I want to start this ALL-UHN with my appreciation for all of the staff in our ICUs. This week we have had an extraordinary number of transplants and a number of flu patients receiving extra corporeal lung support (ECLS) at TGH. This has meant that ICUs are at capacity caring for people who need all of the skills of our ICU teams. It has also meant that the rest of the hospital has had to work very hard to care for bed-spaced patients and that our OR staff have juggled to ensure that we can continue to perform as many elective surgeries as possible. I knew before I arrived that this was a place that rose to the occasion and I have seen that in action this week. I was able to personally thank a numbr of the ICU nurses today and I want to extend my sincere thanks to all of you for your collective efforts on behalf of the patients we serve.
This week I began my plan to spend a half day with each of the clinical programs. I had a great visit with JDMI and learned an extraordinary amount about the collaborative, innovative ways that JDMI provides state-of-the art care here at UHN, at Mt. Sinai and Women's College. The JDMI vision of Exceptional Quality, Exceptional Care is completely consistent with what I have seen throughout UHN thus far. I learned a tremendous amount and met so many great UHNers in JDMI ! I also rounded on TGH 6A and 6B to see the incredible teamwork and outstanding care delivered by our ENT and Gynecology teams. Look for the graffiti note I left for the staff there!
I went to the Open House for Human Resources Career Hub and I was very impressed with what will now be available to everyone at UHN. The creation of Career Hub is a direct result of the Employment Engagement Survey in which you told us that it was important to you to know that we were supporting your career and your ambitions. You can read more about it
here on the HR intranet but the highlight for me is the tool that assesses strengths and provides support for you to understand those strengths and the ManageMentor from Harvard with units such as Goal Setting, Negotiating and Change Management. These tools are available to help you in your career and I hope you will take advantage of this resource.
This week two of our Foundations have been front and centre in Ask, Listen & Learn UHN (ALL – UHN). On Wednesday evening of World Cancer Day I attended the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation's
nohairselfie event at the Steam Whistle Brewery. Some very brave people went under the clippers to raise funds for cancer research and to support the many cancer patients who go through hair loss. This was a significant use of social media by PMCF and with $1.8 million raised to date and 60,000 downloads of the
nohairselfie app, it is clearly a success and an innovative way to raise money for the research, innovation, and the superb patient care that we provide for cancer patients throughout UHN.
I'd also like to highlight the Power of Movement that UHN's Arthritis Research Foundation is planning for March. It is Canada's largest yoga fundraiser and will be held in yoga studios across the country on Sunday, March 8. The website -- www.powerofmovement.ca -- has all the details and I look forward to the event and to cheering on the UHN Team. The Toronto event will be held at Ryerson University -- Kerr Hall West, 379 Victoria Street but there are events around the city and across the country so check out all locations on the website. Over the past two years Team UHN has raised $5,000 for the Arthritis Research Foundation, just part of the $1.9 million raised to date. The goal is $250,000 this year so please join in, raise some money and have some fun.
Thank you for the incredibly warm welcome that I continue to receive throughout the organization. If you see me, please stop me and lets chat about your role at UHN!
Peter
