Annual Report #2

80 YEARS OF CARING

S t . M a r y ’s G e n e r a l H o s p i t a l ’s 2 0 0 3 - 2 0 0 4 R e p o r t t o t h e C o m m u n i t y

Marion Bramwell, Executive Vice President & Chief Nursing Executive, Dr. Kevin Smith, President & CEO, Vivian Zochowski, Chair of the Board of Trustees

CEO/CHAIR’S MESSAGE

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t. Mary’s General Hospital has a rich tradition of change and progress, and 2003/2004 was no exception. From our humble beginnings in 1924, through the Depression, one world war, a major expansion in the 1960’s, and the turbulent ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s, we have faced our share of challenges and interesting times.

The rationalization of programs and services, which was recently completed, required much work, and special effort by all involved.

Ultimately, it has served to remind us that the manner in which we provide health care must remain our focus and patient care continues to be our driving force.

The past year has been a beehive of activity.

Significant renovations continued, allowing us to fully open the expanded Emergency Department.

We also opened a 27 bed Chest Unit. Our Regional Cardiac Care Centre is almost a year old, and continues to forge ahead with the provision of advanced cardiac care to the region. We also broke ground in April for the largest phase of our $89 million redevelopment, which will see 100,000 square feet added to the hospital by 2007. We have continued to make great strides with our work in research, to embrace the latest in health care technology, and to be a leader among hospitals for environmental awareness.

We have said good-bye to Bruce Antonello, former President and CEO of St. Mary’s for the past 21 years. He will be truly missed for his leadership, and more importantly, for his friendship.

On October 21st 2004 we will celebrate our 80th year, so it is We are celebrating our commitment to the fitting that the theme community that we have served with for this year’s annual compassion for the past eight decades report is “80 Years of Caring”. This is an exciting time to be renewing our facilities, offering new programs and services, and undertaking new initiatives.

We are celebrating our commitment to the community that we have served with compassion for the past eight decades.

As always, thank you to the staff, physicians and volunteers for your patience and dedication. You are the reason why we have maintained such a high reputation for excellent care within the community, from the very first day our doors opened.

S T. M A R Y ’ S G E N E R A L H O S P I TA L 2 0 0 3 / 2 0 0 4 B O A R D O F T R U S T E E S Vivian Zochowski - Chair

Cathy Brothers

Dr. John Lackner, MD, Chief of Staff

Doug Letson - Vice-Chair

Oonagh Burns

Al Beaupre - Past Chair

Chloe Callender

Councillor Berry Vrbanovic, City of Kitchener (partial term)

Rob Way - Treasurer

Christine Cochrane, Staff Representative

Bruce Antonello - Secretary (partial term)

Tom Hunter

Dr. Kevin Smith - Secretary (partial term)

Dr. Brian Kelly, MD, V.P. Medical Affairs

Andre Anderson St. Mary’s General Hospital Foundation

Councillor Bruce Anderson, City of Waterloo (partial term)

Dr. John Campbell, MD, V.P., Medical Staff (partial term)

Councillor Gary Kieswetter, City of Waterloo (partial term)

Martha Stauch, President, Volunteer Association

Dr. Vinita Bindlish, MD, V.P., Medical Staff (partial term)

Larry Kotseff

Councillor Bill Strauss, Region of Waterloo

Councillor Geoff Lorentz, City of Kitchener (partial term) Sister Teresita McInally, C.S.J. Joan McKinnon Dianne Moser

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FINANCIAL

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he number of patients treated at St. Mary’s continued to grow through 2003/2004, both on an inpatient and outpatient basis. A large portion of the volume increase is directly related to the Cardiac Program. The hospital will continue to experience increased volume over the next several years as the full Cardiac Program is implemented.

Surgery, in particular Day Surgery, is another specialty at St. Mary’s, and Day Surgery continues to be the treatment of choice for patients whenever possible. At St. Mary’s, Day Surgery procedures increased by 15.7% in 2003/2004, and inpatient surgery increased by 27.2%. Clinical efficiencies continue be a focus of the hospital and a drop of 3.8% in the acute average length of stay, despite an increase in patient surgery, is a positive reflection of those efficiency improvements.

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With funding from the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, and revenue from other sources, St. Mary’s ended the fiscal year with a surplus of $1,852,688. Some of the funding received from the Ministry was designated as “one time” only.

The hospital will continue to work in collaboration with the Ministry to address future funding issues so we may continue to provide the level of care our community expects from St. Mary’s.

COMMITMENT

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fter 21 successful years leading St. Mary’s as a community of caring, Bruce Antonello retired in April, 2004. It’s hard to say goodbye to someone who has provided such steady leadership over two decades, but it’s time to honour the contributions of a man who always reminded staff that no matter what we do at St. Mary’s, it’s how we do it that counts.

When discussing how things changed at What will Bruce St. Mary’s over his tenure, Bruce says, miss the most? “The “St. Mary’s matured into a major partner in people, of course! providing acute care services to our community.

The staff, physicians We have also added a level of sophistication, in and volunteers have new facilities, equipment and information weathered the tough systems, that has distinguished us as Bruce Antonello was the both high touch and high tech.” face of St. Mary’s Bruce’s efforts over the years are reflected in new facilities and technologies, including the Laboratory, Robertson Clinic, Physiotherapy Department, two ER expansions, a new ICU/ CCU, the addition of CT, PACS and the Meditech system, and the conversion of the old labour/delivery suites into OR’s. The opening of the Regional Cardiac Care Centre, and the current major redevelopment, are all changes that Bruce is proud to have had a part in. “I must say that I alone have done very little. However, as a part of the St. Mary’s team, we have been extremely successful in improving the way in which we provide health care to our patients,” he says.

On his proudest achievement at St. Mary’s he says, “I came here and found a place that had a culture of caring that had been started way back in 1924, and that had been nurtured and valued for all these years. If I have been able to help sustain that culture, I see that as my major accomplishment.”

times, and always kept patient care at the forefront. These people embody the spirit of caring that is distinctly St. Mary’s.”

“Bruce Antonello was the face of St. Mary’s and always approachable.

During his time here he always made staff feel valued, important and a part of the team.

Keeping staff informed of changes and new developments were his priority, and his “CEO Chats” allowed staff to question him directly. He will be greatly missed,” says Mary Helen Stroeder, RN, Utilization Co-ordinator, and staff member for 35 years.

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Bruce Antonello, former President & CEO, served for 21 years

PROGRESS

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003/2004 marked a year of significant clinical progress at St. Mary's.

Over the course of twelve months, we brought an entirely new Chest Program on stream, doubled the size of our Emergency Department, and bolstered our Cardiac Program into a full-service model offering cardiac surgery and angioplasty for the first time in Waterloo Region.

Chest Unit In February, St. Mary’s opened a 27 bed Chest Unit, as part of our new Chest Program. This unit provides an area of excellence for respiratory care to the community. As part of the unit, St. Mary’s has three negative-pressure isolation rooms, which are reflective of the enhanced respiratory precautions and standards, post-SARS.

Suzy Young, Advance Practice Nurse, in the new Chest Unit

Emergency Department

Grouping patients and having dedicated staff is a real benefit of the Chest Unit, allowing for a focus of expertise in staff, and continuity of care, which ultimately benefits the patient. “We are excited to have our patients in a clinically focused area. The Chest Unit team is able to build on their expertise at a time when this patient population has been recognized to be growing substantially,” says Dr. Eric Hentschel, Medical Director, Chest Unit.

In March the expanded Emergency Department opened, doubling the ER in size, from 6,600 square feet to 13,100 square feet. The ER now has nine Acute Care beds and two resuscitation rooms, all with cardiac monitoring, 11 beds in Sub Acute, six with cardiac monitoring, and a more spacious Minor Treatment Area, with an eye and suture room. The ER now has a dedicated elevator that is used for transporting patients directly to the operating rooms, cardiac services and the critical care units.

“It’s great to be a part of this program,” says Suzy Young, Advance Practice Nurse.

“By managing a dedicated chest unit we minimize patient transfers, increase continuity of care, use hospital resources more efficiently, and allow staff to develop a focus of excellence in their care delivery.”

“The new space is great. We’re a busy department, so it’s nice to have the added space, rooms and extra monitoring. It helps with placing patients in the most appropriate care area, which goes long way towards helping us do our job better,” says Dr. Michael Curtis, Chief of Emergency Medicine.

The new Sub Acute area

Regional Cardiac Care Centre This July our Regional Cardiac Care Centre will celebrate its first anniversary as a full service program. The program always strives for excellence, and in it’s first year of operation hit a national benchmark with its “door to balloon” times. Balloon time is the time it takes for a patient that arrives in the ER with a heart attack, to go to the cardiac catheterization lab, to the time when their coronary vessel is opened and the balloon is inserted at the blockage site. The national benchmark is 90 minutes. St. Mary’s average door to balloon time is 86 minutes.

Our cardiac program strives to incorporate best practice initiatives, and combine that with leading edge technology. This is exemplified in our state of the art heartlung bypass machines that were customized in Germany, just for us.

As we build on the program’s successes and continue to meet patient needs, we will continue to be a leader in advanced, community-based cardiac care.

Due to the commitment of everyone at St. Mary’s, we continue to offer new services, enhanced facilities and the best in innovative, compassionate care to the community we serve.

“I am in awe of the people in St. Mary’s Cardiac Care Centre. You make the impossible task of fixing hearts seem as though you were out for a walk. I am truly grateful for your wisdom, and professionalism.”

Thank you card from a former patient.

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Inside the Cardiac Catherization Lab

CELEBRATION

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ctober 21st, 2004 marks the 80th year our doors have been open to the community. It’s important to take a look back at our roots and some of our accomplishments.

It’s also a time to remember that we are a Construction of St. Mary’s began in July of 1923 community of caring, and a centre of excellence and the cornerstone was laid on October 21st, that has carried on the healing ministry of Christ 1923. The opening took place exactly one year consistent with our traditions and values, since later in 1924 and, with no public ceremony, was the very beginning. quite modest. The St. Mary’s is a Sisters at the hospital hospital with eight served a banquet to On our opening day the matter of caring for the decades of history the physicians of the sick took top priority, as it has every day since behind it, but is one area, and a few at St. Mary’s. that’s all about people politicians. On our caring for people. opening day the matter of caring for the sick took top priority, as Reverend Anthony J. Fischer and the Sisters of it has every day since at St. Mary’s.

Providence of St. Vincent de Paul, in Kingston,

Kitchener mayor Louis Orville Breithaupt speaks at the hospital’s cornerstone laying

originally tried to get a Catholic hospital built in Kitchener (then Berlin) on Queen’s Park Crescent. The name for the hospital would be St. Mary’s, after St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, which was founded in 1856 to encompass the scattered Roman Catholic families in Berlin. It was Father Fischer’s successor at St. Mary’s Church, the Very Reverend Albert J. Zinger, who continued the campaign to get St. Mary’s Hospital built.

In 1919 he turned, successfully, to the Sisters of St. Joseph of Hamilton to help him continue the work.

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Over the years, St. Mary’s faced debt and rising health care costs. It also celebrated many successes, such as the opening of the Nurses’ Residence in 1931. In the following decades, the hospital continuously upgraded its facilities. In 1954 the X-Ray Department expanded, while the Maternity Department grew in 1955. The building of the tower addition got underway in 1960, and St. Mary’s grew to 10 storeys, while people were displaced and inconvenienced until the opening of the new addition in September 1961.

St. Mary’s also survived pressure to amalgamate services with K-W Hospital in the early ‘70s. The issue of amalgamation, or rationalizing services, never really went away, and cropped up throughout the ‘80s, ‘90s, and most recently has been addressed this past year.

The rationalization process of May 1989 ended with some sad news- we would no longer provided obstetrics. It was the end of an era, and an emotional farewell took place in June and August as both the Obstetrics and Paediatrics Departments closed. It was however, the birth of our role as a provider of acute adult care, and a time for renewing our mission, looking to the future, exploring opportunities, and upgrading and innovating.

The “Campaign for St. Mary’s”, launched in September 1989 was a success, and key to ensuring our future. The 1990’s saw the Regional Rheumatology Unit open, as well as the Short Stay Surgical Program and Pre-operative Clinics.

In August 1992, the last of the Sisters living at the hospital left to make way for the expanded Laboratory. In the 90’s we also expanded and modernized the Physiotherapy and Emergency Departments, and added a new morgue, the Wellness Centre, the Robertson Clinic, and the Intensive Care/Coronary Care Units, one of the most advanced in North America, at that time.

Oh yes, we also added the Tim Hortons!

In 1996 our hospital came under the microscope of the Health Services Restructuring Commission, and September 1996 was a difficult time as rumors started that St. Mary’s might close!

Consequently, the community the hospital had served so faithfully rallied around us, voicing their sentiments and bolstering the push to save St. Mary’s. Two years of studies, uncertainty, the community and the “Save Our Hospital” group working hard, followed. On May 14th 1998 St. Mary’s got the good news- we would continue to provide acute care services and expand to include rehabilitation and sub acute care.

It has been a bumpy ride at times, but it is clear that St. Mary’s continues to adapt, improve, and meet the challenges of delivering health care.

Today, we continue to grow and thrive. We are in the midst of our exciting $89 million redevelopment that will bring more space Happy 80th Anniversary to for services, patient care and innovation St. Mary’s General Hospital! to the hospital. Just think, the original price for building St. Mary’s was $258,000!

So, here’s to another 80 years of weathering the storm, maintaining our reputation for excellent and compassionate treatment, serving the community we have impacted so greatly, and caring for people, and each other.

DEDICATION

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essie Reidel has volunteered at St. Mary’s for over 52 years. Jessie’s introduction to the hospital came when she attended the laying of the cornerstone ceremony on October 21st, 1923.

“I was almost 10, and recall going to the ceremony with my father,” says Jessie. “I later got into trouble for getting my dress dirty because I was playing with some boys in a pile of dirt.”

Over the years, Jessie has been involved in many things, from making flannel nighties for the babies, the beauty salon, the gift shop, and currently selling lottery tickets. She has donated her time to the Festival of Trees, UNICEF, and was the president of the Catholic Women’s League.

In 1993 Jessie received a Commemorative Medal for her outstanding volunteer work.

True to our mission to serve and be compassionate, Jessie represents the finest in St. Mary’s. Although she never became a nurse, but wanted to, Jessie has contributed more than her fair share to St. Mary’s. “I volunteer because I have the time, and I enjoy it. To me, this is my hospital,” says Jessie. “I have a lot of good memories here.”

Here’s to Jessie, a women of energy, spirit and kindness, who has been with St. Mary’s from the beginning!

Jessie Reidel, volunteer for over 52 years

AWARENESS

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he environment continues to integrate itself into how we operate our facility, provide quality patient care, and foster a healthy workplace for staff and volunteers at St. Mary’s. In 2003/2004 progress continued on environmental management, energy conservation, green purchasing, waste management and other strategies.

Since it’s inception, the hospital’s Environmental Management System (EMS) has laid the groundwork for a broad range of initiatives.

“Through the implementation of the EMS and the continued support of staff and management to our initiatives, St. Mary’s has been recognized as one of the foremost environmental leaders in the healthcare industry,” says Shannon-Melissa Dunlop, Environmental, Health & Safety Specialist.

In October 2000, St. Mary’s was the second hospital in North America to register our Environmental Management System to the ISO 14001 standard.

Shannon-Melissa was also awarded the Ontario Hospital Association’s Green Healthcare Award for Individual Leadership last fall.

• In 1999, St. Mary’s became one of the first hospitals in Ontario committed to eliminating pesticide and herbicide usage on hospital grounds, and we have since introduced a natural fertilizer/ herbicide corngluten meal, and use a biodegradable salt alternative.

• Our energy conservation actions include: plans for lighting, sensor, heating, ventilation and air conditioning retrofits, window replacements, boiler upgrades, insulation upgrades, and the ongoing implementation of an energy awareness program for staff, using “Flick-the-Switch” as a mascot. St. Mary’s is expected to use 26.5% less energy annually, saving close to $78, 550 per year.

• The SMART (St. Mary’s Advocates Responsible Transportation) program is gaining popularity, saving staff on their parking or public transportation costs as an incentive for using more environmentally-friendly modes of transport, such as carpooling, or the bus.

• We recycle old computer equipment and electronics, reducing our landfill waste by over 1,700 lbs. a year.

“The hospital is committed to continually improve our environmental performance,” says Shannon-Melissa.

• We participate in a printer cartridge recycling program.

“Keeping our impacts on the environment in mind has become part of the bottom line in our planning and purchasing strategies,” says Gerry Barr, Vice President of Finance.

Environmental initiatives:

• We offer reusable mugs, which are subsidized for staff, to use at Tim Hortons in an effort to further reduce paper waste.

• In the last four years, we have improved waste segregation and minimization strategies, and have decreased biomedical waste by 44%, and increased recycling/reuse programs by 52% from 1998-2002.

Shannon-Melissa proudly adds, “We have really stepped up our efforts to be ‘green’, and to be more aware of our impacts and what we can do to minimize them. While patient care is the top priority for most staff, it’s part of my job to think about the environment.”

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Shannon-Melissa Dunlop, Environmental, Health and Safety Specialist

INNOVATION

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t. Mary’s works hard to acquire and implement the latest in health care technology. Embracing innovation is part of our mission, and it goes hand-in-hand with providing excellent patient care.

PYXIS

Norma Colenutt, Pharmacy Technician, and the new PYXIS

Dr. Chad Lavallee, Radiologist, compares images via PACS to old film x-rays

Last fall, our Pharmacy began using a new drug distribution system- the PYXIS Automated Medication Management System. PYXIS is more efficient, allows for better inventory control, and, most importantly, cuts down on the risk of medicating a patient incorrectly. There are PYXIS stations in the intensive care units and the ER, with plans to implement more through most of the hospital in the summer months. “By implementing PYXIS we are compliant with provincial guidelines regarding medication safety, which is an important part of providing great care,” says Norma Colenutt, Pharmacy Technician.

PACS St. Mary’s also has a unique customization of our Picture Archiving Communications System (PACS) that has many benefits to the hospital.

PACS is the digital acquisition and transmission of medical images (x-rays), combined with archiving and viewing abilities.

Our customization of PACS translates into improved access to, and more efficient handling of, images, and overall better patient care. It also marks us as a leader in computerization and the move to becoming a more “electronic” hospital.

With our PACS we have moved from using film x-rays, to digital x-rays, which is faster and more efficient: there is never any lost film, lost time searching for film, or the need to physically store film.

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physicians love it, as they can access images from multiple places in the hospital, and they can even view images securely, via the Internet, from remote locations. “PACS allows for better patient care as the images are ready almost instantly, enabling us to work faster, diagnose faster, and call up a patient’s previous images for comparison,” says Dr. Chad Lavallee, Radiologist.

Handling medical images electronically means faster turn around time. A radiologist could view an image in their office before the patient has dressed and left the department. This higher speed brings higher efficiency. For example, our CT throughput has increased with the use of digital imaging, and that, combined with our new CT machine, has reduced wait times from six months to four weeks.

Online EKG System We have recently implemented an Online EKG System in our Cardio Diagnostics department.

This system facilitates the electronic transfer of all EKG’s, a recording of the heart’s electrical activity, to a centralized archive, where physicians can quickly access and edit cardiology test information electronically from a workstation. Our physicians have greater access, by using a secure Internet link to read EKG’s remotely from offices and clinics. Our online EKG system eliminates time-consuming tasks, such as dealing with paper-based orders and repetitive manual entry for patient information.

The system also enables clinical staff to make better care decisions, with less patient waiting time and fewer chances for errors.

By embracing the newest in technology, and customizing it for optimal usage, technology allows St. Mary’s to bring higher efficiency and access to information to the staff, which translates into better care for our patients.

FUTURE

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n April 14th, 2004, staff and invited guests gathered outside to celebrate the groundbreaking for the final phase of our historic $89 million redevelopment.

This final phase includes a 100,000 square foot addition, with three floors, that will house seven state of the art operating rooms, ambulatory care and cardiac outpatient areas, a new cafeteria for staff and visitors, sterilization facilities, and a new main lobby.

As well, we will be renovating approximately 90,000 square feet of the existing hospital, which includes enlarging the Nuclear Medicine and Diagnostic Imaging departments, and in-patient areas.

This entire redevelopment project, with our new and renovated facilities, demonstrates our commitment to providing the best patient care possible “As St. Mary’s celebrates it’s 80th anniversary it is a great time to be continuing a project that will move us forward in terms of the quality of our facilities,” says Moira Taylor, Vice President of Planning and Community Programs. With these improvements, St. Mary’s hard-working staff can look forward to renewed facilities, allowing them to offer our patients expanded services and an even greater level of care by 2007.

PCL Constructors Canada Inc. has joined the St. Mary’s family for this final phase of redevelopment, and will work closely with Parkin Architects Limited, who St. Mary’s has enjoyed a continuing partnership with since 1999.

There will be significant change and disruption over the next few years, but the end goal of an improved St. Mary’s is worth the wait. As always, credit goes to the staff for enduring the growing pains, and continuing to live our mission of caring, even when things are inconvenient. A special thanks goes to our neighbours, and the community at large for their patience and support. We look forward to serving our community for years to come.

“This entire redevelopment project, with our new and renovated facilities, demonstrates our commitment to providing the best patient care possible, whether it is at the bedside, or through our physical structure,” says Moira.

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Michelle Xuereb, Parkin Architects Ltd., Bruce Anderson, Director of Facilities Development, Moira Taylor, VP of Planning and Community Programs and LeeAnne Kidd, Director of Planning, at the hospital’s cornerstone

DISCOVERY

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e have a tradition of providing compassionate care at St. Mary’s and our work in research is furthering that tradition, and improving patient care, by building knowledge.

Research at St. Mary’s began with the part-time presence of a Research Associate through the Father Sean O’Sullivan Research Centre of the St. Joseph’s Health System. In 2000, a full time presence was established and Dr. Erin Y. Tjam assumed the director of research position.

In the past four years, the research department progressed to bringing peer reviewed government grants, which are awarded through a competitive process, and industry funds, to support scientific research projects. The research department has also expanded to including both funded staff and in-kind research positions.

Dianne Pletz, RN, BScN, Dr. Erin Tjam, PhD, Dr. Stuart Smith, Cardiologist, and Linda Brooks, Program Manager for Cardiac Outpatient Clinics, recently received a grant for cardiac education research

“Having an active research program increases the culture of research at St. Mary’s,” says Dr. Tjam. “We have now funded 11 staff for various projects over the past four years. Also, we have established investigator and administrator roles to enable staff to learn research skills and further their professional development.”

Over the four years, St. Mary’s has received close to $650,000 in research grants as the principle investigating organization. Dr. Tjam has also been participating in research projects, as a co-investigator, involving other hospitals and universities, which have secured funding for over $3.9 million. Most impressively, our research department publishes in scientific journals and presents at national conferences, on an on-going basis.

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Highlights of some research projects include studies on acute care discharge process, an Internet-based diabetes disease management program, predictors of anti-microbial use, and most recently, a cardiac education project.

In March 2004, we received our first cardiac research grant from the Primary Health Transition Fund, awarded through the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care. Dr. Stuart Smith, Cardiologist, and Dr. Tjam are the co-principle investigators. This project will provide an interactive education program and hands-on experience to long term care facility and retirement home care providers. The study will determine if better education can improve management of chronic/congestive heart failure (CHF) patients, and lead to improved quality of life for patients, and decrease inappropriate use of acute care services.

“We chose to provide education because it involves the aspect of giving back,” says Dianne Pletz, Utilization Coordinator, Cardiac and Surgical Programs, and a co-investigator of the project. “Our goal is to offer education as a strategy to help our partners in health care provision manage this growing patient population more proactively.”

“We are not a teaching hospital, but we are making great strides in research and in furthering the knowledge of evidence-based decision making and best practices,” says Marion Bramwell, Executive Vice-President.

It is very unique for a community hospital to have a researcher, let alone an active research department. By engaging in research, we are able to remain progressive, actively acquire new knowledge, and ultimately translate the findings of research into better patient care.

ANNUAL MESSAGE

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uring the past year, St. Joseph’s Health System members continued to expand services to their communities through capital improvements and the development of new programs and services. Our Mission and Values serve as the foundation and stability of our evolving health care Ministry.

At the Corporate level, we continued to enter into dialogue with other health care providers as well as representatives from the new provincial government to meet the increased and changing needs of our communities. Our CEO Group sponsored a follow up “Quality of Work Life” survey which will be central to planning for the recruitment and retention of our staff.

We were proud to introduce our first Prayer and Reflection booklet for all Board members and senior staff through the efforts of Dr. Jane Smith-Eivemark, Director of Mission, Values and Spirituality.

Our Directors of Human Resources developed an extensive program to integrate Mission and Values into all stages of Human Resource policies and procedures. This exciting initiative is called “Mission Integrated Human Resources Systems”.

The following highlights are but a few examples of the new and exciting developments taking place in St. Joseph’s Health System:

St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton

St. Joseph’s Lifecare Centre, Brantford

The Minister of Health and Long Term Care, the Honourable George Smitherman visited St. Joseph’s and announced funding for 18 new forensic psychiatry beds and the Womenkind Addiction Centre.

The redevelopment project is on time and under budget with an estimated occupancy date of November 2004. The hospice development is also on schedule and the Foundation fundraising campaign is well underway.

The new Tower at the Charlton Avenue site is due to open late summer 2004 and will include services for mental health, respiratory, complex care as well as research and teaching support.

The Board of Trustees of St. Joseph’s Hospital held its final meeting on January 13, 2004.

This distinguished group of community volunteers were commended for their leadership and commitment to the health care ministry of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Hamilton.

St. Joseph’s Villa, Dundas

St. Mary’s General Hospital, Kitchener

The official opening and naming of the Villa’s two new wings will take place on May 31, 2004. Our residents, families, staff and volunteers are eagerly anticipating moving into the newly developed state of the art facilities.

Following 21 years of distinguished service as President and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Bruce Antonello announced his retirement in early January 2004. Dr. Kevin Smith was appointed to replace Bruce through a management services contract with St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton.

The Board of Trustees approved the revised organizational philosophy which is integrated with the “Free to Live” philosophy. The focus on resident care was noted in the positive report by the Health Services Accreditation Commission.

St. Joseph’s Health Centre, Guelph On October 21, 2003, following a distinguished career at Cambridge Memorial Hospital, Marianne Walker was appointed as the new President and CEO of St. Joseph’s.

The final stage of the redevelopment contract was approved by the Minister of Health and Long Term Care and the Regional Cardiac Program continues to expand programming according to schedule.

Foundations St. Joseph’s Resource Development members presented the first consolidated report on Benchmarks and Accountability to the corporate board in 2003.

During the past year, the Board of Trustees and Senior Management Team have undertaken an extensive strategic planning exercise. The Board’s implementation objectives focus on: Board orientation, mission-focused new programs, site utilization, and a strategic communications plan.

Mr. Rob Donelson, formerly of St. Mary’s General Hospital Foundation, Kitchener, was appointed President and CEO of St. Joseph’s Healthcare Foundation, Hamilton.

A very successful three-year accreditation from the Health Services Accreditation Commission capped a year of focused and intentional development and change at all levels of the institution’s life.

Our International Outreach Program continues to provide assistance to the developing world through the participation and commitment of our SJHS family.

SEN Community Health Care The SEN Board of Directors established a Marketing and Development Committee to develop fundraising and marketing strategies.

The Board and senior staff have undertaken a comprehensive SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analyses which will be utilized to review key strategic decisions. The context for SEN’s development remains unstable.

International Outreach Program

Several containers of much needed medical equipment and supplies were sent to our programs in Haiti, Uganda and Yemen. In addition, training opportunities for medical residents were provided in cooperation with the Faculty of Health Sciences of McMaster University.

As we reflect on the many ways in which we serve God through Ministry in Health Care, we are very much aware and recognize with gratitude the ongoing commitment by our Board members, staff, physicians and volunteers who are so adept at making dreams a reality!

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Sister Anne Anderson, President & Chair, St. Joseph’s Health System, Sister Margaret Kane, General Superior, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Hamilton

SUPPORT

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ave you ever watched a medical show on television and thought, “How can the surgeon see what he is doing with all those extra hands and instruments in his way?”

The human body, with its delicate layers of nerves, muscle and tissue provides many challenges for surgeons as they tackle procedures on vital organs. They require an unobstructed, magnified view of the target area.

The best solution is to use x-rays and realtime video to bring smaller details into view. A C-Arm device, shaped like a giant letter “c”, allows surgeons a clear view of the heart cavity as they insert a pacemaker or perform other procedures. The C-Arm can provide images of the patient from any angle.

“Recent advances in C-Arm technology have resulted in a powerful tool to assist the physician.

The C-Arm allows us to see inside the body, in real time, as we are doing procedures in the heart and blood vessels. Many patients will benefit from this equipment,” says Dr. Claus Rinne, Cardiologist.

A new C-Arm will cost approximately $220,000.

Before movable C-Arms were available, inserting a pacemaker or urological stent was a lengthy and painstaking procedure. The required device was inserted in the patient, photographed, repositioned, photographed again, re-positioned once more, and so on, until the device was accurately implanted. With real-time C-Arm imaging the pacemaker or stent device can be guided into place by the surgeon in one smooth movement (A urological stent is used in some patients with kidney stones).

The most recent C-Arm model also boasts a wider field of vision, a clearer picture, the ability to “eliminate” other instruments from view, and can be adjusted to the patient’s weight and height.

Please help us to achieve a clearer picture during surgery.

I want to help St. Mary’s!

Name: ________________________________________________________________ Address: ________________________________________________________________

❒ $5,000 (Heasley Society) ❒ $1,000 (Bonaventure Society) ❒ $500 ❒ $300 ❒ $100 ❒ $60 ❒ Other__________________ Designation:

❒ $40

❒ C-Arm and related equipment

❒ Surgical Suite ❒ Cardiac Care ❒ Other ______________________ City:

____________________________________ Postal Code: __________________

Tel No: ________________________________________________________________ Email: ________________________________________________________________ Please make cheques payable to: St. Mary’s General Hospital Foundation 911 Queen’s Boulevard, Kitchener, Ontario N2M 1B2 (519) 749-6797 www.smgh.ca Charitable Business No. 11918 9017 RR0001

Tax receipts will be issued for all donations received.

Paid by:

❒ Cheque

❒ VISA

❒ MasterCard

❒ Amex

Card # ________________________________ Exp. Date: ________ Signature (for credit validation):____________________________________

❒ I wish to give anonymously and not be named in Foundation communications. ❒ Please contact me about other ways to give. ❒ I’d like to arrange to give monthly.