Good afternoon all,

February is here bringing with it our first glimpses of beautiful spring weather. Things continue to stay busy at HDGH and today's E-Connect brings you just some of the highlights.

Today you will read about the first impact report showcasing the work to improve care for stroke patients, an expansion for a needed program to our county community, how we got talking for mental health, and ways you can get involved in our upcoming signature events!

Enjoy,
Maciah
FEBRUARY 4, 2020
Rehab Outreach Team restoring lives of stroke patients in comfort of their homes; hospital releases data in their first impact report
It's been four years since Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare's (HDGH) Rehabilitation Outreach Team began providing restorative care in patient homes. Today, there is compelling evidence that shows this innovative team's positive effects on Windsor-Essex stroke patients.

The west-end community-based hospital's Research and Evaluation Team have released an impact report that helps show "research in practice" and how measuring outcomes truly enables healthcare organizations to provide the right care, in the right way, and in the right place.

"We set out to better meet the needs of our stroke patients and their families," said President & CEO, Janice Kaffer. "In 2016, we shifted resources to allow for intensive follow-up services supporting stroke patients after discharge from our inpatient program - right in their homes."

Today, with over 12,000 home visits and 10,864 of these visits being to stroke patients, HDGH and its patients are seeing how this program has demonstrated impressive results.

The most notable numbers indicate a reduction of inpatient stay days. Since this program began, stroke patients have returned home an average of seven days earlier knowing the services of the Rehab Outreach Team would follow in the very real environment of their homes. From a patient's social, physical and psychological perspective the report showed that stroke patients seen by the Rehabilitation Outreach Team experienced a 30% increase in engagement in work, social and recreational activities, decreased the minutes needed for assistance and saw a 14% improvement in quality of life.

The team is especially helpful to those living outside of Windsor boundaries, particularly for those residing in the county. Mr. Stewart Wolfe was one of the program's first patients. He and his wife, Carolyn live in Kingsville and after suffering a stroke in summer of 2016 relied on rehab for cognitive and physical impairments following the incident.

"Kingsville is a long way from Windsor. After having his stroke, even getting in and out of the car was a challenge. I couldn't imagine having to travel into Windsor twice a week for rehabilitation during that time. As his primary caregiver, it was such a relief that he was getting the services he needed in the comfort of his home," explained Wife Carolyn said.
 
In our region, the rate of acute hospitalizations to stroke is among the highest in the province. HDGH offers post-acute inpatient rehab for appropriately 35% of these patients annually.
 
To view the complete Impact Report please visit  www.hdgh.org/impactreports
 
The important findings of this study have also been published in the Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences and can be found  here .
Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare
Regional Children's Centre extends services in
Essex County
Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare's Regional Children's Centre (HDGH RCC) is an accredited children's mental health centre serving children and adolescents who are dealing with social, emotional, developmental, and/or behavioural issues. The Centre offers a variety of services: assessment, treatment, and consultation designed to promote healthy functioning of children, youth, and their families within the home, school, and community. The Centre provides support to residents of Windsor-Essex and the greater communities. 

Today, dignitaries, community members, staff and Board members of HDGH, The Bridge Leamington Youth Resource Centre and Harrow Health Centre: A Family Health Team were on hand to celebrate two recent Memorandums of Understandings that were signed which will enable RCC to provide services closer to home for families of Essex County. 

At The Bridge Resource Centre in Leamington, the HDGH RCC program will provide counselling services to youth ages 14-21, who are involved with the youth justice system. The Youth Services Mental Health Social Worker of the RCC program will provide this counselling on Wednesday afternoons. In addition to being a support for those in the youth justice system, this social worker will be able to assist with facilitating referrals for mental health counselling programs.

 "We are grateful for the collaborative partnership and ability to help expand services for youth in Essex County," explained Krista Rempel, Executive Director at The Bridge Leamington Youth Resource Centre. "The partnership also allows youth involved in the HDGH RCC program to access The Bridge's programs and services including basic needs such as a daily hot meal, shower, and laundry facilities, as well as various programs and services such as employment connections and life and coping skills."

In addition to offering services in Leamington, the Harrow Health Centre: A Family Health Team will also serve as a location HDGH RCC will provide services. This is not a walk in service; instead, those families who reside in the county and are referred to services at RCC will now have the option of attending the counselling and therapy sessions on Friday at the Harrow Health Centre: A Family Health Team. 

Margo Reilly, Executive Director of the Harrow Health Centre explains, "This collaboration between the Harrow Health Centre and HDGH RCC demonstrates the power of creative problem solving to tackle local healthcare system gaps. The children in our rural community will benefit from the enhanced access to healthcare services resulting from this collaboration, and we are grateful to HDGH RCC for being a willing and eager partner."

"The two MOU's are new examples of how HDGH is looking to provide services closer to its clients and their families," explained Sonja Grbevski, HDGH Vice President Mental Health and Addictions. "We will continue to work with The Bridge, Harrow Health Team and our other core service providers, Maryvale and Children First, to ensure that we are innovatively seeking the best way to provide services TO and WHERE patients, client and families need them most."

 As always, any families with children who are experiencing urgent needs are encouraged to visit their nearest emergency departments. For non-urgent issues, children aged six to 18 are welcome to call the RCC office at 519.257.5215 and ask to speak to a social worker.
Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare gets talking for
mental health
On January 29th, millions of people around the world took part in starting the much needed conversation on mental health during the annual Bell Let's Talk  Day.

Aiming to be a Centre for Excellence in mental healthcare, Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare participated in the day by getting social and sharing details of our mental health programs and services, ways we are working to improve care for mental health throughout our community.

One of these programs is for patients requiring inpatient care. Our Toldo Neurobehavioural Institute (TNI) offers a range of treatment approaches to assist people with the symptoms of their illness, promote personal growth and enhance quality of life.

Our dedicated TNI team and patients received branded Bell Let's Talk toques which they proudly adorned throughout the day. To continue the open conversation on our patient's mental well being, the staff hosted Bell Let’s Talk groups during the day as well.

Bell Let’s Talk Day set a new record for 2020 with 154,387,425 messages of support for mental health, and $7,719,371.25 more Bell funding for Canadian mental health.
Meet the Doctors: Dr. Wendy Kennette
Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare's own Dr. Wendy Kennette, Palliative Medicine was featured in  Ontario Medical Association 's latest video series, Meet the Doctors.

Dr. Kennette talks about the emotional aspects of caring for patients at the end of life and significant patient encounters that have impacted her medical journey. We are foruntate to have someone of Dr. Kennette's caliber and compassion caring for some of our most vulnerable patients.
RCC welcomes visit from partners at
SickKids Centre for Community Mental Health
On January 28th, the team at Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare’s Regional Children’s Centre (RCC) welcomed Ms. Catherine McCabe and Dr. Elyse Reim of SickKids for a day of conversation, partnership, and knowledge transfer through one common denominator - the mental health and wellbeing of today’s youth. 

McCabe, Program Manager or Day Treatment & Intensive In-Home and Dr. Reim, a psychologist with the well-known hospital, both work in its Centre for Community Mental Health (CCMH), a branch of SickKids that provides a variety of mental health assessment and treatment services for infants, children, and youth ages birth to 18, and their families. 

On their visit to Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare Ms. McCabe and Dr. Reim spent the day primarily at the Glengarda Building, a program of RCC that offers Intensive Day Treatment Services for children and youth between the ages of 6-12 who are experiencing significant emotional and behavioural needs. Educational services are also provided through this program. 

“It’s always a great day when we can collaborate, learn, and share ideas from pooled expertise and resources,” said Kyle Williamson, Operations Manager, Intensive Treatment Services. “At RCC, we are always looking at how we can enhance the efficiency and quality of service given to our children and families. To be able to do this with our partners from SickKids, was a great experience.”

Similar to Windsor, Toronto’s SickKids CCMH offers a Day Treatment Program for children 6 – 12 who also experience chronic social, emotional, or behavioural challenges that prevent them from being successful within a community school setting. It is the only self-contained day treatment program in Toronto. 

What was clear from the day was that the safety and client/family experience are both common goals within both organizations. Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare looks forward to continued learning through and with SickKids CCMH.
Riding in style for the 2020 Bob Probert Ride
On Sunday, June 28th Essex County will hear the thunderous roar as hundreds of motorcycles start their engines for the 10th annual Bob Probert Ride . This year, one lucky winner will ride away in style.

With a thrilling, exclusive raffle, year 10 brings the chance to win a 2020 Harley Davidson Road Glide! Only 1,000 tickets will be sold.

Tickets can be purchased for $50 at the Changing Lives Together Foundation office at Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare each business day from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., The Thompson House at 5370 Wyandotte St. E and Thunder Road Harley Davidson at 2139 Huron Church, both during regular business hours. Tickets to be sold at Colchester Bar and Grill, coming soon.

Stay tuned for official registration details, your first view of the 2020 Probert Ride swag, and for pop-up shop news.
Get Fit, Get Dirty, Give Back
Registration for the 2020 Heart Breaker Challenge is now open! Last year's event sold out, so be sure to register right away! 

In the last seven years the Heart Breaker Challenge has seen over 9,000 participants run its course, raising over $650,000 for the Cardiac Wellness & Pulmonary Rehab programs at Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare.

We extend a big thank you to all of the participants, volunteers, and sponsors who have made the event such a success and we look forward to continuing to support these important programs in our community.

Visit www.HeartBreakerChallenge.org to get signed up and be sure to review important information about registration and the event! 

Be sure to get social with us for access to sneak peeks and exclusive event info. Use #GetFitGetDirtyGiveBack to share stuff like training photos and inspiration.
You are gracefully invited
The year 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Salvation Army Grace Hospital in Windsor.

As Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, we are proud to carry the Grace name now and into the future.

Join us on February 8th for an open house event to celebrate 100 incredible years and to purchase your copy of Amazing Grace, the story of Grace Hospital written by Marty Gervais.

Please call 519.257.5195 to RSVP.