Highest Priority Needs Surgical Care A Special Report to Supporters Donor Update

MOMENTS CHANGING LIVES
Highest Priority
Surgical
Care Needs
Donor Update Donor Update
December
May 2013
2012
A Special Report to Supporters
Thank you for helping to advance the standard of care for patients in London and Southwestern Ontario through your support
of Surgical Care at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC).
Our surgeons are saving people’s lives through their expertise and innovation. Our Hospital is a major player on the world
stage in terms of developing and introducing new surgical technologies and techniques – benefitting patients not only in
London and region, but around the world.
Donors
Support New
Surgical Robots
Our donors invest in the
best possible health care –
and with the help of our
philanthropic supporters,
LHSC now has the most
advanced surgical technology
for the patients of today and
tomorrow.
More Than
$2.7 Million Raised
From left: Danny Minogue (Minogue Medical)
and Carol Mackin-Uecker (Intuitive Surgical)
celebrate LHSC’s national training centre
designation with LHSC President and CEO
Bonnie Adamson and Dr. Christopher Schlachta
Specifically, LHSC recently purchased a next-generation da Vinci
Si HD surgical system for each of University Hospital and Victoria
Hospital. With this equipment, LHSC will provide patients with
world-leading minimally invasive robotic surgery – improving outcomes
and allowing patients to return to normal life more quickly.
As well, because of this new technology, LHSC has been selected by
da Vinci manufacturer Intuitive Surgical, Inc. as the exclusive training
centre for robotic surgery in Canada – a designation that will bring
surgeons from around the world to London for advanced training.
The training centre will be an integral component of LHSC’s CSTAR
(Canadian Surgical Technologies and Advanced Robotics) program.
“With the addition of the two new da Vinci Si systems, we look
forward to expanding our nation-leading breadth of robotic surgical
practice into new areas for our Hospital such as thoracic, transplant
and paediatric surgery,” says CSTAR’s medical director Dr. Christopher
Schlachta. “It is critical that CSTAR continues to pioneer innovations
in medical technology and apply them at the bedside to ensure patients
are receiving the highest quality care we can provide.”
At London Health Sciences Foundation (LHSF), we are dedicated
to wholly funding the two new da Vinci systems. Our Foundation
continues to actively seek a total of approximately $14.5 million in
philanthropic support to fund this exciting initiative.
Through the generosity of our philanthropic
supporters in 2012, $2,704,317 in net revenue
was raised for Surgical Care at LHSC. This
includes programs such as critical care, CSTAR,
otolaryngology, thoracic surgery and urology.
From Surgical Care’s accumulated funds,
more than $3.8 million was disbursed in the
past year in support of:
Equipment:
$3,293,770
Patient Care:
$214,407
Research:
$210,699
Education and
Fellowships:
$56,969
Restructuring/
Construction:
$47,273
We are accountable to our donors, stewarding
with respect, integrity and transparency.
Please take a moment to view our most recent
community report at www.lhsf.ca/2012AR.
MOMENTS CHANGING LIVES
Highest Priority
Surgical
Care Needs
Donor Update Donor Update
December
May 2013
2012
Otolaryngology Residents
Take Part in Surgical
Bootcamp
In 2012, residents from 10 universities and hospitals across
Canada and the United States visited CSTAR to participate
in the Emergencies in Otolaryngology – Head and Neck
Surgery Bootcamp.
“The simulation-based bootcamp trained first- and secondyear residents specializing in otolaryngology emergency
lifesaving skills before they experienced life-threatening
situations during their residency,” says Dr. Kevin Fung, a
head and neck surgeon at LHSC and course director.
The bootcamp was divided into three parts: practical
skills training where residents worked on realistic models,
panels where real-life emergency cases were discussed and
mannequin simulation scenarios.
David Yeh, a resident at LHSC, encountered some of the
situations that were discussed and simulated while on call
shortly after the bootcamp. “The training certainly made
a positive impact,” he says.
Dr. Schlachta Receives
Diamond Jubilee Medal
Recognized for research in developing simulationbased training for laparoscopic and robotic surgery,
Dr. Christopher Schlachta has been awarded a Queen
Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.
Dr. Schlachta is known for his expertise in advanced
minimally invasive surgery and in particular
laparoscopic and computer-assisted surgery for
gastrointestinal disease and cancer.
Save the Date
The 2013 LHSC Trauma
Golf Classic in support
of critical equipment
and services for our
Hospital’s trauma
program will be held
at London’s RiverBend
Golf Club on August 22.
More than $332,000 has
been raised through this
notable community
event since 2009.
Please contact event
chair Nigel Gilby at
519.672.4510 or ngilby@lerners.ca for more information.
Did you know?
The cochlear implant program at LHSC celebrated its
25th anniversary in 2012. This important program has
changed the lives of close to 500 people with severe
hearing impairments.
Bootcamp participants
A cochlear implant is a surgically implanted electronic
device that provides individuals with the sensation of
hearing by bypassing the damaged part of the inner ear.
MOMENTS CHANGING LIVES
Highest Priority
Surgical
Care Needs
Donor Update Donor Update
December
May 2013
2012
Keiko and Charles Belair
Support Next-Generation
Thoracic Surgery
In 2005, Keiko Belair was diagnosed with stomach cancer.
Under the care of Dr. Richard Inculet, chief of thoracic
surgery at LHSC, Keiko underwent a gastrectomy – the
removal of her stomach – to save her life.
Thoracic surgeons like Dr. Inculet provide specialized
clinical care for patients with a wide range of serious
diseases of the thorax (chest) including the lungs,
mediastinum (middle of the chest), chest wall, esophagus,
diaphragm and stomach. For Keiko, her experiences with
Dr. Inculet and the thoracic surgery team not only saved
her life but also changed her outlook.
“I am deeply thankful for the support I received from
friends and relatives as well as all the doctors and nurses
at LHSC, who were so caring and so helpful,” says Keiko.
“I am so grateful for Dr. Inculet and feel extremely happy
to be one of his patients. If it hadn’t been for my cancer,
I might not have noticed how lucky I truly am. Since my
surgery, I’ve found more true meaning in my life.”
In gratitude for the care she received, and to help
ensure the next generation of patients receives the same
extraordinary care, Keiko and her husband Charles made
a $200,000 gift in support of Dr. Inculet and the thoracic
surgery program.
Specifically, the Belairs’ generous gift is supporting a new
thoracic surgery operating room being constructed as part
of LHSC’s OR redesign project at Victoria Hospital.
Keiko Belair and her late husband Charles (seated),
members of the Belair family and Dr. Richard Inculet
(back row, second from right)
The new thoracic surgery OR will feature a state-of-theart minimally invasive surgical suite, which will allow the
thoracic surgery team to move forward with advanced,
minimally invasive, video-assisted cancer surgery. The
technology will also allow the team to share their expertise
directly from the OR via video conferencing, benefitting
other surgeons and their patients across the country and
around the world.
While Charles – a celebrated photographer who operated
a studio in Kitchener for more than 70 years and who
passed away on September 7, 2012 at the age of 98 –
didn’t get to see the completion of the new thoracic
surgery OR, the Belairs’ gift will be commemorated by
two named rooms within the surgical program.
CSTAR Hosts Surgical Robotics Summer School
Led by co-chairs Rajni Patel, PhD (CSTAR) and Terry
Peters, PhD (Robarts Research Institute), the North
American Surgical Robotics Summer School was held at
CSTAR in August 2012. This was the first time this event
was held in Canada.
The registrant list included 65 graduate students and earlycareer researchers from across Canada and the US as well
as from Denmark, Japan and Qatar – individuals who are
doing research and developing technology for use in the
medical field.
The event featured a distinguished faculty, who delivered
lectures on a range of key topics related to surgical
robotics. It also included hands-on experience in CSTAR’s
surgical, engineering and simulation laboratories.
MOMENTS CHANGING LIVES
Highest Priority
Surgical
Care Needs
Donor Update Donor Update
December
May 2013
2012
Drs. Palma and
Nichols Launch
World-First
Clinical Trial
Transoral robotic surgery
is a new method for treating
Dr. David Palma (left)
oropharyngeal (throat) cancer
and Dr. Anthony Nichols
that can be an ideal therapy for
patients, while sparing them life-changing radiation-related
side effects. Many centres in the US are promoting its use.
No direct comparison of transoral robotic surgery and
radiation therapy has been completed, however, to determine
which treatment truly provides the best patient outcomes.
Dr. Parnes Receives
Distinguished Service Award
For only the second time, a Canadian physician has
won an American Academy of Otolaryngology (AAO) –
Head and Neck Surgery Distinguished Service Award.
Dr. Lorne Parnes is the medical/surgical director
of LHSC’s cochlear implant program and is the site
chief for otolaryngology at University Hospital.
This award is presented to medical professionals in
recognition of extensive meritorious service to the AAO,
the world’s largest organization representing specialists
who treat the ear, nose and throat and related structures
of the head and neck.
As the only centre in Canada with a transoral robotic surgery
program, LHSC is uniquely positioned to solve this problem –
and in June 2012, Drs. Anthony Nichols and David Palma
launched ORATOR, the world’s first clinical trial comparing
robotic surgery to radiation therapy for the treatment of
throat cancer.
This four-year study is examining the impact of both treatment
methods on patients’ speech and swallowing function as well as
overall quality of life. Approximately 68 patients with early-stage
throat cancer from participating centres in London, Ottawa
and Toronto will be randomized to receive either the standard
treatment (radiation therapy or concurrent chemo-radiation)
or transoral robotic surgery. “This study represents a first step
toward defining best practice in oropharyngeal cancer treatment
in North America and worldwide,” says Dr. Nichols.
Dr. Lorne Parnes
Thank You
We Want to Hear from You
Thank you for your investment in excellence at
LHSC through your support of Surgical Care. Donor
contributions fund innovative equipment, research,
education and enhanced patient care – they are not used
for administrative or operational expenses of our Hospital.
Simply put, your donor dollars make our Hospital great.
Please contact us if you have any comments about this
special report, questions concerning your philanthropic
goals or inquiries regarding how our Foundation supports
health care at LHSC. Janet Burrell, our Director of Donor
Relations and Stewardship, would be happy to help and can
be reached at 519.685.8270 or janet.burrell@lhsc.on.ca.
London Health Sciences Foundation is the fundraising arm of London Health Sciences Centre
and, as a charitable organization, issues tax receipts.
London Health Sciences Foundation 747 Baseline Road East, London, ON N6C 2R6 Canada Tel 519.685.8409 Fax 519.685.8265
foundation@lhsc.on.ca www.lhsf.ca Charitable Organization No. 89478-1475-RR-0001