March 19, 2019
Welcome to E-Connect
Hello E-Connecters,

Today we are bringing you an overflowing edition of E-Connect with stories that are sure to inspire you, evoke pride in Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, and make you smile.

Continue reading to learn more!

All the best,
Maciah
Our Patients
Message of hope found through Recovery Philosophy
More than fifty frontline staff, managers, and mental health leaders filled Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare’s Brown Auditorium, all to learn about mental health and addictions proven standard of care – The Recovery Philosophy.

The Recovery Philosophy has quickly gained momentum over the past decade and is the standard model of mental health and addictions care. It is a model endorsed by our Board of Directors and a philosophy that truly puts the client/patient as the director of their journey instilling principles of empowerment, hope, collaboration, identity, responsibility, and ultimately, recovery. 

The March 7 th event hosted by Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare’s Research and Evaluation Department, welcomed some of the Recovery Philosophy’s leading researchers and advocates from Boston University. Dr. Marianne Farkas, Ms. Lyn Legere, and Ms. Christine McMulkin gave powerful presentations of the ability to recover in mental health and addictions care.
 
“What is Recovery?” asked Dr. Farkas in her morning presentation. “It is the ability of claiming or reclaiming meaningful life. It is the journey of unlearning and embracing new ways of knowing, of being, and of thinking,” she explained.

Perhaps the most powerful presentation however, came from Legere, who spoke on the “Presence of Possibility and Power of Lived Experience”. Legere, who struggled with her own mental health and addiction issues told the audience of her journey through the system

“I was a good patient but being a patient was all I knew. I didn’t know how to live, work, socialize. My safest place was the hospital, on the psych unit,” she said honestly.

Through her own lived experience, attendees not only heard of her struggles but felt them. Her story showed how recovery is not only possible, but of the power of hope carrying a person through their journey.

“Chronic despair is terrible,” she explained passionately. “But when someone gets their hope crushed, it is so much worse.” Legere reminded clinicians and practioners that although textbooks say one thing, it is important to listen to hope and the person.”

“We can’t be what we can’t see. We can’t instill hope but we can INSPIRE it,” she concluded.

Although a day long event in physical time, attendees were reminded that adapting this philosophy would be a process. March 7 th was an introduction to a long-term transformation in how we see and deliver mental health and addictions care. It is a commitment to the patient/clients we serve as we shift towards a recovery oriented philosophy and begin to inspire hope.  
Building Patient Care Plans around goals
With restoring the lives of those we serve top of mind, staff involved with our Inpatient Rehabilitation 4’s (RH4) Unit Based Council are going above and beyond to help our patients achieve their goals.

Over the past two years, Unit Based Councils, or UBCs, have been growing across a number of departments in our organization. Comprised of staff from the unit or team, UBCs aim to identify Opportunities for Improvement as it relates to the patient experience and workplace morale.

The RH4 UBC was eager to improve the way their patients met their goals while in our care. In a pilot phase, the concept of individualized Patient Care Plans will allow each discipline of the healthcare team work together with patients and their families to develop a Patient Care Plan that meets their needs and goals.

As each member of the healthcare team – nurse, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, dietitian, social worker, psychologist, and speech language therapist – assesses the patient, they will learn about the goals the patient hopes to achieve as it relates to each aspect of their rehab journey.

To further motivate patients, colourful bulletin boards outlining suggested goals, such as improve healthy eating habits, be confident in my ability to maintain my balance, or be able to administer my own medications, are displayed throughout the unit’s hallways and therapy rooms.

As the project continues the hope is to streamline the Care Plan process while providing weekly updates on progress towards goals.

Way to go RH4!
Our People
Uniting Partnerships
As one of the most impoverished communities in our country, Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare knows that supporting local programs through our community partner, United Way/Centraide Windsor-Essex County, has life changing impacts.

That is why Our People continue to be committed to making donations to our organization’s annual United Way Campaign. Through payroll deductions, one time donations, or continuous giving, funds raised by our team greatly contribute to United Way’s efforts of reducing poverty and creating possibilities in our region.

From February 25th to March 4th, 2019, over $27,600 was raised by 141 donors and corporate gifts for United Way. Yearly, Hôel-Dieu Grace Healthcare organizationally contributes $6,000 to sponsor two students participating in United Way’s On Track to Success Program - a network of collaborative partners providing supports and services to ensure “at-risk” youth graduate high school and attend post-secondary programs.

Money raised during our 2019 campaign brought our five year, Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare grand total to reach over $100,000 collected for United Way funded programs in our community!

As we conclude another successful campaign, all of us at Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare we are humbled and privileged to be able to live our Vision of cultivating a healthier community alongside an amazing organization and community partner such as United Way.
Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare's Director of Finance shares knowledge with nursing grads
Graduate nursing students at the University of Windsor broadened their knowledge of the healthcare world as they heard more about finance in healthcare from Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare.

For the second year, Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare's Director of Finance, Sherri Laframboise was asked to speak with students of "Theoretical Foundations of Nursing Leadership", a graduate nursing class at the University.

Sharing her knowledge and experience, Sherri noted the students as "an awesome group of future healthcare leaders".

Thank you University of Windsor Faculty of Nursing for the opportunity.
Our Identity
L-R: Nicole Sbrocca, CMHA WECB Board Member, Claudia den Boer, CEO CMHA WECB, Mike Horrobin, HDGH Board Chair, Janice Kaffer, President and CEO HDGH. Speakers at Friday's announcement.
Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare and Canadian Mental Health Association Windsor Essex County Branch announce
partnership expansion
Five years after entering into a Memorandum of Understanding formalizing their partnership, Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare and Canadian Mental Health Association - Windsor Essex County Branch (CMHA WECB) have announced the expansion of this partnership with Claudia den Boer as the Executive Lead for Community Mental Health. In this role, den Boer will remain CEO of CMHA WECB, however she will now have direct oversight over our community mental health programs as part of HDGH's Executive Leadership Team. It's current Vice President of Mental Health and Addiction, Sonja Grbevski will focus on the hospital's inpatient mental health program and child and youth mental health services through the Regional Children's Centre (RCC).

"As part of CMHA's enhanced partnership with HDGH, I look forward to working on the next steps to continuing to improve Mental Health and Addictions services in Windsor-Essex. I look forward to the opportunity my additional role at HDGH will offer to me in furthering our shared goals," stated den Boer at a press conference Friday morning.

The enhanced partnership comes soon after a February 26th announcement made by Minister of Health and Long Term Care, Christine Elliott promising a new strategy and structuring of Ontario's health care. Heard throughout her remarks was the message of strengthening and growing existing partnerships - a move to fix the existing "siloed and fragmented health system."

Over the next while, den Boer will specifically look at how the two organizations can better improve satisfaction with care experience from both patient/client and family perspective through the Crisis and Mental Wellness Centre. She will also work on increased prevention and promotion of mental wellness that aims to minimize need for acute care admission and maximize access to community-base care like that of the Crisis and Mental Wellness Centre.

"We are going to work together with existing resources to improve timely access as we know this is a significant barrier," said Janice Kaffer, President and CEO of Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare . "It is not a patient or client's job to navigate this very complicated system during an already stressful time. Together, CMHA WECB and HDGH are, and have been, committed to making this our responsibility."

Den Boer with CMHA WECB and the Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare teams do have a realistic understanding of the acute demands on the system. In January of 2017, the Crisis staff at The Crisis and Mental Wellness Centre saw 48 clients through walk in services. Two years later in January of 2019, this number has increased to 203.
Photos from the event can be viewed on the Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare Facebook page .
Celebrating unsung female heroes
It felt as if sunshine itself was captured and filling the Windsor Yacht Club on Friday, March 8 th as nearly 150 guests gathered to celebrate International Women’s Day.

Themed in yellow as a nod to the yellow mimosa flower, the official flower of International Women’s Day, the event had a feeling of happiness, pride, and celebration for three impactful, unsung, female heroes of our community.

The event, presented by Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare’s Changing Lives Together Foundation and In Honour of the Ones We Love Inc., honoured Tish Harcus, Lina Sabatini, and Linda Sabatini for the important work they do for Windsor-Essex.

Tish, the Canadian Club Global Ambassador, has an impressive resume when it comes to marketing whisky and started the C.C. Women & Whisky group five years ago.

Lina has worked with the Hospice of Windsor and Essex County for 35 years, with the past 25 as an Executive Assistant. Lina’s passion and commitment for Hospice and her allegiances and dedication to its Directors, staff, community partners, and volunteers is beyond measure.

As Coordinator of Intake and Clinical Administration at the Hospice of Windsor and Essex County, Linda has showcased her values, her commitment to compassionate care, and most especially, her willingness to go above and beyond in service to others over the past 35 years.

The beautiful event brought together women of various ages, professions, and walks of life to celebrate simply being women. Delicious hors d’oeuvres, dinner, and sweets, were coupled with raffle prizes, vendors, and a fashion show featuring clothing from LaurAngela Boutique.

A special thank you goes out to Michelle Maluske of CTV Windsor who filled the room with laughter and joy as the evening's emcee.

Together, we raised $15,000 for women’s mental health programs at Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare.