Good morning, 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
-
UHN's new five-year nursing strategy,
Inspire, seeks to empower nurses to thrive in their careers at UHN. Developed in collaboration with TeamUHN nurses and unveiled during National Nursing Week by Chief Nurse Executive Pam Hubley, with whom I had the pleasure of joining to visit some of our exceptional nursing colleagues at Toronto General and Toronto Rehab's Lyndhurst Centre (with more visits planned this week), the strategy has four strategic directions:
-
Adapt and transform: stresses the need to be agile to meet the changing needs of our patients, communities, and system;
-
Develop and grow: speaks to the importance of investing in and supporting our multigenerational and diverse workforce, including career pathways and laddering;
-
Advance and celebrate: promotes recognizing and acknowledging nurses and their contributions;
-
Innovate and lead: speaks to how UHN wants to advance innovative nurse-led ideas, cultivate a spirit of curiosity, and leverage the power of technology.
"The Nursing Strategy is a philosophical and practical foundation on which to build an exciting future for nursing at UHN," Tara Bolden, Nurse Practitioner Lead at UHN
told UHN News. "The hope is that all nurses feel represented, and that it ignites energy and passion to create and reimagine our roles and the profession. Congratulations to all involved in crafting this dynamic vision for nursing at UHN. Read the full document online –
Inspire: UHN Nursing Strategy 2023-2028.
-
Congratulations to UHN's Donna Pilon for winning the top prize in The Hospital News' 2023 Nursing Hero Awards and gracing the cover of its most recent publication. Donna has worked at Toronto General since 1985 and currently serves in the Medical Day Unit. The nomination letter submitted on her behalf, which includes glowing reviews from colleagues and patients, highlights her exceptional commitment to patient care and mentorship. What stands out most is how her positive attitude inspires those around her. “Donna is pure sunshine and energy," said one colleague. "She brings authenticity, purpose, kindness, respect, attention, dedication, and positivity to every individual and group interaction." Catherine Purcell, a palliative care outpatient clinic nurse at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre for almost 20 years, won third prize. Catherine's colleagues described her as a "cherished colleague who is a source of knowledge, wisdom, and support for our entire palliative care team." Congratulations, Donna and Catherine, as well as the remarkable UHN nurses nominated by their peers: Jacqueline Cooper, Caterina Falasca, Susie Monginot, Darcia Paul, Eva Patricia Rodriguez (Patty), Teresa Sobhy, Shirley Strachan-Jackman, Lori Taylor, and Heather Wyers. Read the latest issue of The Hospital News.
-
Last week's International Conference on Aging, Innovation, and Rehabilitation (ICAIR), co-hosted by The KITE Research Institute at UHN, shone a bright light on the future of rehabilitation science. More than 600 attendees from nine countries participated in this truly unique event that brought together researchers, academics, students, entrepreneurs, and innovators to share ideas and build relationships. It was particularly exciting to see young scientists and entrepreneurs share their ideas for the future in the "Power Play Innovative Concept Pitch Competition" and "Power Play Innovative Startup Pitch Competition." The $2,500 first prize in the Innovative Concept Pitch Competition went to Camila Benmessaoud for the "Caretown" project, which seeks to reduce disparities in access to digital heart failure care for older adult patients with limited digital literacy and English-language proficiency. The $25,000 top prize in the Innovative Startup Pitch Competition was won by Lianna Genovese for "ImaginAble Solutions," a company she founded to create assistive devices for people living with impaired motor functions, including a device that helps people with limited hand mobility to write, paint, draw, and use touch-screen devices. See photos of the day's biggest winners on KITE's website.
-
A new, twice-monthly email from UHN Digital – Epic Features and Fixes – is your go-to source for information on technical changes to our health information system. This bulletin, released for the first time last Tuesday, seeks to provide a standardized source of information about changes to the system while cutting the number of emails you receive and keeping clinicians and care teams from spending time tracking down the details they need. This new bulletin will be archived in a searchable list on the Epic Features & Fixes page of the Epic@UHN site. Learn more.
-
Take the Strategic Plan refresh survey today and share your thoughts on '3 Big Questions' to shape the next stage of UHN's journey. Visit the
survey website or scan the QR code below to get started and be entered into draws for a number of awesome prizes! Questions? Email
strategy@uhn.ca.
Closing Notes
Sunday was Mother's Day, a time to recognize the moms, stepmoms, grandmothers, and maternal figures in our lives. The hard work and sacrifices that mothers make to shape the lives of their children and families ultimately enrich our entire society. UHNWomen, a group dedicated to empowering women and advancing equity, is committed to advocating for the mothers at UHN. The group's Working Moms Mentorship Program offers one-on-one mentorship from another colleague in a similar parenting and career journey, as well as education, advocacy, and a support network. UHNWomen has also been a leading light in pushing for designated lactation rooms at UHN sites, giving new mothers a secure, clean, private space to express and store milk during working hours. UHN seeks to have these rooms substantially completed in August 2023. Check out the group's revamped Sharepoint site for more.
While severe outcomes from COVID-19 have decreased with each wave, new research suggests younger men are at the highest risk of cardiovascular (CV) hospitalizations after COVID-19. The retrospective cohort study from the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre at UHN, ICES, and Women's College Hospital was published last Wednesday in
the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. The study, which included nearly all patients in Ontario with laboratory-confirmed COVID infection during the pandemic's first three waves, found that while severe outcomes from COVID-19 decreased with each wave, the risk of CV hospitalization persisted or increased, particularly for young men aged 18 to 45.
Learn more about this study on UHN News. Read the full report
here.
May 19th is Personal Support Worker (PSW) Day in Ontario, which allows us to thank these professionals for their vital contributions to healthcare. PSWs are often unsung heroes, providing community and home-based care to some of the most vulnerable patients. PSWs support those who need help with daily living, including personal care and hygiene, but are too often undervalued in our system. UHN is committed to fostering the ongoing education and skills development of more than 400 UHN PSWs working in acute care and at Toronto Rehab. The Building Strong Care Teams program, a two-week course to enhance the patient-facing skills of PSWs and better support nurses, is helping to empower these TeamUHN members with new capabilities. We thank all PSWs for their commitment to patients and efforts to build A Healthier World.
And now… our
video of the week. In this
clip, TeamUHN nurses explain what they love about their profession.
Feedback?
Your feedback is welcome and valued. Please reply directly to me or leave anonymous feedback here.
Have a good week,
Kevin
