SHINING A LIGHT ON THE QEII HEALTH SCIENCES CENTRE, ITS STAFF, VOLUNTEERS AND DONORS
SUMMER 2022
A QEII FOUNDATION PUBLICATION IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE CHRONICLE HERALD
YOUR QEII Supporting the QEII’s Coronary Care Unit
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Thank you QEII COVID-19 Health Heroes 4-5
QEII Legend Sherry Richardson
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RESEARCH & INNOVATION Atlantic Canada’s first hybrid OR
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Dr. Katharina Kieser, division head for QEII Gynecologic Oncology, looks through a new colposcope at the QEII’s Gynecoloscopy Clinic. Four new colposcopes, fully funded by the BMO Ride for Cancer community, will help diagnose abnormal cells in the cervix, protecting women against deadly cancers. QEII Foundation
Improving cancer research in Nova Scotia
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Women’s cancer diagnostics technology saving lives at the QEII New donor-funded colposcopes will help prevent deadly cancers By Sarah Marshall
World-leading study for treatment-resistant bipolar depression 10
ALSO Leading with heart
Transform health care Page 2
QEII family room renovated Barho family honoured Page 6
Over the years, the BMO Ride for Cancer community has rallied together to face the fight against cancer, fundraising for incredible, life-changing causes at the QEII Health Sciences Centre. Today, some of those efforts are directly impacting women in Atlantic Canada, with four new state-ofthe-art colposcopes at the QEII’s Gynecoloscopy Clinic. Colposcopes are a minimallyinvasive medical tool used to help diagnose pre-cancer (dysplasia) and early cervical cancer. Various lenses allow doctors to get a close-up look at the cervix to screen for abnormal cells. The new colposcopes, costing more than $400,000, were fully funded by the BMO Ride for Cancer community. Before the clinic received these new colposcopes, the equipment was quite outdated. “The old equipment still used VHS for video display,” says Terra Thibault, health services manager for QEII’s Ambulatory Oncology Clinics. “When people walked into a room and were faced with such outdated technology, you could sometimes sense a little discomfort.” Instead of VHS, the new colposcopes are equipped with a high-definition live video display, allowing patients to see their examination, if they choose. This is also a key learning tool for medical students and residents. The new colposcopes also raise and lower automatically, have
on-off switches, and have much clearer optics. “When you’re having an intimate exam, you really want everything to flow smoothly,” says Dr. Katharina Kieser, division head for QEII Gynecologic Oncology. “Patients lose faith when they see a machine that isn’t fully functional. “This new equipment means that from the screen views to the accuracy of the biopsies, there’s a much more comfortable flow for everybody.” The QEII’s Gynecoloscopy Clinic provides care for women in Central Zone (Halifax area, Eastern Shore and West Hants) who have had abnormal pap smears and might be at risk of cervical cancer or dysplasia based on their pap smear history or physical exam. The clinic also treats women in all of Nova Scotia for pre-invasive lesions on the vulva and vagina. Dr. Kieser explains that the new colposcopes truly help improve the experience for the 200 or more patients who visit the clinic each week — in addition to other ongoing rejuvenation efforts. So far, the clinic has also received a fresh coat of paint and beautiful ceiling canopies that hang above each examination area for patients to look at while lying down. The canopies were created in association with NSCAD Masters of Fine Arts students.
The absolute basics of patient care is to make people live longer and better. – Dr. Katharina Kieser
Dr. Kieser hopes that these efforts will help make the experience of visiting the clinic more comfortable — encouraging more women to make and keep their appointments. Doing so could save their lives. “People will shy away from coming for such a personal exam if it’s a poor experience, and then, if they get a cervical cancer, they’ll often only have symptoms when their cancer is deadly,” Dr. Kieser explains. “This would be a curable cancer — or not even a cancer for the majority of patients — when they come for a colposcopy,” she says. “It’s vitally important for women to know and to broadcast that this is a good service to protect you against cancer.” Thanks to the fundraising efforts of the BMO Ride community, these four new colposcopes, along with the other improvements to the QEII Gynecoloscopy Clinic, will help
keep women out of the QEII cancer centre, stopping the disease in its tracks. “We have such gratitude that the QEII Foundation and BMO Ride for Cancer took this on as a fundraising priority,” says Terra. “The absolute basics of patient care is to make people live longer and better,” Dr. Kieser explains. “Revitalizing this clinic builds a foundation of trust so that we can provide the care for our patients to do just that.” Terra and Dr. Kieser are both looking forward to this year’s BMO Ride for Cancer, taking place on October 1, 2022. Terra will be joining the event as a volunteer along with her children to cheer on Riders, while Dr. Kieser, a returning Rider, will be cycling 75km on the road. Both Terra and Dr. Kieser say that the support from QEII Foundation donors and BMO Ride for Cancer fundraisers helps inspire the many QEII care teams who go above and beyond for patients. “Many of our healthcare staff are here out of passion and take time outside of work to support this calling,” says Terra. “As a community, we can help support and empower staff and patients by letting them know we believe in them, and by helping provide them with the right tools and technology. It’s just so important.”
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A QEII Foundation publication in association with The Chronicle Herald, QEII Times is designed to shine a light on the QEII Health Sciences Centre community.
YOUR QEII – SUMMER 2022
A word from the QEII Foundation Leading with heart to transform health care
Editors Caleb Freeman, Sarah Poko Communications, QEII Foundation Jenn Coleman-Ford Senior Graphic Designer Julia Webb
Photographers Jeff Cooke/Cooked Photography Douglas Struthers QEII Foundation Uncharted Creative Media © The Chronicle Herald 2022 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval systems or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written consent from the publisher. The Chronicle Herald 2717 Joseph Howe Drive PO Box 610 Halifax, N.S. B3J 2T2 902 426 2811 thechronicleherald.ca We want your feedback! Share your thoughts, comments and story ideas with us at: info@qe2foundation.ca 902 334 1546 or toll-free at 1 888 428 0220. QEII Foundation 5657 Spring Garden Road Park Lane Mall, Floor M3 Halifax, N.S. B3J 3R4 Charitable Business No: 88646 3496 RR0001
Jeff Cooke / Cooked Photography
Contributors Allison Lawlor Jane Doucet Joey Fitzpatrick Nicole Topple Sarah Marshall Susan Mullin
By Susan Mullin, president & CEO, QEII Foundation We lead with heart. We take integrity to the next level. And we embrace boldness. These are the values of the QEII Foundation. And they are so much bigger than just words on a page. They are the promise we make to donors. The commitment we hold to help patients. The
guideposts on how we make decisions. And the courage we need to think outside the box and push ourselves. As we kicked off a new threeyear strategic plan in late 2021, we committed to some bold ambitions that would support our vision to transform health and to transform lives. This included
our recent launch of We Are, our $100-million campaign to transform health care. To achieve this milestone — the largest healthcare fundraising campaign ever in our region — we know our values are key to success. We lead with heart. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Healthcare experiences can be scary and unnerving, and may even be true life or death situations. We keep patients and families, and their experiences, in our heart — our organizational heart — every day. And our donors have some of the biggest hearts around. They give to support the big things — like new operating room technology — and the small things, like bedside chairs to keep a loved one nearby in those vulnerable moments. From patient essentials to help fund special nutritional plans following surgery to the first surgical robot in Atlantic Canada, donors make it happen by leading with their hearts. We take seriously the trust that donors demonstrate when they ‘invest’ with us. We hold ourselves to an extremely high
level of accountability and transparency. Our integrity never wavers. We do what we say we will do. And our decisions are rooted in the trust we have built with the community. We know we can’t transform health and lives without bold thinking and ideas. And it usually all begins with someone asking, ‘what if....’. And for every innovative project that challenges the status quo, donors are right there with us, helping to make health care better. Together, we accomplish so much. The stories you read in QEII Times can all be linked back to our values. Full of heart, accountability, and just the right amount of fearless ambition. I share our values-driven approach with you as we continue to inspire unparalleled support for health care in Nova Scotia and beyond. I am extremely grateful to the community of donors who continue to support the QEII and for aligning with the values we hold so dear. There’s always room at the table for more. Join us.
Recognizing and remembering Paul and Judith’s journey with an exceptional QEII care team By Sarah Marshall In challenging moments, extra gestures make a difference. When QEII care teams go that extra mile for patients and their families when they are at their most vulnerable, that sense of comfort is often cherished and remembered. Judith Riddoch shares that when her late husband, Paul Riddoch, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer, the excellent care provided by the QEII’s Department of Urology
and particularly Dr. Greg Bailly, head of urology, was reassuring and played an enormous role in keeping Paul’s spirits up during what was a most difficult time. “Paul had such a great, engaging smile,” Judith remembers. “He had a terrific, wry sense of humour and an enormously positive outlook even when faced with a diagnosis of terminal cancer. These strengths got him, and me, through our darkest hours.” Judith and Paul first met at a meeting in Toronto while both
We felt so lucky to have been under the care of these two extraordinary surgeons. – Judith Riddoch
working for the same medical device company. Judith was living in Toronto, and Paul was based in Calgary. “Music was a common bond, and Paul gave me an education in worldbeat music over voicemail,” Judith shares. The couple lived in Calgary and spent summers in Lunenburg, Judith’s hometown, retiring there in 2015. “Paul really fell in love with Lunenburg and was in a bigger rush to retire here than I was,” she says. RECOGNIZING – Page 3
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Recognizing Continued from Page 2
In 2019, Paul began to feel unwell. “I remember that summer, he wasn’t feeling great,” says Judith. “He thought he had a UTI but his symptoms kept getting worse.” Paul ended up at the QEII’s Halifax Infirmary and after many tests, he was diagnosed with a large undifferentiated sarcoma in his pelvis, a rare type of cancer. In early September that year, Paul underwent a long, difficult surgery combining the expertise of the QEII’s Dr. Carmen Giacomantonio, general surgery, and Dr. Bailly. “We felt so lucky to have been under the care of these two extraordinary surgeons,” Judith shares. Paul’s postsurgical care journey was through the QEII’s Department of Urology. “Paul went through so much. At times it was just awful,” Judith shares. “But the quality of care that Paul received from the QEII’s Department of Urology was just one word: phenomenal. “Dr. Bailly was always available to help navigate Paul’s symptoms and to answer our panicked questions, so we didn’t have to be rushing in and out of emergency. There was exceptional continuity of care coupled with compassion — a remarkable combination.” Judith and Paul were so touched by the care that Paul received that, after his passing, Judith asked for memorial
donations in Paul’s obituary to support the QEII’s Department of Urology, in gratitude to the urology team and to Dr. Bailly. Dr. Bailly and the urology team recently celebrated the arrival of the QEII’s first surgical robot, that’s already changing the lives of people living with prostate, gynecological, kidney, and ear, nose and throat (ENT) cancers. The $8.1-million initiative was 100 per cent funded by QEII Foundation donors. The donations given in Paul’s memory will be used to advance care even further by helping to purchase extra equipment to enable the establishment of Atlantic Canada’s first-ever laser prostatectomy program. This surgery will provide an additional option for men with enlarged prostates, offering safer, more effective outcomes and shorter lengths of stays compared to some traditional surgical techniques. “Paul’s visits to the operating room were an opportunity for him to ask questions about the equipment we were using, reflecting on his own career,” says Dr. Bailly. “He was always eager to acknowledge how health care in Nova Scotia must embrace the changing times of technology and innovation. “Paul spent his career in the surgical device industry, working with many surgeons at various hospitals around the country, so the choice of connecting Paul and Judith to this particular project, where their donations would help establish a new program which supports surgical
After Paul Riddoch’s passing, at his request and inspired by the care he received, his wife Judith asked for memorial donations to support the QEII’s Department of Urology — both recognizing the team and helping future urology patients. Contributed
innovation through the QEII, is fitting,” shares Dr. Bailly. Judith hopes that this equipment will honour the QEII’s Department of Urology and help improve the lives of future urology patients from across the province. “As specialized care, the QEII’s Department of Urology is a service that helps people not just in the city but all across Nova Scotia,” says Judith. “The compassion and attention provided by the urology team and Dr. Bailly really made all the difference to us. We’re so glad we chose this care area to contribute to.” While Paul and Judith have expressed their gratitude for the support they felt
from their medical team throughout their journey, Dr. Bailly also acknowledges that he was directly impacted by Paul’s own approach to managing his diagnosis and treatment. “Paul’s diagnosis came as a sudden shock to their lives, an unfortunately alltoo-common scenario,” says Dr. Bailly. “But throughout his treatment, Paul focused on the ‘good in life’, the many wonderful experiences he had, and his love for his wife, Judith, and family.” To learn more about remembering a loved one with a gift in their memory, visit QE2Foundation.ca/Memory
Q&A with Michelle Morrison, Health Services Manager QEII Foundation Comfort & Care grants creating big impact in the QEII’s Coronary Care Unit By Nicole Topple What if your generosity could help reduce a family’s stress and anxiety in their hardest moments? What if your donation helped bring the comforts of home to the hospital? Every year, many generous donors do just that by ensuring $100,000 in QEII Foundation Comfort & Care grants can be awarded to healthcare teams — funding little items that make a big difference for patients and their families. One-hundred per cent donor-funded, these grants help purchase everything from stationary bikes for dialysis patients to starlight projectors that simulate the night sky around a hospital bed. Awarded every summer by the QEII Foundation, healthcare staff and physicians apply for these one-time grants to improve the patient experience. We recently spoke with Michelle Morrison, health services manager of the QEII’s Coronary Care Unit (CCU) and the Cardiology IMCU. Last year, the CCU team was one of 44 departments who received a QEII Foundation Comfort & Care grant. In this Q&A, Michelle highlights the impact they’ve witnessed firsthand through these donor-funded items.
Q:
What kind of patients does the QEII’s Coronary Care Unit (CCU) treat?
A:
Our CCU team cares for patients and their families on some of their toughest days. Each year, more than 1,700 patients from across Atlantic Canada arrive in our CCU, sometimes by air ambulance and, often, in critical condition following a heart attack or life-threatening heart event. They are sent to our CCU for assessment and evaluation. Often, CCU patients proceed to one of our Cardiac Cath Labs for a life-changing procedure, then return to the CCU for their initial care needs.
Q: What is the medical team
environment like in the CCU?
A: We have very experienced registered
nurses working in this critical care area and a complement of allied healthcare providers supporting this care. We rely heavily on this multidisciplinary team to help us provide care and navigate the continuum of care for our patients.
Q:
What items has the CCU received through QEII Foundation Comfort & Care grants?
Michelle Morrison, health services manager (far right), with members of the QEII’s Coronary Care Unit team, who are proud past recipients of several QEII Foundation Comfort & Care grants. These grants are 100 per cent donor-funded. QEII Foundation
A: Over the years, there have been
many items within the CCU that were made possible thanks to QEII Foundation Comfort & Care grants. This includes everything from blanket warmers to help comfort a patient after their heart procedure to sleeper chairs that easily convert to a cot, allowing a patient’s loved one to sleep next to their bedside. Last year, donors enabled the purchase of much-needed furniture for our CCU family room. This is a quiet, private space where families spend long hours and overnights, anxiously awaiting news while their loved one receives life-saving cardiac care. This family room space will be home to new comfortable chairs — increasing the amount of seating for families and allowing a patient’s loved ones to rest and stay close by, 24 hours a day. This is critical for both the family and the patient.
Q:
Have these donor-funded items made a difference for patients and their families?
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Items like comfortable furniture may seem small, but they really do have a big impact during difficult moments. To a family who needs a comfortable, private space that’s close to their loved one who may have just arrived by air ambulance — those family room items can make a significant difference in their comfort, experience and ability to navigate an incredibly stressful time. Any one of us can relate to that.
Q:
Why should donors support QEII Foundation Comfort & Care grants?
A:
From my perspective, these grants provide care teams with the resources to enhance patient and family comfort and fund items that otherwise wouldn’t be available to our teams. In our case, having a calm and comfortable environment in a critical care area certainly helps to relieve stress and anxiety for both the patient and their family. I know we’re one of many teams who see the impact of these donorfunded items each day. To learn more about QEII Foundation Comfort & Care grants or to donate today, visit QE2Foundation.ca/ComfortCare or call 902 334 1546.
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TH AN K YOU QEII COVID-19 HEALTH HEROES While COVID-19 and in particular, the omicron variant, continues to present its challenges this year, healthcare teams at the QEII and across the province continue to show extreme perseverance and grit. Never backing down or giving up, and pushing through many pandemic-induced pressures. The faces on these pages represent a small number of the thousands of healthcare professionals who continue to show up, scrub up and step up for Nova Scotians. We are forever grateful.
Since the start of the pandemic, the microbiology team at the QEII has faced heavy workloads, long hours and immense pressure to get COVID polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test results out rapidly. Through it all, they have remained professional, upbeat and committed to providing Nova Scotians with their best, day in and day out.
NS HEALTH MICROBIOLOGY LAB QEII HEALTH SCIENCES CENTRE
Housekeeping/Environmental Services team members at the front line assigned to COVID units saw an increase in workload demands, heightened involvement and inclusion within a team environment and were recognized for their essential role in educating and reassuring staff, patients, visitors and families that environments were being kept clean, safe and comfortable for everyone.
HOUSEKEEPING/ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES QEII HEALTH SCIENCES CENTRE
“ MELANIE CARRIGAN, RN QEII INTERVENTIONAL RADIOLOGY
QEII porters like Troy James (left), Amadou Jallow (centre) and Leland Deck (right), keep the blood pumping through the QEII’s veins — not even a pandemic could slow them down. QEII porters take blood samples to the lab for testing, deliver organs for transplants and transfer medical specimens. But the most important work they do is helping patients get from one spot to the next, either walking alongside them for stability and guidance, or pushing their bed to the right place for care.
Interventional radiology (IR) nurse Melanie Carrigan is part of the QEII’s worldclass IR team, who have continued to deliver extraordinary urgent care during COVID-19. When the pandemic first hit, we introduced new protocols for almost every aspect of our job. Our IR task force ensured we always had all the information and tools needed to deliver the best care possible to our patients. - Melanie Carrigan
TROY JAMES, AMADOU JALLOW, LELAND DECK QEII PORTER SERVICES
With $1.2 million from the QEII COVID-19 Response Fund, additional technologists, sonographers and appointment booking staff were hired to extend the hours of operation of CT-scan, ultrasound and MRI services to clear the backlog caused by COVID-19.
“ HASSAN JANKARI
QEII NUCLEAR MEDICINE TECHNOLOGIST
QE2FOUNDATION.CA
The COVID-19 Recovery strategy and supporting funding from the QEII Foundation is helping us deal with a major issue. Timing access to diagnostic imaging is critical for providing the best care to patients. Early diagnoses can save lives. - Hassan Jankari
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Resilience, passion and empathy. The QEII’s 5.2 critical care team exemplifies what it means to be a nurse and a critical care staff member, delivering cutting-edge clinical practice coupled with expert-level clinical knowledge. Together they stand strong and together they can accomplish anything.
5.2 MEDICAL/SURGERY/NEURO ICU HALIFAX INFIRMARY SITE, QEII HEALTH SCIENCES CENTRE
While restaurants across our province were asked to close their doors and later re-open for takeout only, there was no pause in service for the Nutrition and Food Services teams at the QEII. They continued to show up each day to serve, nourish and fuel patients and healthcare teams.
RETAIL TEAM, SCOTIA ROOM CAFETERIA NUTRITION AND FOOD SERVICES, VG SITE, QEII
Clinical nutrition teams across the QEII have demonstrated flexibility, adaptability and resiliency throughout the pandemic. Dietitians play an integral role in COVID care by assessing patients’ nutrition and hydration needs and implementing individualized nutrition support where required, while taking innovative approaches to complete dysphagia assessments for COVID patients with swallowing difficulties.
HALIFAX INFIRMARY INPATIENT DIETITIANS QEII HEALTH SCIENCES CENTRE
BILL BU, SAWYER BURKE, MIRIAH KEARNEY QEII FOUNDATION DONORS, QEII COVID-19 RESPONSE FUND
Cancer doesn’t stop for a pandemic — and neither does the QEII’s radiation therapy team. Patients typically require a few weeks of daily radiation, a crucial treatment that delivers high doses of radiation (energy) to destroy or damage cancer cells. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, QEII radiation therapists continued to step up for cancer patients.
“
When COVID-19 first struck Nova Scotia in March 2020, QEII Foundation donors, including individuals, organizations and associations — like Bill Bu and the Hong Kong-Canada Business Association; Sawyer Burke; and Miriah Kearney with My HOME Apparel — funded items to ensure in-hospital safety, timely COVID-19 testing, and items to allow patients to recover safely at home. Kids can donate too, and I wanted to inspire others to do it. I wanted to start a flow of people to donate so the hospital can buy new things that will save lives. - Sawyer Burke
RADIATION THERAPY QEII CANCER CENTRE
Dr. Ratika Parkash, director of research and heart rhythm in the division of cardiology at the QEII, was one of several researchers in the province to receive funding from the Nova Scotia COVID-19 Health Research Coalition. With $73,750 in funding, Dr. Parkash and her team have been investigating how Nova Scotia’s pandemic response has affected morbidity and mortality in patients with known or new onset cardiovascular or neurovascular disease. The data found from this study affected the COVID response for cardiac care in the province.
DR. RATIKA PARKASH
QEII CARDIOLOGIST & RESEARCHER
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QEII family room renovated in honour of Barho family Muslim community raises more than $8,000 to transform the space By Sarah Marshall Thanks to the efforts of a group of local mothers, hospital staff, and many community members, a family room at the QEII Health Sciences Centre has received a much-needed renovation — all in honour of the Barho family. When Kawthar and Ebraheim Barho lost their seven children in a fire in February 2019, the tragedy gripped the surrounding community. Lubna Channaa, from Hammonds Plains, recalls hearing of the tragic event. “When I first heard the news, as a mother myself, I felt so much for these parents. I wanted to help them, even though I didn’t know them personally.” Lubna and two other women from the Muslim community, in collaboration with the Ummah Masjid and Community Center, were inspired to start the fundraising group Barho Friends to honour the Barho family and to acknowledge the work the QEII had done in treating Ebraheim Barho. After consulting with the QEII, it was decided that the group would raise funds to renovate a family room in the hospital’s intermediate care unit (IMCU). “As Muslim Canadians, we ran this campaign as a gesture of appreciation to the overall community, and the QEII, for its outpouring of support to the Barho family and our community,” says Lubna. “We also hope that this will help future families in need.” Lubna felt that before the renovation, the family room left a lot to be desired. “It felt more like an office space than a family room,” says Lubna. “It’s not a space you want to spend time in when you’re in the mental state of being with a loved one receiving treatment in the hospital.” “Unfortunately, it reminded me of the room which we all spent too much time in while helping Kawthar Barho through her difficult time,” adds Dr. Ahmad Hussein, chair of the Ummah Masjid and Community Center board. “It was
outdated with overused furniture and felt like it had no warmth or love in it.” While hospital staff mapped out plans for the renovation, Barho Friends joined forces with the QEII Foundation and the local community to raise funds to make the renovation come to life. Fundraising efforts began before the COVID-19 pandemic, with the group hosting in-person events such as lemonade stands, a paint night, and a henna tattoo booth at the Halifax Shopping Centre. They also approached local businesses to raise funds and sold winter clothing. Barho Friends received overwhelming support from Ummah Masjid and Community Center and other local mosques. “Barho Friends had the full support of our community,” says Dr. Hussein. “We are proud of Lubna and how she rose as a leader during a difficult time.” “They’ve really gone all out to support the fundraising,” Lubna shares. “That stretched to the whole community. Everyone at our events really responded so strongly. People were so touched by the story.” In total, Barho Friends and the community raised more than $8,000 for the IMCU family room renovation. “The fact that we reached our goal to renovate this room in honour of the Barho family, thanks to the community, is incredible,” says Emily Briand, health services manager for the IMCU. “I think everyone was touched in one way or another by the tragedy and that will not soon be forgotten about, and this is a great way to honour the family.” Due to slow-downs caused by COVID19, renovation plans were temporarily delayed. After careful planning and background work, the new space is now complete as of March 2022. The new room is a welcome contrast to the prior dull, cluttered environment.
The QEII IMCU family room renovation has revitalized the space. The renovation fundraiser led by Barho Friends, a group of local mothers, received overwhelming support from the surrounding Muslim community and beyond. Contributed
A bright, airy colour scheme brings the space to life. Expertly planned features make the environment truly feel like home. As an honour to the Barho family, Barho Friends, and the surrounding community, there’s also a plaque dedicated to the Muslim community who helped drive the fundraiser. A beautiful art mural by Karim Jabbari, a world-renowned calligraphy and light artist, has also been ordered for the space. “The changes are as we hoped they would be. The room is now brighter, spacious and well-designed,” says Dr. Hussein. Some new features that will benefit families are comfortable furniture, countertops and a microwave for meal prepping, a new television and a new pull-out cot. Emily explains that having this version of “a nice hotel room in a hospital” will help families feel calmer during stressful and uncertain times with their loved ones in the IMCU. “Just knowing that there’s a place to go that's safe and quiet and they can gather their thoughts, collect their emotions and be able to remove themselves from the
busyness of the unit is going to be huge.” Emily explains that QEII hospital staff are also excited about the new IMCU family room and grateful for an area where they can bring families who are facing stressful situations or difficult news. The family room is now open on a limited basis, with a small number of families able to access the rooms due to pandemic protocols and a few pending finishing touches. The area is expected to open at full capacity in the next few weeks. Barho Friends, Ummah Masjid and Community Center, hospital staff and the QEII Foundation are deeply grateful for the outpouring of love and support from our community for this family room renovation. “We have so much gratitude and appreciation for everyone who came together to make this renovation come to life,” Lubna expresses. “Nova Scotians, like all Canadians, share this beautiful trait of giving back and rallying together to do good in the face of adversity, no matter their background,” says Dr. Hussein. “I am very proud to call this place home.”
We Are Legends 86-year-old pilot supports tomorrow’s health care with an inspiring commitment By Nicole Topple For those who know LieutenantCommander Sherry Richardson, the term ‘legend’ is no exaggeration. She obtained her recreational pilot’s license at the age of 74 and Private Pilot License (PPL) at age 78, shortly after retiring from her 45-year military career which spanned the Navy, Army and Intelligence. Her years of service are a point of pride, marked by an eventful tenure that included working on naval aircraft as an air electronics technician, serving on a research vessel that sailed through the Arctic, completing a three-year Russian course during her time with military intelligence, and even meeting Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh. “When I first joined the Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service in 1954, there were limited opportunities for women,” says Sherry. “I really hated being told I couldn’t do something because I was a girl or it wasn’t ladylike, so I didn’t let it stop me.” Sherry’s applied that same unapologetic approach to every aspect of her life — doing what she loves on her own terms. At 86-years-young, on clear days, you’ll find Sherry cruising with the top down in her red Mazda Miata convertible or
2,000 ft in the air piloting a solo flight to the Cape Breton Highlands or Summerside, PEI. “Nothing beats flying, I can’t get enough,” says Sherry. “I got that pilot’s license and I never looked back.” She also doesn’t slow down. When the warm weather hits, Sherry kicks off her season working as a forest fire spotter for the province. While she’s not in the pilot’s seat for these flights, she jokes that she’s “still in the air” and that’s all that matters. “It’s definitely rewarding,” says Sherry. “You feel like you can make a difference.” She’s no stranger to that notion. In addition to her vast volunteer experience and work with countless veterans’ organizations, Sherry has been a QEII Foundation donor for more than 23 years. A lung cancer survivor, Sherry was inspired by her QEII thoracic surgeon, Dr. Harry Henteleff, who performed her life-changing surgery in 1999. She’s been cancer-free and a QEII Foundation donor ever since, supporting many care areas across the QEII Health Sciences Centre. Over the years, Sherry has helped fund everything from best-in-class technology to better detect and diagnose cancer through to medical equipment
that helps teams care for residents at the QEII’s Camp Hill Veterans’ Memorial Building. “My late husband was in Camp Hill for three-and-a-half years before he died,” says Sherry. “They do great work, so I was happy to support them.” Sherry’s longtime commitment to health care doesn’t stop there. She recently joined a special group of donors, QEII Legends, who’ve arranged a charitable gift in their will to the QEII Foundation. A gift in your will — even as little as one per cent — helps to ensure the best, most innovative care is available for future generations. For Geoff Graham, a charitable giving advisor with the QEII Foundation, it’s an incredible privilege to work with inspiring individuals — like Sherry — on how their future commitment will advance care. “A gift in your will cements your mark in the future and impacts a cause that is deeply meaningful to you,” says Geoff. “That’s a responsibility we don’t take lightly.” He adds that as the QEII Foundation embarks on their $100-million We Are campaign to transform health care in our region, QEII Legends will play an integral role in reimagining care for decades to come. Geoff says that whether you or a loved one have been touched
Lieutenant-Commander Sherry Richardson (retired) aboard the HMCS Sackville, where she served as Commanding Officer. A QEII Foundation donor for more than 23 years, Sherry recently decided to arrange a gift in her will — joining a community of other QEII Legends. Douglas Struthers
by the QEII directly or you simply wish to impact health care for those that follow, every gift in a will makes a difference. “Anyone can become a QEII Legend,” says Geoff. According to Sherry, the decision to leave the QEII Foundation in her will was a simple but important one. “We all need health care and it’s critical to give back,” she says. “A gift in my will just made sense.” The St. Margaret’s Bay resident
laughs and quickly adds, “but it’s a gift you won’t be receiving any time soon.” At 86, she’s as active as ever — spending her days in the pilot’s seat, spotting fires, giving back and socializing any chance she gets. She also isn’t shy to admit that if it’s a sunny day, you won’t catch her at home or making plans with anyone on the ground. “If it’s a good day for flying, that’s where you’ll find me,” says Sherry. A legend indeed.
BECOME A QEII LEGEND When you think of legends, your mind may jump to legendary athletes — the big names and history makers — who redefined the sports they played and influenced the world. But what if your generosity inspired legendary changes? What if your legacy was changing health care for those who follow? When you commit to make a gift in your will to the QEII Foundation, you join a very special group of individuals — your fellow QEII legends — who share your vision for better health care. To join us or learn more about how your generosity can inspire legendary changes in medicine, visit QE2Foundation.ca/wills or call 902 334 1546.
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Atlantic Canada’s first hybrid operating room is named in honour of Stewart E. Allen, in recognition of his $1-million gift to the QEII Foundation and its We Are campaign. QEII Foundation
Unveiling the Stewart E. Allen Hybrid OR $1-million donation ignites Atlantic Canada’s first hybrid operating room By Nicole Topple Located on the fifth floor of the QEII’s Halifax Infirmary, one of the region’s most technologically advanced operating suites stands on guard for patients. The new Stewart E. Allen Hybrid OR is Atlantic Canada’s first hybrid operating room (OR) and thanks to QEII Foundation donors, it will have a transformational impact on patient care. Government supported all construction and infrastructure costs to establish the QEII’s newest surgical suite. But it was the generosity of more than 200 QEII Foundation donors who funded $4 million worth of best-in-class technology inside of it. This includes a $1-million donation by Stewart Allen, for whom the space is named. Forty per cent larger than the QEII’s other ORs, the Stewart E. Allen Hybrid OR combines the features of a standard OR, a cardiac catheterization lab and an imaging suite. The end result means surgical teams can perform diagnostic imaging, minimally invasive procedures, complex open surgeries, or a combination of all three — all in the same room, at the same time. It’s a game-changer for our region, especially when treating trauma patients — like car accident victims — or if an emergency situation arises in the OR. By eliminating the physical divide between the operating room and essential diagnostic
imaging, patients will no longer need to be transferred to different floors or care areas for their imaging needs. “In this leading-edge space, many teams and specialties can now converge and provide the care the patient needs in one setting — the Stewart E. Allen Hybrid OR — rather than have the patient move from room to room to be treated by different specialists,” says Dr. Patrick Casey, vascular surgeon at the QEII. “This real-time imaging saves critical time and has an incredible impact on patient care.” It’s fitting that Atlantic Canada’s first hybrid OR is named in honour of Stewart Allen. The self-made business leader and visionary philanthropist began his early career in Truro, N.S., starting as a helper on a beverage delivery truck. Ten years later, he was the vice-president of sales and moved on to lead many companies that have fueled economic development in Atlantic Canada and around the globe. While Stewart now lives in Toronto, the East Coast and medicine have long held a special place in his heart. Each year, Stewart funds the medical education of a student through the Stewart E. Allen Bursary in Medicine at Dalhousie University. Real-time imaging in the OR unlocks many benefits, including the ability to perform more minimally invasive
procedures, smaller incisions, less stress on the heart, shorter recovery times for patients, and more. However, one benefit that resonated most with Stewart was the role the Stewart E. Allen Hybrid OR could play in recruiting and retaining the best and brightest surgeons — which could one day include some of the same students he’s supported. “There’s no question that this hybrid OR will help us attract and train the very best clinicians,” says Dr. Christine Herman, QEII cardiac and vascular surgeon. “When hospitals are equipped with the most advanced technology available, talented healthcare teams and residents gravitate to that.” Generous donors, like Stewart, make the purchase of that technology possible — the best equipment the market has to offer that healthcare teams otherwise wouldn’t have access to. It’s a prime example of the QEII Foundation’s $100-million We Are campaign at work and the role philanthropy can play in elevating health care to new heights. “Thanks to generous donors, our patients will now have access to this lifesaving technology and innovation,” says Dr. Herman. “Rapid access to care can mean the matter of life or death — and that’s priceless.”
It’s a sentiment echoed by Susan Mullin, president and CEO of the QEII Foundation. “It’s been an incredibly challenging few years for our healthcare teams, but moments like these remind us of the real, tangible impact we can have on the lives of others,” says Susan. “We thank Stewart for his visionary $1-million investment and the many other donors who have made this milestone possible for all Nova Scotians.” The Stewart E. Allen Hybrid OR is slated to treat its first patients later this year, with procedures spanning cardiac, vascular and orthopaedic care to name a few. For Stewart and his daughters, Jacki and Jessi, it’s exciting to see the state-of-theart surgical suite come to life. “Our family is thrilled to celebrate the opening of the new Stewart E. Allen Hybrid OR,” says Stewart. “This lifesaving space will help ensure patients have more time with their families, which is why we’re incredibly proud to support this initiative through the QEII Foundation.” To view a virtual tour of the QEII’s Stewart E. Allen Hybrid OR, visit QE2Foundation.ca/ HybridOR or scan here.
A life’s work Renowned QEII geriatrician receives Ryman Prize By Joey Fitzpatrick
In December, Dr. Kenneth Rockwood, QEII geriatrician, was awarded the 2021 Ryman Prize, recognizing his more than 30 years of research, collaboration, and practical clinical work with older adults. Presented to Dr. Rockwood in a virtual ceremony by New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, the Ryman Prize is for the world’s best discovery, development, advancement or achievement that enhances the quality of life for older people. QEII Foundation
Healthy aging has not always been a fashionable discipline in academic circles, but advancements over the past several decades have demonstrated the lifechanging significance of this study. “There have always been various antiaging schemes — buy our serum to stay young and that sort of nonsense,” says QEII Health Sciences Centre geriatrician Dr. Kenneth Rockwood. “It has become much more scientific over the years.” Dr. Rockwood’s research has contributed in no small measure to this increased medical understanding of the aging process. In December, Dr. Rockwood was awarded the 2021 Ryman Prize, recognizing his more than 30 years of research, collaboration and practical clinical work with older adults.
Awarded each year by the Ryman Foundation, the Ryman Prize is for the world’s best discovery, development, advancement, or achievement that enhances the quality of life for older people. The award, which comes with $250,000, was presented to Dr. Rockwood in a virtual ceremony by New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. It was a long and unlikely road that led Dr. Rockwood to this point. He had never heard of geriatric medicine when he moved to Saskatchewan in the 1970s with a master’s in public administration. His work in that province’s healthcare system sparked an interest in frailty and dementia, which led him to enroll in medical school. A LIFE'S WORK – Page 8
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A life’s work Continued from Page 7
Before the 1980s, the only definitive way to diagnose Alzheimer’s Disease was through autopsy — putting brain cells under the microscope. But researchers were beginning to conduct clinical studies on living people exhibiting dementia, and the findings did not always correlate with the posthumous results. “There was a mismatch between what the pathology showed and what the clinical picture showed,” Dr. Rockwood recalls. He was still pondering this discrepancy when he came to Dalhousie in 1991. He took part in the Canadian Study on Health and Aging, which followed more than 10,000 elderly Canadians between 1991 and 2001, collecting a wide range of information on their changing health status, as well as intellectual, emotional and cognitive functioning. “We now understand that there are a few core features that happen with any aging biological system,” Dr. Rockwood says. For example, proteins can fail to retain their shape and misfold, which affects their function. The tail end of chromosomes, called telomeres, shorten as people age and can no longer replicate. Nutrient sensing becomes less effective. “So, the cause of malnutrition is not that you don’t take in enough — it’s that you don’t absorb it properly,” says Dr. Rockwood. In 2010, Dr. Rockwood received funding for a study that asked if frailty and dementia were connected. The study sought to uncover if that connection might be the cause of the mismatch between the neuropathology and the clinical diagnosis. “It was very satisfying to see the two strands — frailty and dementia — coming together,” he says. “It proved to be a very fruitful line of inquiry. It turns out that frailty is an important contributor to dementia in a specific way. It was this body of work that came to the attention of the Ryman Foundation.” Dr. Rockwood’s research incorporated data from a range of sources, including geriatricians, dieticians, neurologists and
psychiatrists, and it led to the creation of the clinical frailty scale, which is now used in hospitals and long-term care centres around the world. The scale was developed in conjunction with mathematician Arnold Mitnitski, who passed away in 2021. Their system gives symptoms of frailty a numerical ranking, with a lower number being less severe.
Frailty is an important contributor to dementia in a specific way. — Dr. Kenneth Rockwood
“The clinical frailty scale is very pragmatic,” Dr. Rockwood says. “It shows the typical way that aging manifests itself.” The Ryman Prize also recognizes Dr. Rockwood’s contribution to combating ageism in health care by helping to debunk misconceptions that cognitive issues and frailty are a normal part of aging with limited treatment options. The Ryman Prize attracts a worldclass field of entrants each year, with the winner chosen by an international jury of experts from across many disciplines. One of Dr. Rockwood’s mentors in his early years was the pioneering geriatrician and gerontologist Dr. John Brocklehurst. He quotes Dr. Brocklehurst on the art of aging gracefully. “Do it with a deep well of equanimity,” Dr. Rockwood says. “You have to give it your best shot but understand that you cannot do things as well as you did them years ago. You have to resist it and accept it at the same time.”
Volunteers Needed! We are actively recruiting volunteers to help out with our radio station, NWBC. If you love music and are interested in entertaining our aging community, we want to hear from you! This is a great opportunity for students looking for some experience or somebody who is retired and looking for a way to stay active.
playing
the
music y
ou
want to hear
For more information, please contact Ruth-Ellen Jackson ruthellen.jackson@nwood.ns.ca
NWBC
Broadcasting Club
In 2020, Dr. Robin Urquhart was appointed the Canadian Cancer Society Nova Scotia Division Endowed Chair in Population Cancer Research, funded by the QEII Foundation. Dr. Urquhart’s primary focus is improving cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment, as well as helping cancer survivors manage their needs post-treatment. Contributed
Improving cancer research in Nova Scotia Endowed Chair in Population Cancer Research continues focus on cancer By Jane Doucet Every year, more than 13,400 Atlantic Canadians are diagnosed with cancer — with Nova Scotia experiencing some of the highest cancer incidence and mortality rates in Canada. With that in mind, the QEII Health Sciences Centre and Dalhousie Faculty of Medicine have identified cancer research as a major target in their strategic plans. In 2020, Dr. Robin Urquhart, a QEII affiliate scientist and associate professor in the Dalhousie Faculty of Medicine’s Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, was appointed the Canadian Cancer Society Nova Scotia Division Endowed Chair in Population Cancer Research, funded by the QEII Foundation. The position comes with a five-year renewable term. While continuing the work of the previous chairholder, Dr. Urquhart is also expanding the scope of her previous research. Her work includes everything from access to care for those in underserved, underrepresented communities to lifestyle and environmental risk factors. “I’m always asking myself, ‘How do I make sure my research is really focused on what’s important to patients and their families?’” says Dr. Urquhart. “I want my research to be relevant.” Dr. Urquhart’s quest to conduct relevant cancer research took root in her youth. When she was 11, her father died of pancreatic cancer at age 38. To receive treatment, he had to drive seven hours from their home in rural Newfoundland to the hospital in St. John’s. Three and a half years later, her mother died of the same kind of cancer at age 35. Those formative events propelled her to earn a PhD in implementation science, which is the study of how evidence-based practices become routinely used in health care. Since graduating from Dalhousie, she has devoted her career to studying the entire cancer continuum, from primary prevention to survivorship and end-of-life care. In 2021, Dr. Urquhart was named the scientific director of the Atlantic Partnership for Tomorrow’s Health Study (PATH), which is part of CanPath, Canada’s largest population health study and a national platform for health research. “We need to make sure researchers across the region are aware of the data and biosamples held by Atlantic PATH and are utilizing this resource,” says Dr. Urquhart. “If we can link all of our lifestyle, genomics and environmental data with the broader health datasets available in our region, it would give Atlantic Canadian researchers a scientific platform that is unprecedented in Canada.” The goal of genetics-based research is
to improve diagnoses and develop more personalized treatments with fewer side effects that offer a longer-life prognosis with good quality of life. Since taking on the Chair position, Dr. Urquhart has also turned her attention to environmental links to incidences of cancer. As a teenager, she was aware that the community where her family lived housed a power plant that had been built in the 1970s and was likely leaking toxic chemicals. She is now working on research with others to examine the high pockets of lung cancer in Nova Scotia where there are also high levels of radon, a naturally occurring gas produced by the decay of uranium found in most rocks and soils in the province. “We can study certain people with multiple risk factors, such as whether they’re smokers and they have been exposed to radon,” says Dr. Urquhart. “Then the big push is to put lung-cancer screening programs in place for those high-risk populations in our context.” Dr. Urquhart’s primary focus is improving cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment. She is also dedicated to helping cancer survivors manage their needs post-treatment. “Patients struggle figuring out how to cope and manage after they’re declared cancer-free,” she says. “They have many ongoing side effects from treatment that leave them with anxiety and they may not have contact with their healthcare providers until their next checkup.” In addition to anxiety, cancer survivors can deal with chronic pain, nerve problems, concentration and memory problems, and sexual function and intimacy issues. For the most part, these are invisible to other people. They go back to work and a socalled “normal” life, and everyone thinks they are all better. “No one sees the problems with vaginal dryness or erectile dysfunction,” says Dr. Urquhart. “A big part of my work is to do better in personalizing follow-up care. It doesn’t have to be with an oncologist; it can be with another specialist, such as a nurse practitioner or a gynecologist.” The Canadian Cancer Society Nova Scotia Division Endowed Chair in Population Cancer Research position gives Dr. Urquhart the leverage to be able to do such valuable research. “We have such a high burden of cancer in Nova Scotia, but we have excellent cancer researchers and opportunities to build our cancer-research landscape and connect it to practice. Data saves lives — we need research if we’re going to tackle these challenges.”
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Dr. David MacDonald (left), anesthesiologist; Dr. Lana Šačiragić (centre), gynecologic oncologist; and Navanna Pelletier (right), clinical nurse educator, were part of the team that received a $60,000 QEII Foundation Translating Research Into Care (TRIC) grant. With the grant, the team are able to provide ERAS® care — an enhanced recovery program — for the 400 to 500 women from Nova Scotia and P.E.I. who need gynecologic oncology surgery each year. Contributed
Translating research into care QEII Foundation TRIC grant leads to implementation of successful post-op program By Allison Lawlor Marjory Masson did not spend her 63rd birthday in hospital. Thanks to a program designed to enhance patient recovery after surgery, she was able to return home to celebrate her special day just three days after undergoing a major operation to remove a growth on her left ovary. “I was walking up and down the hall in the hospital before I went home,” says Marjory, a retiree living in Halifax. “I was surprised that I felt as good as I did.” Marjory credits the gynecologic oncology team at the QEII Health Sciences Centre not only for her speedy recovery but also for educating her at every step of the way, from diagnosis to the weeks leading up to surgery. She knew what to do and what to expect because her gynecologic oncologist gave her a booklet that outlined everything. The booklet, or passport, that Marjory received is an essential part of the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS®) program, which provides a set of standardized guidelines for both patients and healthcare providers to follow before, during, and after surgery. The ERAS® program is used in healthcare centres worldwide and has helped patients recover better and faster through post-operative care. It results in
less time in hospital, fewer complications and more savings to the healthcare system, says Dr. Lana Šačiragić, a gynecologic oncologist at the QEII. “We’re all working together,” says Dr. Šačiragić. “Getting people to understand the important role they can play in their own recovery is empowering.” Dr. Šačiragić and the QEII’s gynecologic oncology team received a $60,000 QEII Foundation Translating Research Into Care (TRIC) grant for their study, GO TIME! Transforming Care and Improving Quality in Gynecologic Oncology (GO) with Implementation of an Enhanced Recovery Program. With the grant, the team can provide ERAS® care for the 400 to 500 women from Nova Scotia and P.E.I. who need gynecologic oncology surgery each year. “Everybody who is having major surgery in gynecologic oncology is part of the program,” says Dr. Šačiragić. In June 2021, the first patient enrolled in the QEII study, which will continue until 2023. The QEII’s gynecologic oncology team will collect data from the study to continue improving care. Dr. Šačiragić is confident that the care will continue after the study ends because it has proven to enhance patient care worldwide, and has
Getting people to understand the important role they can play in their own recovery is empowering. — Dr. Lana Šačiragić
become integrated into clinical practice. Navanna Pelletier, a clinical nurse educator at the QEII, agrees. “We are getting the patients to recover quicker and get home to their families faster,” she says. One of the post-op guidelines that ERAS® provides is that patients move soon after leaving the operating room. “The goal is for the patient to walk a total of 2 hours, standing at the bedside, sitting up in the chair and walking to the doorway and back on the same day following their surgery. That activity goal increases with each day,” says Navanna. “In the past, it might have been a day or two of lying in bed.” Twenty years ago, a surgery patient would have been bedridden for days,
had a catheter and IV, and told not to eat. Recent research has shown that this is not best for the body. “Now we remove their catheter as soon as possible,” says Dr. Šačiragić. “ERAS® promotes physiological recovery as soon as possible. It is standardizing care and making sure that everyone is on the same page. That is what makes the difference.” ERAS® guidelines also encourage patients to eat immediately after surgery. Gynecologic oncology is the first surgical program in Nova Scotia to comprehensively implement and study the ERAS® program. The team has gained support from surgeons, nurses, anesthesiologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and nutritionists, says Dr. Šačiragić. She is hopeful other surgical programs will follow their lead. “There are a lot of benefits to be gained,” she says. “Getting someone out of the hospital earlier and leaving feeling better with less risk of coming back is a huge gain for the healthcare system.” QEII Foundation TRIC grants are donor-funded and help provide the resources needed to turn science and theory-based ideas into innovative clinical practice. The goal is always to improve patient care and reduce wait times.
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Dr. Cynthia Calkin (right), QEII psychiatrist, led the world-leading research connecting treatment-resistant bipolar depression and insulin resistance. Working with colleague Dr. Thomas Ransom (left), QEII endocrinologist, Dr. Calkin’s published research shows patients had significant improvement in depression, anxiety, and overall functioning when treated with metformin, a drug used for decades to treat type 2 diabetes. (Photo taken prior to COVID-19 pandemic) QEII Foundation
Lifesaving links New study discovers correlation between insulin resistance and treatment-resistant bipolar depression By Joey Fitzpatrick Kellie Williams remembers being called “moody” when she was a teenager. It was not until she reached her mid-20s that she began to experience the true agony of bipolar disorder, with bouts of devastating depression and periods of euphoria. “I would go on spending sprees and make irrational decisions,” Kellie recalls. “Then when I crashed, I would become
extremely depressed and suicidal. It was a very hard time, not knowing from one day to the next how I was going to feel.” Nine years ago, Kellie was officially diagnosed with bipolar disorder. She was prescribed lamotrigine, and, for a long time, the results seemed promising. “Within a few short months, everything levelled out,” she says. “I wasn’t suffering
QE2Foundation.ca/comfortcare
depression or mood swings. It was nice, and it lasted for almost six years.” Then her symptoms returned. It was gradual at first, but she eventually found herself back in the same cycle. “The depression became severe, and I knew I had to do something fast,” says Kellie. It was while waiting in a lobby for a mental health assessment that Kellie noticed a poster on a bulletin board. Somebody was looking for volunteers to take part in a study on metabolism and treatment-resistant bipolar depression. “I called the number right then and there,” she says. Dr. Cynthia Calkin was spearheading this research. Having practiced family medicine for 10 years before entering the field of psychiatry, Dr. Calkin had unique insight into the mind-body connection in treatment-resistant bipolar depression when she began working in the Mood Disorders Program at the QEII Health Sciences Centre. “I was seeing patients who were extremely ill and wondering why nobody seemed to be able to make these patients better,” Dr. Calkin says. She noticed higher than normal rates of obesity in her patient population, along with associated metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Insulin resistance is easily overlooked, Dr. Calkin points out, because it is not typically tested for. When she began testing, she found that more than half of her patients were insulin resistant. Studying the case histories of a small number of patients showed that worsening bipolar depression did indeed follow patients becoming insulin resistant. Considering that insulin resistance appeared to have a big impact on outcomes in bipolar disorder, in 2013 Dr. Calkin founded the Mood and Metabolism Program at the QEII, along with endocrinologist Dr Thomas Ransom. Beginning in 2016, Dr. Calkin undertook a quadruple-masked, placebo-controlled trial with the drug, metformin, which is used to treat type-2 diabetes. “We were looking at whether reversing insulin resistance improves outcome,” she recalls. “The patients, on average, had been sick for more than 25 years, with serious impairment in social and occupational functioning. More psychotropic medication was simply not the answer because it was just not working.” As an endocrinologist, Dr. Thomas Ransom is well versed in the efficacy of metformin, a drug that has been around for more than 75 years. “It’s a very safe and effective drug, and it has applications beyond treating diabetes,” he points out.
As Dr. Calkin’s colleague at the Mood and Metabolism Program, Dr. Ransom describes his role in the study as a “safety monitor.” He notes that the wider psychiatric community was hesitant, as metformin is not a drug in most psychiatrists’ scope of practice. “The idea of treating insulin resistance to affect mood is quite new to psychiatry. It can almost seem far-fetched, so that hesitancy was certainly legitimate.” The resulting study, Treating Insulin Resistance to Improve Outcome in Bipolar Disorder (TRIO-BD), represents an important milestone in the emerging field of metabolic psychiatry. By week six, patients treated with metformin showed significant improvement in depression, anxiety, and overall functioning. They also maintained that improvement throughout the entire 26-week study.
I was seeing patients who were extremely ill and wondering why nobody seemed to be able to make these patients better. – Dr. Cynthia Calkin
Further research by Dr. Calkin’s team, in collaboration with Dr. Alon Friedman, has provided valuable insights into the bloodbrain barrier. Patients with treatmentresistant bipolar disorder have extensive leakage of this barrier, but only in those who are also insulin resistant. “We know that diabetes causes things to leak – the filter in the kidneys and in the back of the retina — and the damage that this can cause,” Dr. Ransom explains. “The concept of leakage in the blood-brain barrier opens up a whole new area that merits further investigation.” Being able to apply the results of her research at the Mood and Metabolism Program, and to see an improvement in the lives of her patients, is extremely gratifying, Dr. Calkin says. “Patients were saying the quality of their remission was different — that this was the best they had felt since before they developed bipolar disorder,” she says. Kellie says being treated with metformin has been life-altering. “I was feeling much better, even though we were in the middle of a pandemic. My focus was back, and my work had improved,” recalls Kellie. “I can’t stress enough how much things have changed for the better. I really believe this saved my life.” If you have bipolar disorder and are interested in this research or would like to be tested for insulin resistance, contact Claire at 902 943 4753.
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Heather Neville (left), QEII pharmacist; Eve Tait (right), QEII clinical nurse educator; and their team received a Rehabilitation Program Endowment Fund grant from the QEII Foundation for their project, “Self-Medication Program at the Nova Scotia Rehabilitation and Arthritis Centre: Patient Outcome Study.” Robert Patey (centre), took part in the patient self-medication program and learned how to effectively manage the 26 pills he is now required to take daily. Contributed
Study unlocks safer, more effective approach to medication management QEII’s Nova Scotia Rehabilitation and Arthritis Centre project educates and empowers patients By Allison Lawlor A recent study has shown that patients who participate in a program that teaches how to effectively take their medicine can better manage complex medication regimes when they return home. A recent study of 90 patients that took part in the self-medication program at the QEII’s Nova Scotia Rehabilitation and Arthritis Centre found that a patient’s ability to manage medication increased to 92.3 per cent after taking part in the program, up from 86.3 per cent. “The self-medication program is unique in Nova Scotia,” says Heather Neville, a pharmacist and pharmacy research coordinator with Nova Scotia Health. Patients also had fewer errors in the dosage of medication, and their ability to take their medication after being discharged was very high. Patients were assessed while in hospital and were followed up with at four weeks and six months after discharge. “The results that we got from the study are that the self-medication program is working really well,” says Heather. “We want to now improve the efficiency of the program.” Medication self-management is an essential skill that patients should learn
before being discharged. Without it, they are at higher risk of returning to the hospital and experiencing more severe symptoms of disease, says Heather. Heather and her team received a Rehabilitation Program Endowment Fund grant from the QEII Foundation for their project, “Self-Medication Program at the Nova Scotia Rehabilitation and Arthritis Centre: Patient Outcome Study.” They also received support from the Nova Scotia Health Authority Research Fund. The primary goal of the study was to determine if enrollment in the centre’s long-standing, self-medication program affects a patient’s capacity to manage medications better after returning home. Robert Patey, a serving member of the Royal Canadian Air Force and retired HRM volunteer fire chief, was taking several pills a day for his diabetes, kidney disease, and PTSD last year when he fell at home, hit his head, and suffered a central spinal cord injury. During his eight months at the QEII’s Nova Scotia Rehabilitation and Arthritis Centre following his accident, Robert took part in the self-medication program and learned how to effectively manage the 26 pills he is now required to take daily.
The patient is more in control of their health. – Eve Tait
“It’s important to know what you are taking and why — the why is so important,” says Robert. “It is all about information and the self-medication program teaches the patients about their meds.” Education is a key component of the self-medication program. In the program, patients receive information on each medication they take, as well as all the possible side effects. Patients participate in the self-medication program to improve their medication knowledge, increase their independence, and prepare to return home. The program is managed by an interdisciplinary team that includes nurses, occupational therapists, pharmacy staff and physiatrists. After patients are assessed on their memory, understanding and functional ability to self-administer their medications, they are asked to
participate in the self-medication program. In the study, patients were in the program for approximately six weeks. Initially, nurses have control of all medications. In the program’s second phase, patients access their medications, take them independently and have a nurse check daily to ensure that all medications are taken and accounted for. They also quiz patients on their medications, ensuring they know what each medication is that they’re taking. In the third phase, patients self-administer medications with a nurse checking in once a week. “The more the patient knows about what they are taking and why, the better,” says Eve Tait, a clinical nurse educator at the Nova Scotia Rehabilitation and Arthritis Centre. “The patient is more in control of their health.” The Rehabilitation Program Endowment Fund was created in 1996 by the QEII Foundation to provide long-term funding for the Rehabilitation Program at the QEII Health Sciences Centre. The fund provides annual grants that are used for things such as purchasing specialized equipment, developing new programs and supporting research.
MEMORY HEALTH, WHAT CAN YOU DO? As we age, health checkups and physical exams become routine. Having regular memory checkups can help you take control of your memory health. The tests are designed to give you an understanding of your current memory status. The testing takes about thirty minutes – all it costs is your time. Contact Centricity Memory Clinic, formerly part of True North Memory Clinic, to book an appointment either in person or by video conference.
1 (855) 378-8783
MemoryClinic@CentricityResearch.com
formerly True North Memory Clinic
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SUMMER 2022
Left to right: Dianna MacDonald, QEII Foundation, and Dr. Martin Gardner, QEII’s Inherited Heart Disease Clinic, pictured with Jordan Boyd’s parents and brother, Stephen, Debbie and Greg at the 2021 Jordan Boyd Celebrity Golf Challenge event. The group celebrated surpassing more than $1 million raised for inherited heart disease research at the QEII. Uncharted Creative Media
The lasting legacy of Jordan Boyd A family’s mission to transform inherited heart disease research lives on By Nicole Topple On July 28, a community will come together at the Chester Golf Course for the Jordan Boyd Celebrity Golf Challenge — The Final Round powered by CIBC. The invitation-only fundraising event is so much more than a day on the green. For the Boyd family and countless others, it’s become a summer staple to both remember and honour the life of the late Jordan Boyd — a son, brother and
remarkable young man. In 2013, while attending the hockey training camp of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan, Jordan’s life came to an unexpected end after he collapsed on the ice. It was later determined that Jordan had an undiagnosed, inherited heart condition called Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC). He was 16 years old.
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Ever since, Jordan’s family has made it their personal mission to help prevent sudden death from cardiac arrest — whether by raising awareness of genetic heart conditions, funding AED access, or fueling vital heart health research at the QEII’s Inherited Heart Disease Clinic. Their inspiring efforts have included the annual Jordan Boyd Celebrity Hockey Challenge (JBCHC) — a one-day hockey tournament where participants play alongside NHL pros like Brad Marchand and Nathan MacKinnon — and the Jordan Boyd Celebrity Golf Challenge (JBCGC), an outdoor golfing event that was established during the pandemic. The events, co-hosted by the QEII Foundation, have become a yearly tradition for the Boyd family to commemorate their son and brother and ignite change for future families. “Our first JBCHC took place in August 2014, just shy of the one-year anniversary of Jordan’s passing,” says Greg Dobson, Jordan’s older brother. “There had been so much sadness in the previous year that, as a family, we decided we needed to do something to celebrate Jordan.” According to Greg, the event and chance to give back quickly became an “annual rite of passage” for the family — providing a platform to make a significant difference in Jordan’s memory. As a result, Jordan’s name has now become synonymous with impact — not just within the tight-knit Bedford community where he was raised or among the many friends, families and fellow hockey players he met playing the game he loved. Jordan’s story and the national movement established in his memory have helped keep the hockey player’s legacy alive, all while improving the lives of those facing inherited heart disease in our region. To date, the Boyd family and the QEII Foundation have raised $1,058,080 (net), supporting critical research at the QEII’s Inherited Heart Disease Clinic. The clinic’s founder and director, Dr. Martin Gardner, has seen the impact firsthand. The QEII clinic — which was the first of its kind in Canada —leads the country in the diagnosis, treatment and research of those living with known, or suspected, genetic cardiac conditions. “The funds raised by the Boyds and the community that stands behind them are having a direct and immediate impact on inherited heart disease research and care,” says Dr. Gardner. “Jordan’s legacy is truly moving the needle forward in this area.” For Dr. Gardner, it’s a research need that cannot be understated: Nova Scotia currently has the second-highest incidence of ARVC — the condition Jordan was living with — in Canada. It’s why one impact highlight for the QEII cardiologist has been the QEII’s lead role in establishing a national registry for
ARVC research in Canada, the largest such registry in the world. Patient registries are incredibly powerful tools, particularly for diseases like ARVC that physicians don’t often encounter. This national ARVC registry — which tracks patient and family data from inherited heart disease clinics across the country — helps ensure QEII clinicians and researchers have realworld, evidence-based outcomes and information at their fingertips. “By connecting this data from coastto-coast for the first time, we’re able to analyze and compare the effectiveness of different treatment options, better understand the incidence of ARVC and sudden cardiac arrest, and, in some cases, which patient populations may benefit most from a clinical trial,” says Dr. Gardner. “The Boyd family’s support has played an integral role in all of this and is just one example of the tangible impact they’re making possible.”
The funds raised by the Boyds and the community that stands behind them are having a direct and immediate impact on inherited heart disease research and care. – Dr. Martin Gardner For Greg, it’s a feeling that’s hard to describe: “It’s amazing to see how the community has come together to support us in this journey and to see how Jordan’s story has been able to raise awareness and funds for life-saving inherited heart disease research. “We are so in awe of the support we continue to receive year after year and are so grateful to be able to keep Jordan’s legacy alive through these initiatives,” says Greg. As the event name suggests, this year’s Jordan Boyd Celebrity Golf Challenge – The Final Round is its last. While the family plans to officially retire the JBCGC and JBCHC community events this summer, they’re quick to point out that they’re not going anywhere. “I am beyond proud that what we have accomplished to date has established a legacy for my brother and fulfilled a promise that he would not be forgotten, all while doing good for others impacted by heart disease,” says Greg. “While it is bittersweet to see this chapter close, there is contagious energy and excitement at the chapter ahead with the amazing QEII Foundation team because, in my mind, we are just getting started.” To make a donation to the Jordan Boyd Celebrity Golf Challenge – The Final Round powered by CIBC, visit JBCHC.ca.