A knowledge exchange trip to Ottawa’s CANVent Program

It is always interesting to compare respiratory services between different provinces. So when Esther Khor and Lily Cheung, both respiratory therapists (RTs) with PROP (Provincial Respiratory Outreach Program), were recently invited to visit a Home Ventilation Program in Ottawa, CANVent (Canadian Alternatives in Noninvasive Ventilation), they were very much looking forward to the opportunity.

What is unique about the CANVent Program is its central role within the community in identifying individuals who are at risk and preventing serious or life-threatening complications such as respiratory failure. Through its work, the Program has raised the level of awareness among specialists that individuals with neuromuscular diseases, whether in hospital or the community, are at high risk for respiratory complications and that education and noninvasive airway management (NIVAM) strategies may significantly reduce or eliminate this risk.

The CANVent Program resides in the Ottawa Hospital, and patients are seen here for their breathing tests and assessments. One patient Esther & Lily met, lamented on the hourly drive to the hospital, as it must be challenging during the winter months. However, the care and smiles from the respiratory therapists and physicians definitely made up for it! Mary and Kathy were the RTs the PROP team shadowed that day and who shared their knowledge graciously. Esther and Lily are looking forward to using what they have learned at CANVent to better care for their PROP clients in BC!

You can find more information at CANVent.