River Valley Health offers a full range of therapeutic services provided by
qualified health care professionals in a variety of disciplines. Included in the
broad range of therapeutic services offered in the region are:
Audiology:
Audiology
services are available to all ages. Audiologists focus on
the early detection of hearing problems. As an example, a
one-day-old baby can have a hearing test before they leave
the hospital. A complete range of services is provided at
the Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital. Basic testing is
offered at a satellite clinic at the
Upper River Valley Hospital in Waterville.
Audiologists may use a variety of different tests and
specialized equipment to find the amount of hearing loss and
the location of a hearing or balance problem. Each part of
the hearing or balance system is examined carefully using
equipment and techniques adapted to the age and health of
the person. The audiologist then prepares a plan to improve
the person's ability to communicate. This may include
providing a prescription for a hearing aid or another type
of equipment, or offering counseling to the patient and
their family.
Audiologists work closely with other professionals, including
physicians, speech-language pathologists, teachers and nurses,
as well as with parents and other family members. Community
information and educational sessions are provided to promote
early detection and prevention of hearing and balance problems.
For more information, please contact
Andre.Lafargue@rvh.nb.ca
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Clinical Dietetics:
Clinical dietitians work as members of the patient
care team in all of the region's facilities, including
community health centres, community hospitals, the Dr.
Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital, the Stan Cassidy Centre
for Rehabilitation, the Extra-Mural Program, and the
Veterans Health Unit.
Clinical dietitians provide nutritional assessments, treatment
intervention and consultation to individuals on food, diet and
nutrition. They work with all ages from newborns to geriatrics.
Good nutrition is essential for promoting growth and
development, recovery from surgery, coping with medical
treatment, and aiding disease prevention. After completing an
assessment, the clinical dietitian develops a nutrition plan
with the individual. These plans include education about one's
medical condition and the impact of the food they eat on their
health.
The region's clinical dietitians work closely with the
regional Food Services Department on menu development for
our health care facilities. The dietitians also provide
nutritional education to patient groups (e.g. new
diabetics), other health care professionals and community
groups. They work closely with communities on various health
promotion and disease prevention activities. They provide
education and consultation to such organizations as the
Canadian Diabetes Association, the Celiac Association, and
the Crohn's and Colitis Society.
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Occupational Therapy:
Showing
you the way to independence when daily living becomes a
challenge.
Occupational therapy is a health profession
that focuses on helping people who have difficulty
carrying out everyday activities, due to physical, mental or
developmental difficulties.
What do Occupational Therapists do?
Occupational therapists are concerned with all areas
of an individual's life, such as taking care of one's self (eg.
bathing, dressing and meal preparation), work-related
activities (eg. housework, child care, paid work) and
leisure activities (eg. gardening, sport, driving).
Occupational therapists work together with their clients to
promote independence, meaning and satisfaction in their
clients' lives.
Some services offered:
- providing education for patients who have had hip
replacement surgery on steps to take to protect their
artificial joint.
- providing pre-vocational evaluation for the person who
has experienced a psychiatric illness
- adapting the home setting for a person with Rheumatoid
Arthritis
- teaching a child with cerebral palsy how to dress
him/her self
- assessing and adapting the work setting of a person with
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Ask your doctor about an Occupational Therapist, if
you:
- need help getting dressed, groomed or feeding
yourself
- have trouble getting on or off the toilet, or chairs or
getting in or out of bed, tub
or car
- think you may need some adaptive equipment for home or
assistive devices
- have any seating or positioning needs such as with
splints, wheelchairs or
specialized cushions.
- feel confused, forgetful, depressed, unsafe, in
performing your daily activities.
Assistive devices and adaptive aids:
Occupational Therapists teach clients different ways
to perform daily activities. This may include training in
the use of assistive devices so the client can live
independently.
Sample problem: Difficulty getting from sitting
to standing.
Possible solutions:
1. To raise the height of the sitting surface to reduce
leg muscle effort required.
2. To use arms during this activity to distribute strength
demand.
Assistive device options:
- tub transfer bench - tub seat
- raised toilet seat - toilet rails
- spring-loaded seat - chair blocks
Please note: Please consult a medical
professional.
Where Occupational Therapists are located:
Occupational therapists work in a variety of
settings with individuals, groups, agencies and
organizations. Occupational therapy is available in most
health care facilities across the region, in home and school
through the Extra-Mural Program and at the provincial
tertiary rehabilitation centre (Stan Cassidy Centre for
Rehabilitation). If you wish to see an OT at River Valley
Health, discuss with your physician the best location to
access OT services in your area.
For more information, please contact
Patti.Byrne@rvh.nb.ca
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Spiritual and Religious Care:
The role of Spiritual and Religious Care / Pastoral Care is
to help individuals meet their spiritual needs, whether or
not they belong to a particular faith. Spiritual caregivers
play an integral role in the healthcare team. Community
clergy, religious leaders and spiritual care providers come
into hospitals on a regular basis to provide spiritual care
for members of their congregations. They are also available
to help patients, families and staff during times of crisis.
Patients are asked, upon admission, about their religious affiliation and
whether they want their clergy person, religious leader or a representative of
their faith to visit them.
Spiritual and Religious Care services are offered in different ways in our
organization. Some hospitals have a spiritual care coordinator who facilitates
the services provided by community clergy, religious leaders and spiritual care
providers. At the Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital, the Director of
Spiritual and Religious Care is involved in providing such care to patients and
families, as well as responding to crisis situations.
The Teaching Supervisor, certified by the Canadian Association for Pastoral
Practice and Education (CAPPE), offers Clinical Pastoral Education courses on a
regular basis at the Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital.
Student interns are placed in different units in the hospital and work
with our health care teams to provide spiritual care services.
Ecumenical Duty Chaplains, Catholic Priests and Jehovah’s Witness
representatives are available on call after regular hours at the Dr. Everett
Chalmers Regional Hospital, Oromocto
Public
Hospital
and the Upper River Valley
Hospital.
In addition to regular visitations, various members of the clergy, religious
leaders and healthcare workers are involved in Spiritual and Religious Care
Advisory Committees.
For further information please contact the Spiritual and Religious Care
Department at 452-5408 or
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Pharmacy:
The
River Valley Health pharmacy department is an integral part
of the health care team and supports the region's hospitals
and health care centres. Pharmacists and pharmacy
technicians work to provide patients with safe and effective
drug therapy. Our pharmacy technicians manage the day-to-day
functions of the pharmacy, such as dispensing, order entry,
compounding, inventory, stock, and checking.
River Valley Health pharmacists are
employed in Perth-Andover, Waterville, and Fredericton. Our
pharmacists provide many services including drug interaction
monitoring, drug order review, therapeutic drug monitoring
and drug information support for other health care
providers. Specialized pharmacy services are provided to the
oncology units in Fredericton and
Waterville. Our hemodialysis
program is delivered in Fredericton and Waterville through a
collaborative effort with the Nephrology Program at Saint
John Regional Hospital.
River Valley Health has launched an automated pharmacy
program. This includes the introduction of an online order
verification program known as Med Direct, ROBOT-Rx, and
automated medication cabinets. The robot serves all the
hospitals in the region. Overseen by technicians, the robot
automates the dispensing and checking of medications which
operates on a twenty-four hour distribution system. The
accuracy of the robot and the decrease in human intervention
will reduce the risk of medication related errors. The robot
allows pharmacists to work more closely with the health care
team, to participate on clinical rounds, and to focus on
patient care.
Our goal is to meet patients' needs by providing
cost-effective, optimal drug therapy and patient-focused
care. The pharmacists and pharmacy technicians at River
Valley Health are committed to enhancing the level of
pharmaceutical care in the region.
River Valley Health supports both pharmacy and pharmacy
technician students during their practicums.
For more information, please contact:
Faith.Louis@rvh.nb.ca
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Physiotherapy:
Physiotherapy
services are provided in all the hospitals within the
region, as well as in the community health centres and at
the Veterans Health Unit. Physiotherapists in the Extra-Mural
Program provide services in the home, schools, and daycares.
Physiotherapy is described as the assessment, identification,
alleviation and prevention of physical problems or pain.
Physiotherapists have a detailed understanding of how the body
works and are specially trained to assess and improve a
patient's movement and physical function and to relieve pain. A
physiotherapist may treat with manual mobilization and/or
prescribe and teach exercises. They may also make use of a wide
variety of treatment options, including heat, cold, electrical
stimulation and acupuncture.
Physiotherapists work in many different areas of health care
rehabilitation, geriatric and restorative care, surgical
orthopedic, plastic surgery, general surgery, rheumatology,
cardiac care, adult intensive care, neonatal intensive care,
general medicine / family practice, pediatric (general),
paediatric (neurological / developmental), musculoskeletal,
maternity, post partum, oncology and emergency. Patients
referred for physiotherapy services range in age from premature
newborns to the elderly.
A physician's referral is required in order to obtain
physiotherapy services.
For more information, please contact
Marilyn.Rowan@rvh.nb.ca .
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Psychology Services:
River Valley Health Psychology Services are offered
at the Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital and the
Stan Cassidy Centre for
Rehabilitation (SCCR) in Fredericton. Psychologists
provide specialized assessments, treatment intervention and
consultation services for patients who have psychological
needs related to their medical condition or medical
treatment.
Psychology services are available to adult and paediatric
clients at the SCCR and to inpatients referred from any unit of
the Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital. Services may be
continued on a limited outpatient basis following discharge.
Dedicated psychology services are offered to the following
areas and programs of the regional hospital: psychiatry,
oncology, cardiac care, pediatrics, rehabilitation and
geriatrics, family practice, surgery and the diabetes education
clinic.
Psychologists also provide education and consultation to
patients, health care professionals in the region, and the
community on health-related psychological issues. Clinical
supervision is provided to UNB graduate level psychology
students. As members of the interdisciplinary health care
team, psychologists also provide consultation and
collaboration in the development and evaluation of patient
care programs and research activities.
Internship
Brochure
For more information, please contact
Patti.Byrne@rvh.nb.ca
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Respiratory Therapy:
Respiratory therapists work throughout River Valley
Health in a variety of settings. Respiratory therapists are
an important part of the health care team. They respond to
emergency situations, improve patient's quality of life,
reduce time lost from work and school, and improve
respiratory health. They also provide education to assist
patients on inpatient and outpatient basis with breathing
problems, and day-to-day coping skills.
Within River Valley Health, respiratory therapists work
in the Intensive Care Units, Asthma Clinics, general patient
units and Pulmonary Function Labs.
For more information, please contact
Kathy.Kowalski@rvh.nb.ca
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Social Work:
Social workers are members of the patient care
teams in the region. They provide services and support to
all the hospitals within the region, as well as working in
the Extra-Mural Program, the Stan Cassidy Centre for
Rehabilitation, Addiction Services and the Veterans Health
Unit.
Social workers help patients and their families deal with the
stresses faced through illness and with being hospitalized. They
also help family members discuss their needs and concerns
arising from health issues. Social workers can give you
information on support services that are available in your
community. Social work in a hospital setting focuses on helping
patients and their families deal with psychosocial or
social-emotional needs relating to hospitalization and/or issues
stemming from changes to their health. They offer supportive
counseling, crisis intervention, and provide linkage to
community resources to help patients and their families.
For more information, please contact
Bruce.MacPherson@rvh.nb.ca
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Speech-Language Pathology:
Services are provided to inpatients and
outpatients at all the hospitals within the region, as well
as at the Stan Cassidy Centre for Rehabilitation. In
Fredericton, outpatient services to pre-school age children
are provided in a clinic setting at the
Forest Hill Centre. Services are provided in the
home, schools and daycare through the Extra-Mural Program.
Services are offered to patients of all ages who have
communication and/or swallowing problems.
Speech-language pathologists help individuals overcome and
prevent communication problems in hearing, language, speech
(pronunciation), voice, resonance and fluency (stuttering).
These difficulties may be caused by delayed development or
aging. They also help individuals use
alternate modes of non-verbal communication, such as electronic
communication boards or other devices.
Speech-language pathologists use a variety of tests and
equipment to do their assessments and intervention,
depending on the person's age and health. Patients are
encouraged to become actively involved in planning their own
therapy. Speech-language pathologists work closely with
other professionals such as audiologists, physicians,
teachers, and nurses, as well as with parents and family.
They also provide services to the community by providing
information and educational sessions to promote early
detection and prevention of communication and swallowing
problems.
Referrals to a speech-language pathologist are made by
physicians, public health nurses, infant development
specialists, and pre-school teachers. Self-referrals can also be
made.
For more information, please contact
Andre.Lafargue@rvh.nb.ca