The Riverview Hospital Historical Society was very much a significant part of the program, and they had an entire room set up with artifacts from various times in the hospital's history. I have created a small photo album of some of the displayed material
Dr. John Higenbottam gave an informative slide show about mental health care, and how important Riverview was, and should continue to be in the mental health of the residents of British Columbia.
Below are a few of the slides transcribed:
The need for Specialized Psychiatric Hospitalization and Rehabilitation / Residential care
It is also important to understand that the incidence rates for serious health problems have remained constant over the years which means that each year a number of new cases emerge, some of which will fall into the groups described above.
This means not only that the system problems currently being experienced will continue over time, but that these groups will continue to grow.
Accordingly, the current system problems will increase over time rather than diminish.
Education and Training
Throughout its existence Riverview served as an education and training resource for mental health workers throughout the province. At various times, nurses, physicians, psychiatry residents and other members of the allied health professions received education and training on campus.
Riverview's library and educational outreach programs were also valuable resources supporting mental health professionals throughout the province.
With Riverview' closing a valuable mental health education and training capacity was lost which is having long term consequences for British Columbia's capacity to educate, train and support practitioners who work with the seriously mentally ill and severely addicted and mentally ill people.
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Into the Future: The Coquitlam Health Campus
And more of the City of Coquitlam's position on Riverview can be found HERE
I am not even in the business of health care, but as an outsider looking in; Dr. Higenbottam, made many of same observations as I have had.; but in essence closing Riverview was a huge mistake, and we are actually paying more now per patient, and the patient costs are more distributed and hidden from the public than before, with very little of the money allotted for the care actually being directed at the patients themselves. As it was when Riverview was operating.
He also mentioned that apparently 2% of all Federal Government monies are given to each Province for mental health care, and the other provinces keep track of the spending, while in B.C. in just disappears into a big pot, and nobody knows if in fact the 2% is actually used for mental health care.
And I just noticed that this is my 102nd posting here.
I can only hope that I make it to this lady's stage of life: The oldest working nurse in the United States turns 90 and still going!
Florence Nightingale Digitization Project
The great and the good visit the asylum
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