Promise 2024

The future of long-term care is here

Introducing the first non-profit, long-term care village in Canada

WE’RE NOT WAITING FOR THE FUTURE, we ’ re building it

ST. PAUL’S HOSPITAL is celebrating its 130th year of providing exceptional, compassionate care.

It’s unfathomable to think of how different life was over a century ago. Yet with our 130 years of advancements in medicine and research, it’s much easier to envision a bright future ahead.

We’re on a mission to revolutionize health care and set an example not just for Canada, but for the entire world.

find compassionate solutions for patients.

And this isn’t anything new. Multi-partner collaboration and innovation has been evident throughout our 130 years of exceptional, compassionate care, and will continue to flourish at our brand-new medical campus.

“I cannot think of a better way for Dick Vollet to complete his tenure as the president and CEO of St. Paul’s Foundation than with the issue of Promise you hold in your hands. It exemplifies the transformative care he championed together with donors over the last 12 years; transformative care that I’m confident will continue for generations to come.” – Glenn Ives

130 YEARS OF COMPASSION + CARE

We’re on a mission to revolutionize health care and set an example not just for Canada, but for the entire world. We’re bringing the brightest researchers, the most compassionate health care workers, and the most complex patients together to transform health care. We are creating a brand-new approach delivering care today and into the future.

A prime example of this is our cover story, where you’ll hear the story of Providence Living at The Views: Canada’s first public, non-profit long-term care village that is caring for seniors and older adults in ways most of us have never seen or experienced before.

All the stories in this issue of Promise highlight cross-departmental collaboration between doctors, nurses, researchers, allied health professionals, volunteers, and patients at Providence. They illustrate how in the face of adversity, we come together to

We’re also delighted to introduce our new CEO, Sheila Biggers. Sheila is an impressive leader who brings a successful track record of building growth and prosperity in the non-profit sector. She has a great passion for health care and is in complete alignment with the Foundation’s vision, mission, and values.

We are grateful to you for being our partner, and sharing our vision. Your support paves the way for a better future for all of us in BC.

DICK VOLLET FORMER PRESIDENT AND CEO, ST. PAUL’S FOUNDATION

GLENN IVES CHAIR, BOARD OF DIRECTORS, ST. PAUL’S FOUNDATION

SHEILA BIGGERS PRESIDENT AND CEO, ST. PAUL’S FOUNDATION

On behalf of the St. Paul’s Foundation team

FROM THE TEAM

EDITORS

Jessica Walker, Sondi Bruner, Sarah Burgess, and Jennifer Maloney

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Sondi Bruner and Leah Dyck

CONTRIBUTING PHOTO GRAPHERS

Jeff Topham

MEDIA PRODUCTION

Gregory Czaplak VOLUME 20, NUMBER 1

130, 4321 Still Creek Drive

Burnaby, British Columbia, V5C 6S7 604-299-7311 Fax: 604-299-9188

CEO & GROUP PUBLISHER

Ryan Benn

GROUP VP, PUBLISHING & OPERATIONS

Nina Wagner

ART DIRECTION

Catherine Mullaly

EDITORIAL COORDINATOR

Michael McCullough

DIRECTOR OF CIRCULATION

Tracy McRitchie

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Kim McLane

PUBLISHER EMERITUS

Peter Legge, O.B.C., LL.D. (Hon)

We welcome your comments on Promise magazine. Please write to us c/o

St. Paul’s Foundation, 178 –1081 Burrard St, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1Y6. Email: spfoundation@providencehealth.bc.ca Phone: 604-682-8206

Promise magazine is published annually by Canada Wide Media Limited for St. Paul’s Foundation. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. Send change-of-address notices and covers of undeliverable copies to: Promise, c/o

St. Paul’s Foundation, 178 –1081 Burrard St., Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1Y6. ISSN: 1703-6151. Canadian Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement No. 40065475.

4 A NATIONAL LEADER IN ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE CARE

How a first-in-Canada testing program is transforming care and support for individuals and their families across the country.

7 HEARTBEAT OF HOPE: A TRANSPLANT TRIUMPH

Christine’s journey through heart failure, motherhood, and embracing life after transplant thanks to the team at St. Paul’s Hospital.

10 THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME

Providence Living is helping seniors and older adults live their best lives in home-like residences that offer social connections, choice, independence, and dignity.

14 LEARNING TO BREATHE AGAIN

How a pioneering drug trial helped Kim Wood reclaim life, love, and motherhood.

17 NO CASE TOO COMPLEX

When a patient came down with a rare and lifethreatening condition, St. Paul’s Hospital was there to help her reclaim her life.

20 REVOLUTIONIZING SUBSTANCE USE CARE AT ROAD TO RECOVERY

A first-in-Canada initiative is redefining addiction treatment and breaking barriers through collaborative, patient-centred care.

AT ST. PAUL’S FOUNDATION, thanks to the generous support of our donors, we’re helping pioneer global health care innovation, all while fostering collaborative excellence and compassionate solutions.

facebook.com/helpstpauls @helpstpauls

St. Paul’s Foundation @helpstpauls www.helpstpauls.com

Joyce Shepherd and Dr. Jennifer Gibson by Jeff Topham

A National Leader in

ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE Care

How a first-in-Canada testing program is transforming care and support for individuals and their families across the country

BY LEAH DYCK AND SONDI BRUNER

>>

PHOTOGRAPHY

BY

JEFF TOPHAM

What if you could diagnose a patient with Alzheimer’s disease years or even decades earlier than expected?

This is one of the questions that inspired Dr. Mari DeMarco, a clinical chemist with Providence Health Care and investigator with the Centre for Heart Lung Innovation at St. Paul’s Hospital, to pursue a solution that could improve care for patients and their families. Dr. DeMarco specializes in building biofluid tests to diagnose neurodegenerative conditions, including Alzheimer’s, which causes progressive neurological decline.

Over a decade ago, Dr. DeMarco started her research program at St. Paul’s, with the help of donor-funded equipment. Her dual goal was to build new biofluid tests to help with earlier and more accurate diagnoses of neurodegenerative disorders and ensure these new tests make the difficult transition from research into health care.

Fast-forward to the present day and St. Paul’s is a national leader in Alzheimer’s disease care with a first-in-Canada testing program evolved from Dr. DeMarco’s research program. Thanks to her team’s efforts, physicians across Canada send samples to St. Paul’s Hospital for testing.

(L-R): St. Paul’s Hospital staff: Tess Go, pre and post examination, Laura Burns, technical coordinator - special chemistry, Dr. Mari DeMarco, clinical chemist, Gurjit Bubra, team lead - clinical chemistry and hematology, and Jennifer Clarke, technical coordinator - pre and post examination. Not pictured: Judi London, R&D coordinatorclinical chemistry and hematology.

The testing identifies proteins –known as biomarkers – that indicate the presence of a neurodegenerative condition in cerebrospinal fluid. This testing helps physicians diagnose Alzheimer’s earlier and more accurately. With new therapies on the horizon, the future goal is also to begin treatment years before they might otherwise have been able to.

“In the past, a doctor might have to wait until symptoms evolve and the disease progresses to figure out why a

person is experiencing challenges with their cognitive abilities,” Dr. DeMarco explains.

This has been a game-changer for Dr. Philip Lee, who works as a geriatrician at St. Paul’s and at the UBC Hospital Clinic for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders. Dr. Lee has incorporated biomarker testing into his clinical practice for the last few years and calls the biomarkers “revolutionary”.

“It’s particularly helpful for those

One of the great things about the CSRC is its ability to integrate and blend the expertise of diverse areas of research and people studying different diseases. We now have diagnostic tools for Alzheimer’s, but my team and I are working hard to fill other diagnostic gaps for related disorders.”

– Dr. Mari DeMarco

earlier stages when people have milder symptoms,” he explains. “It gives them more knowledge and power in terms of guiding what pathways they want to follow, which I think is a really valuable gift.”

Dr. DeMarco and her collaborators in BC and across Canada helped move biofluid testing discoveries from research into clinical practice by first studying the impacts of testing with input from British Columbians. Through a study called IMPACT-AD, funded in part by St. Paul’s Foundation, her team collaborated with individuals living with dementia, along with health care providers and community partners, to examine the broad impacts of Alzheimer’s disease biomarker testing.

This first-of-its-kind study brought patient voices to the forefront so researchers could truly understand their needs, and learn how to further drive change in health care.

What they determined was that, even in the absence of a drug to treat the disease, the diagnosis was of immense value to patients, their family members or caregivers, and health care providers.

“We learned from persons living

with neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s that they valued the increased diagnostic certainty that came with biomarker testing. Understanding why they were experiencing challenges with their brain health – and having a clear label for it – helped many move forward and plan for their future,”

Dr. DeMarco explains.

Earlier diagnosis affords the person and their family members the ability to make informed decisions about their own disease management and to initiate strategic changes around diet and lifestyle. In addition to positively affecting the longer-term outlook and planning for patients, the IMPACT-AD study showed how biomarker testing optimized their medical care. It reduced the need for additional – and costly – medical testing and visits to different specialists, relieving patient anxiety and stress. Plus, it increased referrals to counselling and other supportive resources for patients and their families.

Dr. DeMarco has recently received provincial Ministry of Health Innovation funding to investigate blood-based biomarkers for

130 years of excellence

Dr. Mari DeMarco pioneered a first-inCanada Alzheimer’s biomarker testing program, which helps identify the early stages of the disease so patients can access treatments earlier that improve their quality of life.

Alzheimer’s – allowing testing to be done via a blood test, too.

“We hope that these new blood tests will simplify the diagnostic testing process for patients, and increase accessibility and equity in the health system,” she says.

Research like Dr. DeMarco’s is the foundation of the new St. Paul’s Clinical Support and Research Centre (CSRC), which will connect to the new St. Paul’s Hospital via a sky bridge. The CSRC is purpose-built to put people first, bring world-class ideas to life, and advance medical breakthroughs.

Dr. DeMarco is excited about how the new building will allow her to continue to expand upon her research.

“One of the great things about the CSRC is its ability to integrate and blend the expertise of diverse areas of research and people studying different diseases,” she says. “We now have diagnostic tools for Alzheimer’s, but my team and I are working hard to fill other diagnostic gaps for related disorders like Parkinson’s disease and frontotemporal dementia, and to explore technologies that make testing more accessible to those who need it.”

Scan the QR code to see Dr. DeMarco’s story come to life.

Dr. DeMarco in her lab at St. Paul’s Hospital.

HEARTBEAT of A Transplant Triumph HOPE:

Christine’s journey through heart failure, motherhood, and embracing life after transplant thanks to the team at St. Paul’s Hospital

by SONDI BRUNER >> Photography by JEFF TOPHAM

Christine was an energetic, young kindergarten teacher when she unexpectedly began to feel dizzy and short of breath during everyday tasks such as picking up toys and moving around the classroom.

At first, Christine’s doctor attributed her experience to stress, but as symptoms worsened – and with a family history of cardiovascular disease – she knew stress wasn’t the culprit. Eventually, at age 36, Christine was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, an abnormal heart rhythm that prevents the heart from pumping blood efficiently.

Christine received a pacemaker that improved her energy, quality of life, and ability to work – but unfortunately, those benefits didn’t last long. Pain, pressure,

(L-R): Dr. Mustafa Toma, cardiologist, St. Paul’s Hospital, Christine, grateful patient and heart transplant survivor, and Dr. Anson Cheung, cardiothoracic surgeon, St. Paul’s.

and breathlessness plagued her daily life.

“It felt like I was walking into a wall all the time,” she remembers.

130 years of excellence

St. Paul’s is the only hospital in BC to perform adult heart transplants. In 2023 alone, St. Paul’s performed 849 open heart surgeries and 21 heart transplants.

Despite her health struggles, Christine and her husband were eager to start a family. Even with her symptoms, doctors assured them that Christine’s condition was well managed and she’d be able to have children.

They were gloriously happy when Christine became pregnant. But four months into her pregnancy, Christine received some devastating news: her heart was failing.

“I was quite shocked because I wasn’t expecting to hear that, and I didn’t really know what the words ‘heart failure’ meant,” she says. “The first thing I thought was, ‘What’s going to happen to my baby?’”

Despite her health struggles, Christine was referred to the Virani Provincial Adult Congenital Heart (VPACH) Program at St. Paul’s Hospital, where staff could monitor her pregnancy. She learned that while heart failure is serious, it doesn’t mean her heart would immediately stop beating – and that many people with the condition live healthy, full lives.

“It really helped to lift that seriousness of the diagnosis,” she says. “The VPACH clinic explained to me that the care on the maternity ward would be in conjunction with my heart care, and they’d be able to monitor me throughout my pregnancy and delivery. It gave me great peace of mind to know that they would have my back.”

Thankfully, with lots of support, Christine made it through her full pregnancy and safely delivered a baby girl, Melanie.

Over the next several years, Christine’s heart function deteriorated to the point where she needed a heart transplant. Miraculously, after only

four months on the transplant list, she received a new heart in July 2019.

TRANSPLANTATION IS A TEAM SPORT

When many of us hear the words ‘organ transplant’, we immediately think of the donor and the recipient. Undoubtedly, the people who generously decide to donate organs and those who receive them are a central part of the heart transplant process.

Yet there is also a vast network of health professionals working in concert like a finely tuned orchestra, including doctors, nurses, social workers, cardiologists, surgeons, anesthesiologists, perfusionists, radiologists, dietitians, and more. They guide patients through the process, from preparation to recovery, and provide care that’s grounded in compassion.

“Heart surgery is always a team sport,” says Dr. Anson Cheung, Christine’s heart transplant surgeon. “For transplants in particular, there’s an even bigger network of people that are required to be successful. In our hospital, everything starts with the patient at the centre, and then we rally and work together to surround the patient with the care they need.”

St. Paul’s Hospital is home to BC’s only adult heart transplant program. Since 1988, Providence Health Care (PHC) has performed 602 heart transplants on patients like Christine.

Dr. Mustafa Toma, a cardiologist who helped coordinate Christine’s pre- and post-transplant care, says there are countless caring individuals who collaborated to make a daunting and stressful situation less overwhelming for her.

“There are a whole lot of people working behind the scenes,” he says. “It’s essentially the entire team in our

“My daughter was only seven when I had my transplant. I was just so scared about having to leave her. My new heart has just been a gift – the gift of time with my daughter, husband, and extended family.”

– Christine

provincial Heart Centre that’s involved with transplant patients. Without a multi-disciplinary team, we really could not do this.”

Christine struggled with a few setbacks during recovery, but the rehabilitation team at St. Paul’s was with her every step of the way. Today she’s doing great, and takes immense pleasure from simple moments with her daughter Melanie, like swimming or racing to the mailbox.

“At St. Paul’s Hospital, I have faced some of the most difficult times in my life,” she says. “In other hospital settings, I haven’t received

care that has been as consistently kind, caring, and thoughtful. Without exception, staff put me first and really listened.”

The new St. Paul’s Hospital and more broadly, the Jim Pattison Medical Campus, will enable us to further the delivery of PHC’s people-first model of care and explore new research discoveries that will improve patient lives.

Christine is also relieved to learn her condition was likely due to a genetic mutation, and happy to know that testing family members was a possibility. As she celebrates her five-year ‘heart-iversary’, Christine

reflects on how far she’s come. She’s able to live fully with the people she loves, a prospect that was once unimaginable.

“My daughter was only seven when I had my transplant. I was just so scared about having to leave her,” she says. “My new heart has just been a gift – the gift of time with my daughter, husband, and extended family.”

Scan the QR code to see Christine, her family, and health care team come to life – and to witness her five-year transplant celebration.

(L-R): Dr. Cheung, Christine’s daughter, Christine’s husband, and Christine holding her old heart.

There's no place

LIKE HOME

Providence Living is helping seniors and older adults live their best lives in home-like residences that offer social connections, choice, independence, and dignity

by SONDI BRUNER >> Photography by JEFF TOPHAM

Judi Wild-Hutter left a lucrative career in graphic design to paint by the ocean. After moving to Vancouver Island her dreams began to dissolve, and she was soon living the life of a starving artist. She felt like giving up and heading back to Alberta. Then Lorne Hutter strolled into the small gallery and frame shop Judi ran, and they immediately hit it off. They fell in love, marrying in 1999. Lorne’s strong business mindset helped Judi build a flourishing art career – and for decades they were a dream team, travelling to art shows together while Judi’s gallery became a hot spot for tours.

(L-R) Joyce Shepherd, recreation therapist, Providence Living, and Dr. Jennifer Gibson, director of Quality, Practice, and Program Development, Providence Living, standing in the courtyard of The Views.

“He was my knight in shining armour,” Judi says.

In 2017, Lorne was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia. In 2022, he joined an adult day program, where he thrived for six months. Then his behaviour became erratic and confused. At night his mind often transported to his childhood on a farm, frequently yelling and banging on their locked door to go outside. Judi realized Lorne needed more care than she could give him, moving him into long-term care.

Unfortunately, Lorne had a difficult time adjusting, and Judi felt at a loss of what to do. One day, her social worker called to ask if she’d be in

I feel so optimistic. This residence is an incredible opportunity to begin a transformation that will create a whole different expectation for care homes.”

– Dr. Jennifer Gibson

terested in moving Lorne to a homelike facility that was part of a pilot project set to change life for residents in care. Judi immediately agreed.

TRANSFORMING LONG-TERM CARE IN CANADA

For the first time in history, there are more Canadians over the age of 65 than under 15. Aging adults are more likely to thrive when they maintain their independence and cherished routines. Through incorporating best practices from around the world, Providence Living and Providence Health Care have developed a new model that will transform public, non-profit, longterm care in Canada: Home for Us.

The Home for Us model offers residents emotional connections, autonomy, and meaning in their lives. Residents experience ordinary activities such as cooking, socializing, and access to nature, ultimately building a sense of home, safety, and belonging.

Providence Living at The Views, a first-of-its-kind care village that opened in July 2024 in Comox, takes a radically different approach to care based on the concepts of a dementia village.

Residents live in self-contained, small, 12-person households, where everyone has a private bedroom and bathroom. Each resident sets the rhythm and flow of their day, whether

that’s sleeping until 10 AM or enjoying a stroll in the garden with friends. The options are endless, and all supported by a compassionate team of staff.

“The Home for Us model brings the everyday back into long-term care,” says Dr. Jennifer Gibson, Providence Living’s director of Quality, Practice, and Program Development. “We call them life’s daily pleasures, which make the everyday life experience joyful, even if they’re small.”

In addition to providing exceptional medical care, Providence Living at The Views includes amenities you’d find in most villages: a grocery store, a café, a courtyard, gardening space, a playground, a community centre, and a chapel.

Unique features include an onsite daycare for intergenerational connections, and an Indigenous sacred gathering space developed with the K’ómoks Nation as part of our commitment to reconciliation. Many of these areas will welcome the public.

“This is a flourishing, authentic, and genuine community,” Dr. Gibson says. “Emotional connections matter, and that’s something we do well. Providence Living at The Views isn’t isolated –it really is part of the broader Comox community.”

HOME FOR US IN ACTION:

THE HOUSEHOLD PILOT AT MOUNTAIN VIEW 2

To prepare for the transition to the Home for Us care model at Providence Living at The Views, Providence initiated a pilot project on Mountain View 2 at The Views at St. Joseph’s, which is now vacant and slated for decommissioning. This pilot demonstrated in real-time what the Home for Us care model would be like in action. This enabled Providence to refine the model and create a better experience for both residents and staff in anticipation of the new care village’s completion.

Throughout the pilot, Judi visited

130 YEARS OF COMPASSION + CARE

Lorne daily and socialized with him, staff, and other residents. She’s confident he was always safe and well-cared for, with staff who knew his habits, favourite foods, and even where he preferred to hide things.

“It was fantastic for both of us. I felt it was my second home,” Judi says. “Everyone knew my name and really cared about Lorne, and he was content. The staff were like angels that had a built-in radar system. I became very attached to the other residents and staff. They became my family and filled the void in my life.”

At Mountain View 2, Lorne enjoyed playing piano and guitar, cuddling with the household cat Winston, reading with Judi, and participating in the variety of activities available. Before the pilot he frequently tried to leave with Judi, desperately seeking a sense of home. Now, he feels he is home.

Now that Lorne has moved into

130 years of excellence

Support for this project is more than just improving a single resident’s experience. It will impact an entire community and have a positive difference at a much broader level.”

– Dr. Jennifer Gibson

Providence Living at The Views, Judi is excited about the new opportunities awaiting him. He now enjoys a larger, purpose-built space featuring his own private room with a private bathroom, along with the chance to interact with more people.

“Lorne will have more independence, and the freedom to go outside on his own. It will be more like the outside world,” she says. “The entire community is excited about the new care village, and I hope I will have the opportunity to live in a home like this in my later years.”

REIMAGINING CARE IN BC AND BEYOND

People at any age need a supportive, caring community surrounding them to flourish. Providence Living at The Views is an enormous leap forward, but it’s only the first

For the first time in history, there are more Canadians over the age of 65 than under 15. That’s why PHC and Providence Living are pioneering a whole new model of care for older adults in acute care and for residents in long-term care. We’re developing a brick-and-mortar Centre for Healthy Aging on the campus of the new St. Paul’s Hospital. And we’ve just opened Canada’s first public, non-profit care village based on the dementia village concept.

step in Providence Living’s vision. Construction for a second pilot in Vancouver is in the final planning stages with construction due to begin in 2025, which will test Home for Us model in an urban setting. The goal is to adapt the village’s care model to serve diverse populations across the province and around the country.

“I feel so optimistic. This longterm care village is an incredible opportunity to begin a transformation that will create a whole different expectation for care homes,” says Dr. Gibson. “Support for this project is more than just improving a single resident’s experience. It will impact an entire community and have a positive difference at a much broader level.”

Providence Living is designing long-term care villages where you’d be proud to visit your loved one, or choose for yourself. And Judi knows first-hand how important this is.

“We owe so much to our seniors. All these residents – and future residents – have lived full, hardworking, and meaningful lives,” she says. “They are engineers, pilots, homemakers, veterans, artists, carpenters. They deserve to be heard, respected, and honoured.”

Scan the QR code to take a tour of Providence Living at The Views.

(L-R) Judi Wild-Hutter, whose husband is a resident at The Views, Lorne Hutter, Judi’s husband, Shepherd, and Dr. Gibson.

AS A MONTHLY DONOR, you become an essential part of a community that provides vital, sustained care to patients in need – as soon as it’s needed. Your monthly support helps to deliver compassionate, innovative care today, and build a healthier future for all British Columbians.

Ongoing monthly support is a vital part of sustaining the life-changing care taking place right now in our hospitals, clinics, and long-term

care homes. From newborn babies and their moms to seniors living in long-term care, you provide a steady source of funding for all of our patients’ and residents’ most urgent needs.

And, you are providing access to new, lifesaving equipment and innovative tools for doctors, nurses, and staff, when it’s needed most.

Become a monthly donor today and make a difference that matters every month.

Learning to BREATHE AGAIN

How a pioneering drug trial helped Kim Wood reclaim life, love, and motherhood

by SONDI BRUNER >> Photography by JEFF TOPHAM

(L-R) Kim Wood, grateful patient living with cystic fibrosis who was part of the Trikafta drug trial and Dr. Bradley Quon, respirologist and clinician- scientist, St. Paul’s Hospital.

DWe are at the forefront of both research and clinical care. Working adjacent to the hospital, we can easily take discoveries in the lab and translate them into better treatments for our patients. Ultimately, we want to make CF stand for ‘cure found’. At that point, I may be out of a job, but I’m so grateful for the impact that would have on our patients.”

- Dr. Bradley Quon

lungs and digestive system, causing infections and scarring. Breathing is difficult, and a patient can feel like they’re drowning. Eventually, the lungs become so damaged they don’t work anymore, requiring transplantation – that is, if a new set is available.

Not that long ago, CF was a death sentence: most patients didn’t live to adulthood. In 1979, St. Paul’s Hospital opened one of the first stand alone adult CF clinics in North America, and has continued to advocate for new treatments and trailblazing care. Thanks to modern therapies, people are now living full, long lives.

Doctors like Dr. Bradley Quon are paving the way for better, lifechanging treatments – and an eventual cure. He is a clinician-scientist at St. Paul’s Hospital, the medical director of the St. Paul’s Hospital Adult CF Care Program, and a researcher at the Centre for Heart Lung Innovation. In 2018, because of its global reputation, St. Paul’s became one of only five clinical trial sites in Canada for a new drug called Trikafta.

iagnosed with cystic fibrosis (CF) at 16 months, Kim Wood never truly knew what it felt like to take a full breath.

Thanks to her dedicated health care team and her parents’ commitment to a supportive health regime, Wood fared well during childhood and as a teen. In fact, she was so inspired by the caring treatment she’d received all her life she became a nurse.

In her early 20s, Wood’s health took a downward turn. Suddenly, her life revolved around tracking medications, protecting her lungs from infection, sleeping, adjusting plans, wondering if treatments would remain effective, and anxiety about what would come next. As her illness progressed, Wood experienced

frequent lung infections that required hospitalization.

“I was almost spending more time in the hospital than out of it,” she says. “It was really challenging and overwhelming being stuck in a hospital room, having all of your control taken away from you.”

130 YEARS OF COMPASSION + CARE

Wood’s health status meant she was a prime candidate for the trial. Since the study was double-blind, she didn’t know if she would receive the placebo or the real medication. Within a day of the first dose, Wood felt certain she received Trikafta because she was breathing in a way she’d never experienced.

Still, life went on – Wood fell in love, got married, and planned for a family. Her health deteriorated to the point where shortly after her son’s birth, she was referred for evaluation at BC’s lung transplant clinic.

Then came Dr. Bradley Quon and his clinical trial evaluating Trikafta at St. Paul’s Hospital.

“THIS IS WHAT BREATHING IS SUPPOSED TO FEEL LIKE”

CF is a genetic, progressive, and fatal disease. It primarily affects the

“I started to feel that complete, unrestricted breath. It was astonishing because I had never felt this, even when I was young on a good, healthy day,” Wood recalls. “I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is what breathing is supposed to feel like’. It was absolutely mind-blowing.”

And it wasn’t just Wood’s breathing that improved – she felt full of energy and needed less sleep (a critical asset when raising a newborn!). As treatment continued, she experienced fewer colds and cases of the flu; and if she did catch a cold,

130 years of excellence

As a researcher at the Centre for Heart and Lung Innovation, Dr. Bradley Quon is collecting nasal cells from patients with rare cystic fibrosis mutations and seeing how those cells react to the newest drug therapies. It’s a personby-person, cell-by-cell approach! His findings may broaden patient access to, and coverage for, these drugs.

it didn’t land her in the hospital. Like many of us, she could simply heal and get on with life.

LETTING GO OF THE BACK-UP PLANS, AND BEING THE MOM SHE ALWAYS DREAMED OF BEING

In 2022, Trikafta was approved by Health Canada and has continued to enhance the lives of patients like Wood.

“It’s truly a miracle breakthrough,” Dr. Quon says. “Seeing such a dramatic response right away is what any researcher would hope for, and that’s the impact that research can have on our patient care. We’ve seen Trikafta fully change lives.”

Wood counts herself as a person whose life has changed for the better because of Trikafta and the innovative research occurring at St. Paul’s.

“My life would have been so different had I not started on Trikafta,” she says. “My child’s life would have been very, very different.”

Wood feared parenting from the couch, or spending precious moments with her child via video chat from a hospital bed. Now that she has a successful drug treatment, her family has let go of their contingency plans. Wood can fully engage with her young son – attending school events and concerts, volunteering for field trips, playing with him, travelling – all without constantly worrying she’ll get sick.

“My cystic fibrosis is definitely not at the forefront anymore,” she says. “Now we can make plans. My son’s looking forward to family vacations and making memories.

It’s so different. The change is just indescribable.”

THE WORK ISN’T QUITE DONE YET –AND YOU CAN HELP

Trikafta is only approved for the 8590% of patients who have the most common CF mutation. While it might work for the remaining 10-15%, patients with rarer mutations weren’t included in the original trial.

That means Trikafta – a $300,000 annual treatment – isn’t covered for that smaller group of patients who want to try it.

Dr. Quon’s next stage of research takes nasal cells from patients and grows them in the lab. Then, he applies Trikafta to see how those cells respond to treatment. His findings could broaden access to the drug, and pave the way for future solutions in cases where Trikafta isn’t effective. Ultimately, we want to make CF stand for ‘cure found’,” says Dr. Quon.

The Clinical Support and Research Centre connected to the new St. Paul’s Hospital on the Jim Pattison Medical Campus will feature a larger space, state-of-the-art equipment, improved facilities, and the ability to conduct more clinical trials, enabling clinicians like Dr. Quon to amplify their research and help more people like Wood.

Wood is eager for more patients with CF to discover what it’s like to breathe again.

“Every day I wake up, look at my Trikafta package and I feel grateful for having the privilege to take that medication and have it affect my body in the positive way that it has,” she says. “I don’t know if I would be here without Trikafta, and I don’t know if I would be able to be the kind of mom I’ve always wanted to be for my little boy.”

Scan the QR code to hear more about the impact Trikafta has had on Kim Wood’s life.

Wood holding a picture of her and her son.

Dr. Scott Apperley, respirologist, St. Paul’s Hospital, Karam Roberts, grateful patient living with vasculitis, and Dr. Jamil Bashir, cardiac surgeon, St. Paul’s and the head of Vancouver Coastal Cardiac Surgery and the UBC Division of Cardiac Surgery.

WNO CASE too COMPLEX

When a patient came down with a rare and lifethreatening condition, St. Paul’s Hospital was there to help her reclaim her life

BY LEAH DYCK >> PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF TOPHAM

hen Karam Roberts and her partner, Matt Holywell, moved to Vancouver in 2019, they were excited to explore all that the West Coast had to offer: stunning hikes, access to ski hills, and enchanting coves in which to scuba dive.

They didn’t expect that just over a year later, Roberts would be fighting for her life against a rare illness. But through the expert collaboration of a team of doctors, and with the help of equipment funded by donors, St. Paul’s Hospital was able to give Roberts her life back.

Only a few months after their arrival in Canada (Roberts is originally from Wales and her partner is from Australia), Roberts became sick with a battery of symptoms: intense sinus pain, stiff joints, fatigue, weight loss, ears blocked filled with fluid, coughing up blood, and difficulty breathing.

(L-R)

“I’ve never been so ill,” says Roberts. “I couldn’t stand up off the sofa. I was in agony.”

The challenges of receiving health care in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic combined with her alarming respiratory symptoms created the perfect storm. It was only in December 2020, when a doctor ordered bloodwork at St. Paul’s Hospital, that they realized how dire her situation was – and immediately admitted her.

“And then that’s when the St. Paul’s journey began,” Roberts says.

A DOUBLE DIAGNOSIS

With the help of eight St. Paul’s specialists, doctors were able to diagnose Roberts with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), a rare autoimmune disease and type of vasculitis. It can cause inflammation of different blood vessels in multiple areas of the body, as well as lasting damage to vital organs and tissues. In Roberts’ case, the problem was primarily in her lungs.

“I was just stunned and upset,” Roberts says of receiving the news. “It can be very serious if not treated urgently. I thought, ‘How on Earth are we going to deal with this?’”

The day after beginning treatment in hospital, Roberts woke up with severe chest pain. She remembers a doctor from internal medicine arriving. Then everything went dark. Roberts had suffered a cardiac arrest. She woke up four days later in the Intensive Care Unit, a St. Paul’s nurse at her side.

“I was just so grateful to be alive. I only survived because that doctor was there and she started to do CPR on me straight away,” says Roberts.

THE ROAD BACK TO HEALTH

Now Roberts was faced with yet another challenge: recovering from a cardiac arrest while treating her GPA. After seven weeks in hospital, she was transferred to the cardiology ward for a defibrillator implant. But the placement of the device, which is typically installed under the collarbone, proved troublesome. “I really didn’t want it there because I wear a backpack every day. And

because I’ve lost so much weight as well, it would protrude quite a lot,” says Roberts.

“We ended up doing quite a unique set-up for her to give her the most optimally functioning defibrillator,” explains Dr. Jamil Bashir, a cardiac surgeon at St. Paul’s Hospital and the head of Vancouver Coastal Cardiac Surgery and the UBC Division of Cardiac Surgery.

This treatment, designed specifically to suit her lifestyle and

Dr. Bashir and Dr. Apperley.

needs, became emblematic of the compassionate care Roberts would continue to receive at St. Paul’s.

“Dr. Bashir was amazing. I think of him every morning when I see the scar and am so grateful,” says Roberts.

What is even more unique about this situation is Roberts and her partner didn’t have any family here in Vancouver. And so, the staff at St. Paul’s stepped in and became her support system – particularly the nurses, who she became quite close with during her time in hospital.

“It made my day seeing a familiar,

Every single person has gone above and beyond. And it’s not just that they literally saved my life. The care team has allowed me to reclaim my life and do things that I never thought possible. Now I’m really encouraged about what I can do next.”

– Karam Roberts

friendly face and feeling reassured that I was in good hands when I was vulnerable,” she says. “I couldn’t have visitors. At one point I was missing chocolate, so the nurses would bring me in little pieces of chocolate. The smallest touches of genuine compassion meant the world to me.”

Another St. Paul’s health care provider who made an impact on her care was Dr. Scott Apperley, a

respirologist. Since Roberts’ diagnosis in 2020, Dr. Apperley has helped manage her GPA, which can cause airways to narrow and some of the lobes of the lungs to collapse.

A game changer for Roberts was an Erbecryo machine, which was purchased thanks to St. Paul’s Foundation donors. The machine allows specialists to freeze and remove extra tissue in her lungs to reduce inflammation.

Beginning in 2021 until June 2023, the medical team performed bronchoscopy procedures – where a thin, lighted tube is used to look directly at the airways in the lungs –on Roberts. Since June 2023, the team has used the Erbecryo machine leading to longer and longer intervals between treatments.

“With use of that over time, it has really improved the airway calibre and hopefully has resulted in a greater longevity of keeping those airways open,” Dr. Apperley says. His hope is that Roberts will reach a stage where these treatments aren’t needed at all.

“Every single person has gone above and beyond. And it’s not just that they literally saved my life. The care team has allowed me to reclaim my life and do things that I never thought possible,” she says. “Now I’m really encouraged about what I can do next.”

130

130 Years of Excellence

Dr. John Webb pioneered a minimally invasive way to replace heart valves without open heart surgery.

TAVI is now the gold standard in more than 40 countries and has helped 450,000 people.

MAKING MIRACLES ROUTINE

The care and collaboration exemplified in Roberts’ case will be streamlined at the new St. Paul’s Hospital. The 1.2-million-squarefoot acute care hospital will be connected to the new St. Paul’s Clinical Support and Research Centre (CSRC), an innovation hub that will accelerate personalized and effective treatments that enhance quality of care and overall well-being.

YEARS OF COMPASSION + CARE

Since her release from hospital, Roberts has ferociously pursued her own recovery, visiting the gym, participating in St. Paul’s Healthy Heart (a community program for people with or at risk of developing heart disease), and running the BMO Vancouver Marathon eight kilometre race last May. She was even inspired to hike the Beehive trail in Lake Louise – a 20-kilometre round-trip hike with an elevation gain of 1,140 metres.

When she reached the top, Roberts says the profundity of her journey really hit her. “I never, ever thought I’d be able to do this.” She was finally living the dream that brought her to Canada.

The hospital’s new infrastructure will streamline the patient journey, ensuring patient care areas are close to the critical care services they require. Dr. Bashir is also hopeful that the CSRC will empower medical staff to offer new types of procedures –such as those that have given Roberts a new lease on life.

“I have a lot of aspirations for new ways to care for patients and to continue to do what we’ve done over the last 130 years, which is to do our best to care for people in a compassionate way,” says Dr. Bashir.

And this kind of care brought Roberts back to life.

“It’s not just one individual. It’s everyone together,” she says. “Without them, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

Scan the QR code to hear more from Karam Roberts about her lifechanging experience.

ROAD TO RECOVERY Revolutionizing substance use care at

A first-in-Canada initiative is redefining addiction treatment and breaking barriers through collaborative, patient-centred care

by SONDI BRUNER >> Photography by JEFF TOPHAM

Last December, Dr. Brittany Dennis and her colleagues at Road to Recovery (R2R) were caring for a patient who was struggling in the hospital environment and aching to reconnect with the activities she’d once enjoyed.

“We all got together and said ‘What can we do to help her? What can we do to make her day just a little bit better?” Dr. Dennis says.

And so, staff sprung into action. An occupational therapist brought in a yoga mat. Staff exchanged the patient’s hospital garb for a yoga top and pants. They plugged in an essential oil diffuser to create a calming environment so their patient could fill her cup.

This is just one of the many ways that R2R is meeting people where they’re at, and providing compassionate care that goes the extra mile.

AN URGENT NEED FOR SEAMLESS SUBSTANCE USE CARE

Six British Columbians die from toxic drug overdoses every single day, and demand for addiction services is climbing. Providence Health Care (PHC) operates the largest and busiest interdisciplinary Clinical Addiction Program in North America. Despite this, we need to do more to address worsening overdose deaths and promote long-term recovery.

Cue Phase 1 of the historic Road to Recovery Initiative (which launched in September 2023), a comprehensive, thoughtful, and traumainformed system that ensures people can access addiction treatment when they may need or want it.

In BC, people with substance use issues face daunting hurdles – in-

cluding a lack of stable housing, social supports, employment, financial resources, and access to safe medical care – that make it more challenging to avoid a relapse.

R2R is changing that.

“We’re able to have that seamless coordination of care that didn’t exist before,” says Dr. Dennis. “Road to Recovery is removing the barriers we’ve seen our patients face over and over again.”

IMPROVING ACCESS TO WITHDRAWAL MANAGEMENT AND TRANSITION BEDS

When a person is ready for recovery, they can frequently wait weeks or months for withdrawal management (detox). Once they’re admitted and complete the difficult experience of withdrawal, many have nowhere to go – and simply return to the situation that led them to use substances in the first place.

R2R offers people a seamless transition between every stage of their recovery journey. It has drastically reduced wait times, ensuring access to those who need it most within much shorter time frames – often 24 to 72 hours. People begin their journey in withdrawal management beds, then can move into transition beds, and subsequently short-term stay beds – with plenty of support along the way – to set them up for success.

MULTI-DISCIPLINARY, COLLABORATIVE CARE UNLIKE ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE COUNTRY

Many people who come to St. Paul’s Hospital for withdrawal management have additional health challenges. A unique facet of R2R is its wraparound care. Specialists come directly to patients to address their acute care needs, so they don’t have to pause their addiction treatment to seek urgent medical care at an emergency department.

R2R collaborates with a gamut of medical specialties – including psy-

chiatry, cardiology, gastroenterology, palliative care, orthopedics, and plastic surgery – and allied health professionals such as occupational therapy, physiotherapy, pharmacy, and social work to facilitate care for patients.

“The system has been difficult for a lot of patients to navigate for so long,” says Dr. Dennis. “Breaking the silos and finally saying, ‘OK you’re here now, let’s get you that support you need’ is going to be the biggest game changer.”

Additionally, R2R offers Indigenous Wellness Liaisons through

We walked through the door, and everybody was so welcoming. It brought tears to our eyes because it was like everyone is just so against us right now. And then you get these people [at R2R] that are just so warm and welcoming and treating us with such dignity and respect.”

–

R2R

patient

(L-R) Dr. Geneviève Kerkerian, addiction medicine specialist, Road to Recovery, St. Paul’s Hospital, Karen Scott, peer support worker, Road to Recovery, St. Paul’s, and Dr. Brittany Dennis, clinical epidemiologist, general internist, addiction medicine specialist at Road to Recovery, St. Paul’s.

Providence’s Indigenous Wellness and Reconciliation team, and peer support workers to offer holistic, in-depth support.

As someone who has personal experience with the addiction recovery system, Karen Scott has been helping patients feel more comfortable as a peer support worker at St. Paul’s for over three years.

“It’s beneficial to have somebody you can speak to who’s not going to judge or stigmatize. I’m able to connect with people and let them know that they are valued,” she says. “A lot of patients have had bad experiences at the hospital, and I can relate. I’ve gone through that journey myself. I know how to be there for them, as I wish somebody had been there for me at the time that I needed it.”

COMPASSIONATE CARE IS KEY

R2R sets itself apart with compassionate care that helps patients with their distinct goals and plans.

“You can’t fake compassion. Patients see it in our eyes, even if it’s a difficult conversation,” says Dr. Geneviève Kerkerian, an addiction medicine specialist who has been working at R2R since it opened. “It’s such a privilege to be able to take care of our patients, to have them share with us, and to have them trust us with their care and their stories.”

Since September 2023, there have been nearly 300 people admitted to the unit for substance use care. The R2R approach is working – and word is spreading.

“I’ve seen a huge impact with patients’ trust in the system increasing, and they’re talking about it,” says Dr. Dennis. “I recently had a follow-up conversation with a patient who said, ‘I just want to thank you so much again. I felt human. I felt cared for. I felt comforted. I felt heard.’ That’s not something I heard before R2R.”

THE GROWING FUTURE OF ROAD TO RECOVERY

In 2021, there were 2,224 opioidrelated deaths in BC – the highest number of overdose deaths ever recorded in the province. Toxic drugs are now the leading cause of death for people between 19 and 39, with the toxic supply disproportionally affecting Indigenous Peoples.

Further phases of R2R over the next six years will offer more longterm beds, establish recovery services like counselling, medical care, and safe housing, embed Indigenous staff and resources, and provide virtual addiction care. Creating these services offers the unique opportunity to pilot and evaluate them before R2R moves into the new St. Paul’s Hospital.

“We have to stop thinking this only affects other people. Everyone is at risk for substance use,” says Dr. Kerkerian. “It’s a disease and you may not see it coming. It can surprise you, just like cancer.”

R2R, which was co-developed by PHC and the BC Centre on Substance Use, is partnered with Vancouver Coastal Health and is uniquely funded by the Province of BC and generous donors to the St. Paul’s Foundation,

130 years of excellence

Six British Columbians die from an overdose every single day. Road to Recovery, a first-ofits-kind, evidence-based initiative, is transforming substance use treatment by providing a seamless continuum of care services all in one location.

including the Diamond Family Foundation, Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation, and Peter Bull.

R2R is revolutionizing substance use care, offering hope for the future.

“It has such a profound impact on the community,” says Dr. Dennis. “A lot of our patients are young. If we create a system of care that can rebuild so much of what we’ve lost, we are investing in the future.”

Scan the QR code to see the compassionate team at R2R in action.

Health care team at R2R.

MAKE AN IMPACT FOR GENERATIONS. LEAVE A LEGACY GIFT.

PHILIP TING SUI LIU, hailing from a proud working-class Chinese family in Vancouver, overcame Hodgkin’s disease as a teenager, shaping his priorities to value health and family. Throughout his career at the Canada Revenue Agency, Philip was known for his hard work and humour, always ready to assist others. Despite maintaining his health through daily workouts, heart issues arose later in life, leading him to rely on St. Paul’s Hospital for exceptional care.

Grateful for their support, Philip arranged for his federal pension death benefits to be

donated to St. Paul’s Foundation, recognizing the hospital’s pivotal role in his life. He embodied the everyday hero, always ready to lend a helping hand. Through his legacy, Philip ensures that others will receive the same level of care and support he experienced at St. Paul’s, leaving a lasting impact on the community.

A gift in your will to St. Paul’s Foundation of Vancouver is the gift of a lifetime. It’s a legacy for the future that will stand as a meaningful tribute to the things that matter most: to live with purpose, give back, and make a difference – just as Philip did.

theBringing future

TO LIFE

The new St. Paul’s Hospital is BC’s first purpose-built medical campus designed to put patients first. It’s twice the size of our current facility, and set to transform the patient experience by offering personalized, innovative care at the right place at the right time. And it’s springing to life right now!

Scan the QR code to see the latest construction updates.

The new St. Paul’s Hospital on the Jim MedicalPattisonCampusOPENING 2027