Feedback from a recent public information session on the five-year North Okanagan Hospice Society strategic framework is under review from society leadership.
More than 40 people including Vernon-Monashee MLA Harwinder Sandhu, several municipal politicians, top officials from Interior Health Authority and engaged community members took part.
“I was very pleased with the turnout. We had community members from all sectors, which was critical in being able to get as many perspectives as possible,” said hospice executive director Lisa Matthews.”From elected members of civic and our province, to key stakeholders such as Interior Health, donors, business owners, families of hospice, clients, staff, to people simply interested in our organization.
“It really shows the touch of hospice in this North Okanagan community, and how respected and supported we are in the community. In my conversations with people, hospice and our community services has touched so many people in our community, and they are so supportive of us, and the work we do. It’s a real testament to our staff and volunteers over the years.”
Four feedback stations were set up covering IT/finance, expert staff, palliative care hub and community engagement. Each station had a facilitator asking open-ended questions with the thoughts captured in summary form.
Participants could select three of the four topics of most interest and spent 20 minutes at each one. The input was then summarized to find common themes.
Communication was one of the biggest themes that came out from all of the stations.
“How to better touch our community in meaningful ways, and more often,” said Matthews. “With regards to our services and our engagement with the community, the participants identified that people lack awareness of our services and how to access them, and one size does not fit all.
“We need to tailor our access to meet the specific needs of different groups in our community. Education in a way that normalizes death, and provides information on where to go, what they need to know and how to get it. Finally for our staff, support for mental health and wellness to keep them in their chosen career and educational opportunities so that they can continue to develop and grow within their role.”
The strategic framework is a living document and will be impacted by the feedback collected.
“We will be developing an infographic to share with the participants and the community on the wisdom that was gathered over the day,” said Matthews. “Our leadership team has reviewed the information and are adapting parts of our operational plan to incorporate these ideas, and we are very grateful for the thoughtfulness of the inputs and how very practical many of them were.”
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roger@vernonmorningstar.com
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