Best Medicine Matters Summer 2013

S U M M E R 2013
Using a Virus to
Stop Cancer
in its Tracks
eMeds:
Increasing Safety
for our Tiniest Patients
An Inside Look at the
Heart in Action
A
New Life
After Cancer
Innovation
at our
Hospital
A PUBLICATION OF THE MOUNT SINAI HOSPITAL FOUNDATION
Dr. Andrea McCart,
Surgical Oncologist
MESSAGE FROM KEVIN
Delivering on the
promise of providing
the best medicine and
best patient experience
requires daily focus and
a relentless pursuit of
excellence in all we do.
In this issue of The Best Medicine Matters, you
will see concrete examples of how Mount Sinai
is using technology and innovation in every
area of the Hospital to improve how we care
for our patients, improve health outcomes and
make the experience a truly positive one that
stands out in Canada.
Our improvements span the range of how to
have nurses’ time spent more with patients
and less on paperwork; of getting patients
through and out of the Hospital more quickly
and with the right care; and in inventing
new care paradigms (using viruses or heated
chemotherapy to kill cancer).
All of the innovations you read about here
would not be possible without donor funding.
Philanthropy is at our core, and for decades
has allowed us to experiment and develop
better ways of caring for patients.
As you read this issue, I hope you see how your
gifts help so many others, and how deeply we
are committed to our mission of providing the
best patient experience in Canada.
Thank you for your support.
INNOVATION IN: SPECIALIZED CANCER CARE
The innovative work of surgical oncologist Dr. Andrea McCart underscores
why Mount Sinai Hospital is a leader in specialized cancer care. Her expertise
in advanced ovarian and other peritoneal cancers (cancers in the abdominal
cavity) has the potential to change the way these diseases are treated well into
the future. Below are two examples of Dr. McCart’s groundbreaking work.
With HIPEC,
we are literally bathing
the organs in
chemotherapy so that
Using a Virus to Stop Cancer in its Tracks
no area is
untouched.
A highly anticipated trial for advanced ovarian cancer led by Dr. McCart will
use oncolytic virotherapy — a promising new approach that uses viruses to
target and destroy cancer cells.
“An important benefit we have seen thus far is the ability to hone in on cancer
cells in a non-toxic way,” explains Dr. McCart. “Because the viruses directly
target the cancer cells and leave the healthy cells alone, the traditional side
effects are minimized and patients’ quality of life is greatly improved.”
How do viruses help kill cancer? “The viruses specifically target cancer cells
and reproduce inside them,” says Dr. McCart. “This tells the cancer cell
to self-destruct, releasing the virus to target neighbouring cancer cells.”
In addition, the viral infection stimulates the immune system, which
amplifies the cancer-killing response.
Dr. McCart’s study, which was recently approved by Health Canada, will
investigate the impact of oncolytic virotherapy on advanced ovarian cancer,
offering new hope to women impacted by this difficult-to-treat disease.
Targeting Hard-to-Reach Tumours
According to the Colon Cancer Association of Canada, peritoneal cancers
can be difficult to treat and demonstrate poor success rates with traditional
chemotherapy. These cancers originate in the abdominal cavity or have spread
there, most commonly from cancers of the appendix, colon, stomach or ovary.
The very location of these tumours makes them hard to reach with traditional
chemotherapy administered through the bloodstream.
Sincerely,
Kevin Goldthorp
President, Mount Sinai Hospital Foundation
Executive Vice-President, Advancement,
Mount Sinai Hospital
We want to hear from you!
Tell us what you want to read about.
Contact Jyll Weinberg-Martin at
jweinberg-martin@mtsinai.on.ca
2 T H E B E ST M E D I C I N E M ATT E R S
or 416-586-8203 ext. 8832.
A groundbreaking treatment, called Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy
(HIPEC), can directly target these hard-to-reach tumours. Thanks to a successful
pilot program developed by Dr. McCart, Mount Sinai has become the first
hospital in Ontario to offer the HIPEC treatment.
According to Dr. McCart, HIPEC has significant advantages over traditional chemotherapy.
“The fact that it is heated makes it more effective because, compared with normal
cells, cancer cells do not tolerate heat well,” she explains. Other advantages of HIPEC
include the ability to:
HIPEC involves two steps: the first is surgery where all visible tumours
within the abdominal cavity are removed. The second involves filling
the entire cavity with heated chemotherapy. “It is literally bathing the
organs in chemotherapy so that no area is untouched,” explains Dr. McCart.
“Every effort is made to ensure that all cancer cells are eliminated.”
The extremely complicated procedure can take up to 20 hours.
• Use higher doses of chemotherapy compared with traditional treatment;
• Concentrate the chemotherapy treatment to the targeted area; and
• Minimize side effects to the rest of the body.
Read on to
learn about the
leading-edge
innovation taking place
at Mount Sinai today.
With the pilot phase of the program complete, Mount Sinai is now a recognized
treatment centre for the HIPEC procedure. Dr. McCart looks forward to offering this
promising treatment to many more patients in the years to come.
T H E B E ST M E D I C I N E M ATT E R S 3
INNOVATION IN: PATIENT CARE
HEALTHY AGING 101
A New Life
after Cancer
Hospitalist: Collaborative Care
for Complex Cases
With more people beating cancer and living
longer lives, it is of paramount importance
to consider how current treatments impact
quality of life after cancer. For many
adults, this means the opportunity to have
children. The mainstays of treatment —
chemotherapy, radiation and surgery — can
have a significant impact on the fertility of
both women and men. If cancer patients
foresee children in their future, they should
be referred to a centre with significant
expertise in fertility preservation.
Mount Sinai Hospital’s Centre for Fertility
& Reproductive Health uses state-of-the-art
techniques to preserve fertility, while offering
expedited services to cancer patients to avoid
delaying cancer treatment. It also partners
with the Power of Hope Cost Reduction
Program to provide compassionate pricing to
qualifying patients. “We work with patients’
oncologists, whether they are at Mount Sinai
or elsewhere, to ensure the best possible
outcomes for each individual,” explains
Dr. Ellen Greenblatt, the Centre’s Director. “We
understand that this is a very difficult time
for patients. We have the knowledge and
experience to answer their questions, provide
the best available evidence, and help them
make the best decisions for their future.”
knowledge
and experience to
We have the
answer their questions,
provide the
best available
evidence,
and help them make the
best decisions
for their future.
4 T H E B E ST M E D I C I N E M ATT E R S
“These tips are based
on the best evidence
available today.
Individuals who
include these habits
as part of their daily
lives repeatedly
demonstrate
improved health
and quality of life as
they age. They can be
incorporated at any
age, and can make a
significant difference.”
— DR. SAMIR SINHA ,
D I R EC TO R O F
G E R I AT R I C S
Samantha Yee and
Dr. Ellen Greenblatt
The most common technique, called
cryopreservation, involves the freezing
of eggs, sperm or embryos prior to
undergoing cancer treatment. Patients
can return to the Centre once their
cancer treatment is complete to begin
their journey toward pregnancy. Though
success cannot be guaranteed, many
people are able to achieve a successful
06482_20130523_0240.NEF
pregnancy
through the use of assisted
reproductive technologies.
The Centre is also actively engaged in
research relevant to fertility preservation,
including a focus on common practices
among Ontario oncologists — a project
funded by Mount Sinai Hospital
Auxiliary’s Rose Torno Bursary Award.
“We found that even though the majority
of oncologists agreed that cancer patients
should be offered the opportunity for fertility
06482_20130523_0242.NEF
preservation,
74 per cent rarely or never
modify cancer treatment due to fertility
concerns,” explains Samantha Yee, social
worker at the Centre and lead author on
the study. “This is of significant concern,
Left to right: Dr. Christine Soong meets with colleagues Christina Fabbruzzo-Cota and Raynia Sauvageau
to discuss a patient’s care plan.
Imagine an older patient who has
sustained a hip fracture. Normally, that
patient would be admitted to hospital
for surgery, with an orthopaedic surgeon
providing and managing the care. Now
imagine that patient also has diabetes
complicated by circulatory issues.
The management of this patient’s care
then becomes far more complex.
06482_20130523_0241.NEF
because when you examine research
collected on female cancer patients, having
the opportunity to preserve their fertility is
of the utmost importance,” says Yee. “We
are incredibly grateful to the Auxiliary for
its philanthropic support, which is helping
us understand these gaps and how to
best address them for cancer patients.”
Clinical and research programs for fertility
preservation at Mount Sinai are leading the
06482_20130523_0243.NEF
way in this important
area of patient care.
Read about one mom’s successful
pregnancy following cancer treatment
on page 12.
To properly care for patients with multiple
conditions, Mount Sinai has launched
an innovative new model of care: the
hospitalist service. The hospitalist is a
physician — an integral member of the
care team — who co-ordinates care for
patients with complex health problems.
Dr. Christine Soong, the hospitalist at
Mount Sinai, works with hip fracture
patients and manages their day-to-day
issues both before and after surgery.
Patients and families receive one-on-one
attention from Dr. Soong, allowing
surgical teams to spend more time in
the operating room. One of the many
benefits of this service is a 21 per cent
reduction in wait times for hip surgery
at the Hospital and the lowest wait
times for knee replacements in Ontario.
21%
reduction in wait
times for hip surgery.
Dr. Soong also works with medical
residents in the General Internal Medicine
unit to expedite the process of admitting
patients into the unit who have come to
the Hospital via the Schwartz/Reisman
Emergency Centre. This has resulted in
a 40 per cent reduction in admission
times from 5.2 to 3.1 hours.
“The overall objective of the hospitalist
role is to improve the quality of
patient care,” says Dr. Soong, who
has been with Mount Sinai since 2011.
“It is beneficial for everyone, as patients
feel more confident when they have
this level of support and continuity of
care, and hospital processes become far
more efficient. It allows us all to do our
jobs better, and that ultimately impacts
patients in a very positive way.”
While some people search for the elusive fountain
of youth, Mount Sinai Hospital’s Dr. Samir Sinha,
Director of Geriatrics and Provincial Lead, Ontario’s
Seniors Strategy, shares his top 10 tips on how
to live a long and healthy life.
1
Eat breakfast
2
Eat fruits and vegetables daily
3
Keep your weight under control
4
Exercise regularly
5
Don’t smoke
6
Limit your alcohol consumption
7
Establish your own sense of purpose
8
Participate in meaningful social activities regularly
9
Take time to relieve stress
10
Get a good night’s sleep
T H E B E ST M E D I C I N E M ATT E R S 5
INNOVATION IN: CONTINUING EDUCATION AND QUALITY IMPROVEMENT
Innovative Support for Clinicians
Releasing Time to Care
Being part of the hospital team at Mount Sinai means a firm
commitment to providing the best possible care to every
patient. It also means working in a fast-paced, high-stress and
often high-trauma environment on a regular basis. Mount Sinai
has made it a priority to ensure its front-line caregivers have
the tools necessary to succeed in this setting.
Nurses at Mount Sinai are eager to
find team-based solutions that deliver
better health care. The Hospital’s nursing
leadership team is championing many
quality improvement programs, including
an exciting initiative from the U.K.’s National
Health Service called Releasing Time to
Care. Mount Sinai has been one of the first
Canadian hospitals to adopt the program.
The Mount Sinai Employee Emotional Well-Being Committee
recently held an innovative workshop led by a certified mental
health counsellor and workplace specialist. Employees were
given time to reflect on their current practices and were then
introduced to evidence-based strategies, coping mechanisms
and resources for support to help them deal with the stress
of life in a hospital setting.
Programs like these will continue to help clinicians remain
healthy in the challenging hospital environment and
ultimately help them provide the very best care.
Jocelyn Bennett, Senior Director of the
Daryl A. Katz Centre for Urgent and Critical Care
At the HEART of What We Do
The ultimate goal of Releasing Time to Care is
to bring nurses back to the patient’s bedside.
Making small yet impactful changes to
working areas, such as rearranging work
environments to make equipment more
accessible, or reducing process duplication
and streamlining redundant procedures,
has increased nurses’ direct time spent with
patients by almost 10 per cent in just
three months, with unprecedented levels
of collaboration between clinicians.
“The results from our pilot program
were transformational in terms of the way
our staff approached their work,” says
Jocelyn Bennett, Senior Director of the
Daryl A. Katz Centre for Urgent and Critical
Care. “We began seeing a positive impact
that transcends all our quality improvement
metrics, such as infection control, patient
safety and staff satisfaction.”
With 11 units already demonstrating
significant success, more units are
scheduled to implement the program
in the coming year.
Candid Discussions about Patient Safety
Mount Sinai Hospital is continually striving to strengthen
the service it provides for patients and their families.
This is why the Hospital is the first in Canada to adopt
the Cleveland Clinic’s world-class service excellence
program, Service with HEART.
Dr. Matthew
Morgan (left),
shown here with
Patient Navigator
David Wells
6 T H E B E ST M E D I C I N E M ATT E R S
Service with HEART promotes a consistent level of service
excellence in all interactions with patients, families and
fellow staff. Dr. Matthew Morgan, Vice-President, Patient
Experience and Outcomes, is a key driver of this program.
“Whether we are answering a question at the front desk,
speaking with a patient on the telephone or connecting
with patients and family at the bedside, the Service with
HEART tools help strengthen communications skills,
bolster our service-oriented approach to care and ensure
that staff are equipped to handle stressful situations,”
explains Dr. Morgan. Tools include strategies for conducting
respectful and empathetic interactions with patients,
as well as resources outlining conflict resolution.
Service with HEART is one of many new initiatives
ensuring that every patient experience at Mount Sinai
exceeds expectations.
Members of the Cardiology Department and the Senior Management Team work together at the Patient Safety Leadership Walkaround
Patient Safety Leadership Walkarounds represent a best practice in
patient safety, led by Mount Sinai’s President and CEO, Joseph Mapa,
and supported by the Office of Patient Experience and Outcomes.
Each month the senior leadership team at the Hospital is invited
to a clinical unit, where clinicians openly and candidly share
experiences and opportunities for safety and quality improvement.
Some important outcomes from recent walkarounds include:
“The discussions focus on four key areas: safety and quality,
the experience, access and flow, and financial health,” explains
Dr. Matthew Morgan, Vice-President, Patient Experience and
Outcomes. “We ask ourselves how we are doing, and how
we can do better.”
• The purchase of new equipment to reduce injuries to nurses
and patients during patient repositioning and relocation.
• Installation of patient alarms in the medium and high-risk areas
of our Special Pregnancy Unit so patients can immediately access
the care they need;
• The purchase of special mattresses to prevent pressure sores
for patients on prolonged bed rest; and
Collaboration, communication and honest dialogue are the recipe
for success to ensure the safest and most positive hospital experience
for all Mount Sinai patients and staff.
T H E B E ST M E D I C I N E M ATT E R S 7
INNOVATION IN: TECHNOLOGY FOR THE CARE OF WOMEN AND INFANTS
eMeds: Increasing Safety for our Tiniest Patients
Mount Sinai Hospital is now in the exclusive company
of only 2.3 per cent of all Canadian hospitals, having
an advanced computerized drug ordering system in
its neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
Compared with handwritten prescriptions that
can be difficult to decipher, electronic ordering
of medications (eMeds) greatly enhances
safety for our tiniest and most fragile patients.
NICU physicians can now select from predefined
electronic drug orders that scan the patient’s
record to check for allergies or critical medication
interactions. It also incorporates the patient’s
weight to ensure proper dosing — a crucial factor
in the NICU when weights can change dramatically
from day to day.
Electronic Health Record for Pregnant Women
“Safety has always been a top priority for our hospital,
and this system is a huge enabler of safe practice,”
says Nely Amaral, Quality and Safety Nurse in the NICU.
This technology is now live throughout most of the
Hospital and continues to be deployed to remaining
clinical units across Mount Sinai.
Safety has always been a
top priority for our hospital,
and this system is a huge enabler of
safe practice.
A Tracking Solution for Babies with RSV
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a respiratory
infection in very young children, normally causing
nothing more than a common cold. However, babies
born prematurely or those with compromised health
are at a greater risk of severe infection, often requiring
hospitalization. To prevent this, at-risk babies are given
a strict regimen of prophylactic medication during
RSV season, which includes several injections over
the first two years of life.
Complicating this treatment regimen is the fact that,
once discharged from their birth hospitals, these
babies often receive care at many different facilities.
As a result, monitoring the timing of all five shots
becomes increasingly difficult. With 40 per cent of
all Ontario pre-term babies (younger than 33 weeks
gestation) being born at Mount Sinai, the Hospital took
an active role in remedying this challenging situation.
A tri-hospital collaborative involving Mount Sinai,
Sunnybrook and SickKids hospitals spearheaded
the creation of an innovative tracking system,
which was specially developed by the Mount Sinai
Hospital Informatics Department. The system
successfully co-ordinates treatment administration
across the three hospitals and various other sites,
to ensure each baby receives the correct number
of doses at the correct time. Care providers
and parents also receive email or text message
reminders when an infant requires an injection.
The system is hosted and managed at Mount Sinai,
with many new centres regularly requesting
access to ensure effective RSV prophylaxis for
their own young patients.
As one of the busiest birthing hospitals in the
country, Mount Sinai will be one of the first in
Canada to incorporate a fully electronic health
record for pregnant women. With many women
receiving the full continuum of care at the Hospital
— from prenatal care right through to delivery
and post-partum care — an electronic record of
all pertinent information allows for seamless
integration of care at all points of contact.
Barb Duffey-Rosenstein, Director of Nursing
Information Technology at Mount Sinai, explains
the significant benefits of an electronic versus
a paper-based system. “When a woman comes
to deliver her baby at the hospital, clinicians need
immediate access to her records,” explains Barb.
“With a paper-based system, this can involve
faxing, scanning and copying charts from various
units and clinics and trying to decipher the pertinent
information needed to properly care for her during
delivery. With an electronic record, all the relevant
information is right there at the clinician’s fingertips.
It’s a safer and far more efficient way to manage
the care of one of our largest patient populations.”
This program is being rolled out over the next
two years at Mount Sinai.
EXERCISE FOR
HEART HEALTH
INNOVATIONS IN: RESEARCH
An Inside Look at the Heart in Action
Printing New Joints with a 3D Printer
2
3
1
4
1. The athlete, Gerard, cycling hard while a synchronized team monitors his every move.
2. Echocardiographic images of Gerard’s heart during exercise.
3. Charts monitor and measure pressures, recorded from a catheter in Gerard’s pulmonary artery.
4. Watching it all unfold: (L to R) Dr. Susanna Mak, Dianne Locke (catheterization lab research nurse)
and Dr. Jack Goodman.
How does Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt’s
heart differ from that of a couch potato?
What limits our ability to exercise as
we get older? These are some of the
burning questions on the minds of
Dr. Susanna Mak — a cardiologist and
researcher at Mount Sinai Hospital,
and Dr. Jack Goodman — a University
of Toronto exercise physiologist.
Halting Type 2
Diabetes in its Tracks
Patients at Mount Sinai’s Leadership
Sinai Centre for Diabetes not only receive
excellent clinical care, but with the Samuel
Lunenfeld Research Institute ranking
number one in diabetes research among
academic hospitals worldwide, patients
have the added benefit of participating in
leading-edge clinical trials that would not
be available to them elsewhere. One such
study aims to utilize an innovative strategy
to put Type 2 diabetes into remission.
Dr. Ravi Retnakaran
How they are answering these questions
is the most exciting part: they are literally
Led by clinician-scientist Dr. Ravi Retnakaran,
this new study at the Lunenfeld draws
1 0 T H E B E ST M E D I C I N E M ATT E R S
watching the human heart perform
in real time during strenuous exercise.
It’s some of the most cutting-edge
clinical research ever performed, taking
place in one of the only labs in the world
to make it possible: The Mecklinger and
Posluns Cardiac Catheterization Research
Laboratory at Mount Sinai.
“We are currently studying healthy,
middle-aged endurance athletes by
inserting a pressure-monitoring catheter
into the chambers of the heart, and
performing ultrasound imaging of the
heart, all while they perform a highly
strenuous ride on a specialized stationary
bike. It takes a large team to orchestrate
these studies,” explains Dr. Mak.
The goal is to translate these findings into
new ways to care for patients. “We hope
to develop exercise prescriptions that could
delay some of the physical limitations of
aging,” says Dr. Mak. “Now that we can
gather this information in such an accurate
manner, there are so many possibilities,
and so many ways we can impact patients
— athletes or not. This is the beginning of
a very exciting new phase of knowledge.”
on recent findings by Mount Sinai
researchers which revealed a potential
for the disease to be halted in its tracks.
“When we treat patients temporarily
with intensive insulin therapy for three
weeks early in the course of disease, it
is possible to improve the ability of the
body to make and use its own insulin,
potentially reversing Type 2 diabetes in
its early stages,” explains Dr. Retnakaran.
The goal with this new clinical trial is
to reverse the disease and keep diabetes
in remission permanently.
Dr. Rita Kandel
Imagine the day when doctors repair
damaged, diseased or arthritic joints
with new ones — not made of titanium
or plastic — but from a patient’s very
own tissue. Driven by new research,
that day is swiftly approaching.
Dr. Rita Kandel and her colleagues
at Mount Sinai Hospital’s Centre
for Regenerative Medicine and
Musculoskeletal Research are
pioneering an entirely new frontier in
Canada: the use of three-dimensional
printing to construct replacement parts
that mimic the patient’s own joint.
Joint replacements — such as artificial
knees and hips — are increasingly
common and are often essential for people
with failing joints. Despite being built of
advanced materials, current replacement
parts aren’t as durable as the original joints,
with these ‘bio-replacements’ aiming to
overcome many of the current limitations.
“This is a real meeting of minds,” explains
Dr. Kandel, who is collaborating with
scientists from the Lunenfeld as well as
other Canadian centres. “Our colleague
at the University of Waterloo uses 3D
printing to literally construct the joint
using biodegradable material. We then
use the patient’s stem cells to grow actual
tissue (e.g., cartilage) on the joint. The
original damaged joint will be replaced
by one made entirely of the patient’s
own tissues. It’s quite extraordinary.”
The future for those requiring joint
replacements may get much brighter as
a result of this leading-edge research.
Dr. Susanna Mak is a cardiologist and researcher at Mount Sinai Hospital and an Associate
Professor at the University of Toronto, Department of Medicine. Dr. Ravi Retnakaran is an
endocrinologist at Mount Sinai’s Leadership Sinai Centre for Diabetes, an Associate Scientist with
Mount Sinai’s Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute and an Associate Professor at the University
of Toronto, Department of Medicine. Dr. Rita Kandel is a clinician-scientist and Chief of Pathology
and Laboratory Medicine at Mount Sinai, and is an Associate Member of the Lunenfeld.
“You don’t need to be an elite athlete to
achieve heart health. Incorporating regular
physical activity into your daily routine
can improve your cardiovascular health
significantly, as well as your overall wellness.”
— D R . D AV I D W. TA N N E N B A U M ,
FA M I LY P H Y S I C I A N - I N - C H I E F
Exercise is a major contributor to cardiovascular health.
The goal is to achieve 150 minutes of moderate to
vigorous physical activity each week. You can start
slowly and work up to your target. Here are just a
few reasons why exercise is so important:
• Regular exercise can help you maintain
a healthy body weight. That alone may
help reduce your risk of many of the major
diseases of our time — obesity, diabetes,
cardiovascular disease and more.
• Physical activity lowers your blood pressure
and increases the beneficial type of cholesterol
in your blood — both of which are major risk
factors for heart attack and stroke.
• Exercise helps combat stress.
• Exercising regularly may inspire you to make
other healthy lifestyle choices — eating well,
getting enough sleep, and not smoking
or consuming excessive alcohol.
Get started today — being physically active is one
of the single best things you can do for your health.
Be sure to speak with your doctor before starting
or changing your exercise regimen.
T H E B E ST M E D I C I N E M ATT E R S 11
ONCOFERTILITY: A PATIENT STORY
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Rosh Hashanah is early* this year! Why not recognize the special people in your life by making a donation
to Mount Sinai in their honour? Share your list of loved ones, friends and colleagues with us and we will
send them lovely Rosh Hashanah cards on your behalf. You will be sharing warm wishes on this special
occasion, and will also be supporting the best patient care at Mount Sinai Hospital.
Order your cards or ecards today at supportsinai.ca or by
calling us at 416-586-8203 ext. 8328.
Jill, with her
two-year-old
son Logan.
*Rosh Hashanah begins on September 4, 2013.
At 36 years of age, a breast cancer diagnosis
was the last thing I was expecting.
Nor was I expecting to be confronted
with major life decisions about my future
as a result of the cancer treatment.
However, what started as a nightmare
ended with the biggest miracle of my life.
conceiving a child. I immediately asked if I
could be referred to the Mount Sinai Centre
for Fertility & Reproductive Health, as I
knew they offered fertility preservation for
oncology patients — freezing of eggs, sperm
or embryos to be used at a later date.
I got an appointment the very next day.
One of the first thoughts I had after I was
diagnosed was about the impact of cancer
treatment on my ability to have a child.
The question entered my mind quickly
and never let up. In advance of my first
oncology appointment, I began a quest for
information on the subject. I was surprised
and profoundly disappointed that many
people told me that I should deal with
cancer first and address any fertility
issues down the road. In my head, that
meant waiting until there was nothing
I could do. I was very much of the mind
that there would be life after cancer,
and for me, that life included a child.
At my first appointment at Mount Sinai,
I knew I had made the right decision.
My physician was so confident and
optimistic; she gave me a realistic picture
of the chances of success and reassured
me that they would work with my
oncologist. From the very beginning,
she kept saying, “We can do this.” It gave
me a lot of hope. I was also informed
about Mount Sinai’s compassionate
financial assistance program, which
was a significant relief to me.
At my first oncology appointment, my
fears were confirmed: the treatment could
significantly decrease my chances of
1 2 T H E B E ST M E D I C I N E M ATT E R S
There were a lot of big decisions to make
in a tight timeframe, but I knew all along
that this was what I had to do. When all was
said and done, I had 13 frozen embryos
that would be ready for when my partner
and I decided to start a family.
That time came when I was 41 years old
and my cancer treatment was complete.
I underwent all the necessary procedures,
ending with the transfer of embryos into
my uterus. From that point on, my life
was forever altered.
With the birth of our beautiful son,
Logan, all my dreams came true. He is
my little miracle. Now two years old, he
has boundless energy and is full of love,
and has brought so much joy to our lives.
I am so grateful for the wonderful care
I received at Mount Sinai. I don’t know
if we’d have Logan without them.
After going through this incredible process,
I now feel strongly that individuals of
childbearing age who are facing cancer
treatment need to be made aware early
on that their future fertility may be
impacted. Not all oncologists may know
about the resources available at places
like Mount Sinai. I strongly urge people
to do their own research, and understand
that for many people, there is life after
cancer. In my case — a very happy one.
Presenting Sponsor
T H E B E ST M E D I C I N E M ATT E R S 13
SINAI ON THE SCENE
NEWS
Exchange Program with Israel Hospital
Recent Fundraising Updates!
Mount Sinai has had a very successful and busy few months
of fundraising events!
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(L to R): Dr. Moshe Eizenman, University Health Network, Dr. Mirit Lahav,
Meir Medical Centre, Dr. Maureen Shandling, Deputy Physician-in-Chief,
Staff Neurologist, Mount Sinai Hospital, Dr. Doron Netzer, Deputy CEO,
Meir Medical Centre, Joseph Mapa, President and CEO, Mount Sinai Hospital
and Dr. Gary Newton, Interim Physician-in-Chief and Cardiology Division
Head, Mount Sinai Hospital.
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Mount Sinai Hospital was delighted to recently host Dr. Mirit Lahav,
a physician from Meir Medical Centre in Israel, as the beginning of
a new intensive care unit (ICU) exchange program. One of many
partnerships with Israel, the Meir-Mount Sinai ICU Exchange Program
aims to provide opportunities for specialists from both hospitals to
interact and gain exposure to different clinical practices and treatment
approaches. Through the leadership of Dr. Stephen Lapinsky,
Mount Sinai Hospital’s ICU Site Director, and Dr. Lahav, the exchange
program will also provide opportunities for ICU education and
simulation-teaching, joint research projects and quality assurance.
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Improving Heart Health for Diabetics
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1. Brooms Up! participants (L to R): Nathan Perlis,
Bram Belzberg, Richard Meloff and Lenny Burger.
2. At the Harry Barberian Memorial Dinner (L to R):
Joseph Mapa, President and CEO of Mount Sinai
Hospital, Dr. Jay Wunder, Surgeon-in-Chief at
Mount Sinai Hospital, guests Andrew Pringle,
Richard Pilosof, Foundation Board member,
and Dr. Ian Witterick, Otolaryngologist-in-Chief
at Mount Sinai Hospital.
3. At the Harry Barberian Memorial Dinner (L to R):
Hockey legend Darryl Sittler, Dr. Jeremy Freeman,
Otolaryngologist at Mount Sinai Hospital and
Ben Mulroney, host of CTV’s eTalk.
4. At the Harry Barberian Memorial Dinner (L to R):
Dr. Jeremy Freeman, Otolaryngologist at
Mount Sinai Hospital, guests Esther and Samuel
Sarick and Arron Barberian.
5. Scotch Rocks event (L to R): Event Co-Chairs Andrew
Phillips and Alan Greenberg, Dr. Keith Jarvi, Head of
Urology and Director of Mount Sinai’s Murray Koffler
Urologic Wellness Centre, Jay Hennick, Mount Sinai
Hospital Board Chair, Joseph Mapa, President and
CEO of Mount Sinai Hospital, Robert Deluce, CEO
1 4 T H E B E ST M E D I C I N E M ATT E R S
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of Porter Airlines (event sponsor), Brent Belzberg,
Foundation Board Chair and Kevin Goldthorp,
Foundation President and Executive Vice-President,
Advancement, Mount Sinai Hospital.
6. Dinner with Scientists 2013 (L to R):
Lucas Atkins, event Co-Chair, Alicia Markson,
event host, Bill Arvanitis, event Co-Chair and
Shawn Mecklinger, Chair of Leadership Sinai.
7. Dinner with Scientists 2013 (L to R):
Leadership Sinai members Elana Metter,
Aaron Leibtag and Niky Rausch.
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8. Brooms Up! participants (L to R):
Jessica Browman, Merrick Gollan-Kopman
and Rochelle Waxman.
9. Mark Laverdiere, Brand Ambassador,
The Macallan, pouring scotch for guests
at Scotch Rocks.
10. Celebrating the Auxiliary’s 60th anniversary
at the Champagne Tea (L to R): Fashion icon
Jeanne Beker, Shawn Gibson, owner of
Teatro Verde, event Chair Carole Grafstein,
and guest Jeannie Tanenbaum.
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A new study published in the prestigious journal
Nature Medicine demonstrates how a specific
class of glucose lowering drugs commonly used
for diabetes can also help lower a patient’s
blood pressure, thereby significantly decreasing
their risk of a heart attack or stroke. This
Dr. Daniel Drucker
exciting new discovery, led by Lunenfeld
Senior Investigator Dr. Daniel Drucker, could
help millions of Type 2 diabetes patients lower their risk for two
of the most common complications associated with the disease.
Mount Sinai Hospital Launches Largest
Canadian Study of its Kind
Building on Mount Sinai’s growing clinical expertise in women’s
and infants’ health, the Hospital has just launched the largest
Canadian study of its kind to track the health of women and
their babies. Thousands of women will participate in the Ontario
Birth Study to help understand how genes and the environment
interact to shape our potential risks. Led by Drs. Alan Bocking and
Stephen Lye, Lunenfeld scientists and world renowned experts
in developmental health, a team of more than 30 clinicians and
research staff are associated with this important study that will
help transform the standard of care for women and their babies.
More than 100 people helped
toast the 60th anniversary of the
Mount Sinai Hospital Auxiliary at our
Champagne Tea. The event, Chaired by
Carole Grafstein C.M., was held in May
in the heart of Yorkville at Mount Sinai’s
original location, which is now the
elegant store, Teatro Verde. Guests enjoyed bubbly from
Veuve Clicquot, a lovely selection of tea and sweet and savoury
delights, and raised more than $20,000 for the Hospital.
This past May, Mount Sinai held
Scotch Rocks, an exclusive evening
featuring rare and unique Scotch
whiskies, paired gourmet food,
one-of-a-kind music memorabilia
and a live auction. Co-Chaired
by Alan Greenberg and Andrew Phillips, the event
took place at the Trump International Hotel, with scotch
nosing hosted by Mark Laverdiere. This intimate event
was enjoyed by 40 of Toronto’s most successful
business people and raised $60,000 for Mount Sinai’s
Murray Koffler Urologic Wellness Centre.
Leadership Sinai
and the Annex Shul
joined forces in April
to put on the first
ever Brooms Up! Curl for a Cause. This curling fundraiser,
led by Leadership Sinai’s Shawn Mecklinger and Amy Platt
from the Annex Shul, was attended by 100 young
professionals and raised more than $36,000, half of which
will go towards Leadership Sinai’s pledge to fund a new
surgical suite at Mount Sinai.
Leaders from the
Toronto real estate
industry got together
for an evening
of fundraising at the 7th Annual Hold’em for Life on April 11.
Co-Chaired by Andrew Hoffman and Tony Reale, the event
raised over $700,000 toward breast cancer research
at Mount Sinai, with a special focus on developing new
therapies for advanced breast cancer for which current
therapies often fail.
T H E B E ST M E D I C I N E M ATT E R S 15
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Judith, Orthopaedics
patient, with Dr. Safir
on 11 South.
Every day more than 5,000 physicians,
nurses, allied health staff, support staff
and volunteers work tirelessly to ensure
that Mount Sinai provides the best
patient care. The Grateful Hearts
program is a wonderful
way to say thank you
to someone who
played a meaningful
role in your care.
To find out how you can make a Grateful Hearts donation, please visit gratefulhearts.ca or call 416-586-8203.
DM13 B
1001 – 522 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 1W7
t 416-586-8203 f 416-586-8639
foundation@mtsinai.on.ca mshfoundation.ca
Charitable Registration #119048106 RR0001
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