A satisfied Riverview Health Centre patient
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 08/12/2020 (909 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
They say the best form of advertising is a satisfied customer; unfortunately I was a customer at Riverview Health Centre’s acquired brain injury (ABI) unit but you can count me as satisfied I am now ready to talk about the facility so that other Manitobans will be better informed about Riverview’s role in providing health care to Manitobans.
I am familiar with the unit where I was a patient but was totally unaware of all the other areas served by Riverview, so I turned to Sheldon Mindell, executive director of RHC Foundation to answer my many questions.
He said my timing couldn’t have been better ,as the Health Centre is about to launch its new website (www.rhc.mb.ca). In addition to presenting information about all aspects of Riverview, the site will showcase stories of past patient experiences, a catalogue of previous Health Views publications plus a three-dimensional tour of the facility.
Prior to the creation of Riverview Health in 1994, the property at 1 Morley Ave., was known as the Municipal Hospitals —King George, King Edward, and Princess Elizabeth. These facilities were owned and operated by the City of Winnipeg and provided care to patients suffering with communicable diseases.
Once communicable diseases were less of a health care issue (although COVID-19 is again showing the impact of communicable disease) and people started to live longer because of vaccines the Municipal Hospitals turned their focus to the provision of long-term care.
Around that time, the City of Winnipeg agreed to give up its role as an operator of hospitals and handed the responsibility to the newly created Riverview Health Centre board of directors. The Health Centre began demolishing many of the old buildings — King George, King Edward, the nurses’ residence — upgraded the power house and then built a new 387-bed facility. Once it opened in 199, all patients were transferred from Princess Elizabeth to RHC and the former Princess Elizabeth building was renovated to house administrative offices, laboratory areas, dental work areas, as well as researchers’ offices, a museum, a staff gym and doctors’ offices.
Riverview Health Centre is made up of four integrated areas connected by a series of underground tunnels. The Robert A. Steen Day Hospital provides outpatient therapies for people living in the community but in need of occupational therapy, physiotherapy, social work and/or spiritual support. The outpatient program affords many participants the ability to continue living independently.
What about the 387 beds identified within Riverview Health Centre? These beds are broken down into hospital/patient beds and resident beds in these categories (and others):
• Acquired brain injury (ABI);
• Stroke rehabilitation;
• Palliative care;
• Chronic care;
• Complex continuing care;
• The Alzheimer Centre of Excellence;
• Long-term personal residential care.
The facility is state-of-the-art, but it is the staff that makes it truly special.
Based upon my experiences they are doing it right, as I was treated by caring and empathic staff. The wait times can be long; but once you’re in, the care is tops.
Weldon Rinn lives, writes, and enjoys living in St. Vital. He can be reached at weldonrinn2@gmail.com
Weldon Rinn
St. Vital community correspondent
Weldon Rinn lives, writes, and enjoys living in St. Vital. He can be reached at weldonrinn2@gmail.com