Pictured: Olivia Fletcher, holding a taxi voucher. (Image Credit: CFJC Today / Kent Simmonds)

By Dylana Kneeshaw

IHA PATIENT DISCHARGE

100 Mile House area woman pushing for smoother discharge process for emergency rural patients at RIH

Nov 22, 2019 | 8:47 AM

100 MILE HOUSE, B.C. — A woman recently discharged from Royal Inland Hospital is raising concerns around how out-of-town patients are sent home.

Olivia Fletcher was brought to Royal Inland Hospital the night of November 15, after the truck she and her husband and son were driving rolled over just outside of 100 Mile House. Her husband and son remained at the 100 Mile House Hospital for treatment, while Fletcher was brought to Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops.

She suffered non-life threatening injuries, but the clothing she was wearing when she arrived was cut off for treatment. When she was deemed medically fit to leave the next day (Nov. 16), Fletcher says her discharge process began without her having clothes to go home in.

“At that point, a younger nurse came in and offered me a summer jumpsuit, and it was a size small. As anyone can see, I’m not,” she explains. “So I said, ‘no that’s just still not acceptable’, and it wouldn’t really affect the fact that I am far away (from home).”

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On top of needing clothing, Fletcher says she arrived at the hospital without a wallet, and didn’t have anyone to come pick her up. As per hospital policy, a social worker was brought in to help.

“And we went back and forth for four and a half, to five hours before I finally got what I needed.”

Tracey Rannie, RIH Health Services Administrator, says eventually a solution was agreed upon between Fletcher and hospital staff as to how she’d get back home to Lone Butte.

“As we know from the interviews with the media, this individual was treated at two facilities, was given clothes, shoes, and a taxi voucher to return home, and had a safe discharge.”

Rannie says Interior Health stands by its employees’ conduct in this situation and says it makes every effort to see patients return home safely.

“Our health care team are very compassionate people. They work very, very hard and realize that people get into difficult situations, and really work with them to get them back to their families and back to their home communities.”

Interior Health does provide information pamphlets around discharge procedures and has staff available to help patients plan a way home. But with no more Greyhound bus service, IHA notes there has been a slight transportation gap for out-of-town patients.

“So what we do is look at all options. There is the BC Connections Health Bus, there is also Adventure Charters, so there is other support,” Rannie explains. “We really try to use healthcare dollars for healthcare, and in these situations, we support when we have to.”

With that, Fletcher says she felt the time it took to agree upon a voucher was unnecessary.

“ICBC pays this(vouchers) back. So to fight, and to even throw a person on the street when they know that they’re going to get that money back is pretty disappointing.”

Today, (Nov. 22), Fletcher plans to meet with Interior Health representatives, and Cariboo-Chicoltin MLA Donna Barnett to see what can be done to make the discharge process smoother for future rural patients.

While speaking with CFJC Today, Barnett says getting home from the hospital if you live out of town or in a rural area is not a new dilemma.

“If you’re going away for surgery or a doctor’s appointment, you know what’s happening to you, and you have to come back,” she explains. “But in cases of an emergency, I think we need to do a better job and have a better plan for people in rural B.C.”