Page 21 - Sharpening the Focus at UHN

PURPOSE, VALUES AND PRINCIPLES
CLINICAL OPTIMIZATION
CARING SAFELY
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Off-duty UHN nurse helps resuscitate man Olympic bronze golden moment for mom
PATIENT EXPERIENCE

after heart attack Nerissa Maxwell is tremendously Last winter, having already booked her holidays to be

proud her son won a bronze medal at able to be in Rio to cheer on Brendon if he secured
TEAM ENGAGEMENT
It was a warm, summer Sunday So my mom just handed me the pyjama pants she was the Summer Olympics. his spot on Team Canada, Nerissa fell ill. She was
morning when Hailey Couroux was wearing.” But more than anything, she’s just diagnosed with a brain aneurysm and underwent
PURPOSE, VALUES AND PRINCIPLES
suddenly awoken from a deep sleep The man on the ground was Alistair Kinnear. He had thankful she lived to see him compete surgery. It was successful and she is on the long road
by her alarmed mother. Hailey, a experienced cardiac arrest during a weekly soccer for Canada in Rio. to recovery, getting stronger daily.
Registered Nurse in Toronto General game with friends. Hailey, in collaboration with two IT TRANSFORMATION While she wasn’t well enough to make the trip
Hospital’s General Internal Medicine unit (GIM), St. John Ambulance Burlington Branch volunteers “It’s exciting,” Nerissa, a UHN employee since 1989 earlier this month to Brazil to support Brendon as
CLINICAL OPTIMIZATION
was urgently needed outside where someone had present at the game, saved Alistair’s life that day. who is nurse manager of 5B Fell at Toronto Western he competed in the 200 metres and the relay, Nerissa
collapsed. Hospital (TWH), says of the podium finish by son
Alistair has recovered since this incident in the Brendon Rodney and his team in the men’s 4 x 100m says, “I stayed home and cheered him on through
Minutes earlier, Hailey’s mother had noticed a lot of beginning of July, and he is now playing soccer again. relay. “You look at it and say: ‘Oh, my gosh.’ the TV” and kept in touch with texts and phone calls
RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
unusual noise in the field behind their house. When before and after each of his races.
she looked out, she noticed a man was down and the “It’s not often that one sees the community act in “And, I’m so grateful that I was here to see this. I’m
CARING SAFELY
people around him were trying to perform CPR. concert as it did the morning of my heart attack,” says very grateful to be alive.” Link to full story: click here.
Alistair. “Everyone knew precisely what to do, and did
“She burst into my room and said, ‘I think someone is it unthinkingly.
in cardiac arrest!’” explains Hailey.
“For that, my family and I will be eternally grateful.” MICHENER INTEGRATION
“I jumped out of bed, ran downstairs, and as I was Also Making News
PATIENT EXPERIENCE
about to run outside, I realized I didn’t have pants on! Link to full story: click here.

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level transform how we diagnose
RESEARCH AND INNOVATION and treat liver disease
UHN staff lend their expertise
to improve safety in radiation

medicine

MICHENER INTEGRATION
Recovering from surgery for a brain aneurysm, Nerissa Maxwell had to
Hailey Couroux, a nurse for nearly two years, explained that helping cancel plans to go to Rio but says she’s “so grateful” to have survived to
a man after a cardiac arrest in a park was very different compared to see her son, Brendon Rodney, win a bronze medal in the 4 x 100 m relay
helping patients alongside a medical team in hospital. (Photo: UHN) at the Summer Olympics. (Photo: Courtesy Nerissa Maxwell)

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20 Sharpening the Focus at UHN Year in Review 2016 – 2017 21