PRHC Recognized With Age-Friendly Health System Designation

The Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) has been recognized as one of the first hospitals in Canada to receive the Age-Friendly Health System designation from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), announced on Wednesday.

File Photo.

Over the past decade, PRHC has developed its Seniors’ Care Centre of Excellence, supported by a comprehensive seniors’ care strategy according to a press release. PRHC joins an international group of more than 2,700 health systems that work to tailor care to patients’ goals and preferences, delivering consistently high-quality care according to Noel Bennett, Vice President of Clinical Services and Chief Nursing Executive (CNE).

“The Peterborough region is among the fastest-growing communities in the country, as well as the oldest population demographically in Canada, with 22 per cent of residents over the age of 65,” he said. “As our community continues to grow and age and as our patients’ care needs evolve and become more complex, it is critical that we continue to transform, innovate and invest in programs and partnerships to support seniors. This Age-Friendly Health System designation is an important step forward, recognizing our efforts to date and supporting our ongoing work to improve the care we provide.”

The IHI’s age-friendly health system designation is based on a series of practices focused on addressing four l essential elements of care for older patients, known as the 4Ms:

• What Matters: Know and align care with each older adult's specific health outcome goals and care preferences across settings of care, including end-of-life care.

• Medication: If medication is necessary, use age-friendly medications that do not interfere with what matters to the older adult, mobility, or mentation across settings of care.

• Mentation: Prevent, identify, treat, and manage dementia, depression, and delirium across settings of care.​

• Mobility: Ensure that older adults move safely every day in order to maintain function and do what matters.

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Water Quality Testing Underway at Local Beaches

Peterborough Public Health (PPH) has resumed beach water testing in Peterborough and the surrounding area to ensure that water quality conditions are safe for recreational use. 

Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.

Curve Lake and Hiawatha First Nations, Peterborough County and the City are being subject to regular testing until the end of August.

PPH notes that Rogers Cove is no longer an active beach in the City of Peterborough and is no longer being sampled.

The following beach is sampled daily, Monday to Friday:

• Beavermead Park

Most public beaches in the county are sampled at least once a week, including:

• Buckhorn Beach

• Crowe’s Line Beach

• Curve Lake Henry’s Gumming

• Curve Lake Lime Kiln Park

• Douro North Park

• Ennismore Waterfront Park

• Hiawatha Park

• Jones Beach

• Lakefield Park

• Sandy Beach

• Selwyn Beach Conservation Area

• Squirrel Creek Conservation Area

• Warsaw Caves Conservation Area

The following public beaches are sampled once a month from June to August:

• Chandos Beach (2800 County Road 620, Apsley)

• Quarry Bay Beach (1986 Northey’s Bay Road, Woodview)

• Belmont Lake (376 Miles of Memories Road, Belmont)

• Kasshabog Lake (431 Peninsula Road, Havelock)

• White’s Beach (26 Clearview Drive, Trent Lakes)

PPH says the following factors may result in high levels of bacteria or other conditions that cause the beach to be unsafe for swimming between sampling periods:

• Heavy rainfall

• High winds or wave activity

• Large numbers of swimmers

• Harmful algae blooms

• Large numbers of waterfowl

Water samples are submitted to the Public Health Laboratory for bacteriological analysis. Samples are tested for E. coli bacteria, a common indicator of fecal contamination in water.

PPH says it takes approximately 24 hours for them to receive and analyze the water quality results from the lab. If levels of bacteria exceed recommended thresholds for recreational water use, the beach will be posted as unsafe and to avoid becoming ill, people should not use the beach for swimming. If a significant risk to human health is identified, such as a toxic spill or the identification of a harmful algae bloom, a beach may be closed to the public.

PPH is offering tips to help ensure the water quality stays safe:

• Do not feed waterfowl

• Do not let children swim in soiled diapers

• Pick up your garbage

• Clean up after your pet

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Peterborough Lakers Partner to Raise Money For PRHC Foundation Throughout MSL Season

The Peterborough Lakers have partnered with the Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) Foundation as the team will help raise funds for the latter throughout the Major Series Lacrosse (MSL) season, announced at the Peterborough Memorial Centre on Monday afternoon.

(From left to right) Len Powers; Lakers board member; Lesley Heighway, PRHC president and CEO and Dylan Hutchinson, Lakers defenceman. The Lakers start their season on the road against the Brooklin L.C. on May 22 before having their home opener against the two-time defending Mann Cup-Champion Six Nations Chiefs on May 22. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The PRHC Foundation’s campaign goal is $60 million, the largest fundraising effort in the hospital’s history.

The campaign aims to empower world-class care close to home, attract top healthcare professionals and address urgent hospital needs according to Lesley Heighway, PRHC president and CEO.

“We're focused on a couple of key priorities. One is digital pathology. There's a laboratory on the sixth floor of the hospital where things like cancer diagnosis happen,” she explained. “Having the test results and digitized means that pathologists can share them with each other, they can share them with colleagues at other hospitals and they can do it seamlessly.”

The campaign has already raised $52.9 million. Len Powers, Lakers board member, says that the organization is committed to doing everything it can to help the PRHC after all they do for the region.

“The Lakers are all about community, and there’s nothing more ‘community’ than supporting our regional hospital,” he said. “PRHC is the heartbeat of the Peterborough region. It’s where our families turn in moments of greatest need.”

“We’re excited to team up with a championship organization like the Lakers,” said Heighway. “They represent dedication, heart, and excellence – just like our hospital. We know how strongly this region rallies around the Lakeshow and PRHC. Together, we can help reimagine healthcare.”

Throughout the MSL season, the PRHC Foundation will be at Lakers home games, sharing stories and inviting fans to get involved. To help raise founds for the Foundation, limited edition Lakers merchandise will be sold with further details released at a later date.

A special PRHC Family Night is set for June 26 against the Cobourg Kodiaks. PRHC staff and volunteers will receive a promo code for discounted tickets.

On Canada Day, the Lakers will wear Canadian-themed jerseys during the game and will auction them off after the match, with all proceeds benefiting PRHC Foundation.

“My message for people in the community is that gifts of all sizes make a difference,” concluded Heighway. “Never think that 'my gift of $25' or 'my gift of $100' isn't going to make a difference. All of that comes together and it's going to help us get to our goal.”

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North Kawartha and Trent Lakes Well Water Sampling Program Resumes For 2025 Season

The well water sampling drop-off program will resume for the 2025 season on Tuesday in the Township of North Kawartha and the Municipality of Trent Lakes.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The program offers free water sample collection kit pick-up and sample drop-off through these municipal offices. 

Water samples can be dropped off at: 

• North Kawartha Municipal Office – 280 Burleigh St., Apsley,
  Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. 

• Trent Lakes Municipal Office – 760 County Road 36, Trent Lakes,
  Tuesday and Thursdays, 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.  

Samples are then couriered to the Public Health Ontario Lab in Peterborough for testing. Empty sample bottles can be picked up from these offices during regular business hours. Samples must be dropped off at the municipal offices within 24 hours of collection to ensure they reach the lab and are processed promptly. Residents are encouraged to carefully read each kit's sampling and collection instructions. Filled sample bottles should be delivered to the front desk at the municipal office. Staff will then place it in a fridge until the courier collects it. 

Well water testing is recommended at least twice yearly, in the Spring and Fall. Water samples are tested for two types of bacterial contamination: total coliforms and E. coli. Anyone can become ill if they consume contaminated water, but young people, older adults, and immunocompromised individuals are at higher risk. 

Water samples can also be dropped off year-round at the following locations: 

• Havelock-Belmont-Methuen Township Office, 1 Ottawa St., Havelock
  Monday to Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.   

• Peterborough Public Health, 185 King St., Peterborough
  Monday to Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  Friday., 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon  

• Public Health Ontario Laboratory, 99 Hospital Dr. 
  Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 

Residents will receive water quality results by mail or can call Public Health Ontario’s Interactive Voice Response at 1-877-723-3426. If they have questions about their test results, call the PPH Safe Water Program at 705-743-1000, ext. 232. 

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Fraudulent Website Rostering Patients Says Peterborough Family Health Team

The Peterborough Family Health Team (FHT) warns the public of a scamming website (healthdoc.ca) that misleads residents by suggesting it can connect them with local Peterborough family doctors for a fee.

Photo courtesy of FHT.

The website targets individuals seeking a family doctor in Peterborough while the site displays legitimate information about local physicians, it misleads users by requesting financial information during the rostering process.

FHT has released a few tips in order to spot a scamming healthcare website:

• Family doctors will not charge people to become a rostered patient;

• Family doctors rarely charge for services – if they do, patients are told in advance; and

• In Ontario, to get a family doctor you need to register with Health Care Connect.

FHT says that to find a family doctor in Ontario, individuals should register through the official Health Care Connect waitlist provided by the province.

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PRHC Surgical Department Launches "Bring Your Own Bag” Program For Plastic Use Reduction

With April as Earth Month, Peterborough Regional Health Centre’s (PRHC) Surgical Department is launching a Bring Your Own Bag program starting June 1, to reduce the use of plastic at the hospital and keep more plastic out of landfills, announced on Wednesday.

File photo.

According to PRHC, when patients arrive for planned surgeries and other procedures, they are provided with a plastic bag to store their clothing and personal belongings for a few hours while at the hospital. The surgical department distributes as many as 24,000 bags to patients annually. The initiative plans to reduce that number by at least 20 per cent in 2025/26.

The initiative is part of the ACS National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP). According to Dr. Lynn Mikula, PRHC president and CEO, the organization is pursuing this sustainability initiative as part of its ongoing efforts to improve the care and service it provides.

“We have set out a path to strengthen our focus on environmental stewardship over the next several years, and this initiative is just one of many opportunities we are pursuing at PRHC to improve sustainability and reduce our environmental impact,” she said. “Last month, for example, we made the switch to a biodegradable nitrile glove product across the hospital. You can look forward to hearing more about these and other important improvement projects as we continue to make progress in this area.”

PRHC adopted the new PRIMED Sustain nitrile gloves last month. They offer the same protection and achieve 81% biodegradability in 490 days. As an added bonus, PRIMED is a 100% Canadian-owned and operated business.

Plastic bags will continue to be provided for patients who cannot bring their own including those who come to the hospital unexpectedly for urgent procedures but encourage those who can to do so.

The hospital recommends that patients bring two empty, grocery-sized reusable bags big enough to store everything they wear to the hospital on the day of their procedure. (The second bag is recommended to store shoes and outerwear separately.)

PRHC reminds patients to bring only essential items and to avoid bringing valuables, including jewelry, credit cards, and large amounts of money, when coming for a procedure.

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Peterborough Family Health Team Expands Healthcare With New Clinic For Unattached Patients

Those without a family doctor have a new facility for healthcare as the Peterborough Family Health Team (FHT) has expanded its services with a new clinic that exclusively accepts ‘unattached’ patients at 555 George St. N., announced on Tuesday morning.

Dr. Tehmina Chattha Is one of eight doctors at the Peterborough Family Health Team’s new expanded clinic at 185 King St. Photo by David Tuan bui.

The new clinic space will contain additional exam rooms, allowing it to expand appointments for Peterborough city and county residents who do not have a family doctor in Ontario. Those who do have one are not eligible for care at the clinic.

The expansion allows the King Street location (185 King St.) to operate and support more niche services such as well babies.

The clinic has eight doctors, four nurses and a nurse practitioner who can see up to roughly 50-60 patients daily.

Dr. Tehmina Chattha is one of the doctors at the new clinic. She was a former family practitioner and previously worked in ER in Saskatchewan. Chattha says she looks forward to the challenges and changes with her new role.

“Taking care of unattached patients comes with its own challenges because we don't have all the information available, labs and whatever diagnostic imaging have been done before, you don't have access to them. You don't have access to their health records,” she explained. “So gathering all this information, especially in the initial appointment when you are trying to manage a plan, it becomes a little challenging. However we are trying our best to help them out.”

This clinic offers in-person, same-day or next-day care to those with limited options. First-time patients must book an appointment by calling 705-651-4866. Returning patients can book online.

While this clinic is needed in Peterborough, it is just a stop-gap solution to the always-demanding healthcare in town according to Duff Sprague, Peterborough FHT CEO.

“This isn't comprehensive care so it's not your family doctor here, it's family physician care. You don't have that long-term relationship with physicians,” he explained. “Fortunately is that when doctors come from another area and they work in this clinic, so far we have two who plan to open a full family practice so that's the benefit. 

The clinic is receiving some financial help to make sure it can operate. The Peterborough Ontario Health Team (OHT) has committed to covering the clinic’s rent until Sept. 1. Director of Operations; the Patient Services Supervisor and City’s physician recruiter have donated their personal time to preparation of the space, including painting, deep cleaning, transporting equipment and other necessary setup efforts. Whelan’s Floor donated and installed replacement flooring in part of the clinic and to Rishor Real Estate Inc.gave a 50 per cent rent reduction for the first year.

“Despite a base budget that has not increased in many years, we’ve strategically managed to run the clinic within the existing funding and the access clinic physicians have to bill OHIP for their services,” said Sprague. “We took a coordinated approach to provide essential care to unattached patients. Our PFHT Health Clinic offers a much less expensive and more appropriate alternative to the only other in-person choice in the area – hospital emergency departments.”

The Peterborough FHT Health Clinic says from April 1 last year to early March, they estimate $370,804 in savings due to hospital emergency room diversions. The savings are based on the patient being assessed at the emergency department and do not include any testing procedures or specialist care according to Peterborough FHT. They also mention that cancer screenings conducted at the clinic not only save costs for the system but also open the door to care for the unattached patient.

“I think that primary care has not been funded adequately. It's suffering and that is the key to managing the other healthcare costs,” explained Sprague. “Good strong family medicine, nurse practitioners, primary care teams are going to shorten the wait at emergency departments, going to shorten the volume, going to delay people going into hospital beds, delay people going into long-term care beds but far more expensive parts of the healthcare system, there's going to be reduced use and reduced need.”

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PRHC Leads Canadian Hospitals With Data Analytics Platform to Support Patient Care

Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) launched the design of a custom data analytics platform called Peregrine to support access to real-time, comprehensive data reporting and advanced analytics across the hospital, announced on Monday.

File Photo.

According to PRHC, it uses Microsoft Fabric to enable secure, governed data collection, transformation and analysis, providing real-time information to support decision-making and improve patient care.

“By designing Peregrine using Microsoft Fabric, PRHC is setting a new standard for healthcare delivery in the region,” said Cate Takemori, Microsoft Canada public sector lead. “This initiative exemplifies the transformative power of technology innovation in delivering data insights capable of enhancing healthcare outcomes and operational excellence.”

“PRHC is thrilled to lead the charge among Canadian hospitals with the launch of this platform,” said Dr. Lynn Mikula, PRHC president and C.E.O. of PRHC. “It’s difficult to overstate the effects Peregrine will have on the way we do things at the hospital. Having real-time, curated data at our fingertips through a custom-built platform that has been designed to inform and support the decisions we make – this is a vitally important tool when it comes to the life-saving work we do here every day.

In its 2024-2029 Strategic Plan, PRHC says they are committed to transforming data, analytics and technology to support people today and into the future. The Peregrine platform is a foundational piece of this work, as the hospital moves toward using the knowledge gained from in-depth data analysis to support clinical and operational decision-making throughout the organization said Mikula.

“As PRHC works toward its goal of establishing a Command Centre at the hospital – a central hub where clinicians, leaders and other decision-makers will collaborate to ensure we are providing the best, most efficient care possible – the information we access through the Peregrine platform will be critical to supporting and informing everything from direct patient care, to quality improvement projects, to the safe and efficient flow of patients through the hospital,” she explained.

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Peterborough Regional Health Centre Seeking Members to Join Board of Directors

The Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) is seeking members to join its Board of Directors to help shape healthcare in its respective communities, announced on Tuesday.

(From left to right) Chris Feindel, Lesley Heighway, Noel Bennett, Dr. Mike Hartleib, Mike Riseley, Nicholas Stone, Robert Gibson, Dr. Lynn Mikula, Normanne Bland, Connor Kemp, Deb Pidgeon. Not pictured: Caroline Gaffney, Karen Jensen, Peggy McCallum, Nicholas McDonald, Scott Milligan (First Vice Chair), Glenn Rogers, Tom Miller and Lawrence Ebisuzaki. Photo courtesy of the PRHC.

Members of PRHC’s Board of Directors must:

• Have a residence in one of the four counties of Peterborough, Northumberland, Haliburton and Kawartha Lakes

• Reflect the diversity of our changing community

• Bring volunteer Board experience and business/professional skills to our governance processes.

The Board:

• Governs the affairs of PRHC in line with best practices in the sector

• Values and embraces anti-oppression, anti-racism, equity, diversity, and inclusion practices and principles within its governance processes

• Is committed to continuously building a truly inclusive and safe organization at every level

• Supports the implementation of the hospital’s Strategic Plan and ensures that all decisions are made in accordance with the Plan

• Reviews and approves PRHC’s Annual Operating Plan

• Provides oversight to quality of care

• Fosters regional relationships needed for seamless care

PRHC welcomes all applications, in particular from people with background and experience in Government Relations, Quality of Care, and CPA designation or equivalent.

Applications including a cover letter and resume can be addressed to:

Chair, Nominating Sub-Committee, c/o Margaret ClarkSenior Executive Assistant, Administration, Peterborough Regional Health Centre
One Hospital Drive
Peterborough, ON, K9J 7C6

The can also be submitted via email to mclark@prhc.on.ca. All applications are due by Feb. 28.

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Trent University and PRHC Partner For Healthcare Advancement In Peterborough

Trent University and Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) are partnering to advance healthcare with a new agreement outlining plans to enhance interdisciplinary research activity, leadership training, applied learning and career opportunities and student volunteer opportunities, announced on Thursday.

Photo courtesy of Trent University.

“This agreement strengthens Trent University’s collaboration with PRHC, creating new opportunities to engage in research, share expertise, and drive meaningful impact in healthcare,” said Dr. Cathy Bruce, Trent president and vice-chancellor. “The collaboration is about more than formalizing our work together—it’s about opening doors to new longer-term projects, securing critical funding, expanding hands-on learning for students, and scaling innovations that will help shape the future of healthcare in our region and beyond.”

“At Peterborough Regional Health Centre, we’ve made a strategic commitment to building our teaching and research focus, and our long-standing partnership with Trent University is key to moving this work forward,” said Dr. Lynn Mikula, PRHC President and CEO. “By cultivating our research and innovation partnerships, PRHC will strengthen the patient care and support we offer at our regional hospital for years and decades to come, and offer expanded and enhanced educational opportunities for students pursuing careers in healthcare and related fields.”

As outlined in a new memorandum of understanding (MOU), Trent and PRHC will work together on various initiatives highlighting the two institutions' strengths, including research, leadership development and experiential learning for post-secondary students, according to Trent.

Key areas of collaboration include:

• Research collaborations to tackle pressing health issues – including diabetes and seniors’ care – and expand eligible funding sources for both Trent and PRHC

• Development of data infrastructure and data governance to support seamless and secure knowledge exchanges between healthcare professionals and academic researchers

• Undergraduate and volunteer experience in the hospital for Trent students

• Development of micro-credentials on healthcare leadership

• Adjunct teaching opportunities PRHC staff to serve as adjunct instructors and clinical mentors at Trent

• Sustainability and energy initiatives that help both institutions progress toward reduced environmental footprints

“This is just the beginning of this new avenue of collaboration, and we look forward to sharing more stories and outcomes from the work we do together in the coming months and years with the Peterborough community,” said Julie Davis, vice president, External Relations & Development.

"When strong partners such as PRHC and Trent University work together, supported by their community donors, so much more becomes possible. This is an exciting new example of collaboration and collective efforts fuelling innovation and progress that will help us reimagine what healthcare looks like in our region and create a healthier, stronger community for all,” said Lesley Heighway, president, PRHC Foundation.

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