​With 2016 coming to a close I know many of us have been looking back on the year that was. As I reflect on what this year has brought to UHN I am amazed (though so not surprised) by all that we have accomplished in just 12 months. Together we are on an incredible journey to renew the organization. Our work  has been chronicled on the Renewing UHN website, which has been viewed thousands of times by both internal and external stakeholders. People around Toronto and elsewhere in Canada and North America are telling me how impressed they are with the work that we are doing here at UHN: One Team with One Purpose.

We started the new year off with Michener officially joining us, becoming the Michener Institute of Education at UHN. With this incredible new partnership we created a first of its kind integration, bridging the gap between education and clinical care. Over the past year we have celebrated some truly wonderful milestones together, such as the first cohort of students graduating post Michener Integration in June. Dr. Brian Hodges, EVP Education, redesigned the education portfolio creating an integrated leadership structure for all education at UHN. This redesign also introduced our new five campus model.

Michener Board of Directors
Last meeting of the year with the Michener Board of Directors

This year we also solidified our eight Areas of Focus – UHN's organizational priorities. These areas have brought some incredible changes and conversations to our organization. With the launch of Caring Safely we have shown our commitment to safety for patients and staff. As a result of our work we have emerged as a leader in Canada for the willingness to have tough conversations about safety and medical errors.

Our IT Transformation team has been hard at work planning for UHN's digital future. Over the past year they have led a number of co-design workshops, developed a new IT Operating Model, built a new structure that brings our IT teams together so they can build on their strengths, and launched a new visual identity – UHN digital.

As you know, this year we renewed UHN's Purpose, Values and Principles, which will serve as the foundation for our strategic planning process. In the new year we will demonstrate how we are living our primary value, the needs of patients come first, with the launch of our Patient Portal, myUHN, under Patient Experience. For a sneak peek of the portal, check out this video.

Other milestones we've accomplished in our Areas of Focus include:

  • Launching Version 2 of the Coordinated Approval Process for Clinical Research (CAPCR) under Research and Innovation.
  • Completing our Respect & Civility Survey so our Team Engagement focus can ensure we have the right supports and resources in place to continue our efforts to embed respect and civility into our culture.
  • Looking at Clinical Optimization by reviewing our operations to find opportunities for improving efficiencies, so we can practice smarter and safer ways of providing care.

I am so proud of the progress we have made in each of these areas – together they are working to bring the organization further along its journey of renewal.

We also welcomed two new members to our Executive Team this year – Brad Wouters, EVP Science & Research, and Mike Nader, EVP and Chief Operating Officer. Brad and Mike have dived right into their portfolios and I'm looking forward to seeing how their portfolios progress through the next year. I would also like to thank Dr. Chris Paige for the incredible work he did as EVP Science & Research. As well, I would like to recognize Justine Jackson and Kathy Sabo who retired this year after remarkable careers at UHN.

The last twelve months have been quite the journey. I know it hasn't always been easy but the work we are doing is helping us to build a stronger UHN today and for the future. As I approach two years here I am struck by the tremendous amount we have accomplished together. The teamwork, compassion, integrity, stewardship and commitment to safety I see every day has allowed us to learn, and grow this incredible organization. Thank you for everything you have done over the past year. I hope you take some time to enjoy the holidays, reflect on 2016 and get ready for an exciting 2017.

Happy Holidays,

Peter

RenewingUHN.ca

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