"The dragonfly on the ceiling was the first thing I saw when I woke up from my surgery," Meryl Cook said. "I was confused and scared. And then, there was Agnes."

The dragonfly Cook is referring to is one painted on the ceiling tile of the post-surgery unit in Breast Health. And Agnes is Agnes Downey, a nurse with the post-surgery recovery team.

Cook had surgery to remove a lump in her breast on September 25, 2015. "It was an experience that changed my life in many ways, oddly helping me transform into the person I've always wanted to be. And Agnes was instrumental in that."

During her treatment, Meryl would walk a beach close to her home and dragonflies would dance and hover around her. She began to wonder more and more about the meaning of dragonflies, a thought which she shared with Downey. Agnes looked up the meaning of dragonfly for her: "Joy, adaptability, transformation and digging deeper into the emotions."

"It was perfect for what I was going through,” Cook said. “The fact that Agnes took the time to look that up and share it with me made all the difference in me being able to dig deeper into my emotions.”

The dragonfly qualities became Cook’s recipe for recovery and it became the representative image for Cook’s healing journey. She began to work with the concept of "joy", challenging herself on the way to radiation appointments to look for things that made her happy: the colour of a rosehip, a child’s smile, the smell of the air. She also treated herself to a beautiful coffee along the way.

Cook has never forgotten Downey. This is why she recently visited with Downey to give her a copy of the book she wrote during her healing process. “One Loop at a Time", available at Book Mark on Spring Garden Road, chronicles Cook’s journey and her healing process through writing and rug-hooking.

Downey, humble and quiet by nature, was initially overwhelmed and nervous about meeting her patient again. "I was overcome by emotions when I saw her again, and the joy and inspiration I experienced was instantaneous," Downey says. "She has now given me so much joy in return."

One more case: the new mantra for Women’s Gynecology Surgical Services

What happens when you break down silos and bring a diverse Perioperative team including nurses, managers, physicians, anesthesia, patients, housekeeping, medical device reprocessing, biomedical engineering and pharmacy all in a room to examine service from the patient’s perspective? You realize that even though everyone’s already working really hard – there are still areas and opportunities to do better. That was the consensus at the Women’s Gynecology Surgical Services lean value stream workshop held April 24th– 26th.

During the three day examination to improve processes, the team realized that if they could break their work process down and find a way to perform even one more case per day, the wait list would be eliminated in just one year. By cutting minutes here and there through eliminating wastes that exist everywhere (i.e. duplications, rework, over production) those minutes would quickly add up. That profound realization became their mantra. Suddenly three simple words, one more case, written on yellow sticky note with a sharpie carried big meaning...read more. 

Newly renovated Interventional Radiology & Cardiac Catheterization Lab now open

Thanks to new technology, the IWK now has one of the most advanced units in Canada. The new unit will use significantly less radiation than the previous lab. By using interventional radiology, doctors can assess diseases and deliver targeted treatments. Many diseases that once required surgical treatment can now be treated non-surgically with less risk, less pain and faster recovery time.

These upgrades also enable the ability to treat heart arrhythmias. Previously these patients would have needed to go to the adult hospital.

The Cardiac Catheterization Lab is located on the 3rd floor of the Children’s Building next to the pediatric operating room.

Family Leadership and Youth Advisory Councils' Co-creation Engagement Session

The IWK Health Centre prides itself on practicing the principles of patient and family centred care: dignity and respect, information sharing, participation and collaboration. Co-creating physical spaces is a key part of delivering exceptional experiences for patients and families. Earlier this spring, Family Leadership Council sent a survey to stakeholders regarding the redesign of the Goldbloom Gallery, a common entryway for most of our patients and families.

As part of the engagement process, the IWK Family Leadership Council and Youth Advisory Council participated in a facilitated session this past Wednesday evening to review some of the survey results. The goal of the co-creation meeting was to host a meaningful engagement to enhance patient and family centred care. Participants toured the Gallery while having robust discussions about the potential changes to the space. 

Janet Rhymes from See Meaning guided the groups through the engagement session, capturing the group’s experiences, thoughts, values, suggestions and action items.

Huddles of approximately 4-5 participants made for intimate dialogue related to their personal experiences at the IWK. Some great ideas were generated and more follow-up will occur through the ongoing efforts of Family Leadership Council and the Youth Advisory Council. 

• Advancing our understanding of the role of the gut microbes (the microbiome) in IBD, with a particular focus on nutrition and the gut microbiome.
• Improving treatment options for children with IBD through drug and nutrition trials.
  
• Developing and validating outcome measures and disease activity indices which can be used in clinical and research settings to assess disease-related outcomes. We have a particular focus on patient-reported outcomes (PROs).

Research coffee break

On May 4th Research Services hosted the Research Coffee Break as part of STARS Week at the IWK. This event provided an opportunity for researchers and other staff at the IWK to display posters and view some of the amazing research happening throughout the Health Centre. It also allowed research and staff from all departments to meet and network with colleagues, discuss research and grow potential future collaborations.