Summer 2011 - Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre

SUMMER 2011
royal review
A M O N T H LY P U B L I C AT I O N F O R R V H S TA F F P R O D U C E D B Y T H E C O R P O R AT E C O M M U N I C AT I O N S D E P A R T M E N T
Summer of good news
for RVH
IN THIS ISSUE
QUALITY
2
GTA WEST DI
PROJECT
3
STAFF IN THE STANDS
HOCKEY NIGHT IN BARRIE
4
COMMITTEE HAS A
‘HAND’ IN HYGIENE
PROMOTION
5
CHILDREN’S
DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
ON THE MOVE
6
Front (left to right) – Ron Stevens, Board of Directors, North Simcoe Muskoka Local Health Integration Network, Dr.
Scott Good, Radiologist and Chief of Diagnostic Imaging, RVH, Reverend Rick Horst, Vice-Chair, RVH Board of Directors,
Deb Matthews, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, Janice Skot, President and CEO, RVH. Back (left to right) – Dr.
Gord Paul, Radiologist, RVH, Dr. Jim Shaver, Chair of the Medical Advisory Committee, RVH, Craig Vines, Director of
Diagnostic Imaging, RVH, Aileen Carroll, Barrie Member of Provincial Parliament attend the MRI announcement in July.
Summer brought some exceptional news to
RVH regarding the Phase 1 Expansion Project. In
July, Ontario Minister of Health and Long-Term
Care, Deb Matthews, visited RVH to announce
operational funding of a second MRI unit in the
new Diagnostic Imaging department. Most
recently the hospital received the good news that
it will also get $4.5 million in transitional funding.
This one-time funding from the provincial
government will help ensure a smooth, safe
transition to the Phase 1 Expansion Project.
The need for transitional funding was actually
a key recommendation from the third-party
Operational Review conducted at RVH earlier
this year. The $4.5 million will be used to help
RVH expand services prior to the opening of the
redevelopment in early-2012, and will allow the
hospital to:
•
•
•
Open 24 interim transitional beds
Expand Operating Room hours and retrofit
existing space for new day surgery suites
Expand Geriatric Emergency and Nurse
Practitioner coverage
“This is extremely exciting news, as the
funding will allow RVH to gradually ramp-up
services before the expansion opens early next
year,” says Janice Skot, President and CEO.
“By expanding services now, we will avoid a
sudden and sharp increase in patient volumes,
enabling a more seamless transition into the
redevelopment, which will double the size of
our hospital.”
In July when Minister Matthews committed
to a base funding increase of $800,000 to
operate a second MRI, she also had words of
praise for RVH and the staff who have worked
10
EHR UPDATE: OPERATING
ROOM SYSTEMS PROJECT
A WORLD OF
OPPORTUNITY AWAITS
diligently to reduce wait times for MRIs. All of
the hard work is paying off.
“So many good things are happening at
RVH,” Minister Mathews told the standing-room
only crowd of over 150 people in the Auditorium
before taking a tour of the new DI department
in the expansion. “You have been able to cut
your wait times for MRI in half, all while building
this amazing expansion. I’m so excited by what
you’ve been able to achieve here.”
RVH currently has one MRI unit which
operates 24 hours a day and last year scanned
11,000 patients. Even with that round-the-clock
service, demand from the region’s growing
population has resulted in a wait list that
exceeds three months for non-urgent referrals.
The addition of a second unit, which contains the
most advanced MRI technology available, will
Story continues page 2...
R V H R O YA L R E V I E W
Exceptional People. Exceptional Care
PA G E 1
royal review
SUMMER 2011
QUALITY
Summer of good news
for RVH
GTA West DI project
Partnerships are crucial to how we function
at RVH. They not only help us do our jobs more
efficiently, but they can have a significantly
positive impact on the care we provide our
patients as well. The GTA West Diagnostic
Imaging Repository (DI-r) is an example of a
collaboration that does both – it allows us access
to patient records so we can do our job more
efficiently and more effectively, which improves
the care we can provide to patients.
The GTA West DI-r is a shared regional
repository that provides clinicians with access
to all patients’ diagnostic imaging results,
including CT scans, ultrasounds, MRIs and
X-rays. The DI tests could have been completed
at partner healthcare facilities in the GTA West
region, but the results can be viewed via a webbased browser at any healthcare facility in the
partnership. The repository houses all DI results
for an individual as one comprehensive patient
record.
The program, funded by Canada Health
Infoway and eHealth Ontario, involves 21
organizations from five Local Health Integration
Networks (LHINs) – Mississauga Halton, Central
West, Toronto Central, Central and North Simcoe
Muskoka. The GTA West DI-r project is expected
to positively impact 10,000 clinicians by allowing
them access to a patients’ DI history.
Vines, Director, Diagnostic Imaging at RVH.
“This is a highly effective way in which we can
transfer patient information regardless of where
the exam was performed. It is a perfect example
of improved collaboration resulting in improved
care for all the organizations and patients
involved.”
By increasing access to DI results across
the region, it supports care closer to home and
increases access to specialists, thus ensuring
consistent quality of care across the province.
Specialists will also be more comprehensively
aware of patient history which will assist them
in making informed decisions, ensuring patients
receive accurate diagnoses.
Repository systems also have the potential
to eliminate or reduce the number of annual
avoidable retakes of tests, reducing unnecessary
exposure to radiation. The GTA DI-r will not
only reduce repeat scans, but it will also reduce
errors, decrease patient transfer and wait times,
and provide a secure method of image sharing.
There are four DI repositories in Ontario that
each house millions of exam results. Within in
the GTA West DI-r alone, three million exams are
supported each year.
Other hospitals within the North Simcoe
Muskoka LHIN included in the repository include
Collingwood General and Marine Hospital,
“Patients no longer have to liaise with several Georgian Bay General Hospital, Muskoka
hospitals to obtain results of their imaging tests Algonquin Healthcare and Orillia Soldiers’
for consultations with specialists,” says Craig Memorial Hospital, in addition to RVH.
Dates to Remember
SONIC Ultrasound Conference
• Saturday, October 15, 2011
• RVH Auditorium
• 8am – 4pm
• Early registration (on or
before October 1st) - $40
• Late registration (after
October 1st) - $45
• Register with Organizational
Development by calling
ext. 42620 or
faxing 705-739-5616
PA G E 2
R V H R O YA L R E V I E W
(continued from page 1)
Minister Matthews, who was greeted at the door by
more than a dozen members of RVH’s “Blue Brigade”
paid special tribute to the hospital’s volunteers noting,
“RVH has one of the strongest volunteer forces in
Canada, and that is very, very impressive. They make
such a difference to the patients. You know, people
work in healthcare because they want to help others.
Volunteers are the same, except they don’t get paid!
That is truly admirable.”
allow the hospital to scan over 5,000 more
patients a year and will significantly reduce
wait times.
“MRI has become an essential tool
in diagnosing and monitoring treatment
in multiple disease conditions, including
cancer,” says Dr. Scott Good, RVH Chief
of Diagnostic Imaging. “This second MRI
unit will ensure that, as a physician, I can
accurately diagnose more patients, which
will allow them to receive the appropriate
treatment as soon as possible. This is
very good news for our community – and
our region.”
RVH is going through an extremely busy
time ahead as the hospital prepares to
open the expansion with new state-ofthe-art equipment and a comprehensive
transition plan in place. While RVH will
always be required to live within its means
and fulfill its accountability agreement,
these injections of funding will go a long
way toward allowing RVH to provide timely
healthcare to residents of the region, operate
at capacity and focus on moving into the
new building.
Exceptional People. Exceptional Care
royal review
SUMMER 2011
STAFF
IN
THE
STANDS
HOCKEY NIGHT IN BARRIE 2011
Dr. Dave Boushy, MP Partrick Brown, Janice Skot and RVH Board Chair Jon Babulic
Deb Scharf of the Cafe Royale with fellow fan
Orlando Ramas of Materials
Management
PA G E 3
Margaret Tervit of the
RVH Auxillary
Dave Hallman (right) of Business Development
Rena Spinks, Suzanne Legue, Marcy Baldry, Denise Philpott, Donna Danyluk of Corporate Communications
and the RVH Foundation
R V H R O YA L R E V I E W
Exceptional People. Exceptional Care
royal review
SUMMER 2011
Committee has a hand
in hygiene promotion
Hand Hygiene Champions
What makes a hand hygiene champion?
A staff member who shows knowledge of
the principles of hand hygiene and makes
an effort to use these principles in practice
and peer support. Keep up the great work!
RVH Hand Hygiene Champions JUNE AND JULY 2011
Stacey Carty – Nursing, 3SA
Maria Buttugieg – Nursing, 3SA
Ruth Bishop – Nursing, 3SA
Dorota Cholewicki – Nursing, 3SA
Helene Salazar – Nursing, 3SB
Karen Goutouski – Nursing, 3SB
Lori Fenwick – Nursing, 3SB
Christine Griffin – Nursing, 3SB
Judy Powers – Environmental Services, 3NB
Jackie Nokes – Nursing, 3NB
Connie Johnstone – Nursing, 3NB
Sheila Winson – Environmental Services, 3NB
Glenda Schoebl – Nursing, 3NB
Kristina Amores-Hudson – Nursing, 3NB
Claire Warren – Nursing, 3NB
Martha Calderon – Environmental Services, 4SA
Cathy Newton, 4SA
Karen Foien – Nursing, 4SA
Francine McGinnis - Nursing, 4SA
Kayla Swann – Nursing, 4SB
Lori Vajda – Professional Practice, 4SB
Jennifer Pottinger – Nursing, 4SB
Tammy Smith – Nursing, 4SB
Zofia Uracz – Nursing, 4SC
Amber Wettlaufer – Nursing, 4SC
Sandy Rowe – Nursing, 4SC
Mardi McDermid - Nursing, 4SC
Jodie Fisher – Nursing, 4NC
Jeanine Robertson – Nursing, 4NC
Selineh Beigi Massihi – Nursing, 4NC
Mark Moreau – Nursing, 4NC
Audrey Lewis – Nursing, ICU
Sherry Hubbert – Nursing, ICU
Nancy Free – Nursing, ICU
Perri Rattelade – Nursing. ICU
Phyllis Tripp – Environmental Services, ICU
Dr. Baker
Dr. Aitken
Dr. Meymeh
Dr. Kuzik
R V H R O YA L R E V I E W
As part of its ongoing commitment to hand
hygiene, RVH formed a committee in June
2008 to meet quarterly for the review of all
issues related to hand hygiene. The committee
provides a process by way of a multidisciplinary
team approach to evaluate ongoing staff hand
hygiene practices, provide ongoing audits and
communicate these results to the units, senior
leadership and the public. Agenda items on
QUALITY
committee meetings also include the review
of current hand hygiene products/supplies
(product standardization and consumption),
monitoring hand-skin integrity in conjunction
with Occupational Health, and providing a
dynamic action plan to continue promoting
hand hygiene compliance within the hospital.
The committee is accountable to Patient
Safety, Quality & Risk Management.
Significant tasks of the hand hygiene committee
•
•
•
•
•
•
Attend quarterly meetings to assist in the process of ongoing evaluation of the hand hygiene
program at the RVH
Assist Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) to determine the common needs and concerns
regarding education and supplies from hospital units related to hand hygiene
Assist in communication of information related to hand hygiene to the units
Assist in identifying creative ways to provide education to the staff
Be champions for hand hygiene compliance in the hospital
Assist Occupational Health with the monitoring of hand hygiene and skin integrity.
Occupational Health then reports issues/numbers to the committee
Out of the blue
AUXILIARY
By Lorri Champagne, RVH Auxiliary Public Relations
Each June, the RVH Auxiliary gives out two
scholarships to high school students who have
high scholastic standing, aspirations to pursue a
career in the science field and who volunteer at
RVH. This year’s recipients are two young ladies
from St. Peter’s Catholic Secondary School who
volunteer in the Emergency Department.
Kathleen Bransfield
plans to enter the
University of Western
Ontario’s Biological
and Medical Science
Program and her
goal is to become a
Paediatric Oncologist.
The other recipientJacqueline Sullivanwill be attending the
Jacqueline
Sullivan
Collaborative Nursing
(left) and Kathleen
program at York University (Georgian College),
with the goal of becoming a Nurse Practitioner.
Auxiliary scholarships began in 1996, with our
first one being handed out to volunteer, Deanna
Walsh, whose proud mom is RVH Volunteer
Resources Coordinator, DoDee Walsh.
Additionally, every November RVH’s Auxiliary
awards three scholarships to Georgian College
students. Two are given to Nursing Students
in their first or second year and one to a first or
second year Paramedic Student. These will
be presented this coming November by RVH
Auxiliary President, Wayne Hubbard.
We are very proud of all the past and present
recipients of our scholarships and thank you
for your continued support of this program by
shopping in Victoria’s Gift Shop, grabbing your
coffee and treats at Café Royale, and visiting our
daily vendors.
Bransfield (right)
Exceptional People. Exceptional Care
PA G E 4
royal review
SUMMER 2011
Hospital Happenings
SERVICE
Recruitment re-cap
Royal Victoria Hospital is growing! This means we need
more experienced, skilled people to join our already immensely
talented RVH team. Finding and hiring the best new team
members in a competitive market presents a significant
challenge that our New Talent Acquisition team is ready to
tackle with the launch of our redesigned and modernized
external recruitment process.
The Talent Acquisition partnership will encompass
a complete refresh of our efforts to attract and create
relationships with premiere healthcare professionals, all with
the goal of supporting the expansion of Royal Victoria Hospital
and continuing to focus on providing quality patient care.
To meet the increasing demands that accompany our
exciting expansion, one new key initiative will be creating a
strong social media presence for the RVH Careers brand.
Stephanie Thompson (left) and Jill Haynes (centre), Communicative Disorders Assistants with the
Simcoe Country Preschool Speech and Language Program, interact with one of their young clients in
their new digs at 80 Bradford Street.
Children’s Development Services
on the move
Children’s Development Services has
relocated some of the Barrie-based
services to a newly renovated space
at Barrie By the Bay on Bradford Street
in downtown Barrie. This new site,
which is centrally located and easily
accessible, is also the location of many
other community and health service
agencies.
The
Children’s
Development
Services that will be relocated to this
space are:
• Simcoe County Preschool
Speech and Language Program
• Preschool Occupational Therapy
• Simcoe County Autism
Diagnostic Team
• Augmentative Communication
Services
• Simcoe Muskoka Parry Sound
Infant Hearing Program
communication intervention
services
E-mail addresses and phone
extensions have remained the same.
R V H R O YA L R E V I E W
An open house for partners will be held at
the new site on September 30 from1:00
to 3:30 p.m.
This relocation would not have been
possible without the support of Mary
Riggin-Springstead, Sandy McFarlane
and the rest of the SLT, Joan McKee
and Suzanne Stockie in Business
Development, and Liane Coates and
Stephanie Marshall in ICT.
By establishing recruitment-based social media pages, future
RVH employees will get a feel for our mission, vision, values and
culture. There’s so much more to a job than what’s listed in the
job description. With social media sites we can share what it’s
really like to work at RVH – we can share videos, newsletters,
patient letters and inspiring stories. The Talent Acquisition Team
will use the newly created Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn
pages to show and share what it means to be part of the RVH
team, in addition to simply posting job opportunities.
So what does this mean to you as a current employee? We
invite you to engage with our Facebook and Twitter pages.
Read, comment on and share the latest healthcare industry
news and trends, upload appropriate pictures from your
department meetings and hospital events and share your
experiences working with a growing organization.
Connect with RVH Careers online and play a key role in
attracting your next influential co-worker!
•
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/RVHCareersOnFB
•
Twitter: http://twitter.com/RVH_Careers
•
“Like” or “Follow” RVH Careers today and share RVH
with your network!
Joan Gullen, Communicative Disorders Assistant
in the new office space
Exceptional People. Exceptional Care
PA G E 5
royal review
SUMMER 2011
CAPITAL REDEVELOPMENT
Mariposa Skating Gala
EHR: Operating Room
Systems Project
By Rachel Kean, Project Management Office
The Mariposa Skating Gala, held in early
August, raised $20,000 for Rotary House at
RVH – the lodge for cancer patients who have
travelled long distances for treatment. Pictured
here for the presentation of the cheque were (left
to right): Doug Leigh – Founder, Mariposa School
of Skating, Scott Elliott – Chair, RVH Foundation
Board of Directors, Arlette Utton - RVH Foundation
Board of Directors, Peggy Hebden - Mariposa
Committee, Don Bark – President, Rotary Club
of Barrie-Huronia, Jeffrey Buttle – 2008 World
Champion and 2006 Olympic Bronze Medallist in
Figure Skating.
PEOPLE
Fact of fishing
Professional angler and TV host Dave Mercer
(centre), recently visited RVH while in Barrie
on his Facts of Fishing Live 2011 tour. Dave
posed for photos up on 4SA with Paeds and
Obstetrics nurses (left to right) – Stacey Gill (RN,
Obstetrics), Darlene Blackler (RN, Paediatrics),
Christine Gannon (Resource Nurse, 4SA), Lynne
Finuchan (RN, Obstetrics) and Eileen Smyth (RN,
Paediatrics).
PA G E 6
As part of the Electronic Health Records
(EHR) Advancement initiative, the Operating
Room nursing online documentation project is
in the operating rooms as of August 29, 2011.
This project will move documentation from
paper to online, utilizing PICIS OR Manager
software. This system is presently being used
in scheduling patients for OR, Endoscopy,
and Cystoscopy procedures and creating
preference cards (listing supplies the surgeon
requires for their case) for the surgeons.
What does this mean for areas receiving
Operating Room, Endoscopy & Cystoscopy
patients?
The OR-Peri-operative Record will be
a computer generated form replacing the
present handwritten documentation form
for the main OR, Endoscopy and Cystoscopy
patients. This new form will be printed and
accompany the patient’s record for the
main OR.
OR nurses Wendy Harrison-Boniface, RN (left), and Melinda
Sutherland, RN (right) receive training on the documentation
project from Cathy Higginson of Clinical Informatics
and Applications.
QUALITY
What is happening with the Operating
Room Nursing Documentation Project?
• Final review and edits are
being made to the assessments
documents
• Reports are being created to print
the computer generated OR Perioperative form, and new computer
generated pathology and cytology
forms for the lab
• A review and communication of new
processes is taking place
• OR nursing staff are attending fourhour education sessions including:
• How to access OR Manager
• How to access and document
their new online assessments
• How to print reports
• Hardware implemented in
the Endo suites to allow for
documentation
Benefits:
• Nursing documentation has been
reviewed with Professional Practice
to ensure it meets OR standards
• There is a decrease in the amount of
back entering of data for reporting
• Newly computer-generated lab
forms are easily read by the lab and
decrease double documentation of
lab information
• Ability to audit documentation for
trends
• Ability to make documentation
changes without having the expense
of ordering new forms
Implementation Dates
•
August 29 - first roll out including nurses in the Main Operating Room
beginning online documentation
•
October 3 - second roll out to include nurses in Endoscopy and
Cystoscopy beginning online documentation
R V H R O YA L R E V I E W
Exceptional People. Exceptional Care
royal review
SUMMER 2011
PEOPLE
The
Staooffp
Sc
Retirements
Heather Lawson (centre) of 3 South A
retired on July 29 after 39 years of service
to RVH throughout the hospital. Heather now
looks forward to being outdoors, camping,
gardening, reading, travelling, sleeping in,
and spending more time with family like her
husband Bob and daughter Erin (in photo).
Brenda Rattray is retiring from RVH’s
Diagnostic Imaging (DI) Department after
a 30+ year career at the hospital. Brenda
started at RVH as an RN working part-time
in the Emergency Department and then she
moved to DI where she is now finishing her
career as the Team Leader of DI Nurses.
Brenda’s last day was August 19. Now
retired, Brenda plans to travel and spend
more time with family, including her two
year old granddaughter.
Brenda, pictured with Director of DI,
Craig Vines, says she has mixed feelings
about retiring because she will miss
her colleagues who make up a “highly
motivated team” in DI.
PA G E 7
John Ngui-yen (left, shown with Dr. Russell
Price) retired on July 15 after nine years at
RVH as the Director of Laboratory Services.
Since his departure, John has been enjoying
his summer off and helping his wife recover
from knee replacement surgery. John also
plans to head to Maui and then back to British
Columbia to visit family. Regardless of what
lies ahead, John will take things as they come
and may explore consulting opportunities in
the future.
Tina McCauley (seated) a payroll officer in
the Finance Department, retired on June 30
after nearly 12 years of service at RVH. In her
retirement, Tina plans to do more gardening
and some home renovations, as well as
spend more time with family and take a road
trip to Nova Scotia.
After 26 years with RVH, Marg Foisie,
Unit Clerk in the Intensive Care Unit officially
retired on June 24. Marg now looks forward
to spending time with family and travelling. In
fact, she already had a trip to Quatar planned
for August and then she is off to Hawaii in
November.
R V H R O YA L R E V I E W
Exceptional People. Exceptional Care
royal review
SUMMER 2011
PEOPLE
Third year of FMTU residents arrive
Left to right: Drs. Ben Burt, Ryan Zufelt, Heidi DeBoer, David
Evans, Devon Turner, Navsheer Toor, Kara TenHoeve, Sherief
Ahmed, Scott Chubbs and Stuart Murdoch.
Nine new family medicine residents from the University of Toronto have joined RVH in the
Family Medicine Teaching Unit (FMTU) this summer. These family medicine residents are
new physicians, who have just completed medical school. With the start of residency come
new responsibilities including writing orders, managing patients (ranging from paediatrics,
emergency, surgery, obstetrics, medicine, mental health) and handling the day-to-day issues
of inpatients. They will be working and learning in our community, with the hospital wards,
clinics, operating suites and emergency departments for a full two years. As well, they will
be seeing patients at the FMTU office under the leadership of Dr. Stu Murdoch, Program
Director of the unit.
Dr Marianne Belau
New Regional Palliative Care Lead
Dr. Marianne Belau has been appointed the
new Regional Palliative Care Lead by Cancer Care
Ontario and the Simcoe Muskoka Regional Cancer
Program. Dr. Belau is replacing Dr. Jim Shaver in
this role as Dr. Shaver steps down for his new role
of Chair of the Medical Advisory Committee. In
this new role, Dr. Belau looks forward to meeting
providers of palliative and cancer care throughout
the North Simcoe Muskoka Local Health Integration
Network and to being a part of developing a high
quality cancer care system.
Dr. Belau has had a practice in Barrie since 1999, been part of the
RVH palliative care call group until 2008 and was a hospitalist in the
Complex Continuing Care program from 2004 to 2009. Dr. Belau has
also been an active member of the Barrie and Community Family Health
Team. Most recently Dr. Belau has been the Medical Advisor of Hospice
Simcoe Hospice House since its opening in 2009. Dr. Belau has also been
involved in a number of palliative care enhancement initiatives including
the development of an Expected Death in the Home protocol (EDITH) and a
palliative sedation protocol.
Dr. Good new Chief of DI
Effective July 1, Dr. Scott Good assumed the role
of Clinical Director and Chief, Diagnostic Imaging.
Having been with RVH since 1999, Dr. Good is the
past president of the Medical Staff, has participated
in various hospital committees and has served on the
RVH Board of Directors. He has also been a physician
champion for the be excellent! initiative and will colead the department with Craig Vines through the final
stages of the expansion and the opening of the new department.
Dr. Good takes over from Dr. Gord Paul who is continuing as the
Clinical Lead of Nuclear Medicine. Dr. Paul played an instrumental part in
championing several efficiency initiatives, resulting in RVH having one of the
highest performing Imaging departments in the province.
R V H R O YA L R E V I E W
Exceptional People. Exceptional Care
ON THE
S
C
O
D
NEW
BLOCK
Dr. Mohammad Rassouli-Rashti
Dr. Rassouli-Rashti graduated from the
University of Toronto with a Medical Doctorate
and completed his specialty training in
Internal Medicine at McGill University in
Montreal, as well as a sub-specialty in
medical oncology at McMaster University
in Hamilton. Dr. Rassouli-Rashti is fluent in
English and Persian (Farsi), and will focus
clinically on gastro-intestinal and lung
cancers as part of the Simcoe Muskoka Regional Cancer Program.
Dr. Randy Leung
Otolaryngologist Dr. Randy Leung joined
RVH’s Surgery Department in July. After
receiving his MD from the University of
Toronto, Dr. Leung completed his residency
in otolaryngology – head and neck surgery
– in 2010 and did his clinical fellowship in
rhinology and endoscopic skull base surgery
at Northwestern University in Chicago. Prior
to leaving the U.S., Dr. Leung held privileges
at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and was a clinical instructor at
Northwestern University.
Dr. Mark Baerlocher
Dr. Baerlocher has joined the Diagnostic
Imaging Department as a Radiologist
effective July 4. After receiving his MD
and Diagnostic Radiology residency at
the University of Toronto, Dr. Baerlocher
most recently completed an Interventional
Radiology fellowship in San Diego.
PA G E 8
royal review
New Intensive Care Unit
Interim Manager
Sharon Forster has
accepted the position
as interim Manager
of the Intensive Care
Unit where she has
been a Resource
Nurse for the past 21
years. Sharon has
played integral roles
in the implementation
and continued operations of the Critical Care
Outreach Program. Sharon has also been a
member of the Code of Conduct Committee
and the Nursing Quality Council. In the ICU,
Sharon has chaired the Nursing Practice
Council and also sits on the Code Blue
and ICU Committees. She is also currently
completing her BScN through Ryerson
University. Sharon’s new role began July 18.
New Project Manager
Christine Keogh
has accepted a
position as Project
Manager in the
Project Management
Office.
Christine
brings a wealth of
experience
and
education to this
role, which began
on July 25, including leadership and LEAN
methodology knowledge. Most recently,
Christine has been involved in the Rapid
Assessment Zone and the relocation of the
Emergency Department waiting room.
Surgery Admin Assistant
Debbie Gosselin will
be temporarily sitting
in as Administrative
Assistant for the
Surgery Department.
Debbie
can
be
contacted
at
gosselind@rvh.on.ca
or at ext. 46520.
R V H R O YA L R E V I E W
SUMMER 2011
RVH’s new COO
PEOPLE
Brian
Edmonds,
who joined RVH in
January 2011 as
interim Vice-President,
Finance and Chief
Financial Executive,
assumed the new
role of Chief Operating
Officer (COO) on
August 15.
Brian’s background
as a Chartered Accountant and Mastersprepared health Administrator coupled with
his vast experience in the Ontario health
sector make him an ideal candidate for the
RVH hires new CFE
On August 8, Hilary Rodrigues joined RVH
as the Vice President, Finance and Chief
Financial Executive, coming to the hospital
with an impressive resume as a senior
financial executive. He is a
systems-approach leader with a
broad knowledge of healthcare
acquired over his 18 years spent
working in the industry.
Most recently, he held the
position of Director of Finance
and Planning at Trillium Health
Centre, overseeing the reporting
and planning of a $450 million
budget. Prior to that, Hilary
worked as the Senior Consultant, Funding and
Allocation at the Mississauga Halton Local
Health Integration Network. The financial
analysis, project management and decision
COO role for the next 18 to 24 months. In this
position, Brian will be “second in command”
to Janice Skot for overall responsibility for the
operations of the hospital. The following vicepresidents are now reporting to Brian – vicepresident, Patient Programs and Chief Nursing
Executive (Sandy McFarlane), vice-president,
Regional Cancer and Clinical Services, and
vice-president, Planning and Support Services
(Shelley Ditty).
Prior to joining RVH, Brian worked with
Trillium Health Centre in Mississauga and
as an advisor to the Ministry of Health and
Long-Term Care, conducting operations and
construction reviews.
support experience he gained during stints at
University Health Network and St. Michael’s
Hospital will also be a tremendous asset to
RVH.
Hilary holds a Bachelor of
Commerce and Finance degree from
the University of Toronto, as well as
a Certified Management Accountant
designation. He is also currently
enrolled in the Rotman Advanced
Leadership Program.
Thank you to the members of
the search committee for their time
and diligent involvement in the
process, including hospital Board
of Directors Chair Jon Babulic, Vice Chair
Rick Horst, Director Rob Hall, along with Brian
Edmonds, Garth Matheson, David Coward and
Jonathan Wiersma.
Staffing office changes
Rosie Sage (left), Erin Ziebart (right)
Exceptional People. Exceptional Care
RVH is in the process of implementing additional
improvements for scheduling, labour management
and data collection by the upgrading of software,
Workforce ESP (from v3.4 to v6.1).
Rosie Sage, Staffing Office Supervisor will be
working full-time coordinating the upgrade project
and Erin Ziebart will assume the role of interim
Staffing Office Supervisor. Erin’s past experience
with ESP and staff scheduling, as well as her
recent Supervisor experience, gives her a strong
knowledge base.
PA G E 9
royal review
SUMMER 2011
PEOPLE
A world of opportunity awaits
Did you know that RVH has a dedicated fund for approved the release of an additional $100,000
training and professional development opportunities per year for the next three years funded by a recent
each year? In 1993, RVH and the RVH Foundation build-up in investment income.
Many types of education are eligible to receive
set a goal of $2 million to establish the Royal Victoria
Hospital Educational Trust. The money in the fund funding from the education trust, given that it
is invested each year and the majority of the annual impacts patient care positively and is in line with
investment income (i.e. interest) is directed toward the hospitals strategic directions. Additionally, the
funding professional development needs for staff. funding increase will help existing and new staff
The creation of this Trust meant that
each year there was a fund from
which staff could draw for educational
purposes, completely separate from
the hospital’s operating budget.
Throughout the past 18 years that
the Trust has been in place, families
and organizations have donated
money to the RVH Foundation
requesting it be allocated to education
and training. Some donors even ask
that the money be directed toward
training within a specific department
or unit.
Shelby MacLeod, an RPN on 4
South C, decided to first apply to the
Education Trust Fund when she went
back to school in 2008 to obtain her
Shelby MacLeod of 4 North C
BScN through Georgian College/York
University.
“I have a busy family so it is challenging to work, prepare for the programs and services which will be
take care of the kids and attend school full time,” provided in the expanded hospital.
Angela McCuaig is the clinical educator within
says MacLeod. “I found out about the Education
Trust Fund and was excited to apply. I didn’t expect Professional Practice for the Mental Health and
to receive this financial aide from RVH, but it has Addiction program at RVH. She was able to pursue
helped pay for one and a half semesters – about this interim role because of the Masters in Social
$4,400. It is such a relief because it has allowed me Work (MSW) she recently obtained with financial
to reduce my work hours at crucial times to focus on support from the Trust. It covered approximately a
school. Because of this support, I will graduate as quarter of the costs for this education.
“I applied to the Trust Fund because pursuing
an RN next spring (April 2012).”
Given the Phase 1 Expansion Project which higher education is costly and I know that RVH
is about to open, the RVH Foundation Board has supports staff to pursue their academic goals,” says
Rock’n Royal Vic
PA G E 1 0
McCuaig. “I have worked at RVH for 16 years and I
wanted to continue applying my acquired learning to
the growth and development of the hospital and to
continuous quality improvement.”
Applications are accepted for consideration
twice per year with May 1st and November 1st
deadlines. The application can be downloaded from
the HR Hub under Organizational Development
and then Education Trust Fund. To
submit an application for education
endowments, you must be an RVH
employee for at least a year and in
either a full-time or part-time (0.5)
position.
Once you have completed
the application form, it must be
submitted to your manager for
comment and approval. If your
manager approves it, the application
should then be submitted to
Iris Laycock in Organizational
Development.
Applications
are
then
catalogued and the Directors of
the departments are consulted to
ensure the request is appropriate.
The final decision is left up to the
Trust Fund Committee, consisting
of David Coward (Chief Human Resources Officer),
Karen Fleming (Director of Women’s and Children’s
Programs and Professional Practice) and Lorraine
Sederquest (Director, Organizational Development).
Recipients of this educational funding are notified via
their managers.
If the staff member applies for funding to take
a course that is graded on a pass or fail scale, the
employee must provide proof of a pass.
For more information on Education Trust Funds,
please visit the Organizational Development section
of the HR Hub.
Code Blue, which included Drs. Jim Delaney (far left), Scott
McKenzie (centre) and Paul Wilson (far right) took the Casino Rama
stage on August 20 as the opening act for the third annual Radio for
Radiology Benefit Concert featuring Glass Tiger and April Wine. The
concert, hosted by Larche Communications, is part of the Radio for
Radiology campaign in support of the Simcoe Muskoka Regional
Cancer Centre. Larche has made a pledge of $500,000 to fund the
fund the purchase of a new Interventional Radiology Machine (IR
Machine). This machine will allow residents of Simcoe and Muskoka
to receive better diagnosis and treatment closer to home, rather than
going to Toronto. Prior to the concert, which raised approximately
$55,000, the campaign had already raised over $340,000.
R V H R O YA L R E V I E W
Exceptional People. Exceptional Care
royal review
SUMMER 2011
Business
Development
update
SERVICE
From Joan McKee, Director, Business Development
Final food vendor selected
Royal Victoria Hospital is pleased to welcome the newest
restaurant to our Food Court - Panzerotto Pizza and Wing
Machine, set to open in October.
Panzerotto Pizza Wing Machine is a Canadian owned
company, currently operating 43 outlets throughout Ontario,
five in healthcare facilities in the GTA. They specialize in
homemade pizza, panzerottos, pastas, baked chicken
wings, BBQ Chicken and BBQ Ribs. RVH’s location will
also offer a home-style hot breakfast including pancakes
and waffles.
Patient Services
Entertainment System
Our bedside entertainment system offers our patients
access to television, telephone and internet. We have
recently made changes to our program, offering a bundle
price at $13.00 per 24 hour period. More information on the
changes can be found in the brochures located at the pay
stations at the main entrance, as well as on the third and
fourth floors.
Digital signage
In order to improve communications throughout the
hospital, RVH is about to launch a new digital signage
initiative. Our vendor - Creative Display Technologies -will
install large format, high definition digital displays in high
traffic areas like the waiting rooms in Oncology, Ambulatory
Care, Day Surgery, Emergency, Diagnostic Imaging, Cardio
Respiratory, as well as in the Food Court. The displays
will feature health and wellness content, and news about
RVH while generating revenue for the hospital through
advertising sales. There is also the ability to ‘cut in’ to
program to announce an emergency broadcast or a “code.”
Parking
Thank you to all the staff that has parked at Georgian
College for the past number of weeks. We appreciate
your patience as we work towards the completion of the
Phase 1 Expansion Project.
The emergency lot will be closed for approximately
six weeks beginning August 18. We have temporarily
relocated the eight handicap spots to the visitors lot.
PA G E 1 1
From left to right: Dr. Ian Maxwell, Tracy Miller and Annette Radke-Simkin
CCAC in the ED
An 87-year-old woman out for a simple
stroll loses her balance and stumbles to the
ground. The senior lands on her arm and
breaks it. She’s admitted to Royal Victoria
Hospital’s (RVH) Emergency Department and
then she reaches a roadblock.
The Barrie woman lives alone and is on
medication for an ongoing illness, with an arm
in a sling and no help available, her situation
seems bleak.
Then help arrives. It comes in the form of
two Community Care Access Centre (CCAC)
Registered Nurses (RN) – Annette RadkeSimkin and Tracy Miller. These two RN’s are
stationed in RVH’s Emergency Department.
Their job is to help seniors avoid unnecessary
hospital admissions and live independently in
the community.
And this patient’s story is not unusual,
the RN duo see this type of situation on a
daily basis. A senior arrives at the hospital
in need of immediate medical attention for a
non-life-threatening condition, but because
there is no support at home must be admitted
to hospital to recuperate.
“We are able to put in place services
to help her go home and continue to live
independently,” says Tracy Miller, RN.
“This woman was very happy that she did
not have to be admitted to hospital and
was able to recover in the comfort of her
own home.”
Statistics show that the need for services
for seniors is great. Between 1996 and 2016
the age 85 plus population in Simcoe County
is expected to grow by 135 to 236 per cent. In
fact, 62 per cent of patients admitted to RVH
are over the age of 65.
This partnership with the CCAC is
just one of the programs RVH has put in
place to ensure sure there’s special care
for seniors.
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Touchpoint Pharmacy
Access to care for RVH patients is about
to improve again! Just outside the Same Day
Surgery waiting area on the second floor,
two new Touchpoint Pharmacy dispensing
machines have been installed and will
soon be operational. These machines are
interactive kiosks that actually connect
you to a pharmacist who will review your
prescription and then fill and dispense it.
This is a convenient way for patients to get
common prescriptions filled before even
leaving the hospital. The machine will not
dispense narcotics of any kind but will have a
well-stocked inventory of the most-commonly
prescribed drugs. The machine, which is
not affiliated with the inpatient pharmacy, is
equipped to direct-bill to a health insurance
provider, or take payment via credit card or
debit. Right now, the machine is in ‘testing’
mode and staff are welcome to try out this
latest technology, which will dispense Smarties
instead of medication at the present time.
R V H R O YA L R E V I E W
Exceptional People. Exceptional Care
For questions on the Touchpoint
Pharmacy, contact Joan McKee,
Director Business Development at
mckeej@rvh.on.ca or ext. 42800.
royal review
SUMMER 2011
Getting to know you
PEOPLE
By Marlene M. Salojärvi, Occupational Health and Safety
As RVH prepares to hire hundreds of nurses for
the Phase 1 Expansion, it is inevitable that a portion
of them will be young graduates.
If they are anything like 3 South B
RPN Courtney Wylie, our patients
will be in good hands. According
to Resource Nurse, Sharon Phillips,
Courtney lives the Exceptional
People, Exceptional Care motto.
“She excels here – she is
compassionate, has an unbelievable
knowledge base and families love
her. She is always asking, ‘Is there
anything I can do for you?’ and
shows incredible independence and
initiative,” says Phillips.
Extremely high praise for anyone, but even
more remarkable when describing someone at
the relatively tender age of 23. A Barrie native,
Courtney completed the RPN program at Georgian
Survey says:
erience”
Tell us your “Exp
Royal Victoria Hospital, in partnership with
NRC Picker, will be launching an “Employee
Experience” survey early this Fall.
This survey offers us an opportunity to
hear from you, improve our workplace, and
ultimately, patient care. This particular survey is
a requirement of the Excellent Care for All Act so
not only will it ensure we meet that requirement,
but also provide more detailed benchmarking
data than previous surveys. A letter containing
survey instructions will be sent directly to your
home around September 19 and we encourage
you to take the time to complete and return the
survey.
If you have any questions about the survey
or the process, please discuss them with
your manager.
PA G E 1 2
College then her consolidation on 3SB. She was
hired in August 2009 and has been on 3SB ever
since. When asked about her
position there, she is quick to deflect
attention away from herself and onto
the colleagues who mentored her.
Why do you think your role at
RVH is so vital to patient care?
It’s not just my role but my team’s
(role). On 3SB, I work with the best
group of nurses. We have become
like a family, supporting each other
through the hard days. I can give
the best possible patient care
because I know I can rely on them.
The encouragement of my colleagues is amazing!
Coming out of school, I felt like my knowledge was
all theoretical. But they gave me confidence in my
practical ability. They boosted me up by saying,
“You have these skills and you know what you’re
doing – go do it.”
Why are you proud to work at RVH?
I’m proud to be part of growth that will serve
the greater community, helping more acutely sick
people. It’s very satisfying to advocate for my
patients and see the results.
Outside of work, what do you like to do?
I like to travel. I’ve been to Costa Rica, the
Dominican Republic, Myrtle Beach, Halifax, and PEI
and I would like to keep adding to my list. I also like
to read the novels of Jodi Picoult.
What advice would you give new graduates?
Nursing has its icky parts and its heroic parts.
You can only experience the rewarding days by
working through the tough, dirty ones.
Courtney tells the story of how, a few years ago,
she saw the compassion nurses gave her own sick
family member. She knew she wanted to do that,
to provide that care and comfort to others one day.
According to her team, that day has come.
A word from our
Patients
Recently I brought my mom in for a colonscopy
– she had a CT reporting what looked suspect
for cancer. I must tell you that the process was
very smooth – everyone knew their job and
worked efficiently – from the registration clerks
and volunteers to the nurses and team leader!
My mom was quite nauseated from the prep and
required many trips to the bathroom before her
procedure, the nurses gave her warm blankets
and allowed her to sit in a recliner chair preprocedure.
Post-procedure, they were kind and
compassionate while she slowly awoke. Team
leader Lisa was great – she introduced herself
and made sure my mom was comfortable while
managing the flow in the department, and RN
Tammy was great as she prepared my mom for
the procedure and cared for her post-procedure.
Everyone introduced themselves with their
name and their position – we were put at ease
with the professionalism and compassion we
experienced. Please commend your staff for their
outstanding work.
Best regards,
K.S.
R V H R O YA L R E V I E W
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department news included in the
Royal Review? If so, please contact:
Jennifer Moore
Corporate Communications
Ext. 41618
moorej@rvh.on.ca
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