days are short with little daylight, finances get stretched to make holiday food and gift purchases, and routines change to attend holiday get-togethers.

So, how can we cope with these challenges during the holiday season?

There are a few suggestions on ways to cope during the busy holiday season^{1 2}:

Set boundaries and manage expectations– The holiday season can be busy and socially exhausting. To manage, you decide how the holiday season will look for you and delegate when you can.
Recharge your batteries – Attending personal and professional holiday gatherings can be tiring. Take time to rest after social gatherings and understand that attending (or not attending) holiday gatherings is up to you. You could also be feeling left out from these gatherings over the holidays as well; this can be an opportunity to volunteer, take care of yourself, and work on building your community.
Maintain healthy coping – The holidays can change routines and prevent you from using healthy coping. Try to maintain your healthy coping skills when it comes to eating, sleeping, and budgeting.
Acknowledge grieving loved ones – Attending holiday social gatherings surrounded by your community may leave you missing loved ones. Talk about lost loved ones, acknowledge missing your loved one, take care of yourself, and create traditions that include your lost loved one.

Resources Across PMH

PMH Employee Wellness Committee- The PMH Employee Wellness Committee promotes activities that keep employees well. Check out the webpage for information on celebrating our staff, healthcare worker recognition, Employee resources (Employee assistance plan, benefit plans, and BlueCross), and PMH Perks. Funding is also available through the PMH Employee Wellness Initiative. You can also send a coworker a token of appreciation for all they do by completing a Say It Card form.
Mental health resources- Seek mental health support if you need it. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, call the crisis lines. For adults north of Riding Mountain, dial 1- 866-332-3030 and south of Riding Mountain, dial 1-888-379-7699. If you are under 18, dial 1-866-332-3030 or in all PMH areas, dial 1-866-403-5459.
Grief recovery- Working through grief is not something you need to do alone. There are grief support groups and resources available across Prairie Mountain Health.
CBTm for Employees- If you are feeling stressed or overwhelmed and want to build skills to help you manage these feelings, there is also a program called CBTm for employees.

Canadian Mental Health Association- British Columbia Division. (2023). 15 tips for holiday peace of mind and coping with grief this festive season. https://bc.cmha.ca/news/15-tips-for-holiday-peace-of-mind-and-coping-with-holiday-grief-this-festive-season/
Canadian Mental Health Association- National Site. (2023). Five ways to protect your mental health from holiday stress. https://cmha.ca/news/five-ways-to-protect-your-mental-health-this-holiday/

Brandon’s Dinsdale Personal Care Home transfers to Prairie Mountain Health

Following collaborative discussions with the provincial government and Prairie Mountain Health, The Salvation Army completed a formal transfer of Dinsdale Lodge Personal Care Home (PCH) to Prairie Mountain Health (PMH) effective November 10, 2023. The transfer, which was initiated by the Salvation Army, was fully endorsed by the PMH Board of Directors. The move further supports the Salvation Army’s shift in focus toward other programs and community needs in the Brandon area, which are in high demand.

“On behalf of our Board, management and staff, the PMH officially extends a very warm welcome to staff of the Dinsdale PCH,” stated Lon Cullen, Chair of the PMH Board of Directors. “For many years, The Salvation Army has been a valued partner in delivering long-term care services within the health region, and we sincerely thank them for that!” Cullen said.

Prairie Mountain Health CEO Brian Schoonbaert says the transfer doesn’t impact the day-to-day operations of Dinsdale PCH.

“We are pleased to support the transfer of Dinsdale PCH to Prairie Mountain Health and have reassured staff, residents and families that PMH remains committed to providing the same quality care that was previously provided under the direction and leadership of The Salvation Army,” Schoonbaert stated.

Located in Brandon, the 60-bed Dinsdale PCH previously had an affiliate (non-devolved) relationship with PMH, where the Salvation Army separately owned and operated the Home through a service purchase agreement.

The present Dinsdale PCH was constructed in 1984/1985. It’s named after two prominent Salvation supporters and activists: Walter Dinsdale, who was an MP for the Brandon area for 31 years, and George Dinsdale, who was Walter’s father. George Dinsdale was also a Mayor of Brandon and a local MLA.

Brandon Regional Health Centre Foundation Annual December Campaigns

“Under the Tree of Lights”

Christmas is fast approaching, and with it comes all the joy and happiness of the season. It is also a time of reflection and memories of loved ones. You can memorialize or honour someone special this holiday season! For a minimum $15 donation (tax receipt issued), the BRHC Foundation will:

Hang a personalized tag in memory or honour of a loved one on the “Tree of Lights” in the BRHC atrium.
Turn on the lights on the evergreens that are located in the traffic circle at the Brandon Regional Health Centre
You can choose one of the gifts, “Under the Tree of Lights,” where you would like to see your donation directed:
Gift #1 – Stellar BiPap ($9,100) – used by Respiratory Therapy for the inpatient units
Gift #2 – Two Pressure Mattresses ($15,977) for the BRHC Facility

The BRHC Foundation presents the “Gift of Flight” compliments of WestJet!

You can win a round trip flight to any regularly scheduled WestJet destination for two (2) people! (No cash value, fees, taxes, surcharges not included, blackout dates and restrictions apply). The draw will be held on Friday, December 15^th, at 2:00 p.m. in the Brandon Regional Health Centre Atrium.
Tickets (1 for $10 or 3 for $20) are available in the Foundation Office at 204- 578-4227 or by emailing [email protected]

Proceeds from the draw will be directed toward the Brandon Regional Health Centre’s Pediatric/Neonatal Intensive Care Units.

For more information on the BRHC Foundation and how you can support the Brandon Regional Health Centre, visit https://www.brhcfoundation.ca/

Time for Turnips

Some people may confuse turnips and rutabagas. The confusing thing is, depending where you’re from, turnips might be called neeps, rutabagas, or swedes. The smaller, round, white and purple root vegetables are called “white turnips”, while the larger, round, yellow root vegetables are “turnips”, “rutabagas” or “swedes”. Rutabagas are a cross between a turnip and cabbage. White turnips and rutabagas have different flavours as well.

One of the great things about turnips is that both the greens on top and the root can be eaten. The greens have a similar flavor to mustard greens and are a rich source of vitamins K, A, C, and folate. The root has a high amount of water, with some carbohydrates and a moderate amount of vitamin C. Another great thing is that it is an incredibly versatile vegetable! Use turnips any way you use a potato, and then some! Try them baked, boiled, steamed, mashed, shredded, julienned, raw, roasted, and use the greens in any dish you would use cooked spinach or collard greens.

When buying white turnips, look for turnips that are small to medium in size, turnips that feel heavy for their size, and without soft spots or wrinkles. If the greens are still attached, look for fresh looking leaves. Unlike other root vegetables, turnips should be used up while they’re fresh, as they can turn bitter and woody with age. Peeling off the skin of white turnips is optional, but yellow rutabagas need to be peeled.

Try these delicious turnip recipes

Simple Roasted Turnips (Freezer-Friendly!) – Spend With Pennies

Pan-Roasted Turnips with Greens Recipe | Kardea Brown | Food Network

Honey-Glazed Turnips, Parsnips and Pearl Onions Recipe | Food Network Kitchen | Food Network

Sheet-Pan Curried Chicken and Root Vegetables Recipe | Food Network Kitchen | Food Network

PMH welcomes new Filipino health-care workers

*Treena Slate of Prairie Mountain Health, greets Shayne Salonga and Vicente Ganzon at Winnipeg International Airport October 31.*

Prairie Mountain Health (PMH) warmly welcomed two new Filipino health-care workers recruited earlier this year as part of Manitoba’s Philippines Recruitment Initiative. Shayne Salonga and Vicente Ganzon arrived at Winnipeg Richardson International Airport on October 31, tired but excited for the next steps in their journey.

Salonga, a registered nurse (RN), will head to Russell to work at the Russell Health Centre. Ganzon, a health care aide (HCA), will relocate to Swan River to work in long-term care.

“Our government is working to build up health care teams, to improve patient care and achieve better work-life balance for front-line staff as part of our commitment to improve health care for all Manitobans,” stated Uzoma Asagwara, Minister of Health, Seniors and Long Term Care.

“Recruitment and retention are essential and we’re taking steps to make our health system a supportive and attractive place for skilled professionals to work. We’re pleased to welcome new nurses and health care aides from the Philippines and know they will quickly feel at home here.”

*Vicente Ganzon dons a Swan Valley Stampeders hockey jersey in Swan River.*

PMH expects to repeat the warm welcome offered to Ganzon and Salonga many times in the coming year as more skilled health-care workers and their families arrive from the Philippines destined for work in PMH communities that include Brandon, Dauphin, Ste. Rose, Hamiota, Hartney, Minnedosa, Neepawa, Russell, Swan River and Virden.

*Salonga looks over the spacious view in Russell*

“We’re very pleased to welcome Shayne and Vicente to Canada, Manitoba and our health care region!” stated Brian Schoonbaert, CEO of Prairie Mountain Health.”

“As they begin new chapters in their lives, it must be exciting in one sense and filled with some uncertainty in the next. We will work with our dedicated staff, health partners and stakeholders to ensure their transition and mentorship and the transition of other anticipated arrivals goes as smoothly as possible”.

“PMH is pleased to be part of efforts to recruit new health-care workers to Manitoba. Special thanks to Larissa Kominko, Recruitment Manager and Treena Slate, Regional Lead Acute Care and Chief Nursing Officer for their ongoing work to ensure these new members of our care teams are welcomed and oriented to our health system.”

International Day for People Impacted by Suicide Loss | Nov 18

Image by Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention

International Day for People Impacted by Suicide Loss (November 18th) is a day where people impacted by suicide loss, no matter where they live, can come together as communities to find and offer comfort and to remember their loved ones as they share stories of loss, healing, and hope.

For Brandon and the surrounding area, the Brandon Suicide Prevention Implementation Network (SPIN) has observed this day by collecting cards and having them on display. The cards hold messages commemorating a loved one who has died by suicide, and/or a message of hope to those that have been impacted by suicide loss.

This year, SPIN has attached a fillable card for members of our community to complete.

Once you have filled out your card and sent it back to [email protected], your message will be transferred onto a physical card and will join the display of cards that have been collected in the past.

The physical cards will be on display in the Health Studies Building at Brandon University the week of November 13^th.

Also watch our social media platforms for a video where the facilitators of the Brandon and Area Suicide Bereavement Support Group will share the completed board and read a few of the messages from the community.

You can find additional resources and virtual events on the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention (CASP) website.

Follow Brandon SPIN on Facebook and Instagram for more information.