File - Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

Issue No. 5 June, 2011
Schulich Heart Centre goes wireless
Wireless technology allows nurses to view patients’
heart rate and rhythm on the go
Sunnybrook’s Schulich Heart Centre
is the first in Canada to provide nurses
and other healthcare professionals with
wireless handheld devices to monitor cardiac waveforms and receive critical internal
communications.
“Nurses can now view a patient’s cardiac
waveform on the go,” says Susan Michaud,
operations director of Sunnybrook’s
Schulich Heart Centre. “Having remote
access to alerts and heart equipment alarms
means that there is enhanced communication, allowing the appropriate staff to respond to patients more efficiently.”
Metilda Manuel,
registered nurse
in Sunnybrook’s
Schulich Cardiac
Unit, now has
remote access to
her patients’ cardiac
waveforms.
Cardiac telemetry is the continuous monitoring of a
patient’s heart and rhythm, which generally takes place
at a central monitoring station by a dedicated telemetry
nurse. The technology solution links the hospital’s Philips
cardiac telemetry monitoring system with a handheld
device from Cisco, using event management software
from Philips Emergin. The new technology is in place
in the 16-bed Dr. Brian W. Gilbert CICU and the 36bed Schulich Cardiac Unit (D3) and allows nurses to
view a six-second waveform within a few seconds.
The new solution also reduces ambient noise from overhead pages as handheld devices provide direct communication between staff. “When healthcare providers are
not physically in a patient’s room, they rely on overhead
pages, which can potentially increase the environmental
stress in a hospital unit,” adds Michaud.
continued on page 2
British Medical Journal (BMJ) Quality & Safety, the
leading journal in the fields of quality improvement
and patient safety, has chosen Sunnybrook’s Dr. Kaveh
Shojania as its new editor-in-chief.
“It is truly an honour to be chosen as editor-in-chief for
this esteemed journal,” says Dr. Shojania, also director
of the University of Toronto Centre for Patient Safety.
“Particularly as it is a publication that has the highest
impact factor in the fields that I am passionate about patient safety and quality improvement.”
Dr. Shojania has already started to oversee editorial
work at BMJ Quality & Safety (formerly Quality and
Safety in Health Care), and his first editorial in the April
2011 issue describes some of the changes to the journal’s content.
“The main change will be to complement the highquality research already published in the journal with
practical review articles on important topics in the field,
pragmatic reports of improvement efforts, and more
Though they’re considered “lifestyle” operations, having hips and knees replaced is no small undertaking.
In the post-operative period, patients risk developing
blood clots in their veins, or even worse, having one of
those clots travel from their legs to their lungs, which,
in extreme situations, can result in death.
Those odds are slim, but they were still too high for Dr.
John Murnaghan at Sunnybrook’s Research Institute.
Sunnybrook doctor selected as new
editor-in-chief for prestigious
medical journal
Dr. Shojania has been director of the U of T Centre
for Patient Safety since it opened in 2009. The Centre
brings together experts from numerous faculties and
hospitals at the University of Toronto to provide leadership in patient safety education, complemented by research programs and collaborative networks within the
Toronto Academic Health Science Network (TAHSN)
and the broader health care system. It has two hub
sites: Sunnybrook and Sick Kids. At Sunnybrook, Dr.
Shojania works closely with Dr. Edward Etchells, one
of the two associate directors for the Centre and the site
lead. Dr. Anne Matlow is the site lead at Sick Kids.
Small pill…
big difference
Until the end of 2008, Dr. Murnaghan and his team
were using Coumadin, an oral anticoagulant, or blood
thinner, which provided protection for the Holland
Centre’s joint replacement patients from the risk of
clot-related conditions such as deep vein thrombosis
or pulmonary embolisms. This medication took several
days to become effective and not all patients achieved
a therapeutic level of anticoagulation by the time they
were discharged. With hospital stays after surgery becoming shorter and shorter, they needed to find something that worked faster and more effectively.
In collaboration with Dr. W. Geerts and the
Thromboembolism Service, they looked into the
evidence to support the use of a new anticoagulant,
Rivaroxaban (trade name Xarelto), an oral anticoagulant approved for marketing by Health Canada in
2008, but still not widely used. Dr. Murnaghan and
his group are conducting a prospective observational
study with the drug. The team has followed-up 700
joint replacement patients for a three-month period
since June 2010. Their goal is 4,000 participants over
the next year and a half.
As the trial continues, Dr. Murnaghan and his team
are cautiously optimistic. “I think it’s more effective
than what we were using before, and I think overall, it’s
good for the patients.”
MairiAnna Bachinsky
Hip replacement patients
risk developing
blood clots after
surgery.
Dr. Kaveh Shojania, director of the U of T Centre for Patient Safety, is
the new editor-in-chief of the prestigious journal BMJ Quality & Safety.
commentaries and general articles on important issues
in the field,” says Dr. Shojania.
The journal receives approximately 1,000 manuscripts
a year, and has an acceptance rate of approximately 20
per cent. The journal has also increased in frequency
from bimonthly to monthly, reflecting the substantial
increase in submissions in recent years.
The name change to BMJ Quality & Safety reflects the
co-ownership of the journal by the British Medical
Journal Group (BMJ Group), which publishes 32 journals including the prestigious British Medical Journal,
as well as the BMJ’s interest in profiling work in quality
improvement and patient safety.
Laura Bristow
Join us in the fight
against cancer
Friday, June 17, 2011 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Sunnybrook Park, Toronto, Ontario
In support of
Join the fight today! Register your team
at relayforlife.ca/torontocentral
Sunnybrook Tory Trauma Centre
Sunnybrook takes
celebrates 35 years, Injury Prevention cardiac health to
heart
Program celebrates 25!
Over the past 35 years, Sunnybrook Health Sciences
Centre’s Tory Regional Trauma Centre has cared for
more than 20,000 patients. The Centre achieved a 91
per cent survival rate in 2011, despite increases in the
severity of injuries.
Since 1976, the Tory Regional Trauma Centre at
Sunnybrook has had a legacy of treating some of the
most critically ill and injured patients in the province.
On May 5, the Program recognized its 35-year anniversary as well as the 25-year anniversary of the RBC
First Office for Injury Prevention by hosting a Trauma
and Injury Prevention Expo that featured 20 interactive
displays from their many internal and external partners.
“To mark 35 years of expert and compassionate care
and to highlight the ongoing work of the unit, the
Trauma and Injury Prevention Expo is a fascinating way
to demonstrate just what our slogan ‘When It Matters
Most’ really means,” says Barry McLellan, Sunnybrook
president and CEO. “Our Trauma team certainly demonstrates this concept every day, as they are there for
people during some of the most critical moments in
their lives.”
At the Expo, visitors had the chance to go through various trauma scenarios: starting with the 911 call and the
EMS response, through to the trauma room, operating room and other specialized units. Guest speakers
included The Honourable David C. Onley, lieutenant
governor of Ontario and Jennifer Tory, Chair of the
Campaign for Sunnybrook, among others. Each shared
their unique perspective on the continuum of trauma
care.
Joanne Banfield, the Expo’s organizer and manager of
the RBC First Office for Injury Prevention says, “Part
of our role as health care professionals is to spread the
message that prevention is just as important as treatment. That is why the Expo shows so many different
aspects of care, we want to illustrate that the process
does not start and stop in the trauma room. Hopefully
our guests will learn from the day and see that by making smart choices, they can minimize their risk.”
Laura Bristow
From left to right: Barry McLellan,president
& CEO, Sunnybrook; Jennifer Tory, Chair,
Campaign for Sunnybrook; The Honourable
David C. Onley, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario;
Joanne Banfield, Injury Prevention, Sunnybrook;
Dr. Andrew McCallum, chief coroner for Ontario.
New online surveillance eNurse is
convenient and prevents spread of
infection
Sunnybrook’s Occupational Health and Safety department has launched a new online form to allow staff to
report symptoms online and clear themselves to return
to work. The form is part of the Healthy Workplace
Policy, the hospital’s commitment to minimizing the
risk of spreading infection in the workplace to provide
a healthy environment for staff, volunteers, patients and
visitors.
The form is easily completed in just a few minutes from
a computer at home or at the workplace. Staff can
respond to yes/no questions online about their symptoms. All information is automatically stored in the
Occupational Health and Safety Department’s secure
and confidential database.
To use the new tool, simply visit the Sunnynet homepage, locate the “Have you been ill?” panel on the left
side and click on “Report symptoms / Return to work”.
Then enter your first and last name and birth date, and
follow the instructions to complete the form.
The new online tool can be used by staff for reporting
symptoms and also for returning to work following an
infectious illness. Please note that the tool is not available for being cleared to return to work if staff work in
an area where there has been a communicable disease
outbreak; they’ve had an infectious rash such as chicken
pox or measles; provide direct patient care and have
cold sores or any open sores or have had conjunctivitis
(pink eye). In all of the above cases, staff must contact the Occupational Health and Safety department
at 416.480.4175 during regular clinic hours before
returning to work.
Sunnybrook volunteers are asked to follow the guidelines in the Healthy Workplace Policy when returning
to work after an infectious illness. For additional information on the Healthy Workplace Policy and common
infectious illnesses, please view the Occupational Health
and Safety Department pages online on Sunnynet.
Marie Sanderson
Sunnybrook’s
Nancy
Perkins, Clinical Research
Manager in the Division
of Nephrology, and
Martha
Agelopoulos,
Research
Coordinator,
met with hundreds of
people at the Cardiac
Health Foundation of Sunnybrook joins the community
Canada’s Walk of Life for a heart healthy event.
event, which kicked off
at the Science Centre on May 14. About 2,000 people
were registered for the walk/run, and many stopped by
the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre booth to have
their blood pressure checked. Perkins and Agelopoulos
also provided heart healthy tips, like staying active and
reducing sodium levels. This is the second year they
have attended the event, which raises money for cardiac
rehabilitation programs across Canada.
Monica Matys
Sunnybrook
speaker series
About 200 people attended the April 20
Speaker Series to hear
renowned
experts
from Sunnybrook’s
Odette
Cancer
Centre talk about
Prostate Cancer: The
Latest
Lifesaving
Information. Board
Chair David Leslie
welcomed the evening’s moderator, Dr.
Sherif Hanna, head
of surgical oncology, Dr. Cheung discusses radiation
who then introduced therapy at the speaker series.
the first speaker, Dr.
Robert Nam. As head of the genitourinary cancer care
team, Dr. Nam engaged the audience while setting
the record straight about prostate cancer risk factors.
Radiation oncologist Dr. Patrick Cheung then took the
podium to discuss the latest approaches in radiation
therapy. Dr. Urban Emmenegger, a medical oncologist,
finished the lectures by discussing what’s new with hormone therapy. The audience then engaged in a lengthy
question-and-answer period with the panelists, who
provided their advice on a number of areas of care. To
view the event on webcast, go to: sunnybrook.ca
click on Welcome>News, Media and Publications>
Speaker Series
Monica Matys
Minister Wynne
visits Sunnybrook
nurses
Wireless technology -continued
“This new technology lets me see heart rhythms right
away so I can quickly respond to my patients’ needs.
I can also easily message with the right people, so it
has improved communication greatly on the unit,”
says Metilda Manuel, a registered nurse in the Schulich
Cardiac Unit.
From an information technology perspective,
Sunnybrook and its technology partners Philips and
Bell (for Cisco) built a first-of-its-kind solution in
Canada. The new solution presents the opportunity
to further enhance patient safety through a hierarchy
of clinically significant and relevant alerts that can be
provided directly to caregivers. A distinct advantage
is the utilization of alarm notification, response and
acknowledgement tracking to improve incident management analysis, potentially leading to improved processes. Next steps for the project include the ability for
a patient to call a nurse directly from the bedside.
Marie Sanderson
The Honourable Kathleen Wynne, MPP for Don Valley West and Ontario’s minister of transportation, dropped in to visit Sunnybrook nurses
during Nursing Week on May 13. The Minister met with nurses from
various units including oncology, cardiac and labour and delivery, who
showed her the latest in innovative nursing care.
June is ALS awareness month! Stroke in the young
Golf tournaments raise over $170K
for Sunnybrook’s ‘phenomenal’ ALS
clinic
When golfers showed up at Joe Sottosanti’s charity tournaments, they weren’t always focused on their swing.
With gourmet food at every hole — from butternut
squash ravioli to barbecued ribs — it’s understandable
that some were thinking of their stomachs.
“People didn’t think of it as coming to a golf tournament,” says Joe, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2005.
“They thought they were coming to a buffet.”
The approach worked; since 2006, the annual tournaments have raised more than $171,000 - thanks in large
part to Joe’s employer, Galati Market Fresh, and its suppliers - which has funded ALS research at Sunnybrook.
“The first year we raised about $20,000, and I thought
that was great. I never thought we would raise $40,000
the second year,” says Joe, adding $50,000 was raised
the third year. “For me, it was overwhelming.”
Though the tournaments turned out to be an incredible
amount of work for Joe and his family, the decision to
hold them was easy. His experience with Sunnybrook
has been phenomenal, he says, and he credits Dr. Lorne
Zinman, director of the ALS Clinic at Sunnybrook, for
putting him at ease during an otherwise devastating
time.
“When I first went to the ALS clinic at Sunnybrook, I
didn’t even know what ALS was. But Dr. Zinman made
me feel secure that this journey wasn’t going to be by
myself, but with him and his people.”
After five years, holding the tournaments has proven
too much for Joe, who has difficulty walking and has
lost the use of his arms and hands due to his ALS.
“The tournaments kept me busy, motivated me and gave
me hope, and raised funds for research at Sunnybrook,”
he says. “But I think it’s time for me to just take it easy.”
Michael McKinnon
After five years and more
than $171,000 raised for
Sunnybrook’s ALS clinic, Joe
Sottosanti has put his annual
golf tournament aside to take a
much-needed rest.
When most people think
of stroke, or “brain attack”, they think of it as
something that happens
to people in late life.
While stroke is more
common with age, it
might be surprising to
know that strokes affect
younger adults too.
Indeed, “stroke in the
young” (age 45 or younger), accounts for up to 15 MRI of the brain.
per cent of all strokes.
Stroke is caused either by a blockage of normal blood
flow to a part of the brain (an ischemic stroke) or by
a bleed into brain tissue (a hemorrhagic stroke). The
causes of stroke in young people are very diverse, more
so than in older people. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking and obesity are risk factors for all ages.
They are an increasing cause of stroke in young people
as childhood obesity becomes a greater problem in our
society. However, most strokes in young people are due
to other rare causes.
Pregnancy and the post-partum period have an increased risk of stroke (roughly 1-2/10,000 deliveries),
as does migraine, certain medications and street drug
use. Genetic disorders, heart problems, blood vessel
diseases and many other illnesses can cause stroke in
young people. Yet, even with extensive testing, a cause
cannot be found in up to one-third of young people
with stroke. Clearly there is a need for more research in
this important area. At Sunnybrook, with our focus on
both Stroke and Women & Babies, we remind you that
strokes can happen to anyone … Know the signs and
symptoms of a stroke, and call 911 if you or someone
you love are affected.
Dr. Rick Swartz is a stroke neurologist who studies neurovascular diseases specializing in strokes in young people and
stroke in pregnancy.
Health tip of the month
June is stroke
awareness
month
There is strength in numbers in battle
against ALS
Sunnybrook’s Dr. Lorne Zinman hopes strength in numbers will be the key to putting an end to Amyotrophic
Lateral Sclerosis, the devastating neurological disorder
commonly known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
It’s the reason Dr. Zinman, medical director of
Sunnybrook’s ALS/Neuromuscular Clinic, the largest in
Canada, formed the Canadian ALS Research Network
(CALS), which sees 15 such clinics across the country
sharing resources.
“Research really is hope, and collaboration is the only
way we’re going to find a cure for this horrible disease,”
says Dr. Zinman, also CALS chair. “I think everyone
appreciates that this disease is so complicated that not
one person is going to figure it out; we need people from
multiple disciplines and expertise working together with
the help of our patients.”
The CALS network, formed in 2008, helps attract international trials so Canadian ALS patients have access to
the most promising therapeutics. Sunnybrook’s clinic,
for example, which diagnoses 200 patients a year, is in
the midst of one promising trial and about to embark
on another.
CALS is also collaborating in the formation of a national registry for Canadian ALS patients, thanks to a
grant from ALS Canada. Capturing epidemiological
data about who is getting the disease will go a long
way toward understanding why they’re getting it, Dr.
Zinman says.
In the meantime, Sunnybrook patients are benefitting
directly from the clinic’s talented multi-disciplinary
team — a “one-stop shop” that includes neurologists, a
respirologist, a physiatrist, a palliative care expert, ALS
nurses, and a health care support team with occupational therapists, speech pathologists and nutritionists.
“With so many talented individuals focusing on ALS,
there is a perceived sense of great momentum like
never before,” says
Dr. Zinman, adding he hopes efforts
such as June’s ALS
Awareness Month will
help increase funding
for research and clinical support. “It’s very
gratifying that this has
all come together, but
ultimately we’re only
going to be happy until
we have more effective
treatments to offer our
patients.”
Michael McKinnon
Stroke can happen to anyone, as the theme for
Sunnybrook’s Stroke Awareness Month communicates
– all people can have a stroke, regardless of age, gender,
and ethnicity. This underlines the importance of knowing how to recognize stroke symptoms, understanding
the risk factors for stroke and taking action to improve
outcomes.
• More than 50,000 strokes occur in Canada each year.
That’s one stroke every 10 minutes.
• For every 100,000 Canadian children under the age
of 19, there are 6.7 strokes.
• About 300,000 Canadians are living with the effects
of stroke.
• After age 55, the risk of stroke doubles every 10 years.
• A stroke survivor has a 20 per cent chance of having
another stroke within two years.
Stroke can happen to anyone. Do your best to make
sure it doesn’t happen to you: know your blood pressure
numbers and give up smoking.
Come and learn more - Members of Sunnybrook’s
Regional Stroke Centre team will be exhibiting on the
following days in M-Wing Lobby:
June 20, 22, 24: Know Your Numbers – Reduce your
Blood Pressure & Reduce Your Risk of Stroke
June 27 & 29: Do Your Best to Make Sure Stroke
Doesn’t Happen to You : Quit Smoking
Please contact Cathy Bouthillier, cathy.bouthillier@
sunnybrook.ca, ext. 7425 for more information.
Beth Linkewich and Cathy Bouthillier
How to reach us:
Your Health Matters
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
2075 Bayview Avenue, Suite D1 00
Toronto, ON M4N 3M5
P: 416.480.4040
E: news.articles@sunnybrook.ca
Your Health Matters is published monthly by the Communications & Stakeholder Relations Department and Sunnybrook Foundation.
Submissions to Your Health Matters are welcome, however, they are subject to space availability and editorial discretion.
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre is inventing the future of health care for the one million patients the hospital cares for each year
through the dedication of its more than 10,000 staff and volunteers. Internationally recognized leadership in research and education and
a full affiliation with the University of Toronto distinguish Sunnybrook as one of Canada’s premier academic health sciences centres.
Sunnybrook specializes in caring for Canada’s war veterans, high-risk pregnancies, critically-ill newborns, adults and the elderly, and
treating and preventing cancer, cardiovascular disease, neurological and psychiatric disorders, orthopaedic and arthritic conditions and
traumatic injuries.
Campaign spotlight
$470M
CAMPAIGN GOAL
71%
When every second counts:
the new helipad at Sunnybrook
RAISED TO DATE
The Trauma, Emergency & Critical Care program treats
about 54,000 patients each year, where we care for the
most seriously ill and injured patients in the province.
About 1,200 of those will be suffering life-threatening
traumas, half of whom will arrive in a helicopter. Right
now, the hospital’s helipad is located about 500 meters
from the trauma room. Paramedics and trauma staff
have to coordinate with a land ambulance to transfer
patients from the helipad to the trauma room, which
can add time in treating patients when every second
counts. “We’re already very good at saving the lives of
trauma patients – now we’re focusing on incremental
growth to further improve care,” says Dr. Homer Tien,
medical director of Sunnybrook’s Tory Regional Trauma
Centre.
The community has invested
$334 million in Sunnybrook
as of April 30, 2011.
Learn how the Campaign for
Sunnybrook is saving lives at
sunnybrook.ca.
Women’s Health
Golf Classic
raises record sum
for breast cancer
On May 16, 2011, golfers, volunteers and Sunnybrook
Foundation staff braved the cold and rain to support
the Women’s Health Golf Classic. The event – dedicated
to raising funds for the Odette Cancer Centre’s Breast
Cancer Centre – was held at the exclusive Magna Golf
Club.
“This year’s Women’s Health Golf Classic was our most
successful to date, in the 10 years we’ve been running
it, with more than $300,000 raised,” says Anne Odette
Kaye, co-chair of the event.
With the funds raised through the event, Sunnybrook
will outfit an exam room in the new 30,000-square-foot
Breast Cancer Centre, which is slated to be complete by
the end of 2011. Once the Centre is accommodating
patients, the Women’s Health Golf Exam Room will
be a comforting space for women with breast abnormalities. In it, patients of the Breast Cancer Centre will
receive consultations that will guide them through their
treatment.
The plan is to build a state-of-the-art helipad on top
of the hospital. Once in service, patients will be transferred from the roof to the trauma room via an elevator,
giving our trauma teams more time to save lives. The
project will cost $5 million and will be entirely funded
by donors.
Artist rendering of the helipad that Sunnybrook will build.
Help fund our new helipad by visiting sunnybrook.ca/helipad to donate
or text SUNNY to 45678 for a $5 donation
Cancer survivor hopes to rally
support for Relay For Life
Thousands of people credit Sunnybrook with saving
their lives. But Margaret Wolf can say that Sunnybrook’s
Odette Cancer Centre saved hers twice.
“Twenty-six years ago I had Hodgkin’s disease,” says
Margaret, “and two years ago I had thyroid cancer.”
“My mom has recently been diagnosed with a brain
tumour at Sunnybrook. My mom, dad, aunts, uncle
and cousin have all been looked after at Sunnybrook
for cancer.”
The chilly day of golfing was followed by a silent auction featuring a wide range of donated items. Guests
of the event also heard the story of Sunnybrook breast
cancer survivor, Katie Rennie.
That’s why Margaret is thrilled that on Friday, June 17,
the Canadian Cancer Society is hosting its Relay For
Life fundraiser at Sunnybrook, with all proceeds going
to the Odette Cancer Centre.
Sunnybrook Foundation is incredibly grateful to all
of the event’s sponsors. Leadership sponsors included:
Ernst & Young; Phillips, Hager & North Investment
Management; Cadillac Fairview; Camrost Felcorp;
Chestnut Park; Laurie MacLachlan; Pal Benefits;
Rogers; ScotiaMcLeod; Sisley Honda.
Heather Gibson
“It’s an awesome event,” says Margaret. “I love the involvement of the cancer survivors. When we walk in the
cancer survivor’s victory lap we are showing others that
there can be life after a cancer diagnosis.”
“One of my favourite parts of the evening is the luminary ceremony,” says Margaret. “The walking track
is lined with candles dedicated to cancer survivors or
those who have lost their lives. It’s very moving.”
With so many family and friends having received care at
the Odette Cancer Centre, Margaret is eager to spread
the word and support Relay for Life.
“We are so lucky to have such a wonderful cancer centre
in Toronto. Sunnybrook is an awesome place!”
For more information and to register, visit http://sunnybrook.ca/foundation/.
The Relay For Life is an overnight non-competitive
event. In teams of 10, Relay participants take turns
walking or running to raise money to fight cancer,
celebrate cancer survivors and pay tribute to lives lost.
“I’m hoping that one day people won’t have to fear a
cancer diagnosis and this is why I am involved with
Relay For Life,” says Margaret. “Already, the funds raised
have made a difference, but there is still so much more
research to be done.”
2011 Women’s Health Golf Classic participants.
The success of Relay For Life can be attributed to more
than the sheer volume of cancer survivors, their family
and friends. The event has also earned a reputation for
being fun and inspirational.
A family of cancer survivors: Margaret Wolf with her parents, Anne
and Charles Wolf.