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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UHN's Virtual Emergency Department will continue into 2024 thanks to funding from the Ontario Ministry of Health. Since its inception in 2020, UHN's Virtual ED has been a great success, serving over 5,000 patients with non-life-threatening health concerns. Eighty per cent of those patients received expedited and effective treatment, safely replacing an in-person visit to the ED. Patients can continue to book their own appointments online by accessing Toronto's Virtual Emergency Department. A transition to Health811 as a first point of contact will be made at a future date. We will share more information as we approach that period. By prioritizing accessibility and efficiency for patients and families, we are reshaping the landscape of urgent and emergent health care delivery, exemplifying our dedication to innovative research and its translation to benefit patients. Read more about Toronto's Virtual Emergency Department in this UHN News story.
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Be sure to nominate a TeamUHN member for the 20th annual Inventor of the Year award sponsored by Commercializationat UHN.This award recognizes an individual or team whose invention has made a substantial commercialization contribution in service of A Healthier World. This prize not only highlights outstanding research ingenuity and creativity, but the entrepreneurial culture nurtured at UHN, Canada's leading research commercialization hospital. Nominations will close on Sept. 29. Submit your nominations online and learn more about the nomination criteria. Questions? Contact commercialization@uhn.ca.
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New research from the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre at UHN is furthering our understanding of the long-term effects of mild COVID-19 on the heart. The study from Drs. Dinesh Thavendiranathan and Kate Hanneman involved participants who underwent COVID-19 testing between August 2020 and January 2022, including a group with mild COVID and a control group who tested negative for it. They found those who tested positive reported experiencing more cardiac symptoms, including chest pain and shortness of breath, compared to the control group – though most patients had improvement in cardiac symptoms at follow-ups at 12 to 18 months. “This research helps us better understand the relationship between mild COVID-19 and heart health," Kate told UHN News. "Considering the majority of COVID-19 infections are mild, it's important we learn all that we can about the long-term effects of the heart particularly in relations to patients who have persistent symptoms even months after COVID-19."
Read more at UHN News.
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A UHN-led project seeks to save life and limb by encouraging us to ask patients a simple question: "May I see your feet?" Tapping into a network of community care partners, "Best Foot Forward: Re-skilling Human Resources for High-Risk Foot Care" aims to more quickly get care to those most at risk of diabetic limb loss, including patients with diabetic foot ulcers. The Michener Institute of Education at UHN, which boasts a Chiropody program and onsite Chiropody clinic, is providing support and resources to upskill community partners to do foot care assessments and help spot patients at risk of losing limbs. Angela Robertson, Executive Director at Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre (PWQHC) told UHN News that her staff members, who support marginalized populations, "are thrilled to be part of an effort that can directly prevent limb loss through early detection and intervention." Read more at UHN News.
Closing Notes
I encourage you to take part in a virtual town hall tomorrow from 12-1 p.m. to help shape a new UHN Quality & Safety Strategic Plan. Register for the event
right here. And be sure to
take this survey and share your views on safety gaps and areas for improvement at UHN, where we aspire to become the safest hospital in the world. Questions? Contact
Sarah.Tosoni@uhn.ca or Lucas.Chartier@uhn.ca.
And now.. our
video of the week. This clip showcases the often unsung heroes of cancer care: radiation therapists!
Feedback?
Your feedback is welcome and valued. Please reply directly to me or leave anonymous feedback here.
Have a good week,
Kevin
