Good afternoon, TeamUHN!
It is a pleasure to connect with you across care, research, and education through this weekly CEO update – all in service of A Healthier World.
Key reminders and updates
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An organization as dynamic as UHN is ever-growing and improving. A little over a year ago, we installed Epic as part of our clinical transformation in how we serve, engage, and care for patients. Now, the finance, procurement, and supply chain side of our organization is undergoing a likewise transformation. In service of one of our key strategic priorities – Unleashing the power of technology and innovation — Project Agile is driving a digitally enabled modernization via the creation of an integrated procurement and supply chain system. A world-class technology partner and a global supply chain leader are two of the key enablers. We go live in
November 2023. This week invitations for process education sessions will go out to approximately 3,000 TeamUHN members who order supplies and services or engage service providers and the people who approve them. The way you will engage with our new procurement and supply chain processes will be changing and it is critical that you understand what is coming, in order to ensure a seamless transition. Education and training will be rolled out in the coming weeks and months, and there will be many opportunities to learn more about these exciting changes. Please
review this video that highlights the work of the procurement and supply chain team. For more information, contact
projectagile@uhn.ca.
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Toronto's mayoral byelection will be held today, with voting from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Per the
Ontario Municipal Elections Act, employees eligible to vote are entitled to three consecutive hours off to cast their ballot on polling day. In most cases, the polling hours allow for TeamUHN members to vote after a regular day shift and before evening shift hours. Those whose work hours today do not provide enough time to vote can request time off which, according to the Act, "shall be provided at the time of day that best suits the convenience of the employer." For more information, consult the
Municipal Elections Act. We look forward to learning who will become Toronto's next mayor and working closely with that individual to serve our community.
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This week, we say goodbye to another legend – UHN Foundation CEO Tennys Hanson, who is retiring after 23 years at the helm of that organization. Tennys' relentless leadership and special talent at building relationships with donors has profoundly impacted UHN's mission. With a passion for learning, science, and innovation, she has been instrumental in UHN's becoming Canada's top research hospital and premier academic health sciences centre, home to world firsts such as creating universal blood-type organs for transplant and Ex Vivo Organ Perfusion technology. From procuring Ontario's first Gamma knife in 2005 to constructing the Krembil Discovery Tower at Toronto Western to supporting first-in-Canada social medicine modular housing, Tennys has left a lasting legacy. TeamUHN will never forget our Foundations' support for front-line staff amid the COVID pandemic with meal vouchers and the Rest Safe program. Thank you for your service to UHN and A Healthier World, Tennys. We know that, as in everything you do, the next chapter will be filled with generosity, elegance, and continued learning.
Learn more about her remarkable career in this story from UHN Foundation.
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Princess Margaret Cancer Centre is pleased to announce the release of the 2022 Annual Report. We look forward to sharing the progress we have made in the past year thanks to the hard work and incredible dedication of our staff, clinicians, researchers, learners, supporters and patients. Our immense gratitude to everyone who has played a part in making a significant difference to patients, their families, and our colleagues. Together we are "Always Moving Forward."
Read the full report.
- July 1st marks the start of the 2023/24 academic year for many, including more than 2,000 medical residents and clinical fellows at UHN. Each year, new and returning physician learners scheduled to work at UHN at any time in the year must register with both the University of Toronto Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME) and UHN. The annual registration is an important process to ensure learners meet all the legal requirements to provide patient care. It is also designed to provide learners with the necessary tools to be part of the team at UHN including Epic access, UHN email access and TIDs, ID badges, orientation eLearning modules, and more. Registration for the 23/24 academic year began June 1st. All physician learners are advised to register as soon as possible. A special thank you to the many individuals and teams supporting learners throughout this very busy time – we appreciate your efforts! Questions? Please contact
MedicalEducation@uhn.ca.
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The UHN Strategy Refresh Kick-Off Survey has closed: My thanks to more than 2,500 TeamUHN members who shared their thoughts in the
TeamUHN Strategy Refresh Kick-off Survey regarding top areas of focus for the organization as we refresh UHN's Strategic Directions. Look out for more opportunities to be engaged in this work over the coming months, and good luck to all those who entered into the draw for prizes – winners will be contacted directly beginning at the end of this month!
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Have your say and help shape the development of a new UHN Quality & Safety Strategic Plan. Share your thoughts on key priorities for improvement by
taking this brief survey today. Interested in sharing further ideas? Contact
Sarah.Tosoni@uhn.ca or
Lucas.Chartier@uhn.ca
Closing Notes
UHN's Peter Munk Cardiac Centre is the only centre in Canada – and one of a few in the world – to offer a new outpatient testing procedure as an alternative to open-heart surgery. Patients who need diagnostic testing for unknown entities, such as growths around the heart, typically need an operation just to determine their diagnosis – at an average cost of $6,725. Along with his team, Dr. Patrik Rogalla, Division Head for Cardiovascular and Thoracic Imaging at the Joint Department of Medical Imaging, developed a technique to biopsy masses in and around the heart by manually synchronizing a computerized tomography (CT) scan and fluoroscopy with the electrocardiogram (ECG) to safely collect the sample. The procedure takes an average of 32 minutes and patients typically leave the hospital after a two-hour recovery, in sharp contrast to the average seven days spent in hospital after a surgery to biopsy the heart.
Learn more on UHN News.
Don't miss
this terrific story on Project SEARCH, a unique training program for students with an intellectual disability. UHN has partnered with the Toronto District School Board and Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital to provide co-op placements for students in their last year of high school to acquire more than 700 hours of hands-on work experience geared to in-demand jobs. Mackenzie Koole, a Project SEARCH graduate who later secured a permanent part-time porter position at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, told UHN News “the atmosphere and support from other employees has been amazing." Learn more by reading
UHN News and visiting the
Project SEARCH website. Contact
projectSEARCHtoronto@tdsb.on.ca or
amy.spear@uhn.ca to get involved.
And now… our
video of the week. In this clip, TeamUHN members from Krembil Brain Institute teach us about the signs and symptoms of a stroke – and how learning the acronym FAST can save lives.
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Have a good week,
Kevin
