Page 30 - Sharpening the Focus at UHN

PURPOSE, VALUES AND PRINCIPLES
CLINICAL OPTIMIZATION
CARING SAFELY
PATIENT EXPERIENCE
TEAM ENGAGEMENT
Apr/16 May/16 Jun/16 Jul/16 Aug/16 Sept/16 Oct/16 Nov/16 Dec/16 Jan/17 Feb/17 Mar/17
Living without lungs for six days saves
a mom’s life
IT TRANSFORMATION
In a bold and very challenging move,
thoracic surgeons at Toronto General
RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
Hospital (TGH) removed severely
infected lungs from a dying mom,
keeping her alive without them for six
days, so that she could recover enough to receive a life- Surgical Intensive Care Unit (MSICU) in early April
saving lung transplant.
MICHENER INTEGRATION
This is believed to be the first such procedure in
the world.
It was made possible by advanced life support
technology, a dedicated and diverse surgical,
respirology, intensive care and perfusion team, as well
as the grit and gumption of the patient, Melissa Benoit,
and her close-knit family.
“This was bold and very challenging, but Melissa was
dying before our eyes,” recalls Dr. Shaf Keshavjee,
Surgeon-in-Chief, Sprott Department of Surgery at
UHN, one of three thoracic surgeons who operated
together on Melissa to remove both her lungs. “We had
Melissa Benoit, who was kept alive without lungs for six days before a successful
transplant, plays with daughter Olivia, 2, before news conference detailing what’s
believed to be the world’s first such procedure. (Photo: UHN)
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to make a decision because Melissa was going to die
that night.
“Melissa gave us the courage to go ahead.”
Melissa, then 32, was brought into TGH’s Medical
2016, sedated and on a ventilator to help her laboured
breathing. For the past three years, Melissa, who has
cystic fibrosis, had been prescribed antibiotics to fight
off increasingly frequent chest infections.
A recent bout of influenza just before her hospital
admission had left Melissa gasping for air, with
coughing fits so harsh that she fractured her ribs.
Her inflamed lungs began to fill with blood, pus and
mucous, decreasing the amount of air entering her
lungs, similar to a person drowning.
Link to full story: click here.
Also Making News
Overcoming obstacles
par for the course for
international students
Marking Black History
Month at UHN
Better blood profiles predict
diabetes more accurately
Sharpening the Focus at UHN
Apr/16 May/16 Jun/16 Jul/16 Aug/16 Sept/16 Oct/16 Nov/16 Dec/16 Jan/17 Feb/17 Mar/17
Four days in a hospital hallway:
UHN taking action on overcapacity
PURPOSE, VALUES AND PRINCIPLES
Imagine it’s your vacation and you Chris recently joined more than 80 UHN leaders and
arrive at your sunny destination only
CLINICAL OPTIMIZATION team members across four hospital sites and many
to be told your room isn’t ready. disciplines – including nurses, physicians, professional
You sit in the lobby, watching the practice, supports services and more – for a rigorous
clock, feeling discouraged as minutes two-day workshop.
turn into hours, then days, and the waiting area It was led by UHN’s Lean Process Improvement
CARING SAFELY
becomes increasingly over-crowded, noisy, chaotic, team to kick-off the development of an action plan to
and you can’t find an employee who can tell you when ensure the right patient receives the right care in the
the waiting will end. right amount of time, especially when the hospital is
Now, imagine if rather than a tropical resort it was a in a state of overcapacity.
PATIENT EXPERIENCE
hospital emergency department, and the waiting was “This work directly supports our focus on Caring
in a hallway and lasted four days. Safely and team engagement,” says Mike Nader, EVP
This was a reality back in 2008 for Chris Taylor, now and Chief Operating Officer, who along with Dr.
a UHN Patient Partner offering his unique insights in Charlie Chan, EVP and Chief Medical Officer, are
TEAM ENGAGEMENT
the development of UHN’s Overcapacity Protocol and spearheading efforts to optimize clinical operations at
action plan. UHN and recognize that while changing practices and
organizational culture is difficult, it’s also necessary
for sustainability.
IT TRANSFORMATION Link to full story: click here.
Also Making News
RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
Living history: nurse reflects on 50
years of service at TWH
MICHENER INTEGRATION
Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
and Terry Fox RI part of innovative
project
Immune therapy scientists discover
Chris Taylor, a grateful patient who credits UHN for his
second chance at life, also feels an obligation to share the distinct cells that block cancer-
challenging experiences patients face within the Ontario fighting cells
healthcare system – and spark the conversations on how we
can improve. (Photo: Courtesy Chris Taylor)
Year in Review 2016 – 2017 31