But we had been invited by a dear friend who is in charge of the BC Place Medical Team, and a young man we had watched grow up from his early years, to the Medals Ceremony at the stadium where it was Manitoba night.

We watched some beautiful video of Manitoba scenes, saw several very talented entertainers and then were part of the Medals Ceremonies for the days events. A chance of a lifetime, the highlight was the Canadian Women’s Bobsleigh teams accepting their Gold and Silver medals on stage with huge grins and lots of hugs. The Canadian nationalistic spirit is very high everywhere!

Organizers did a fantastic job making it a super experience for both the athletes and the audience with 4 large screens to see the athletes up close and personal, and excellent video feeds from Whistler on the medals given for events at those venues. Not a hitch in the programming or the crowd control, security lineups are very reasonable and fast moving with smiling volunteers everywhere, children are handled with great care and attention, and this is a nightly event at this and other venues involving thousands and thousands of people and hundreds of volunteers. It is all very impressive!

After the Medals Ceremony, Burton Cummings and his band blew the house down with ballads interspersed with rock and roll, Winnipeg style. He was having a ball onstage and gave an exceptional show. Thousands of people from all over the world watched and sang along. Canadians from across the country were everywhere with flags and banners, hats and scarves and tremendous national pride – we had just won Gold in Women’s Hockey against our American archrivals. So it was a party!

It was hard to get good pictures because the stadium was aglow with soft lighting and the same snowy mist that was so beautiful at the Opening Ceremonies. The glow from the crowd was just as good, too. But the stage was alight in multi colours and fantastic light show when Cummings and his team took the stage. We had the chance to be down below at stage front but were glad we chose the other option – a VIP Media Box where we could rest our weary selves and really enjoy the show. As Burton Cummings said ” It looks like when Vancouver throws a party, the whole world comes” and the crowd roared with approval.

We didn’t feel at all tired anymore as we made our way through the crowded streets to the Canada Line where more blue coated volunteers greeted us with complementary hot chocolate, there were some very orderly lineups to get on the trains and lots of happy faces – strangers talking to strangers all over the streets. Word is that The Canada Line alone is managing over 250,000 people an hour. It will be a terrific legacy for the city after it is all over.

However I remain hopeful for a more conscientious future and one of those hopeful signs is right in the Athletes Village where I go each day and see clean, large recycle bins everywhere. You don’t have to carry your banana peel or apple core very far before you can find a composting bucket with a clean –hopefully biodegradable – plastic bag inside ready to accept your offering. Beside the composting buckets is a huge drum to recycle plastic water, juice and pop bottles.

Some of the waste buckets are solar powered compactors like this one on the right.

Word is that Coke – one of the key Olympic sponsors – has a piece of equipment nearby that takes hundreds of plastic bottles and makes them into a 4×4x4 foot cube in seconds. The cubes are immediately sent to recycling plants.

Other exciting initiatives are:
• Volunteers and sponsor associates are wearing clothing made from recycled PET bottles. Each uniform contains up to 120 recycled bottles. Athletes wear t-shirts made out of recycled bottles.
• Posters, menu boards and other materials used in concessions are made out of post-consumer recycled plastic and will be recycled after the event.
• All PET containers sold during the Games will be recycled. More than 1,400 recycling bins will be available during the Olympics. Coke estimates 7 million bottles will be served during the events.
• Coke is selling its newly designed Plant Bottles comprised of up to 30 percent renewable plant-based materials made from sugar cane juice and/or molasses. Coke will produce 2 billion Plant Bottles by the end of this year.
• Coffee, tea and cocoa is available in 100% compostable packaging including lids and sleeves. Tim Hortons, Starbucks and Second Cup please take note!
• Everything in the meal tents is carefully recycled or composted. Two attendants take trays from each diner to ensure the right things go into the right bins.
• Furniture and displays at many installations are created from blue pine wood salvaged from the Mountain Pine-Beetle epidemic in BC.
• The Athletes Village has been LEEDS certified at the Platinum level and declared Most Sustainable Neighbourhood with Vancouver’s first renewable district heating system, net zero buildings that produce as much heat as they use and toilets that flush using captured rain water.

All very hopeful signs that we can do more than we think we can when we put our collective minds to it. This city is so beautiful and there are so many natural elements to its beauty, it would be a crime not to be as green as we are humanly capable of being – and continually strive for better.

We are half way through the Games and the time is flying by. The energy in the city is electric. There are people everywhere with Go Canada on clothing, on signs and flags, on cars and trucks, in store windows, and reflected in their conversation. People are talking to each other everywhere – on the streets, in the sky train, waiting at stoplights, even in the grocery store. Locals are helping visitors to get to where they want to go, offering suggestions of great things to do, asking volunteers what work they are doing, where they are from, why they chose to volunteer and what it is like.

In the Polyclinic the same excitement permeates. We have been fortunate that we haven’t had to treat anyone with any serious illnesses or injuries. Most of the work has been proactive, therapy as prevention or treatment of minor injuries, dental care, mouth guards, and optometry, a little bit of flu, coughs and colds. The most serious treatment was a cardioversion – electrotherapy for atrial fibrillation – more of a chronic condition than an emergency.

Some of the athletes are chatty when they come in. Others are quiet and thoughtful. It’s important to respect their feelings – whether they want to talk or not – and especially to honour their right to confidentiality about their health and welfare. A couple have said they were disappointed in their performance in the event – they didn’t do well, were disqualified or fell, or didn’t perform as well as they had hoped. Some have already gone home, either because they were finished their events and something was pressing at home, or because they have been “sent ” home. I’m not sure what happens there!

How difficult it must be to train for years for something that lasts only minutes and can make or break the next stage of their lives!

Each individual receives a meal ticket when they check-in for their shift each day, evening or night. Every day there are 2 meat choices and a vegetarian one, as well as soup, salad, bread and butter, a drink and dessert for each person. Coffee, tea and hot chocolate are available all day long – particularly appreciated when it’s rainy and cold.

The food isn’t spectacular and lots of people are complaining but it tastes very good when you’re hungry! Dozens of volunteers are behind the serving tables dishing up the food. The lineups are long at key times of the day – an opportunity to get to know others in different jobs in the Village. Rumor has it that the cops – paid staff not volunteers – have complained about the food and so it has improved but I haven’t seen any difference.

It’s really interesting to see that the volunteer corps represents all ages and life stages, lots from the Vancouver area as well as other parts of BC. Then there are people like us from other provinces and a few from other countries.

It has been many years since I practiced clinical nursing and worked side by side with other health professionals in the field. Here was the chance to experience this in 2010, and in a setting where many health professionals are actively working together collaboratively to meet individual patient needs.

Like other health professionals in the field today, I use terms like inter-professional practice, collaboration and team work regularly and often discuss the actualities of important current concepts like patient-focused care. This seemed like an awesome opportunity to experience the realities of what many might call “lingo”.

When my assignment first came to me in an e-mail last August I wasn’t even sure what a polyclinic was – I had to look it up on Wikipedia. A polyclinic, it said, is a place where a wide range of health care services, including diagnostics, can be obtained without the need for an overnight stay. Polyclinics are sometimes co-located within a hospital or can be located completely separated from the hospital. A typical Polyclinic houses general medical practitioners such as doctors and nurses who provide ambulatory care along with some acute care services, but lacks the major surgical and pre- and post operative care facilities commonly associated with hospitals.

Apparently polyclinics are popular in countries such as Australia, France, Germany, Switzerland and the former Soviet republics such as Russia and Ukraine and in many countries across Asia and Africa. It is said that recent Russian governments have attempted to replace the polyclinic model, which was introduced during soviet times, with a more western model but this has failed.

The concept of the polyclinic is a good fit with the current North American movement towards stronger inter-professional practice involving a wide variety of specialized practitioners and more focus on health and wellness than on illness care. In the last few years hospital units have become more like intensive care units with sicker and sicker patients requiring 24/7 care taking up available space. Hospitals are busier than ever, budgets are tight and the need for other models of care is high. The idea of community polyclinics seems valid.

As well as athletes and their friends arriving for this and that, there are many country delegations that come in to see the Operations and meet the providers and organizers of the Polyclinic. One of the groups visiting today was from the UK. I spoke with one of the doctors who is responsible for setting up the 2012 Summer Games healthcare services. He was surprised to know that we are all volunteers and very interested in our reasons for volunteering for this assignment.

We had our official photo take today by the Village photographers and videographers. It was surprising to see how many people are involved in the running of the Polyclinic on any given day. When we were asked to step outside for the photos –it was a lovely sunny afternoon in the Village – I was amazed there were so many of us. I didn’t have a chance to count but there were more than 25 people who appeared.

One of the Assessment Suites

The footprint of the clinic itself is large and people are quite spread out around the space. On any given day, there are 4 nurses, 2 admin staff, 2 doctors – one a sports med specialist – 3 physios, 2 massage, 1 chiropractor, occasionally one acupuncturist, a radiologist and 3 techs in the diagnostic imaging, 2 lab techs, 2 dentists and 3 assistants, an optometrist and several ambulance personnel. As well there are lists of on-call specialists from every discipline willing to come in to see special cases when needed – all on a volunteer basis. Next door to us is the anti-doping centre with its own staff and quite secretive operations. On the other side is the athletes’ gym.

On a humorous note, we have a basket sitting on a table between the clinic and the gym. The basket contains a variety of donated give-aways such as toothpaste and floss, hand cream, sanitizer and such, as well as condoms in red packages. Needless to say the condoms are refilled regularly. Rumor is that there were 100,000 made available to VANOC at the beginning of the Games. I know we are doing our part to go through a large share of that number!

We wanted to experience the sights and sounds. The buskers are in from all over the world and they are super – we particularly enjoyed a young South American and his excellent juggling act and then Basketball Jones who is in from New Zealand. What a skill in attracting and holding the crowd and not shy to ask for a 20 buck donation to his hat at the end! There were crowds everywhere enjoying it all on Granville St. which is closed to traffic.

We had hoped to ride the zipline but the wait was 4 hours. Sure looked fun though!

On the way home on a very crowded skytrain we learned that it was also a day of celebrations for Chinese New Year and a welcome to the Year of the Tiger which made the city doubly crowded and doubly excited on a sunny Vancouver day in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. We felt fortunate to be part of it all.

People were very impressed with the inclusivity of the choices for the Opening – many are saying it was so Canadian! They loved Nellie and Brian, Sarah McLaughlin, KD Lang, Measha, the wonderful people who carried the Olympic Flag, loved the graphics, the poetry and portrayals of the different parts of the country. A very good start except of course for the very sad death of the Georgian athlete on the luge run.

Downhill skiing was cancelled today because of warm weather in Whistler. It’s cool here in Vancouver but not at all cold – drizzling rain with patches of sun. We are so glad to have the warm waterproof jackets they generously gave us!

The city is alive with people – lots of lineups for the pavilions – the sky train is full of happy people.

Some of the athletes are on edge – their events coming up quickly. One poor lad came into the polyclinic with a corneal infection. He skiis tonite and has to be able to wear his contact lenses for the race. Some of the Ski Cross athletes are in for physio and massage today – I love that sport – wish I were 50 years younger to try it!

There are guests in the village most days now. Arnold Schwarzenegger was in yesterday. Gord caught him checking out his hair in his car window. One of the Austrian athletes said he had come to say hello to them and was very nice but his face, she said “was like a tight mask – plastic surgery gone bad”.

I literally ran into Princess Anne and a contingent from the UK today while taking MRI results down the hall. She is charming – an Olympian herself in the summer games many years ago – she was quietly chatting with everyone, very interested in the workings of the polyclinic.

I had a chance to get out and about in the Village today – there are flags everywhere and lots of people coming and going. Its all great fun to be here.

We were given tickets to tonight’s Women’s Hockey game – a fellow came into the clinic and asked who wants them??? Many others were busy so I was glad to take them. Canada is playing against Slovakia and the excitement is high. Everyone is wearing Olympic gear – carrying flags, flags in their hair, on jackets, attached to wheel chairs, strollers, backpacks – whatever! And the Canadian women players are ready to show their stuff, 2 goals in the first 3 minutes of the game!

After coffee and fruit in the Workforce tent which is always warm and cosy, and filled with blue jackets, we went off to our separate work areas.

The great weather of our first day here has not lasted and it has been cool and rainy ever since. Occasionally we get a great glimpse of blue sky, the distant mountains and the beautiful Vancouver sky scrapers but often our heads are down, hoods in place to stay dry and warm. I am so thankful for the great warm waterproof clothes they have given us.

After our shifts yesterday we were invited to the rehearsal for the opening ceremonies at BC Place across from the Village. It was tempting to go home and miss it – we are still coping with the 3 hour time change and we had to trek a ways in the pouring rain – but we persevered and it was so worth it. The organizers have done a fantastic job inviting the world to see Canada’s many faces and the Opening Ceremonies are going to be a sight to see.

Last night was my first evening at the Polyclinic. It’s beginning to feel really comfortable. Lots of fantastic people many from BC, others from all over North America. I worked with 3 nurses – 2 young fellows from Edmonton and another from the Royal Columbian here in Vancouver. All have taken their vacation to volunteer here for 3 weeks. They are all computer savyy so we get things organized together.

The sports med doc was from Minneapolis, loves volunteering at the Olympics. He has 3 young kids at home so he’s only here for a week. The other doc is from Quebec. We saw a steady stream of walk-in people until about 9pm and after that dead quiet. There’s lots of chat about where people are from and why they chose to do this.

I’m beginning to better understand the concept of a Polyclinic. Wikipedia says that a polyclinic is a place where a wide range of health care services (including diagnostics) can be obtained without the need for an overnight stay. Polyclinics are sometimes co-located with a hospital or may be located in another locality entirely. A typical polyclinic houses health practitioners such as doctors and nurses and provides ambulatory care and some acute care services but lacks the major surgical and pre- and post operative care facilities commonly associated with hospitals. Apparently polyclinics have existed for 10 or more years in Australia, France, Germany, Switzerland and the former Soviet republics such as Russia and Ukraine; and in many countries across Asia and Africa.

In this Olympic Polyclinic working alongside nurses and doctors are volunteer physios, massage therapists, chiropractors, optometrists, and dentists. As well we have lab, pharmacy, Xray, MRI, and CT scanning – all staffed with volunteers. Multi professional services are provided to the athletes and their entourage, IOC and NOC members and their families and the workforce which consists of hundreds of volunteers who are stationed in the Village. There is no hierarchy. The culture is very respectful of everyone’s expertise and the tone is highly collaborative.

This is a fantastic opportunity to see inter-professional care in action. I intend to watch carefully.