Community InformationThe Hazeltons (including the Village of Hazelton, the District of New Hazelton, several unincorporated areas and a number of First Nations Villages) are situated in northern British Columbia amidst the 3,000 foot walls of the rugged Rocher de Boule Mountain Range. Known as the “Totem Pole Capital of the World”, the area boasts a friendly pioneer town atmosphere and colourful streetscapes reflecting a rich history. Spectacular scenery, aboriginal culture and wilderness recreational opportunities characterize the Hazelton lifestyle.
Hazelton takes its name from the hazel bushes that grow on the local river-carved terraces. The Hazelton area experiences a moderate climate with some rain and considerable snowfall. Summer temperatures average around 15 degrees Celsius and winter temperatures averaging around -9 degrees Celsius.
INDUSTRY:
Forestry, fishing, mining, ranching, tourismPopulation
Town Population: 270 (BC Stats, 2011 Census)
Patient Catchment: 7,350
Ages of Population:
0-17: 26.7%
18-24: 12.1%
25-64: 51.1%
65+: 10.1% (BC Stats, 2010 Figures)
Health Administrative Information
Health Authority: Northern Health
Health Service Delivery Area: Northwest
Regional District: Kitimat-Stikine
Rural Designation: RSA community
RRP Designation: A
RRP Points: 44.75
Practitioners + Clinic information
General Practitioners: 12, Specialty Practice: 2 (www.cpsbc.ca)
Clinics
Hazelton Community Health
Bag 999, 2510 – Highway 62
Hazelton, BC, V0J 1Y0
P: 250 842-4640 | F: 250 842-4642
Gitanmaax Health Station
Box 223, 1713 Middle Road
Hazelton, BC, V0J 1Y0
P: 250 842-6320 | F: 250 842-6399
Hagwilget Health Station
Box 460, Highway 62
New Hazelton, BC, V0J 2J0
P: 250 842-5272 | F: 250 842-6792
Wrinch Memorial Hospital, a fully accredited, acute care facility has a unique and proud history in the Hazeltons.
Located in Northern British Columbia, 1,163 km north of Vancouver and 259 km west of Prince Rupert, Wrinch Memorial Hospital serves numerous communities totaling a population of 7,000, including the District of New Hazelton, Village of Hazelton, South Hazelton, Two Mile, Kispiox Valley, Gitanmaax, Hagwilget, Glen Vowell, Kispiox, Gitwangak, Gitseguekla, and Gitanyow.
As the largest employer in the area, Wrinch Memorial Hospital supports a team of 70 well-trained and dedicated staff that provide culturally sensitive and best practice health care to the communities.
Contact Info
Wrinch Memorial Hospital
2510 – Highway 62
Hazelton, BC, V0J 1Y0
P: 250 842-5211 | F: 250 842-5865
http://careers.northernhealth.ca/Communities/NorthwestRegion/Hazelton.aspx
Hospital Info
Wrinch Memorial Hospital has a diversity of services under its roof, including:
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- doctors clinic
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- 24/7 Emergency Room
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- Intensive Care Unit
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- Pharmacy
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- Home and Community Care
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- Lab
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- Ultrasound and X-ray services
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- Physiotherapy
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- Occupational Therapy
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- Complex Care
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- Diabetes education
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- Visiting specialists
Acute Care Beds: 10
Complex Care Beds: 9
Emergency Care Beds: 3
Respite Beds: 1
Psychiatric Observation Room: 1
Major Medical Centre: Prince George (449 km)
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Emergency Room
This community has a full service Emergency Room. It is open 24/7.
Number of Visits Per Year: 7,900 (2009/2010 Statistics: NHA)
Number of Emergency Care Beds: 3
Travel distance to transfer hospital: 449 km to Prince George
Anaesthetics
This community provides anaesthesia services (GP Anaesthetist)
Surgery
This community provides daycare surgical services.
Lab services
Wrinch Memorial Hospital Lab
Bag 999, 2510 – Highway 62
Hazelton, BC, V0J 1Y0
P: 250 842-4607
Hrs: Mon-Fri 9 am- 4 pm, Sat 10 am – 4 pm
Blood Bank
This community has a blood bank.
Imaging services
X-Ray
Wrinch Memorial Hospital Imaging
Bag 999, 2510 – Highway 62
Hazelton, BC, V0J 1Y0
P: 250 842-4613
Hrs: Mon-Fri 9 am – 5 pm
Ultrasound
This community has ultrasound imaging services.
Mammography
Mammography services provided by BC Cancer Agency twice a year. See www.bccancer.bc.ca for details.
BC Ambulance
BC Ambulance Service provides coverage to this community, including Air Ambulance services.
Pharmacy
Three Rivers Pharmacy
Bag 999, 2510 – Highway 62 West
Hazelton, BC, V0J 1Y0
P: 250 842-6040 | F: 250 842-0154
Nurse Practitioner
Wrinch Memorial Hospital
Bag 999, 2510 – Highway 62
Hazelton, BC, V0J 1Y0
P: 250 842-5211
Extended Care
Wrinch Memorial Hospital Extended Care (10 beds)
Bag 999, 2510 – Highway 62
Hazelton, BC, V0J 1Y0
P: 250 842-5211 | F: 250 842-5865
In-community
Hazelton Street Residence (6 beds)
2554 Hazelton Street
Hazelton, BC, V2L 1H1
P: 250 960-1499
Home Nursing
Hazelton Community Health
Wrinch Memorial Hospital
Bag 999, 2510 – Highway 62
Hazelton, BC, V0J 1Y0
P: 250 847-6430
In-community
Home and Community Care Nursing
Gitxsan Health Society – Kispiox Health Centre
2515 Mary Blackwater Avenue
Hazelton, BC, V0J 1Y0
P: 250 842-6236
Gitxsan Health Society – Glen Vowell Health Station
52 Glen Vowell Road
Hazelton, BC, V0J 1Y0
P: 250 842-6875
Gitxsan Health Society – Gitanmaax Health Centre
1713 Middle Road
Hazelton, BC, V0J 1Y0
P: 250 842-6320
Dietetics
Wrinch Memorial Hospital
Bag 999, 2510 – Highway 62
Hazelton, BC, V0J 1Y0
P: 250 842-5211 | F: 250 842-5865
Diabetic Nurse Educator
Wrinch Memorial Hospital
Bag 999, 2510 – Highway 62
Hazelton, BC, V0J 1Y0
P: 250 842-5211 | F: 250 842-5865
Occupational therapy
Wrinch Memorial Hospital
Bag 999, 2510 – Highway 62
Hazelton, BC, V0J 1Y0
P: 250 842-5211 | F: 250 842-5865
Mental Health and Addictions
Wrinch Memorial Hospital
Bag 999, 2510 – Highway 62
Hazelton, BC, V0J 1Y0
P: 250 842-5211 | F: 250 842-5865
Hrs: Mon-Fri 8:00 am – 4:30 pm
In-community
Gitanmaax Child & Family Services Society
Box 223, 4215 Government Street
Hazelton, BC, V0J 1Y0
P: 250 842-6320 | TFP: 1 877 513-5858 | F: 250 842-6399
Hrs: Mon-Fri 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Northern Health Mental Health and Addictions
#70 – 2510 Highway 62
Hazelton, BC, V0J 1Y0
P: 250 842-5144
CYMH Hazelton
2210 West Highway
Hazelton, BC, V0J 1Y0
P: 250 842-5144
Hrs: Mon-Fri 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Social workers
In-community
Gitanmaax Child & Family Services Society
Box 223, 4215 Government Street
Hazelton, BC, V0J 1Y0
P: 250 842-6320 | TFP: 1 877 513-5858 | F: 250 842-6399
Hrs: Mon-Fri 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Starting Smart Pregnancy Outreach
Grace Lynn Family Centre
2510 – Highway 62
Hazelton, BC, V0J 1Y0
P: 250 842-2408BC Schizophrenia Society
Mental Health & Addictions
Box 3603, 3815 Railway Avenue
Smithers, BC, V0J 2N0
P: 250 847-9779 | TFP: 1 888 847-9779
www.bcss.orgTeaching is a time-honored tradition at Hazelton. Medical and nursing students along with Family Practice Residents rotate regularly through the facility. Students have their own workspace, an up-to-date library on site, along with teaching files for topics such as radiology and dermatology.
Practice Site Information
Wrinch Memorial Doctors’ Services
Bag 999, Hazelton
BC V0J 1Y0
P:250 842-5234 | F:250 842-5065
Physician Site Coordinator(s)
Dr. Dani Pichie
Practice Profile
Use of EMRs – Powercharts at hospital & MOIS at clinic.
Training Site Information
Medical Student Training: Yes
Medical Student: UBC, UNBC
Family Practice Resident Site: Yes
Medical Resident: UBC
Other Professionals:
Mental Health Workers
Nursing
Social Workers
Students & Residents Perspectives
On the Community
Lovely, really nice people, amazing natural beauty and lots of things to do locally or within an hour drive. Pretty dark and cold in the winter, harder to do many outdoor activities. Still so beautiful to wake up in the morning and look out at the mountains.
On the Experience
Good clinical experience. Lots of autonomy, ability to run your own practice as if on a locum. Back up very near by if needed. Caring group of physicians.
Challenges
It is rural medicine so arranging transport and getting sick people to definitive care can take a long time. Very interesting to use clinical decision making tools in the context of a 2 hour drive to the CT scan, no radiologist to help read films.
Patient Economics
% low: 80%
% medium: 20%
% high: <1%
Patient Load
Practice per Day: 80+% of patients are First Nations
Physician per Day: 20-25 Patients per Physician (booked every 15 minutes)
Resident per Day: 8-12 Patients per Resident per Day (booked every 20 minutes)
Office Setting
Personnel in Office:
Nurses
Public Health Nurses
Diabetic Nurse Educator
Physiotherapists
Mental Health Workers
Pharmacists
Office space:
We use MOIS (EMR) for billing, scheduling and charting. There is a ‘problem list’ and ‘medication list’ on this EMR.
Does your office have a surgical suite? No – one is easily accessible in the hospital
Payment Modality: Contract
Do you use a consistent charting system in your practice? Yes
Is there space for the resident to have an office an an examination room? Yes
Would you expect the resident to rotate offices on a regular basis? No
Technology:
Internet
Up-to-Date
PharmaNet
Electronic Medical Records
Educational Opportunities
Hospital Rounds: Yes. Wednesday mornings are devoted to Public Health Rounds, education and administration.
Videoconference: Yes. Videoconferencing is available as are Educational Rounds by videoconference (see the Northern Health Authority list of videoconferences/CME).
What other educational opportunities are available to your students and residents (e.g., rounds, CPD)?
Case Conferences and Public Health Rounds
Preceptor Physicians
Dr. James Wiens
Dr. Jenny Lee
Dr. Mi Hwa (Nancy) Kim
Dr. Sherry Shrestha
Dr. Prakash Shrestha
Dr. Varasteh-Badri
Teaching Disciplines
Medicine
Nursing
Pharmacy
Mental Health
Social Services
