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Jan/Feb 2019

The Community Intravenous Program (CIVP) has consolidated their service at Misericordia Health Centre (MHC).

The move, which took place last November as part of the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority's Healing Our Health System plan, better supports CIVP by bringing together an inter-professional team of infectious disease physicians, nurses, pharmacists and administrative staff to care for clients in one place.

"For the first time, we're bringing all areas of this service together," says Gina Trinidad, Chief Health Operations Officer for Continuing Care and Community with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority. "The opportunity for our inter-professional teams to work together in the same space will greatly increase collaboration and efficiency, ultimately providing even better care to our clients, sooner."

The new location also provides on-site diagnostic imaging and lab services that weren't available at the previous sites.

Benefits of the new location include:

• Improved and increased physical space for treatment areas for specialized care needs, including additional private exam rooms and an isolation room
• Access to diagnostic imaging and lab services available at MHC, which may prevent return visits to an emergency department or urgent care
• More accessible to clients while remaining in a central location; increased parking and access to bus routes
• Close to infectious disease clinics where most referrals come from (HSC Winnipeg and St. Boniface Hospital)

"Moving to MHC has enabled the program to move towards a centralized hub model," Trinidad says. "We are actively working with MHC, a provider of specialized ambulatory programs, as it delivers this important Home Care service to the community."

As part of the Home Care program, CIVP helps people who need antibiotics intravenously (by vein) in their home or at an on-site clinic. The program also offers a satellite infusion clinic at ACCESS Transcona.