Black History Month 2025
Global Workforce Survey and our next steps
Thank you to all staff who completed the recent Global Workforce Survey.
1596 staff including our affiliate partners participated in the survey which is approximately 33% of our workforce. Your feedback will guide us in making our workplace an even better environment for everyone.
We look forward to sharing a summary of the results including the key findings, trends and proposed action plans to address areas of concern or improvement in early 2025.
Submitted by: Cailin Gagnon, Quality & Accreditation Coordinator
HéHo! Win Tickets to The Festival du Voyageur
Festival du Voyageur is just around the corner, and the provincial and regional Francophone Health teams want to help you experience Franco-Manitoban culture at its finest by giving away tickets to the event! All you have to do is go to our webpage, and take our quiz. If you get all the answers right, you’ll be entered to win a pair of day passes to the festival. All answers can be found on the Festival du Voyageur website. The deadline to enter is Jan. 30, 2025, so get those entries in as soon as possible.
While you’re on the webpage, be sure to try out some of our fun francophone puzzles and word searches, and take the opportunity to learn more about Francophone Health across the province as well as the exciting events at Festival du Voyageur.
Festival du Voyageur runs from Feb. 14 to 23, and is Western Canada’s largest francophone event. It features 10-days of music, art, snow sculptures, food and more. Please refer to our event poster for more details. We encourage you to print it and display it in your staff areas where appropriate.
Submitted by: Shared Health
Cultural Safety Lunch & Learn Series
Presented in partnership with: 
Medicine Wheel Teachings
Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025
12:00 to 1:00 pm
Virtual TEAMS – meeting link
Register here and receive a certificate.
Presenter: Kunshie Annie Beaulieu
Annie Beaulieu is a Kunshie, which means grandmother in Dakota. She was born in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba and resided in Dakota Tipi First Nation with her grandmother. At the age
of seven she was taken to Indian Residential School. In 1970, she married a man from Sandy Bay First Nation and moved to that area. Throughout her long career, Annie has worked in the
education, health care and child welfare systems. Annie has been a caring member of the community and over the years she has opened her home to foster children, offered support to many community members, and provided palliative care for her husband.
During this education session Annie will share a little of her life story through the lens of the medicine wheel which she describes as “a way of life; a teaching, a healing, a mirror, and a window.”
As part of this Lunch & Learn Louisa Beaulieu, Annie’s youngest daughter, will share an honour song.
This has been made possible through collaboration and financial support from the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer and Health Canada.
Mandatory: New Active Offer Training on LMS
The Southern Health-Santé Sud French Language Services Unit, in partnership with Manitoba’s regional health authorities, have developed a New Active Offer Interactive Training Module. This new shorter module (10-15 min video) is available in both official languages and is accessible now through the LMS. (LMS|Courses / Registration | Provincial Programs | French Language Services | Active Offer in Healthcare)
This training is designed to equip health care professionals with an enhanced skill set and the knowledge needed to provide Active Offer of French language services in the sites and units where they work. All employees have a responsibility to know how to provide an Active Offer or to know the steps to follow if services are requested in French, regardless of where they work or what position they hold.
Active Offer training is mandatory every two years for all Southern Health-Santé Sud staff. New hires are required to complete the course as part of their onboarding and all existing employees must complete the new training module by April 30, 2025.
For more information on Active Offer practices, please contact the French Language Services Unit .
Thank you for your attention in completing the Active Offer training module promptly.
Submitted by: French Language Services Unit
L’unité de services en français – Southern Health-Santé Sud, en partenariat avec les offices régionaux de la santé du Manitoba, ont élaboré un nouveau module de formation interactive de l’offre active. Ce nouveau module plus court (10-15 minutes de vidéo) est disponible dans les deux langues officielles et est accessible dès maintenant via le LMS.
(LMS|Courses / Registration|Provincial Programs|French Language Services|Active Offer in Healthcare).
Cette formation vise à doter les professionnels de la santé d’un ensemble de compétences améliorées et des connaissances nécessaires pour promouvoir l’offre active de services en français dans les sites et les unités où ils travaillent. Tous les employés ont la responsabilité de savoir comment faire une offre active ou de connaître les étapes à suivre si des services sont demandés en français, quel que soit leur lieu de travail ou leur poste.
La formation sur l’offre active est obligatoire tous les deux ans pour tout le personnel de Southern Health-Santé Sud. Les nouveaux employés doivent suivre le cours dans le cadre de leur orientation régional et tous les employés doivent compléter ce nouveau module de formation d’ici le 30 avril 2025.
Pour plus d’informations sur l’offre active, veuillez contacter l’unité des services en français .
Merci de bien vouloir compléter le module de formation de l’offre active sans délai.
Upcoming Free Safety Training Opportunities
The Occupational Safety and Health team is excited to announce new safety training options available for staff. In partnership with the Manitoba Association for Safety in Healthcare (M.A.S.H), we are offering free, virtual, instructor-led courses tailored to enhance workplace safety knowledge and skills. These courses are highly relevant and accessible at MASH under the “Virtual” tab (you can also access this link under Learning Opportunities)
Recommended Courses:
Workplace Safety and Health Committee and Representative Training
- Replaces Safe Work Manitoba’s “Safe Committee Basics.”
- Essential for all Safety Committee members.
Workplace Safety and Health Investigations
- Ideal for anyone involved in investigations (e.g., serious incidents or safety event reports).
Supervisor Safety and Health Roles and Responsibilities
- Designed for supervisors to understand their safety responsibilities.
- Senior Leadership recommends this for all supervisors or staff with supervisory duties.
Hazard Identification and Risk Control
- Covers identifying hazards, assessing risks, and creating safe work procedures.
- Particularly useful for those conducting Violence Prevention Policy risk assessments.
How to Register:
- Visit the training portal and enter your contact information.
- Ensure you select virtual courses provided by M.A.S.H and use Southern Health Santé Sud’s employer account: #1240316.
- Although you may see a mention of pricing, rest assured that these courses are free for all Southern Health-Santé Sud staff.
If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to your area’s Safety and Health Officer:
Southern Area: Krista Forsyth | 431-349-0591
Eastern Area: John Kolesar | 431-366-0180
Northern Area: Tanner Asham | 204-903-5670
We encourage everyone to take advantage of these training opportunities to strengthen our commitment to workplace safety!
Submitted by: Steven Gilbert, Manager – Occupational Safety & Health
Lead – Physical Plant Services (Portage Regional Health Centre)
Staff Announcement
I am pleased to announce that Spencer Cleaver has accepted the position of Lead – Physical Plant Services for the new Portage Regional Health Centre (PRHC).
Spencer has worked at the Portage District Health Centre for the last 12 years as a 4th Class Power Engineer. He also has experience as a Chief Power Engineer with NutriPea in Portage la Prairie for the last 3 years.
Spencer’s dedication, knowledge and experience in Physical Plant Services will be a definite asset to him in this new role.
Spencer will assume this new position effective February 3, 2025. He will be located in at the Portage District Health Centre until he transitions into the new PRHC.
His main focus will be getting orientated with the new PRHC including operational readiness preparation, preventative maintenance planning, equipment tagging, etc., also hiring and onboarding new staff that will be required. Another primary function will be planning for the transition into the new facility and what that will look like.
Please join me in welcoming Spencer to his new role and to the Physical Plant Services Team!
Submitted by: Isaac Klassen, Manager – Physical Plant Services
Regional Drug Formulary revisions
The medications listed below that have been approved by P&T for addition to our formulary. The paper manual is only updated annually. Please print memo and add to the front of your manuals.
- carboxymethylcellulose 1% (non-contract) to 0.5% (on contract) eye drops
- hexylresorcinol (Bradasol) to dequalinium (Dequadin) throat lozenges
- potassium phosphate 15 mmol/250ml D5W & 30 mmol/500mL D5W
- meperidine restrictions:
- The prevention and treatment of drug-induced or blood product-induced rigors (e.g., amphotericin B, platelets),
- Treatment of post-operative shivering, and
- Short-term pain management in individuals with normal renal, hepatic and CNS function where alterna-tive opioids are contraindicated (e.g., allergy), and
- do not exceed 600 mg/24 hours
- limit the duration of use to 48 hours
- Combivent Respimat
- Spiriva Respimat
- Advair/Wixela Diskus
Submitted by: Pharmacy Program
For more info. contact: Cécile Dumesnil 204-371-5952 or
The Mortar & Pestle | Pharmacy & Therapeutics Update
Updates
What’s New… November 13, 2024 meeting
Carboxymethylcellulose 0.5% ophthalmic drops and Dequalinium (Dequadin) throat lozenges were added to formulary due to Health Pro contract changes.
Potassium Phosphate 15 mmol/250 mL D5W and 30 mmol/500 mL D5W have been added to the formulary at the Regional Centers which should eliminate after hour requests for compounding.
After a comprehensive review of SH-SS inhalers, the following were added to the formulary: Combivent Respimat, Spiriva Respimat. Advair MDI will be removed and replaced by Wixela Diskus to decrease the greenhouse gases in the environment from the propellant hydrofluoroalkane (HFA). More info is shared on the briefing note for the updated Automatic Substitution Medication List in Acute Care.
The Acute Care Formulary Review policy was created with a Process for Handling Non-Formulary Medication Orders.
The Emergency Department Adult Intravenous Iron Administration Standard Orders was revised to reflect the name change of Monoferric from iron isomaltoside to ferric derisomaltose. Labs were also changed from Fe, TIBC to TSTAT (Percent transferrin saturation; report includes iron & TIBC).
Medication Order Writing and Processing policy was updated with more exclusive wording for texting orders using provincial or SH-SS approved secure communication for communication. It also refers to the regional Secure Messaging for Patient Care policy.
FORMULARY
- Carboxymethcellulose 1% to 0.5% ophthalmic
- Lozenges Bradasol to Dequadin
- Potassium Phosphate 15/250 & 30/500 (mmol /mL D5W)
- Meperidine inj restrictions
- Combivent Respimat
- Too many to list, see memo
POLICIES - AutoSub list Acute Care
a. Spiriva caps to Respimat
b. Advair MDI to Diskus
c. Salbutamol preferred brand Teva - Acute Care Formulary Review
- Adult Intravenous Iron Administration in ED Standard Orders updated
- Medication Order Writing and Processing
- Secure Messaging for Patient Care
MONOGRAPHS
- Too many to list, see memo
POLICIES
- AutoSub list Acute Care
- Spiriva caps to Respimat
- Advair MDI to Diskus
- Salbutamol preferred brand Teva
- Acute Care Formulary Review
- Adult Intravenous Iron Administration in ED Standard Orders updated
- Medication Order Writing and Processing
- Secure Messaging for Patient Care
For more info. go to the GENERAL shared folder to review the completed Pharmacy & Therapeutics minutes
Schedule of Charges effective January 1, 2025
Please note that the following new document has been added to the Schedule of Charges, effective January 1, 2025:
Rehab Schedule of Charges (Jan 1 2025)Please discard the applicable old document and use the new document.
Please ensure that families, clients, staff and any others affected by any changes or increases are made aware.
Submitted by: Danielle Dupuis
For more info. contact via email