Langley Memorial Hospital's new Emergency Department: A Year In Review

A YEAR IN REVIEW

Zone 1 Acute Care

A WORLD APART Reflections on a year in Langley Memorial Hospital’s new Martini Family Emergency Centre Some years ago, the health care team at Langley Memorial was polled on what they thought its Emergency Department needed to transform it into a space designed with the needs of patients and health care workers in mind.

WHAT'S INSIDE Dr. De Vynck Reflects on the past year

Dr. Navjot Sandhu Treating youth and children more efficiently than before

Their wish list prioritized the architecture: a much bigger, open space,

MRI Suite

more separated rooms, higher ceilings, room to move and work.

Expanding the Possibilities of Diagnosis and Care

Now in May 2022, a full year after the doors of the new Martini Family Emergency Centre first opened, those bricks-and-mortar wishes have translated to something even more powerful and lasting.

Thank You A message from Site Medical

For health care and support staff, it’s given them room to move around with equipment, greater ease with infection control and a simpler, more intuitive way to organize treatment and care.

Continued on p2

Director, Dr. Mitra Maharaj

"A World Apart" continued from p1 For patients who’ve visited over the last year, the new Emergency area provides privacy, dignity and connection with caregivers and family, says Dr. Willem De Vynck, one of LMH’s Emergency care physicians.

Dr. De Vynck was just one of several ER staff who donated their time to act as a vital liaison between the hospital and generous donors to the Emergency Response campaign, the community effort that built the new Emergency Department.

“The number of care spaces was a big priority and we went from 31 to 49 individual care spaces. It doesn’t sound like much but it’s a big change.”

DR. WILLEM DE VYNCK LMH Emergency Care Physician

Where Function Meets Design Dr. De Vynck says many of

(including pediatric, mental

the changes made in the new

health, acute and non-acute)

department over the last year

that dominates the new design,

are just common-sense

has made an impact on health

fixes –but they’ve made a

care workers’ efficiency, and

huge impact.

separate entrances for walk-in patients and those who arrive in

For instance, a resuscitation

an ambulance have also been a

room that was not large enough

boom for support services such as

to function well in crisis

BC Paramedics and RCMP who

situations was used as a tiny

need space to accompany their

storage area. It’s now gone in

patients and complete paperwork,

favour of two larger rooms that

he adds.

for the past year have functioned the way they were

Over the past year, Dr. De Vynck

designed to. “Those are huge

and his team have enjoyed the

positives for us,” he says.

freedom to move – to work how they want, and where they want,

The plan for patient privacy in

in each zone, he says.

each of five patient “zones”

Continued on p3

Since opening the new emergency department...

LMH welcomed

49,155 patients

or an average of Continued from p2 A larger workspace dedicated

Come opening day, natural light

to doctors and RNs, and mobile

offered a dopamine hit for

workstations that allow them to

everyone in the ER space.

“wheel” the portable desk to

147

patients per day

patients, has helped them work

“A larger brighter area has had

in a more efficient way. “We’re

this magical uplifting effect on

very happy about these

people,” says Dr. De Vynck. “You

workstations on wheels, so we

have this higher ceiling with a

don’t have to walk back and

skylight and it seems to lift your

forth between zones.”

spirits. Most people that I asked

first months of the

have said that dealing with the

COVID-19 pandemic...

Health care staff also treasure

stress of the pandemic [in 2021]

break rooms, washing and

was far easier in the new

change rooms, more

department than it was dealing

administration space and an

with it in the old one.”

education area for welcome respite, paperwork and training.

Reflecting on the last year, it’s clear that donors gave health

Easing Pandemic Stress

care workers and patients alike a

During 2020 and 2021, health

foreseen, Dr. De Vynck says.

gift bigger than anyone may have

care workers definitely felt the added stress of the COVID-19

“Donors’ spirit of giving has really

pandemic. Along with stalled

motivated us - who work there -

surgeries that exacerbated

to also give more of our time

already challenging waitlists,

and our service to the people

the hectic activity of the more

who cross our paths at

cramped space consistently

Langley Memorial.”

hampered morale.

In 2020 prior to opening and in the

LMH's Emergency department saw

42,295 patients

or an average of

115

patients per day

SMALL PATIENTS, BIG IMPACT In his nearly seven years as

Though the pediatric waiting

a pediatric emergency

area is open and not

specialist at Langley Memorial,

completely visually separated

Dr. Navjot Sandhu has always

from the adults, the brighter,

known that young patients

more defined space helps

would fare better in the ER with

health care workers keep

a space of their own.

children in their line of sight, he adds.

In May, 2021, thanks to Emergency Response campaign

Langley’s population boom

donors, they got just that — a

placed immense pressure on

bright, peaceful space,

Langley Memorial Hospital to

separated from adults. With

meet the demand, long

three treatment rooms

before 2021.

designed specifically with children in mind,health care

In 2016, the population was

staff can treat children more

under 150,000. Between 2016

efficiently than they ever could

and 2021, the township of

before, he says.

Langley welcomed 14,635 new residents, according to

“We are seeing children

Statistics Canada.

quicker, and we are getting them sorted in the department quicker. In that way it is a much

Continued on p5

DR. NAVJOT SANDHU LMH Pediatric Emergency Specialist

better experience than what the old department was,” says Dr. Sandhu.

“Anyone who steps into the new emergency department is immediately struck by the patient-centered and providercentered layout.

It is spacious, and yet it provides privacy for patients and their families.”

Dr. Mitra Maharaj

Exterior Main Entrance

"Small Patients, Big Impact" continued from p4 “We have seen an uptick in the numbers of children coming in,” says Dr. Sandhu. “If it’s because of the dynamics of the population, it’s difficult to say, but it’s clear we’ve been seeing more now than we did in the old department.”

The original Emergency waiting room presented many problems for children. When they themselves were under stress with injury or illness, they would wait in an ER with adults, and could be exposed to other patients who may have been using substances, suffering from mental health issues,or exposing traumatic wounds.

Parents let Dr. Sandhu know what they thought.

“It was distressing to children, and parents used to get upset,” he says. “Langley Memorial is not a cottage hospital any more. It’s a busy urban hospital with a growing population.

[Yet,] we had not been set up for children.

“Since the first hospital was built, we’ve understood so much more about the impact to children when they come to the emergency department.”

He says he’s grateful that the community can rely on donors to build the best possible care environment for Langley’s children and youth.

"It is due to the generosity shown by donors over the Emergency Response campaign that we have a modern and better suited Emergency Department,” says Dr. Sandhu.

“This has helped us to get closer to achieving the quality of care we strive to provide Langley residents.”

The previous emergency department was last renovated in

1986 Since then, patient visits grew from

25,000

a year to more than

48,000

MRI SUITE, ONE YEAR LATER Expanding the Possibilities of Diagnosis and Care Sometimes a state-of-the-art machine is more than a machine.

Sometimes it’s an opportunity.

In the last fiscal year, or from April 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022, 8,040 patients have been diagnosed using scans produced with the assistance of the new MRI, Magnetic Resonance Imaging machine.

Long before 2021, the need was urgent. Consider the ordeal of patients arriving at LMH who needed an immediate MRI scan, only to be sent to Surrey or Abbotsford hospitals. On average, about three inpatients per day were being sent by ambulance and with an RN escort to other hospitals for an MRI scan, taking up considerable time and cost.

Since its first use, the MRI suite has proven valuable in ways that health care staff could have never imagined.

For example, depending on the diagnosis needed, patients who lie on an MRI bed may be covered by a blanket-like casing with air coils, a specialized tool which captures images of wider sections of the body, suited for larger patients. The table itself is also built with coils that allow for comfortable breast imaging - an additional kit made possible thanks to donor dollars.

Over the past year, radiologists have also been able to conduct cognitive prostate biopsies, a service never before offered by LMH. Once the patient has a prostate MRI, radiologists can review the images and determine the best course of action; the radiologist may use MRI images to do targeted samples of areas of high suspicion for cancer.

Finally, critically ill patients who need respiratory help during the procedure can now be diagnosed safely, thanks to the new U-Servo MRI ventilator, a device made with non-magnetic materials that can withstand the MRI’s magnetic force while it aids the patient’s breathing.

Continued on p7

TAMMY KAROWAY LMH Medical Imaging Site Coordinator

"MRI Suite, One Year Later" continued from p6 While the new MRI ventilator,

After just a few thousands

The MRI enabled our

funded by TB Vets, has been

of uses of the MRI machine,

talented and dedicated

used just once over the year, on

Karoway says, its benefits

radiologists to render life-

a critically ill patient, it made a

are already plain and its

altering and life-affirming

significant, positive impact on

potential clear.

diagnoses for our

that one patient. Without the

colleagues to act upon; to

ventilator on hand, the situation

help, to inform, and to

could have been dire – as it would have required this already fragile patient to be sent to another health care site.

“Even that one unnecessary trip to another site for imaging could have a significant impact," says Tammy Karoway, LMH’s Medical Imaging Site Coordinator. “So although it’s not a high use item, it has a very [dramatic] impact for those who need it.”

“Beyond the obvious decreased wait times and offering of service closer to home, the amazing team of technologists and radiologists continues to expand the services we are able to offer at LMH.”

heal our many patients.

It is your generosity which has made this possible.

Dr. Emil Lee

With your support,

8,040

patients

used the new MRI machine over the last year

A MESSAGE FROM SITE MEDICAL DIRECTOR, Dr. Mitra Maharaj When Dr. Mitra Maharaj thinks

and anticipating the new and

of Langley Memorial Hospital’s

evolving needs when it comes

donors, he considers how the

to emergency health care.

world can change in dramatic, unexpected ways and how

Not only have our donors

these donors have acted as

brought our environment of

visionaries in troubled times.

care up to a modern standard of excellence, they have

“The pandemic has taught us

ensured a legacy for our

many things, and one of those

community that will last for

things is that the facets of our

years; one that will grow

health care needs are

and allow us to evolve and

constantly changing.

respond to the changing needs of health care for our

The demands on our health

community members.

care system are constantly growing and evolving. And

I view this not simply as meeting

we must always expect

a need, but also being

the unexpected.

visionary. Anticipating future needs and planning for those

By creating an environment

as best we can plan.

such as our Emergency Department, we weren't simply

Dr. Mitra Maharaj,

responding to the needs of our community or health care providers, we were looking far into the future -

Site Medical Director Langley Memorial Hospital

The incredible generosity of our donors allowed us not just to do a good job, but to do an amazing job that will continue to provide for the needs of our patients for many years.