David Asencio’s story
Seemingly out of nowhere, David Asencio had trouble breathing. No chest pains, but his daughter Angie could see the 76-year-old’s face was turning purple. After a 9-1-1 call, paramedics took David to Royal Columbian Hospital, where a large blood clot was found to be dangerously lodged in his lungs.
Constructing a crown jewel
Building bridges was Michael Kazda’s first career choice coming out of engineering school. But his path over the years has instead led him to a field that he considers more challenging but equally gratifying: the construction of hospitals. He’s overseen a few so far across the country, including the multi-storey Acute Care Tower currently being built at Royal Columbian Hospital.
Easing agitation
“I went berserk more or less,” recalls Colin Lewis about his time in Royal Columbian Hospital’s Cardiac Surgery Intensive Care Unit (CSICU) following a cardiac arrest. “I was going to throw my CPAP machine at them. I’m not usually like that at all.”
Reducing the footprint
You are not alone if the COVID-19 pandemic has made you think more broadly about the world in which we live. Royal Columbian Hospital’s anesthesiologists have been reflecting on what they can do to combat another of the 21st century’s greatest health threats: climate change.
Athwal family’s story
Harbhajan Singh Athwal’s children admire their father’s commitment to his friends, family, and his faith. But when the 65-year-old family patriarch passed away from COVID-19 in March 2021, the number of stories others shared of his generosity and kindness surprised even his family. And amid the intense grief, the family knew they wanted to give back to honour his memory and thank the healthcare team at Royal Columbian Hospital.
Improving access to stroke care at Royal Columbian Hospital
New Westminster, B.C. – {May 4, 2022} – Patients now have better access to faster, safer and more effective treatments […]
Tech-savvy
When Jack Gin founded Extreme CCTV in 1997, his vision was to develop innovative technology to see what the human eye could not, at high speed, in complete darkness, and under seemingly impossible conditions. Under Jack’s leadership, Extreme CCTV helped establish a new standard in a digital world, providing information and security to some of the world’s largest organizations.
The rollout
If the priority in 2020 was to bend the curve, the focus in 2021 was to get shots into arms. Dr. Carolyn Shiau was on the frontline of the monumental task of distributing COVID-19 vaccines to as many British Columbians as possible.
Self improvement
Much like the way we have adjusted our lives throughout the pandemic to follow the latest COVID-19 public health guidelines, hospital caregivers revise their approach to patient care when they can identify an opportunity to improve. At Royal Columbian Hospital, there has been a focus during the last few years on fostering a culture of quality improvement, and their efforts have resulted in some recent international recognition.
Leadership expansion
In September 2021, gastroenterologist Dr. Ken Atkinson became Royal Columbian Hospital’s site medical director amid an ongoing global pandemic and a major hospital redevelopment. This interview was conducted in November 2021.