Page 26 - Sharpening the Focus at UHN

PURPOSE, VALUES AND PRINCIPLES
CARING SAFELY
PATIENT EXPERIENCE
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PURPOSE, VALUES AND PRINCIPLES CLINICAL OPTIMIZATION
Dr. Pisters and fellow UHN leaders speak myUHN Patient Portal: a patient and a
TEAM ENGAGEMENT
candidly about their medical errors doctor tell how it’s made a difference
CLINICAL OPTIMIZATION

Three senior leaders at UHN are “It was a dose of codeine that as I was pouring it, I Carrie Orfus Gelkopf has been their UHN appointments, results, reports and clinical
discussing medical errors they made thought - this isn’t right,” she says in the video. “But I a patient at UHN since 2004, documentation across UHN in real time.
IT TRANSFORMATION
CARING SAFELY
on the job. thought I read the order, I thought I read it right, and predominantly at Toronto General myUHN also allows patients to share their
In candid and sometimes painful so I didn’t question it.” Hospital and Princess Margaret information with others such as their caregivers or
detail, UHN President and CEO, Dr. It turns out the dosage was 50 times the amount Cancer Centre. family doctor. And, it has patient education resource
Peter Pisters, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Charlie Chan, prescribed. Over the years, she says her interaction with links to help in interpreting health information.
RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
PATIENT EXPERIENCE
and Dr. Joy Richards, VP Patient Experience & Chief As in all three cases highlighted in the video, Joy’s physicians and others on her care team “has always “It has empowered me, and by extension my family, to
Health Professions, discuss a moment in their career patient was informed of the error and made a full been with the utmost of caring and respect and I have become partners in my care,” says Carrie, a busy wife
they will never forget. recovery. always been made to feel part of my care.” and mother of four who spends a lot of time travelling

The conversations are part of the Caring Safely All three UHN leaders who spoke out in the video But recently, that connection has reached a whole for her volunteer work in the community.
TEAM ENGAGEMENT
initiative underway at UHN. It’s built on the hope to raise awareness about preventable medical different level. She was introduced to myUHN myUHN began with a phased rollout in May 2015. It
MICHENER INTEGRATION
understanding that a key step on the path to becoming harm and reinforce the urgency and need to strive Patient Portal, a new digital patient experience, when was made available to all patients starting Jan. 30, 2017.
a High Reliability Organization committed to toward having zero incidents. she became a patient of Dr. Richard Tsang at the It’s just one example of how UHN is transforming
zero preventable harm among patients and in the Endocrine Clinic at the Princess Margaret. lives and communities and above all else, putting the
workplace, is building a just culture free from shame “As leaders we need to talk about those failures,” “It opened up a whole new world for me,” Carrie says needs of patients first.
IT TRANSFORMATION
and blame when it comes to mistakes. Dr. Richards says. of the secure website where patients can see all of
In the early 1980s, Dr. Richards was just 18 months into Link to full story: click here. Link to full story: click here.
her nursing career when she made a medication error.

RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
Also Making News Also Making News

MICHENER INTEGRATION
TGHRI researcher Donna Stewart
on postpartum depression Final words on UHN’s first Caring
Safely Month
Liver transplant patients
could become free of UHN-created tool for obesity wins
immunosupppressive drugs national award

TRI researcher Frank Rudzicz UHN’s Digital future is coming
on his robot for dementia and
Alzheimer’s
In the latest video spotlighting UHN’s Caring Safely initiative and the effort Carrie Orfus Gelkopf, (middle, wearing scarf) pictured with her husband
to build a just culture free from shame and blame, President and CEO and their four children, says myUHN Patient Portal “has empowered me,
Dr. Peter Pisters, and fellow UHN leaders Dr. Charlie Chan and and by extension my family, to become partners in my care.”
Dr. Joy Richards, discuss medical errors they made. (Video: UHN) (Photo: Courtesy Carrie Orfus Gelkopf)

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