MNU President, Sandi Mowat, recently took a second visit to the Central Region, touring facilities and talking with nurses in the most populous of the province’s rural and northern regions. The Central Regional Health Authority extends across more than 18,900 square kilometres of south-central Manitoba and is dedicated to providing health care services to more than 103,000 residents in our 37 municipalities.

The Central Regional Health Authority
This second journey into the Region started from Winnipeg, south along the Region’s eastern boundary, following the Red River and Highway 75 to the U.S. border at Emerson (above). The Red River was close to cresting during our visit.

Emerson – Red River Valley Health District
Left: (l-r) Margaret Johnston, MNU Board Member for the Central Region; Debi Schroeder, Red River Valley Local 35 President; Sandi Mowat, MNU President; and Donna McKenzie, Central Region President
Centre/Top: Adam Ruston - Recent LPN graduate of Assiniboine College
Centre/Bottom: Brad Street, Director of Health Services – Red River Valley Health District (left) meets with Sandi Mowat
Right: (l-r) Sandi Mowat; Phyllis Rondeau; Donna McKenzie; and Margaret Johnston

Altona – Altona Health Centre
Left: (l-r) Donna McKenzie, Central Region President; Sandi Mowat, MNU President; and Christie Ginter; Altona Local 33 President (with daughter Aria helping mom lead the tour of Altona Health Centre)
Center: Mom's little helper, Aria Ginter
Right: (l-r) Sandi Mowat with Altona Local 33 President, Christie Ginter, and Vice-President, Tracy Bergen

Winkler – Eden Mental Health Centre
Left: Elfrieda Krahn (left) and Edith Calder, Director of Health Services, Eden Mental Health Centre
Right: James Klassen, Eden Mental Health Centre Nurses Local President (left) with Cindy Hunter, MNU Board Member for the Central Region

Morden/Winkler – Boundary Trails Health Centre
Left: (l-r) Mary Reimer; Sara Martens; Sandi Mowat; and Brent Gunthro on the Dialysis unit
Centre: ICU nurse Sherie Plett
Right: (l-r) Sandi Mowat with Geriatric Rehab nurses, Linda Krahn; Jane McMahon; Ashlie Hoeppner; and Esther Driedger

Morden/Winkler – Boundary Trails Health Centre
Left: Donna McKenzie, Central Region President (left) bumps into her old friend and bridesmaid, Diana Kissick, Discharge Coordinator at Boundary Trails
Centre: Rebecca Stiff, UM grad nurse on the Boundary Trails Medical Unit
Rignt: (l-r) Medical Unit nurses Mary Hiebert; Lisa Thiessen; and Candice Martens

Morden/Winkler – Boundary Trails Health Centre
The Surgery-Obstetrics Unit at Boundary Trails Health Centre
Centre: Tina Waldner

Carman – Boyne Lodge
Left: Carol Jeanson (left) and Val Giesbrecht
Right: (l-r) Margaret Johnston, MNU Board Member for the Central Region; Sandi Mowat, MNU President; Joyce Robinson; Mary Heard, Director of Health Services; Cindy Hunter, MNU Board Member for the Central Region; and Donna McKenzie, Central Region President

Carman – Memorial Hospital
Left: Marie MacLean, Carmen Nurses Worksite 89 President (left) with Sandi Mowat, MNU President
Right: Donna McKenzie (left) catches up with her former nursing student from Grace Hospital, Shannon Rutter

Portage la Prairie – Personal Care
Left: Jane Tully (left) and Diana Beaulieu, Lions Manor Nurses Worksite 37 Co-President
Centre: Catherine Asham, Lions Manor – Client Services Manager (left) with Angie Troop
Right: (l-r) Sandi Mowat with Kim Dengate and Anne Bayley at at Douglas Campbell Lodge

Portage la Prairie – Public Health
Left: Touring the Public Health offices
Centre/Bottom: Donna McKenzie (left) with Public Health nurse, Nancy Brook
Centre/Top: Public Health nurse, Diane Sloane (left)
Centre/Middle: Public Health – putting “Front Lines” to good use
Right: Public Health nurse, Tracy Ediger

Portage la Prairie – Portage Hospital
Right: (l-r) Dialysis nurses Shelley McDougall; Cheryl Longmuir; and Michelle Vielfaure
Center/Bottom: Surgical nurses Ken Werbiski (back), Michelle Jack (seated) Carla Robinson (right)
Centre/Top: (l-r) Pat Nodrick, Portage Hospital Director of Health Services, guides Sandi Mowat and Donna McKenzie through the construction of the new Emergency Department
Right: ICU nurses Amanda Sainsbury (left) and Tanis Macaulay, with MNU President Sandi Mowat (centre, standing)