June 11, 2019
Welcome to E-Connect
Happy Tuesday,

Today's E-Connect is filled to the brim with some exciting and inspiring stories from Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare. Continue reading to hear about a blossoming donation, an important new resource for addiction's recovery, an award given to our organization for Leading Practice, and tons more.

All the best,
Maciah
Our Patients
Jeff and Jasmine present a donation from the University Student Alliance to Naty Ramirez-Reyes (centre) from HDGH's Residential Rehab program.
A donation for growth
The garden of the Residential Rehab and Treatment yard is going to be in full bloom after a special donation of green from a generous community partner.

Each year, the Mental Health Awareness Committee of the University of Windsor’s Student Alliance gives back to mental health programs throughout our community. Through awareness events such as Time to Talk, by donation bake sales, open mic nights, and more, the passionate group grows a modest collection to be donated.

It was Jasmine Dhuga, a member of the Alliance who put Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare’s Residential Rehab and Treatment Program’s name forward as recipients of this year’s donation.

“After completing my high school co-op placement at Residential Rehab, I knew that this was a special place,” Jasmine explained. Fours years after completing her placement, Jasmine continues to volunteer at the residence. “I felt that this program gets over looked when it comes to donations, so I thought they were a deserving recipient.”

Two years ago, the Residential Rehab and Treatment Program, which operates out of an ordinary house on Dougall Ave. and provides housing, life skills training, community reintegration, and overall support for individuals with serious and persistent mental illnesses, created a beautiful raised garden bed for the clients to use and grow something beautiful.

This donation from the Student Alliance will help purchase more gardening items to spruce up the rest of the yard, including flower pots, hoses, fertilizer, and mulch.

After Jasmine and Jeff, another representative and member of the Student Alliance, presented the donation on June 5 th , they were welcomed by a chorus of “thank you's from the clients and staff, along with a tasty treat of pie.

We’d like to thank the Mental Health Awareness Committee of the University of Windsor’s Student Alliance for recognizing the importance of our Residential Rehab program and for making a donation that will help our clients flourish in their recovery.
A step in the rehab direction
As we wrap up another National Physiotherapy Month, Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare's determined physiotherapy team would like to thank the community, staff, and visitors who generously contributed to their " Donate your Kicks " initiative.

Proper footwear is so important when trying to get patients up standing, transferring, and walking. A lack of proper footwear can significantly impede a patient’s ability to become more mobile. Often we see patients during their hospital stay who may not have family members in the area, or whose financial constraints make it difficult for them to access good footwear.

Over the month of May, with your help, our physiotherapists collected over 120 pairs of gently used running shoes for their patients at Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, with more still coming in.

Together, we are supporting the goal of helping our patients step into a healthier life.
Letters of Thanks...
Our People
Our People are our greatest resource
The room was overflowing with gratitude and celebration on the evening of May 30 th as hundreds of employees, retirees, physicians, and their families gathered for our annual Celebration of Service event.

Over 150 staff and physicians were award Years of Service pins for their dedicated work at Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare over the past 5, 10, 15 years, and so on. Denise Desbien (pictured left), a Child and Youth Worker at our Regional Children’s Centre took home her pin for 40 years of service! Fifteen retirees were also recognized.

In addition to these recognitions, outstanding individuals were acknowledged for embodying Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare's Mission, Vision, and Values each and every day.
 
The recipients of the 2019 President's Awards are as follows:
  • The President's Award for Outstanding Contribution to Advancing the HDGH Identity in the Community, presented to Jeff Epp
  • The President's Award for Outstanding Demonstration of HDGH Values, presented to Inpatient Rehab 4th Floor (RH4)
  • The President's Award for Outstanding Contribution to a Patient Experience, presented to Lisa Karns and Rita Gidillini
  • The President's Award for Outstanding Contribution to Health and Safety, presented to Lindsay Samoila
  • Rookie of the Year, presented to Delaina Johnson
  • Physician of the Year, presented to Dr. Pat Montaleone
  • Team of the Year, a new award, presented to Rehab Outreach Program
  • Excellence in Leadership, presented to Francine Stadler
  • *New this year – The President’s Award for Outstanding Contribution to Advancing the Patient/Client and Family Voice, presented to Barb Masotti and Linda O’Rourke

Finally, two scholarships were awarded to ten valued employees for their outstanding dedication to lifelong learning and the advancement and improvement of healthcare.
 
The first scholarship, the J. Kenneth Deane Health Systems Innovator Scholarship, created to honour former CEO Ken Deane, acknowledges those employees who continuously seek opportunities for professional growth and the betterment of the lives of those around them through involvement, innovation and education. The recipients of this year's J. Kenneth Deane Scholarship were  Leanne Tedesco, Rebecca Reid-Ball, Lisa Karns, Taskia Cartier, and Carli Brown.
 
The Changing Lives Together Foundation Scholarship is award to employees who have demonstrated an interest in pursuing studies that will enhance their knowledge and kills, and contribute to the high quality of healthcare provided to our community. The recipients of this year's Changing Lives Together Foundation Scholarship were  Danette Dutot, Raymond Elwood, Alexandra McGinnis, Hilton Gomes, and Jennifer Forfitt.

Congratulations and thank you to all!
Screening for Recovery
Assessments for those seeking addictions treatment has become more accessible thanks to the work completed by Patrick Kolowicz, Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare’s Director of Mental Health and Addictions, Marina Bourlak, Implementation Specialist with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and the Provincial System Support Program (PSSP), and Marla Banning Implementation Specialist with PSSP.

After Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare’s Withdrawal Management Services went through an internal program review, it was encouraged that the team look at our community’s capacity for a standardized addictions screening tool that could be used by a variety of other organizations.

After rigorous community consultation, peer inputs, and review of data on where in our community those with addictions present, nine community training sessions were hosted by our organization in collaboration with CAMH and the Erie St. Clair Local Health Integration Network (LHIN).

Throughout these training sessions, which took place from December 2018 to the end of April of this year, 93 healthcare workers from 26 local organizations were trained on the Global Appraisal of Individual Needs Short Screener (GAIN-SS) tool.

According to the CAMH Improving Systems website, the GAIN-SS tool is a first stage screener that “quickly identifies possible mental health and substance use issues requiring further exploration”. CAMH also implemented a modified version of the tool that asks seven additional questions that address problematic eating, traumatic distress, disordered thinking, and gambling, in order to establish any underlying factors that may contribute to one’s addiction. This tool has been utilized by Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare’s Withdrawal Management and Addiction Assessment programs over the past few years.

The training sessions were positively received by the community, as they equipped participants with the knowledge on how to administer the tool, score and interpret the tool for individuals as a measure of change and for future program planning, as well as understand how the use of the tool can improve addiction treatment services for clients in Windsor-Essex.

On May 28 th , Patrick and Marina presented on the success of the training sessions at the Addictions and Mental Health Ontario conference. Their presentation, titled “Optimization of the Staged Screening Process for Access to Addictions Treatment and Recovery Services – A Collaborative and Community Approach” highlighted the reasons why it was significant for community partners to be trained on the GAIN-SS tool; these reasons include promoting consistency and clinically appropriate referrals to our Withdrawal Management program, create a more seamless and streamlined experience for individuals with addictions, and the future potential to decrease wait times associated with the staged screening and assessment process, particularly with our Addiction Assessment and Outpatient Services.

“The screening tool assists providers in determining if an individual is experiencing problems, and if so, where they should begin their journey to address them,” explains Patrick. “We are using the GAIN-SS tool to create a system where there is no wrong door, but that individuals are referred to the most appropriate service, the first time”.

As more community agencies on board and utilize standardized tools such as the GAIN-SS, we can develop standardized language and process, ultimately leading towards a system that is more coordinated, integrated, and seamless from the patient’s perspective. 
Our Identity
Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare Board of Directors gives $100,000 to local ProsperUs Inititative; encourages community to join Patient and Family Advisory Council
At a special Wednesday night meeting on May 29th, Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare's Board of Directors announced it will invest $100,000 to the local community poverty initiative ProsperUs. The grant, the local non-profit's largest financial commitment to date, will help support its vision of a Windsor-Essex where every young person has the opportunity and support to succeed from cradle to career. 

"Our role in this community extends beyond our hospital walls and requires true community partnerships. We know that growing up in poverty impacts a person's physical and mental health, educational achievement, access to safe and affordable housing and proper nutrition," said Brian Payne, Vice-Chair of Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare 's Board of Directors. "At HDGH, we believe we are doing our part in helping to change the lives of generations to come."

Specifically, the Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare grant will go towards ensuring the voices of our residents - both youth and families - are heard. Lorraine Goddard, CEO of United Way Centraide Windsor-Essex and backbone organization to ProsperUs explained the grant will be invested in four ways.

"The grant received today will help support engagement in priority neighbourhoods, essential training and development workshops for our community, access to transportation, childcare and food for participants and lastly will compensate members for their contributions to ProsperUs in the form of stipends which will provide additional financial support to families experiencing poverty," explained Goddard on Wednesday night.

Established in fall of 2018, ProsperUs is a collective of non-profit, government, healthcare, education, labour, business, and inspired residents with a shared vision of a prosperous Windsor-Essex.
In addition to its grant announcement, the meeting welcomed a presentation from members of Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare's Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC), who shared information on the council and also unveiled its new recruitment campaign.

"HDGH's PFAC is a committed group of patients and family who encourage a shift in traditional healthcare culture from doing 'to' patients to doing 'with' patients," explained chair Barb Masotti. Masotti herself eagerly joined Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare's PFAC team in 2015 and was excited to share her voice after experiencing her own personal journey within the healthcare system.

Today the council is heavily involved in many Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare projects including quality improvement initiatives, policy reviews and has even begun fundraising for the hospital benevolent fund.

"We are at the point now where our council's involvement has grown to the point where we need more members," said PFAC's staff lead and Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare Patient Advocate Joanne Desjardins. "Our new campaign hopes to encourage this recruitment by showing the real faces of our PFAC group and their meaningful contribution to not only our hospital but to healthcare in general," Desjardins explained.

Those interested in becoming a member of Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare PFAC are encouraged to visit  www.hdgh.org/pfac  for more information.
Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare one step closer to being the safest hospital in Ontario with recent Health Standards Organization Leading Practice Award
Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare strongly believes that excellence in patient/client care starts with employees who are and feel safe when they are at work providing care to patients and clients. Continuing the work the hospital began over 10 years ago, Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare has developed a Workplace Violence Prevention Program (WVPP.) The hospital's commitment to this important work has remained strong with its most recent strategic plan identifying a goal of being the safest hospital in Ontario. 

The WVPP is led by an inter-disciplinary team which includes a representation from a variety of unions. The program is multi-faceted and innovative in several distinct ways, including the full-time position of Safe Workplace Advocate, and threshold case review policy. This program has been annually updated and improved with involvement from Union Partners in particular, the Ontario Nurses Association.
 
Recently, Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare submitted a Leading Practice application entitled "Embedding a Culture of Safety via a Workplace Violence Prevention Program" to the Health Standards Organization (HSO). HSO and its affiliate, Accreditation Canada, have been identifying and publishing Leading Practices in the Leading Practices Library for over 15 years. A Leading Practice is a practice carried out by a health and/or social service organization that has demonstrated a positive change, is people centred, and is safe and efficient. Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare is very proud to announce that the application was received and accepted as a Leading Practice.
 
Feedback from HSO indicated, "The application clearly conveys their efforts and success in reducing risk of violence/level of violence, education/training efforts and the advancement of a culture of safety for patients and their workforce. Most importantly, they do convey that this initiative requires much more commitment than simply the development of a policy."
 
Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare President and CEO Janice Kaffer, was elated when she found out HDGH was awarded a Leading Practice Award. "I am so proud of the many individuals involved in making this program what it is today. Specifically, Mary Benson-Albers our Chief Human Resources Officer and Sheri McGeen, our Director of Human Resources and Occupational Health and Safety, who together lead the very committed Workplace Violence Prevention Committee," said Kaffer. "Of course, I would also like to thank our HDGH staff and union partners. Without their engagement and commitment to our safety work, it would not be a Leading Practice today."
 
Kaffer was quick to acknowledge that Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare 's work is not done. Currently the team is working on launching an Awareness Keeps You Safe video series, which highlights four types of violence.
Spring sale hits Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare Gift Shops
Come shop 'til you drop at Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare Gift Shops this week!

We are currently hosting a spring sale with an exclusive 30% off select items!

Be sure to stop by both Gift Shops now until Saturday to get these deals.
Swing into the Charity Golf Classic
Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare's Changing Lives Together Foundation is once again teaming up with In Honour of the Ones We Love Inc. for the 2019 Charity Golf Classic.
 
Taking place on June 17th, the event will include a shotgun start, Texas Scramble and a delicious dinner at Essex Golf & Country Club.
 
Sponsorship opportunities  are available for those looking to support a great cause. There is still time to sign up to take part in tournament.
 
Contact  Linda D'Aloisio  ext. 76922 to learn more information on sponsorship opportunities or to register to golf.