Our Shared Purpose newsletter - May 2019

OUR SHARED PURPOSE May 2019

A message from Tim

Respecting patients’ time

Introducing Unity Health Toronto’s bold new vision (pg. 2)

A new tool at St. Michael’s is giving control back to patients (pg. 3)

Bringing our Mission and Values to life Our people tell you why these are foundational to our organization (pg. 4)

Bachir Yerex Family Dialysis Centre opens Brighter, bigger space will positively impact St. Joseph’s patients (pg. 8)

Faster, better ED care How a partnership with the lab is building skills and capacity (pg. 7)

A message from Tim egic plan and in Unity Health Toronto’s first ever strat All of our dreaming big has resulted e created – together.

I couldn’t be more proud of what we’v

Respecting patients’ time

patients, families and began reaching out to our people, It was nearly a year ago when we imagine to be the best t about their health care, what they community, asking what matters mos them and others to they see Unity Health partnering with possible care experience and how . create a healthier future for everyone

MySMH tool keeps patients notified of wait times

estions from different inspiring. We received 4,000 sugg The response was overwhelming and commitment to health ide our walls. Everyone’s passion and people across our network and outs helped us create this es and dreams for Unity Health have care resonated throughout. Your hop

by Amber Daugherty

bold plan.

It’s our road map to the future. being done by people stories about the great work already As you look through it, you will read e a positive difference will build on as we continue to mak across our network – work that we

A look at MySMH in action, which keeps patients updated on their appointment times. (Credit: Yuri Markarov)

together. our collective past. Our g in the future is our strong history of Foundational to where we are goin s us the most – seeing sions and highlight what distinguishe new Mission and Values guide our deci ssary to meet those e and then doing whatever is nece the need in the communities we serv Sisters of St. Joseph of was the commitment made by the needs with compassion and care. This sites uphold together. d, it’s one that Unity Health Toronto’s Toronto to those they served; now unite our new shared vision. can look forward to our ‘true north’ – With this strong bedrock in place, we body, mind and spirt. It ent to care for the whole person – It’s one that speaks to our commitm our patients, residents riences will be created together with emphasizes that the best care expe There was a great deal people working across our network. and their families, our partners and our ses on our commitment into developing this vision, which focu of effort and engagement that went to collaboration and unity:

d together.

The best care experiences. Create ms a reality. journey. Now let’s make these drea Thank you for coming along on this

Dr. Tim Rutledge President & CEO Unity Health Toronto

A patient makes it to their appointment a little early. They consider

a quick bathroom break or grabbing a coffee but worry about

that shows every patient scheduled to be seen that day and whether

stepping away. What if their name is called while they’re briefly

they’ve registered, are with a physician, need to schedule their next

gone?

appointment or have left.

This is not an unfamiliar scenario for many people accessing

The text messages are tied to a system used by the clinic’s staff

As an added bonus, MySMH helps make life more efficient for

health care. Appointments run over, people are called away for

the clinical team.

emergencies and often, there’s little sense of how long a wait will be.

A team at St. Michael’s Hospital is working to change that with a tool

assistant and booking clerk in the diabetes clinic. “Before, we would

called MySMH.

have to go and knock on doors if we had a question. This way, I can

see if a physician is with someone and make sure I’m not disturbing

Patients at St. Michael’s diabetes clinic can now get text

“It allows us to track everyone,” said Miriam Sarpong, a clerical

notifications after they check in for their appointment letting them

them.”

know what their estimated wait time is and if they have time to leave

and come back.

text messages with MySMH. In her first visit receiving texts, she said

she’s already seeing the benefit.

“MySMH is helping improve patients’ experience because

Joan Honeyford is a patient who recently consented to receiving

it’s putting the time back in their hands,” said Lexie Brand, Project

“I’ve been at other facilities where the surgeon was called for an

Manager, “and also increasing transparency. Health care is not always

emergency and I had to wait for two hours,” said Honeyford. “If you

on time so this lets them know what the situation is and decide what

could know you’d be waiting, it would make life a little easier.”

they’d like to do. It gives them control.”

Our Shared Purpose is a monthly newsletter highlighting our people and the ways they are improving care, patient experience and the health of our communities.

Learn more: www.unityhealth.to

OUR SHARED PURPOSE

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Bringing our Mission and Values to life Providence, St. Joseph’s and St. Michael’s were founded by

INCLUSIVITY

OUR MISSION

“In the Houses of Providence, people

Unity Health Toronto is a Catholic health care

are valued because of their differences, ensuring everyone can participate and

organization providing compassionate physical,

thrive. Appreciating human differences

emotional and spiritual care to all in need.

creates an inclusive atmosphere

We advance excellence in health care through

where everyone is respected for their

that promotes a sense of belonging uniqueness.”

world-class education, research and innovation.

Pat Colucci, administrator Providence

the Sisters of St. Joseph with a mission of caring for all in need, with a particular focus on the poor, vulnerable and forgotten in society. Across three

MISSION STATEMENT

EXCELLENCE

“I am inspired by the new mission

“We live this value by making thoughtful

statement because our treasured

changes to the food we serve our

legacy of providing patient-centred

patients. We keep current with changes

to develop a new mission

care remains a top priority. It reaffirms our

like the newly updated Canada’s Food

statement and set of values

commitment to advance excellence in

Guide. We take feedback from patients

for Unity Health Toronto. We

patient care by promoting best practices

and work together to make plans for

asked you to help us find the

and quality initiatives by our teams.”

improving our menu.”

Joanne Bennett, clinical leader manager St. Michael’s

Brenda Grogan, patient food services St. Joseph’s

centuries, we’ve continued to honour this tradition of compassionate quality care.

Last June, we set out

right words to reflect how: • We provide care that begins

COMPASSION “As a nurse, my compassionate care to patients starts with knowing each one as an individual. Every person is different and requires individualized care. I do my very best to make sure that my patients know they can trust me.”

Zeny Marquez (left), registered nurse Providence

with respect for the dignity of every person - a priority in Catholic health care.

• We care for people who experience disadvantage - a shared purpose that unites us.

In the coming months, the

Mission Integration team will be sharing more about how our Mission and Values will shape our future.

COMMUNITY

HUMAN DIGNITY

“Our community is huge! We work

“I remind myself that I am a fellow

together with our own diverse team

sojourner who walks with people on

of over 40 people, along with clinical

the road of life. I honour their stories so

partners, with a shared goal to provide

they can celebrate their innate strength,

the safest care for our patients. We trust

resilience, and capacity to be who they

each other and know that our own family

are and what they intend to be.”

members would be safe if they need one

Joel Aguirre, spiritual care practitioner St. Michael’s

of our reprocessed items.”

OUR SHARED PURPOSE

5

Medical Device Reprocessing Department St. Joseph’s

SCIENTISTS EXAMINE LINK BETWEEN ALZHEIMER’S AND SLEEP DISTURBANCE The gene most often associated with risk of Alzheimer’s Disease impacts sleep depending on gender and the severity of Alzheimer’s in a patient, suggests a study led by researchers at the Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science (KRCBS).

Selected as an Editor’s Choice article by Current Alzheimer Research, this work examined the relationship of abnormal sleep behaviour to Apolipoprotein (APOE) 4ε allele – a major risk factor for the disease - and to the lesions in the brain responsible for Alzheimer’s. Findings suggest that one effect of this gene variant is to alter sleep prior to the development of Alzheimer’s.

Future work will examine the timeline of sleep disturbances throughout the development of Alzheimer’s and declines in cognitive testing.

Dr. David Munos, researcher at the KRCBS and pathologist at St. Michael’s, led the study examining APOE and Alzheimer’s.

Faster, better ED care How patients, nurses, physicians benefit from having medical lab technicians the ED

by Amber Daugherty

WITHWOMEN: NEW APP SCREENS FOR INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE IN FRACTURE CLINIC The MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions has partnered with the Fracture Clinic at St. Michael’s to design and implement an electronic screening application for intimate partner violence.

The app includes a questionnaire with nine evidence-based questions that will indicate immediately whether the person is at risk of a dangerous relationship. It will also list resources.

The WITHWomen app will be available to all female patients in the St. Michael’s Fracture Clinic this spring. A generic version of the app is also available outside of the hospital.

Next steps for the app include making it accessible to men and patients who identify as LGBTQ+, and translating it to other languages.

The WITHWomen research team worked with the Fracture Clinic at St. Michael’s to develop an evidence-based application for intimate partner violence screening.

ONE POTENTIAL STEP IN A LARGER SHARING MEDICAL IMAGING DATA OPIOID STRATEGY TO CUTREDUCTION RADIATION DOSES

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Patients patch-for-patch might expect radiation CT patients scans towho be Fentanyl programs,doses which for require comparable from hospital to the but a team atpatches receive a refill for one fentanyl patches tonext, return their used St. Michael’s Hospital says the variance can beinstartling. before receiving new ones, maydose be an effective tool a larger The team collecting and analyzing data afrom eight hospitals strategy to is combat the opioid crisis, suggests study by the Ontario for the Medical Imaging Metadata Repository Ontario (MIMRO) Drug Policy Research Network (ODPRN), basedof out of St. Michael’s. the province’s average radiation dose patch-forper scan. to help Thereduce study assessed the impact of voluntary fentanyl Using (P4P) artificial intelligence to sort thereduced hospitals’ data,dispensing, the team patch programs.

Implementation patch generated data by dispensed facility, scanner andopioid-related exam to help but did not comparative impact rates of other opioids, determine best practices. MIMRO is funded primarily by hospital visits, or deaths. and created by inform two ofpolicy its radiologists, St. Michael’s “We hope thiswas study will help makers around the Drs. Timothy Dowdell Bruce Gray. as part of their approach world considering theseand types of programs to addressing opioid prescribing and opioid-related harm,” said Dr. Radiologist Dr. Bruce Gray and data analyst Lianne Concepcion review data Tara Gomes, scientist at the Li Ka Shing to Knowledge Institute of submitted MIMRO. (Photo: Katie Cooper) St. Michael’s and the ODPRN. OUR SHARED PURPOSE

Jeya Nadesalingam is a medical laboratory technician who works in the Emergency Department.

Most patients probably don’t think twice about who’s drawing

able to do it.”

their blood or starting their IV in the hospital. But in St. Joseph’s

Emergency Department, it’s because of who’s doing this that

Nadesalingam, a phlebotomist. “I did a trial placement here and loved

patients are receiving care faster.

it so much I didn’t want to leave. It’s lively and active and it lets me

constantly interact with patients which is very rewarding.”

An innovative collaboration has placed our phlebotomists (also

“I love the Emergency Department environment,” said Jeya

known as medical lab technicians, or MLAs) — who traditionally work

behind the scenes and in outpatient clinics — right in the heart of our

more than 100,000 people coming through each year. When MLAs

busiest area, helping relieve pressure on nurses and physicians.

were only able to draw blood, patients still had to wait for a nurse to do

an IV insertion. Having MLAs able to do both means there’s less waiting

Two years ago, MLAs started drawing blood in the ED, performing

EDs are busy places and St. Joseph’s is busier than most, with

the task that would typically take nurses away from other pressing

for patients.

priorities. As an added benefit, because the MLAs are specially trained

in blood collection, there were fewer errors related to the samples and

based environment,” said Laboratory Manager Adnan Khan, “We’ve

labeling, preventing patients from having to have blood drawn multiple

heard positive feedback from everyone – both the MLAs and nurses

times.

are learning from one another and appreciating what the other is

doing.”

Taking it one step further, MLAs have now had their roles

“They’re taking on more of an active role in what is really a team-

expanded to be able to start intravenous (IV) lines, again speeding up

care and freeing up capacity in other providers.

implemented at St. Michael’s.

“In this situation, we had to rewrite their job description,” said Chief

Because of the success at St. Joseph’s, a similar model is being “Our main goal is always to do what’s best for our patients,” said

Technologist Yvette Williams. “We had to ensure that the current

Williams. “And having specialized MLAs supporting other providers in

medical directives in the ED were revised to include permission for

the ED means patients are having fewer samples taken, there’s a lower

MLAs to start the IV lines. What was really great was that most of our

risk of error and patients can move through as quickly as possible.”

MLAs were already trained in this area and they were excited to be OUR SHARED PURPOSE

7

Bachir Yerex Family Dialysis Centre opens Patients at St. Joseph’s receiving dialysis treatment to get a muchimproved experience

by Selma Al-Samarrai

The dialysis patient experience is about to transform at St. Joseph’s Health Centre. This May, the brand new Bachir Yerex Family Dialysis

The new Bachir Yerex Family Dialysis Centre, named after donors Jacob Yerex (left) and Salah Bachir, will feature 21 dialysis stations that offer new patient chairs with individualized

entertainment systems and controls for light and temperature.

Centre will be opening at St. Joseph’s, thanks to generous donations by

Salah Bachir, his husband Jacob Yerex and other donors, and funding

from the Ontario government.

for increased capacity in the future. Dialysis services at St. Joseph’s

The new dialysis centre will feature new patient chairs with

include inpatient dialysis, emergency dialysis and scheduled outpatient

individualized entertainment systems, controls for light and

dialysis. The average outpatient hospital-based dialysis patient receives

temperature, new technology and facilities for staff, and beautiful

150 dialysis treatments per year.

natural light.

While dialysis services are currently occurring in two separate

centre’s satellite clinic on Islington Avenue. He was then sent to dialyze

spaces at St. Joseph’s, they will be amalgamated in the new area,

at St. Joseph’s main hospital site a few times and found that the space

which will streamline patient care.

needed improvement.

“Patient comfort is a huge priority for dialysis patients because

The new centre contains 21 individual dialysis stations, with space

Bachir’s dialysis journey at St. Joseph’s started through the health

Bachir and Yerex started a successful fundraising campaign that

they come in at least three times a week, for three to four hours at a

helped make the Bachir Yerex Family Dialysis Clinic a reality.

time,” explained Solita Crispin, patient care manager with the

St. Joseph’s Regional Renal Program.

is why I really wanted to do this. St. Joseph’s takes care of me and my

family,” said Bachir.

“When patients are already not feeling well during dialysis, we

“I think it’s lovely to give back to people who give so much, which

want to make sure that they are comfortable, in a big space and

surrounded by natural light. These are the things that make a space

quite heartwarming; we were totally thrilled with it. I think at the end of

relaxing and conducive to a healing environment.”

the day, it makes us feel better to be able to help or make a difference.”

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OUR SHARED PURPOSE

“The response to our campaign from friends and supporters was