Providence In the News

Providence Health Care Nurses Awarded for Excellence

Vancouver, May 15, 2008 — During National Nursing Week (May 12-18), Providence Health Care (PHC) is celebrating the unique contributions and achievements of both the nursing profession and the individual nurses who work at PHC.

Run-Funded Research Project to Learn How to Measure Pain in Dementia Patients Who Can’t Express It

Vancouver, April 29, 2008 — Imagine being in pain but unable to express it? This is the unfortunate reality for many seniors suffering from dementia and multiple co-morbid conditions that involve pain. The good news is that it’s the focus of a research effort to be funded by proceeds from the May 10 BMO Pacific Spirit Run.

St. Paul's Hospital Opens BC's First One-Stop Thyroid Clinic

Vancouver, April 28, 2008 — St. Paul’s Hospital has opened the doors to British Columbia’s first clinic dedicated to the diagnosis and management of thyroid cancers and thyroid hormone disorders.
“Thyroid disorders are on the rise across Canada, especially thyroid cancer,” says Dr. Ehud Ur, Providence Health Care’s Division Head of Endocrinology. “Thyroid cancer is the eighth most prevalent form of cancer affecting women and is growing in frequency in Canada. It is a complex yet ultimately treatable condition that requires specialist multidisciplinary care.”

Pacific Spirit Run Raises Funds to Soften Heavy Tread of Dementia

Vancouver, April 23, 2008 — Two competing Vancouver athletic footwear businesses have united in the battle against dementia.
The owners of athletic footwear outlets, Ladysport and Forerunners, have personally experienced the toll of dementia in their own families and, as a result, are sponsors of the BMO Pacific Spirit Run which takes place Saturday, May 10 at Pacific Spirit Park at UBC.

St. Paul's Immunodeficiency Clinic Honoured at AccolAIDS Gala

Vancouver, April 18, 2008 — Providence Health Care's John Ruedy Immunodeficiency Clinic was recognized at the 7th Annual AccolAIDS Awards, presented April 13, 2008 by the British Columbia Persons With AIDS Society's (BCPWA). Presented at the AccolAIDS fundraising gala, the AccolAIDS Awards honour the extraordinary achievements and dedication of organizations, businesses, groups and individuals responding to the AIDS epidemic in British Columbia, and the thousands of people living in B.C. who are affected.

Cracked But Not Broken: CHEOS and UBC Host International Conference on Stimulant Use

Vancouver, April 16, 2008 — The UBC Institute for Mental Health and the Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences (CHÉOS) at Providence Health Care Research Institute will host “Cracked But Not Broken” an international conference that addresses stimulant use among adolescents and young adults April 18 - 20 at the UBC Life Sciences Centre.

Metabolic Syndrome Clinic at St. Paul's Hospital a Success

Vancouver, April 10, 2008 — One in four Canadians suffer from metabolic syndrome, a combination of risk factors including excess abdominal fat that can increase their risk of serious heart disease, stroke and Type 2 diabetes. The Metabolic Syndrome Program located within Vancouver’s St Paul’s Hospital, has established a positive, innovative approach that’s helping British Columbians reduce their risk of developing heart disease and diabetes. The clinic was established with the support of a $1.6 million donation from pharmaceutical partner AstraZeneca Canada.

Race and Gender Differences in Imprisonment Increase Risk for HIV

Vancouver, April 4, 2008 — There are clear disparities in life expectancy among prison inmates in the United States based on race and gender, finds a new study authored by the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE). The current imprisonment practice in the United States may negatively influence prison populations, explain the authors, adding that the negative health effects of imprisonment and new interventions to reduce them should be an urgent priority within both corrections and public health.

Violence Drives HIV Risk for Women in Street-Based Sex Work

Vancouver, April 3, 2008 — Everyday violence experienced by women engaged in street-based sex work results in a heightened risk of HIV transmission, finds a new study authored by the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE).
The qualitative study published in Social Science and Medicine included responses from 46 participants, from focus groups conducted between December 2005 and March 2006. The average age of the respondents was 34 years and 57 per cent identified themselves as being of Aboriginal ancestry.

Crystal Methamphetamine Use Rampant Among Street Youth

Vancouver, April 3, 2008 — Almost three-quarters of street youth in Vancouver have used crystal methamphetamine, and nearly 95 per cent of street youth reported that the drug was 'very easy' to acquire, finds a new study authored by the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE).

Providence In the Park Bringing Food, Clothing and Haircuts to Hundreds of Downtown Eastside Residents

Vancouver, April 3, 2008 — On Saturday, April 5, Providence Health Care (PHC) is bringing much-needed food, T-shirts and sweatshirts, socks and toiletries to over 500 residents of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Staff, physicians and volunteers from across PHC will gather at Oppenheimer Park to distribute the provisions. There will also be stations for people to receive haircuts and chair massages, a special service that was very popular at the last Providence in the Park. Many attendees to this highly anticipated event are homeless or poor families in dire need of food.

Discovery Links Gene to Protection Against Infectious Heart Disease

Vancouver, March 26, 2008 — A gene once thought to cause damage to the heart during inflammation may actually be vital for anti-virus immunity, revealed a study led by researchers at Providence Health Care's Heart + Lung Institute and the James Hogg iCAPTURE Centre for Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Research at St. Paul's Hospital.

PHC Celebrates Dialysis Unit Upgrade and 1500th Kidney Transplant

Vancouver, March 19, 2008 — As part of March's Kidney Month activities, Providence Health Care's Renal Program held a celebration event to mark two significant milestones: the re-opening of a vital area of the hemodialysis unit at St. Paul's Hospital after $1.34 million in upgrades and the 1500th kidney transplant in the Program's history.

New Research Could Lead to Reduced Deaths from Septic Shock

Vancouver, February 28, 2008 — New research by St. Paul’s Hospital’s Dr. Jim Russell and the team of Vasopressin and Septic Shock Trial (VASST) investigators – published in the latest edition of the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine – shows some patients with septic shock may have a better chance of surviving if they are treated with the human hormone vasopressin.

Providence Health Care Named a Best Employer for New Canadians

Vancouver, February 23, 2008 — Providence Health Care (PHC) has been selected as one of the 20 Best Employers for New Canadians for 2008, a designation that recognizes the nation's best employers for recent immigrants.
PHC was the only health care organization in western Canada recognized in 2008 for its progressive work policies, educational and training opportunities and competitive compensation that assist new Canadians in making the transition to a new workplace and a new life in Canada.

Greater Access to Treatment Needed to Curb AIDS Deaths and the Spread of HIV

Vancouver, February 21, 2008 — Forty per cent of people who died of HIV/AIDS-related causes in B.C. between 1997 and 2005 never accessed life-saving, free, highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), reveals a new study published by the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE). Low socioeconomic status was found to be strongly associated with the delay in starting therapy as well as higher mortality rates among people on HAART.

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