Thousands of Albertans Pledge for Change Day AB

CALGARY, AB--(Marketwired - April 04, 2016) - Today, more than 75 cake parties were held across the province for Change Day AB, as Albertans from High Level to Lethbridge celebrate their personal commitments to change in health and the healthcare system.

Change Day AB is a grassroots initiative that's been gaining momentum since its launch in October 2015. To date, hundreds of events have been held by passionate ambassadors, hospitals, clinics, elementary and middle schools, and universities -- leading to more than 4,450 pledges for change online.

Pledging is as simple as making a personal commitment for change on the website: www.changedayab.ca.

"While we continue to work at system level improvements in health care delivery, we should not overlook the power of individual action," says Carl Nohr, Alberta Medical Association President. "Change Day is based on thoughtful individual commitment to make a difference in our personal lives, and in the lives of others."

Change Day is centred on the idea that one small act can lead to improvement in care for patients, clients, residents, families, as well as for better working environments for health professionals, improvements to the system as a whole, or one's own well-being.

"We wanted people to start the ripple of change," says Andrew Neuner, Health Quality Council of Alberta CEO and Health Quality Network Chair. "We supported bringing this international movement to Alberta because we saw an opportunity for anyone passionate about health or healthcare system improvement to go out and make a commitment to do something they had been thinking about doing for a long time.

"Sometimes, we've found people complacent or worried about permission to make a change. The campaign was to inspire people to be creative and to just go for it."

Pledges have been on a variety of topics, ranging from personal commitments to become healthier to changing healthcare practices and policies.

Although Change Day AB officially wraps-up today, the website will remain active and the impact of the pledges will be seen for months to come.

The Health Quality Network, a group of 12 Alberta healthcare agencies and associations, sponsored Change Day Alberta.The initiative started in the UK in 2013 and has spread to 17 countries. It is deemed the largest, and most powerful, social movement in healthcare. 

Pledge examples:

• Close the gap between acute care and home care. I will go on a home visit to see how the transition unfolds from hospital. -- Misty, NP
• Have lunch with patients, residents, & families to hear about their care and reduce their isolation. -- Jon Popowich, Chief Quality & Privacy Officer, Covenant Health
• Have lunch with a senior citizen by the end of this week.
• Spend a day (at school) in a wheelchair before April 4, 2016. -- 11 year-old student
• Wear a patient gown and robe to all of my meetings for one day to experience the vulnerability.
• Get to know my new coworkers better, to build a strong and cohesive work community. -- Registered Nurse
• Assist a senior citizen in my city within the next week.

More pledge examples can be found online: http://www.changedayab.ca/pledges