Happy Tuesday!
As 2019 enters its third month, things are picking up at Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare with tons of fantastic initiatives and events taking place.
You will read about just a few in today's E-Connect, including a donation from a familiar Dalmatian, a successful Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare conference, the generosity and drive of Our People, and an update on the important work of violence prevention.
Wishing you a beautiful day,
Maciah
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The gift that keeps on giving
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Sitting cross-legged with attentive eyes and ears, the children in Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare’s Regional Children’s Centre’s Intensive Treatment Services, Day Treatment program watched as an iconic childhood character and his friends made a special announcement that will benefit their care.
On Thursday, February 28
th
, members of Windsor Fire and Rescue Services, the Windsor Firefighters Benefit Fund, and their big, Dalmatian friend, Sparky from Sparky’s Toy Drive, visited the children and staff at our Regional Children’s Centre to say thank you for our ongoing partnership.
Sparky’s Toy Drive does life-changing work throughout the holiday season as they provide toys and gifts to children in need across our region, including those at our Regional Children’s Centre. But their work doesn’t stop during the rest of the year. Including being the toy distribution site during the holidays, Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare has offered Sparky’s a home at our Prince Road campus.
To say thank you, the Windsor Firefighters Benefit Fund presented a $1,000 donation to further support the children we serve at our Regional Children’s Centre.
Thank you Windsor Fire and Rescue Services, Windsor Firefighters Benefit Fund, and Sparky’s Toy Drive for continuing to recognize the need for child and youth mental health services and offering your support.
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Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare's Conference educates physicians on geriatric healthcare
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Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare welcomed more than one hundred local physicians and medical students at its 6
th
Annual Geriatric Conference. The February 23
rd
day-long event heard from eight speakers all who spoke about varying topics related to the the aging patient.
Keynote speaker, Dr. Marina Salvadori, made the trip from London and was the keynote speaker of the day opening with a slide of her vehicle proudly decorated with a license plate reading "Vaccinate".
Dr. Salvadori addressed the role of healthcare providers in vaccinating their patients stating that healthcare providers have a responsibility to ensure that adults are protected against vaccine-preventable diseases and regularly review their patient’s immunization status. She went on to explain the recommended adult immunization, occasionally adding some lighted-hearted humour to her presentation.
"Vaccines cause adults" one slide read, driving home the message that vaccines prevent illness and therefore allow us to live longer.
Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare’s own Sonja Vani, Dr. Dana Sesilja and Dr. Kristina Levang also addressed the audience on "The Impact of Cognitive Frailty and Dementia", "Spasticity Evaluation and Management", and "Alchohol Use Disorder in the Elderly" respectively.
"We know that our population is aging. It’s therefore very important to continue to provide these educational opportunities for physicians so they can ask questions and learn from their colleagues," said Linda Di Rosa, Manager of Medical Affairs and member of the conference planning committee. "We are happy to say we are in the 6
th
year of providing this opportunity locally."
Thank you to all who attended this year’s conference. We look forward to seeing you all in 2020.
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The 2019 HDGH Coldest Night of the Year Team
Back L-R: Alora Pattison, Jacob Quinlan, Pat Quinlan, Hilton Gomes, Lyle Ward.
Front L-R: Kathy Quinlan, Michelle Mallais, Sandy Gomes, Shannon Tompkins.
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Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare takes on the
Coldest Night of the Year
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Whenever possible, Our People at Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare go above and beyond to help us achieve our vision of cultivating a healthier community.
In our latest feat, our staff braved the elements during the annual
Coldest Night of the Year (CNOY)
fundraising event. CNOY aims to bring awareness to homelessness throughout our country, while collecting funds for local organizations. In Windsor, CNOY is organized by and benefits the Downtown Mission.
Our ambitious team walked the streets of Windsor to get a taste of homelessness on February 23rd. Once again this year, our team surpassed their fundraising goal, collecting a total of $2,125.
Team member, Shannon Tompkins, Director of Risk Management, Environmental Services, and Chief Privacy Officer, won the title of third highest fundraiser out of all participants. Shannon raised $1,200 for the event.
"This is my third year doing the walk," explains Shannon. "The first year, when I visited the Mission for the first time, I couldn't believe the number of kids - young adults with no supports - that were there. It really opened my eyes and made me emotional. As a mother, it made me ask myself, 'how can I help these kids?', and that's why I choose to the do walk and fundraise each year."
Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare is proud to have participated in CNOY each year that it has taken place in Windsor. Over the past six years, we have raised $12,883.49.
Way to go team!
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New Recognition Program celebrates Values in Action
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As part of this program we announced the Values In Action Award. This monthly award recognizes an individual for whose actions exemplify the values of Respect, Teamwork, Compassion and Social Responsibility – also known as, OUR CORPORATE VALUES. These values are the foundation of the work we carry out daily to our patients, families and community.
For the month of January, staff on our Complex Medical Care, 2 South unit nominated their coworker,
RPN Didiane 'Didi' Kayisangwa
for this award. As part of this nomination, Didi will be considered for the Outstanding Demonstration of HDGH Values Presidents Award in spring 2020.
The Nomination Letter:
Didi is the perfect example of a HDGH employee. She goes above and beyond during her night shift and washes multiple patients to help out her colleagues on the day shift. She gives each patient the same respect and compassion as she would her own family. Whether its 2:00 p.m. or 2:00 a.m. Didi treats each patient with dignity and respect. For one example she was in a patient's room for over 40 minutes at 2:00 a.m. just listening to this patient's concerns and troubles. She is always there for any colleague or patient. ALWAYS willing to help out even before asked. She is the perfect team member and we always look forward to our shifts with Didi. Patients always have wonderful things to say about DIDI and we couldn't agree more! You should be proud to have DIDI as a HDGH employee!
When asked how she felt about being nominated, Didi said that she was surprised and very humbled.
"I didn’t think how I work was anything ‘special’. We work as a team and we do our best to help each other. Whenever I can do things to make work easier for my coworkers means that we can provide the best care for our patients.”
As a Registerd Practical Nurse, Didi's top priority at work is her patients and finds joy knowing that she is helping someone in need.
“Every patient that I have, no matter who they are, I make them my priority and treat as a human being,” she explains. “When I walk into a patient’s room, I put myself in their shoes; I imagine that they are my loved one in that bed and I make sure to treat them with nothing but compassion.”
We look forward to sharing more stories of Our People in upcoming editions of E-Connect.
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Large building signage communicating that HDGH has zero tolerance
for violence.
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Erna Bujna, Health and Safety Specialist for the Ontario Nurses' Association.
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Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare leading in
Violence Prevention Work
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If you have visited Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare's Prince Road Campus lately, it would have been hard not to notice the 3-story building signage when entering the campus. The white banner is hard to miss and even more clear is its simple yet important message - Respect our Healthcare Workers, we have Zero Tolerance for Violence.
The community based hospital updated the public the morning of March 4th on the safety work done throughout the organization since moving to the west-end in 2013.
"Safety isn't just a word at Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, it's a very important and necessary action," said Janice Kaffer, President &CEO. "With the refresh of our strategic plan last April, we set the significant goal of being the safest hospital in Ontario. Today, we felt it was important to let our community and staff know how we will do this."
The hour event heard from members of the hospital's Workplace Violence and Prevention committee as well as Union Partner, the Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA).
From the highly visible nature of its safety work such as newly installed elevator wraps, building signage and "It Hurts to be Quiet" posters hung in all staff rooms, HDGH reminds patients, visitors, physicians and staff that violence in any form is not part of the job.
Also very clear was the message stressed on staff to use its Safety Reporting System if they see any form of abuse, be it physical, verbal or disrespectful conduct. Zero Tolerance means that each and every incident of violence and aggression at HDGH will be addressed. An incident will not occur without dealing with the behaviour to ensure the behaviour stops.
"It takes leadership to collaborate in this way- with unions and the Joint Health and Safety Committee," said Erna Bujna, ONA's Health and Safety Specialist and Lead for Workplace Violence. "HDGH is a leader in this work. Engaging stakeholders is what makes a true difference in the prevention of violence. I would like to acknowledge this leadership at HDGH in doing this."
To conclude the event, a preview of HDGH's four-part video series "Awareness Keeps You Safe" was premiered. The 3-minute preview brought goosebumps to viewers as a realistic scenario unfolded teaching the audience on what to do should the hospital call a Code Lockdown - Violent Person with Weapon.
The videos, all to be shot on campus, using familiar spaces, are meant to provide HDGH staff, volunteers and physicians with tools that will prepare them should they find themselves in similar situations. Protecting staff and patients is a clear priority for HDGH, one that should be replicated province wide.
Along with Code Lockdown - Violent Person with Weapon, the series will also highlight Patient/Family Violence, Domestic Violence, and Worker to Worker Violence. All are scheduled to be completed this year.
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Changing Lives Together Foundation's Heart Breaker Challenge seeks volunteers
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Taking place on Saturday, May 25th, the event will challenge participants to get fit, get dirty, and give back. If those first two options don't appeal to you as much, you can still give back at the Heart Breaker Challenge by being an Event Day Volunteer.
Our Heart Breaker team relies heavily on the dedication of our volunteers and couldn't pull this elaborate event off without them.
If you are interested in watching people have fun, get covered in mud, and feel good about helping out a great cause, complete a volunteer application form today!
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Bluewater Health seeking governing members
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Bluewater Health, in Sarnia and Petrolia, is looking for new Board of Director and Standing Committee
members.
This is an opportunity to volunteer your skills and experience to help shape
healthcare in Sarnia-Lambton by providing advice, input and leadership on a broad range of policy and governance issues.
Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare recognizes the significant role of our Board of Directors and Committees and encourages those who are interested in joining Bluewater Health's team to apply.
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