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A Year in Review 2012 – 2013:
Programs
Courage Lives Here
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Medical and Community Care
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...continued from page 29)
Coming together
But Emergency staff, most of whom worked many hours
without breaks throughout the exceptionally busy season,
came together, keeping an eye out for each other and
each other’s patients.
“Are you ok? What can I do for you?” or “Extra hands
here!” rang back and forth throughout the department.
One patient care assistant decorated the department
with a holiday motif, boxes for the food bank were put
out, and potluck suppers were organized to get into the
holiday spirit.
“We don’t have set hours. And we never close our
doors, no matter how many patients we have,” said
Bates.“You really have to love the chaos, the challenge,
the unknown.”
Dalglish Family Hearts & Minds Clinic:
Opened world’s first comprehensive, interdisciplinary clinic devoted to adults with 22q11.2
Deletion Syndrome, a genetic condition linked to more than 40 conditions.
S.C.O.P.E. (Seamless Care Optimizing the Patient Experience):
A pilot project called S.C.O.P.E. was created between Toronto Western Hospital, UHN, the Toronto
Central Community Access Centre and Women’s College Hospital. It provides support and timely
access to primary care physicians for patients who frequently visit emergency departments for
chronic health-care needs, but who could be cared for in the community.
My KidneyCare Centre
The electronic systemMy KidneyCare Centre was established for patients to track their symptoms and
questions for review by a clinic physician.
Patients are given a print-out summary and take-away information after their clinic visit. The kiosk
is available in English, Chinese and Italian, and the system is planned to be expanded to other
technologies such as smartphones or home computers.
Global health emergency physicians
The only Centre of Excellence for Canada comprised of global health emergency physicians
dedicated to improving health in resource-poor settings was established.
Projects range from developing an emergency medicine residency training program in Ethiopia,
to improving the care of critically ill children in Malawi and supporting three grassroots projects
in Lesotho.
Highlights
Staff Nurse Joy Nabaretti, RN, left, and Kathy Bates, RN, Patient Care Coordinator, in the
resuscitation room, Toronto Western Hospital Emergency Department.
(Photo: UHN)
“Families and patients were spilling out
into the hallways, and patients were filling up
every single bed in Emergency.”
–Jill Smirnis
