I'll start by congratulating all of the Michener students who attended last week's 2017 Student Awards Ceremony. The winners of the awards were students who have demonstrated initiative, excellence and innovative thinking – all qualities we want in the healthcare professionals of the future. It was a great way to finish my day on November 8, 2017. I was privileged to meet Dr. Diana Michener Schatz, the founder of the Michener Institute who has attended this event for 60 years. The 40 students, family members, and friends in attendance showed their affection and gratitude for Dr. Schatz in their cheers as she gave out the awards. Dr. Schatz's foresight and wisdom in creating the Michener Institute benefits all of healthcare as Michener graduates work throughout the system in many professions. For those who would like to know more, click
here for a link to the Michener Institute at UHN's history.
I also want to flag the fact that last week we learned that UHN, once again, leads all research hospitals in the country in terms of the funds we attract to conduct research. There is a story on the UHN intranet but if you would like to read more, you can click
here for the Research Canada website which has the lists and the release.
In recent weeks there's been some media comment about the opening of old hospitals and whether this is a strategy that will alleviate the pressures on hospitals. UHN is amongst the organizations making plans to reopen a facility – in our case, the Hillcrest-Toronto Rehab site which, until recently, was being used by the Toronto Grace Hospital while they refurbished their own site on Bloor Street. The overall goal of Hillcrest is to create an alternate approach to provide appropriate, quality and safe care to patients that may benefit from a transitional care model in the community for a limited period of time.
We will be working with community agencies to identify patients who are ALC or at risk of becoming ALC while in hospital and offering the option of Hillcrest with the goal of providing additional therapies which will help people attain their goal of returning home or to the community. Hillcrest will have a total of 75 spaces for individuals staying for as long as two months. There will also be 50 spaces in an Adult Transition Day Program for frail seniors, client with dementia or clients needing mental health services whose transition home may be more complex. UHN will have a manager on site who will work with the community agencies and the hospitals on assessment and intake. Beyond this role, it is the community agencies which will staff and support the work with clients. We are using an innovative approach to helping people transition from their acute experience to home or the community.
October was Caring Safely Month and one of the activities was asking people how they were living Caring Safely. Here's a shortened version of one of the answers:
"I am living Caring Safely in various ways. For example, I use the communication tools and I am more proactive in my assessment of potential risk. Recently I reported a 'near miss' to my team when I noticed that two siblings – both patients in my program – had the same last name and the first six digits of their MRNs were the same. I e-mailed my team the minute I saw it and my manager had Health Records address it immediately."
That's a good catch, followed up with action to reduce the risk – let's all do that!
Charlie
