On June 5 members of the Patient Alumni, invited guests and friends

gathered at the Hellenic Community Centre for their 26th Annual General Meeting. The usual business matters were covered before dinner such as approval of the Minutes of the 2011 AGM; the President’s report; recogni-tion of volunteers who assist in the Alumni office; presentation of the audited Financial Statements for 2011; approval of Frouin Group Professional Corporation as the auditors for the 2012 fiscal year; and nomination and election of members to the Board of Directors.

In his report President Richard Lindo summarized the main activities of the Patient Alumni during the past year

and highlighted progress made with the implementation of the Commu-nications Strategic Plan. In particular, he referred to the name change to Patient Alumni, the design of a new logo for our communications products, the new design for the masthead and publication of The Bulletin three times a year – Fall, Winter and Spring. He also reported that the Patient Alumni website has been updated and that plans are underway to design a new website to be launched in the next few months. The Patient Alumni contin-ues to allocate funds for patient care projects and supports the Founda-tion’s fundraising campaigns, including active participation as one of the corporate partners in the annual Telethon. The Patient Alumni Board

was particularly pleased to be able to facilitate the purchase and installation of the telemetric patient monitoring system on the fourth floor ward at a cost of $180,000 as it had done in past years with similar installations on the third and fifth floor wards.

Three new members were elect-ed to the Board of Directors for a two-year term: Jean Bilodeau, Raj Chawla and Barbara Wilson-Nolan. The following current members were con-firmed for an additional two-year term: Richard Lindo, Nancy Lawson and Carolyn Cooper. Board members Michael Doherty and André Pascal will continue serving until their term is up for renewal in June 2013. Regret-fully, after seven years of dedicated

2012 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OVERVIEW

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photo: Richard Lindo presenting Retirement Certificate to John Herzog

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

2012 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OVERVIEW PG-1

AWARD PRESENTED AT THE 2012 AGM PG-3AORTIC VALVE IMPLANTS PG-4

TO OUR READERS PG-5HEART INSTITUTE TOPS PATIENT

SATISFACTION RATES IN ONTARIO PG-5HUNGARIAN CHICKEN PAPRIKA PG-6

URGENT / WANTED VOLUNTEER ACCOUNTANT PG-6

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service to the Patient Alumni during which he was President for a number of years John Herzog retired from the Board. Among his many undertakings John oversaw significant changes in the role of the Patient Alumni vis-à-vis the Heart Institute and the Foundation and almost single-handedly edited and published The Bulletin. A certificate of appreciation was presented to John.

Before concluding the business portion of the meeting special guest Jim Orban, President and CEO of the Ottawa Heart Institute Foundation, gave a brief update on the fundraising efforts of the Foundation and made reference to the challenges the Insti-tute is facing in the next few years as it proceeds with the implementation of plans for the expansion of its facilities as announced last May.

Dinner was followed by the presen-tation of the Patient Alumni Awards: the Mary Clinckett Award for excep-tional contributions by Heart Institute nursing, administrative, support or volunteer personnel; the Wilbert J. Keon Award for outstanding achieve-ment in cardiovascular medicine in a Fellow or Resident during training at the Heart Institute; and the Alumni Volunteer Award to recognize a volunteer’s dedicated service to the Patient Alumni. In a separate arti-cle in this edition of The Bulletin the recipients of the awards are recognized.

Following the Award presentations Board Director André Pascal intro-duced the speaker for the evening, Dr. Michele de Margerie who works in the Prevention and Wellness Centre of the Heart Institute and is Director of

the Francophone Arm of the Cardiac Rehabilitation Program. Dr. de Margerie first spoke of the FrancoFor-me project which she leads that aims to provide primary prevention care to Francophones in the Champlain area. This successful project has been extended to include both Francoph-ones and Anglophones who receive help through motivation, coach-ing and educational material. Dr. de Margerie thanked the Patient Alumni for providing this project with funding. She then gave a presentation in an entertaining way on the elements of healthy living, including proper diet and exercise, which can improve and extend one’s life. Her presentation was very well received and Board Director Michael Doherty thanked Dr. de Mar-gerie on behalf of the Patient Alumni and presented her with a card and gift certificate.

Before the conclusion of the evening Past President John Herzog presented a $15,000 cheque to Dr. de Margerie as a donation from the Patient Alumni

to help establish Canada’s first wom-en’s heart health prevention and care program at the Heart Institute. “This program is critical for the aware-ness and prevention of heart disease among Canadian women” said Mr. Herzog “and the Patient Alumni is delighted to make a significant contri-bution to achieve that aim as quickly as possible”. In her response Dr. de Margerie, while expressing surprise at this unexpected gesture, thanked the Patient Alumni for such a generous donation to the Canadian Women’s Heart Health Centre and declared that the women of the Champlain region will soon be the healthiest across Canada.

On such a positive note Richard Lindo brought the 26th Annual General Meeting to a close while encouraging members to continue supporting the Heart Institute and the Patient Alumni by renewing their memberships and volunteering for one of its many activities.

John Herzog presenting a cheque for $15,000 to Dr. de Margerie for “The Canadian Womens’ Heart Health Centre”.

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Award PRESENTED AT THE 2012 AGM

The Mary Clinckett Award

The Wilbert J. Keon Award

The Alumni Volunteer Award

Presentation of the Alumni Volunteer Award to Jerome Agnew

Presentation of the Mary Clinckett Award to Clinical Nurse Manager Anne Stolarik

Presentation of the Keon Award to Resident Dr. Jason Roberts in the

presence of Dr. Robert Roberts (no relation)

In presenting the Alumni Volunteer Award Richard Lindo stated that the

Patient Alumni could not function without the help of volunteers who contribute many hours of their time in the accomplishment of a variety of tasks. One of these important tasks is keeping our accounts up to date and in accordance with accepted audit stand-ards. For the past several years Jerome Agnew has been our bookkeeper on a voluntary basis, always delivering the required financial statements in good order. To recognize this important and selfless contribution the Patient Alumni was very pleased to present Jerome with the Alumni Volunteer Award with the unanimous endorsement of the Board of Directors.

Nominated by Drs. Fraser Rubens, Marc Ruel and Roy Masters the

Mary Clinckett Award for 2011 was presented to Clinical Nurse Manager Anne Stolarik. Among other words of praise the nominators stated that “The superlatives that come to mind when thinking of Anne are many; dedicated, hard-working, kind and caring are just a few…our team flourishes due to a high degree of efficiency and superb delivery of passionate care. Anne is an essential component of that process”. Richard Lindo presented the Award to Anne and commented that she was once upon a time a member of the Board and that we are particularly proud to be associated with such an outstanding caregiver.

The recipient of the Wilbert J. Keon Award was Dr. Jason Roberts who

could not be present at the AGM since he started a fellowship in California. However, the Award was presented to him in the presence of Dr. Robert Rob-erts (no relation) at the May meeting of the Patient Alumni Board of Directors. Dr. James Robblee, the Chair of the Selection Committee for the Keon Award, spoke highly of Dr. Jason Rob-erts’ skills and accomplishments as a doctor, instructor and researcher and indicated that the nominators declared that he was the strongest and most ac-complished Cardiology resident that the Heart Institute has ever had in the past 35 years!

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Dr. Labinaz in Discussion about AORTIC VALVE IMPLANTS

Among these patients there are some who cannot tolerate valve

surgery. They might, however, benefit from an impressive and relatively new non-surgical treatment. The article begins with a mention of the first valve ‘replacement’. Then traditional surgery is noted, and finally, the new procedure is outlined.

FIrst Valve SurgeryDr. Charles Hufnagel implanted the first aortic valve in 1952.This valve did not replace the original diseased one. Instead, it ‘assisted’ the original valve by improving blood circulation through-out the body.

Current SituationSince that first surgery, the original approach has been modified; surgeons now have access to a variety of tech-niques and materials, and sharing of knowledge is routine. Valve replace-ment has become a regular treatment for many patients with congenital heart conditions as well as those with acquired valve problems. Despite these advances, there is a group of patients for whom surgical valve replacement is not possible. Until now, they have had few treatment options. For some patients, a relatively new approach , transcatheter aortic valve implant (TAVI) makes intervention possible.

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implant Dr. Marino Labinaz, Director of the Cardiac Catheter Laboratory at the Heart Institute, leads a team of Cardi-ologists, Cardiac Surgeons, Nurses and Anesthetists who perform the TAVIs. Also, a TAVIl Committee meets to dis-cuss referrals and determine whether the procedure is the best solution for a particular patient. If the TAVI is select-ed, the patient goes through the regu-lar HI pre-admission and admission procedures. Prior to the procedure, the Cardiologist selects a re-engi-neered natural tissue valve from a pig or cow. The valve fits into or around a long, narrow tube called a catheter.

During the procedure, the patient receives a general anesthetic and a breathing tube. Then, the catheter is inserted into a large artery in the groin or through a small incision in the chest. It is then guided to the aortic valve. The patient’s own valve is pushed to the side and the new valve is placed in the space this creates. The catheter is removed and the new valve immediately begins to function. All of these manipulations happen while the heart is still beating!

Once the procedure is completed, the patient begins a recovery process that has many similarities to open heart surgery recovery (e.g., restrictions on

driving, lifting, use of salt, and a need to watch for infections).

Patient Benefits of TAVIDespite the awe the TAVI inspires, Dr. Labinaz feels the story is not in the technology. He states the real valve of the TAVI is what it can give to the patients. Since Dr. Labinaz’s first HI TAVI in 2007, he and his team have performed 146 aortic valve implants. Dr. Labinaz noted that many of these patients were older (90+), or had multiple health problems, or were too ill to tolerate open heart surgery. TAVI offered hope where there had been no treatment options.

Availability of TAVI at the HIAt this point, only aortic valves have been implanted at the Heart Institute. Eventhough pulmonary valve prob-lems can be treated with a transcatheter approach, PV problems are rare in adults; both mitral and tricuspid valves are replaced during open heart surgery. Currently, the TAVI is used only on higher risk patients. The goal is to eventually offer TAVI as an option to lower risk patients.

In the meantime, many patients are benefitting from this non-surgical treatment of aortic valve problems.

By: Barbara Wilson-NolanThis article provides a small amount of basic information to some patients who might be facing aortic valve problems.

INFORMATION

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TO OUR READERS:

The following is a note from one of our 76 year old loyal supporters,

“Peter John Lawerence”, who wants to share his story on just how the Heart Institute came to his aid in the Dr. Keon days.

Peter saw the Heart Wise article in our last issue, and thought our readers would enjoy reading about his own personal experience. The oval walking track, which Peter refers to in his testi-monial, may be familiar to many of you. It is your contributions to the Heart Institute Foundation that enabled the Alumni to fund the installation of this track. It has been well used over the years by many Cardiac Rehab patients.

I am sure a number of our members can relate to this story, which is quite inspiring. Do enjoy.

Stay well Peter, and thanks for your continued support to our cause.

In August 1988 Dr Keon replaced my aortic valve with a metal one. It was

very difficult immediately after surgery for me to get my head around getting well and exercising again. The track on the 2nd floor at the heart institute really helped plus the nursing team and the admin staff.

Most of the challenge is emotional and in one’s head. Dr. Malcolm Rose was a major support at this a point.

However I stuck to the challenge and have taken a long time building my fitness and stamina (and am still work-ing at it). I will be 76 in September and am swimming three times per week as

well as I have been teaching a group of 24 children (ages 8 to 14) at the Y, to play water polo.

For this next season I am now chang-ing to teach at the Walter Baker Pool in Barrhaven with the Titans and have been Certified as a Coach with the Water Polo Canada organization..

When I swim three times per week I do 30 lengths freestyle (continuous) and then either 10 lengths butterfly in 5 x 2-length swims or 10 butterfly in single lengths with 10 breast stroke inter mixed. For your info here is a re-cent video of my swimming butterfly, about two weeks ago:

http://tinyurl.com/8ymbb94

Thank goodness for the Ottawa Heart Institute and especially for Dr Keon. Peter Lawerence, Ottawa, Ontario

Heart Institute tops patient satisfaction rates in OntarioOTTAWA, September 21, 2012

According to a recent NRC Pick-er report, the University of Ot-

tawa Heart Institute (UOHI) receives outstanding patient satisfaction rates, positioning the heart health care centre among the best in Ontario.

Assessing overall patient satisfaction and the likelihood for patients to rec-ommend a hospital, the NRC Picker report shows that UOHI is among the top performers in the province for overall patient satisfaction, and ranks

first among Ontario’s acute care hospi-tals that patients would recommend. Recently, NRC Picker also reported that the Heart Institute patient satisfaction rate was standing at 98%.

“This is great news and a remark-able source of motivation and inspi-ration for the entire team at the Insti-tute, said Dr. Robert Roberts, president and CEO of the University of Ottawa Heart Institute. “Our patients, and their families, are at the centre of everything that we accomplish, from our patient care to our research vitality.”NRC Picker Canada (NRCC) has prepared this report in response to requests from hospitals for percentile rankings and identification of hos-

pitals that are top performers. The Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) Pa-tient Experience Membership Advisory Committee has reviewed this report.

NRC Picker (NRCC) is the pre-emi-nent national provider of healthcare measurement and improvement solutions across the continuum of care, providing a holistic approach to measuring and improving patient- centered care.

From Peter Lawrence, Ottawa, Ontario

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1. In a large skillet, brown chicken pieces in batches in oil over medium heat.Remove from pan and set aside.

2. Sauté onions and garlic in oil (add a little more if needed) on low heat until soft and translucent. Do not brown.

• 2 onions, sliced • 1 cut up chicken, skin removed

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 ½ cups fat-free chicken broth

• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil

• 1 cup low fat sour cream

• 2 Tbsp paprika • 2 Tbsp flour mixed• ¼ tsp pepper • 1-2 Tbsp water• 1 tsp salt

Hungarian Chicken Paprika 3. Add seasonings and mix well.

4. Return chicken to skillet, add broth and mix well.

5. Simmer for 50-60 minutes, remove chicken and set aside.

6. Skim off fat in remaining liquid. Mix flour and water until smooth and slowly add it to the pan, stirring constantly while adding. Stir until sauce thickens.

7. Stir in sour cream but do not let sauce boil. Adjust seasoning.

8. Add chicken to reheat and serve.

Suggestion: Serve with broad noodles tossed with chopped parsley.

URGENTWANTED – VOLUNTEER ACCOUNTANT

While the Secretary-Treasurer is a member of the Board of Direc-tors, and is accountable for the accuracy of the Patient Alumni’s financial records, he will rely on the volunteer accountant’s counsel on all submissions, procedures and legalities governing not-for-profit corporations. The volunteer account-ant will also prepare a document at the end of Alumni’s fiscal year in each

December that must be submitted to the corporation’s auditors.

It is estimated that the volunteer accountant would spend 3 to 4 hours per month in providing this important service. Those interest-ed may send a brief resumé to the attention of:

CONTACT: Fay TurnerEMAIL: alumni@ottawaheart.ca

The Board of Directors of the Ottawa Heart Institute Patient

Alumni is in need of a volunteer with a background in accountancy to assist the Secretary-Treasurer with the preparation of monthly financial statements, financial fore-casts/projections, and annual income tax and GST/HST rebate submissions in accordance with the prevailing accountancy standards. The knowl-edge and operation of the “QuickBook” accounting software is necessary.

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We would be most interested in your feedback on our new Bulle-

tin Format as well as the content which we have tried to make more informative with the inclusions of articles of par-ticular interest to those who have been patients at the Heart Institute, as well as their families who have shared this journey with them.

Our goal is to provide as much informa-tive information via the Bulletin for your reading enjoyment and by intro-ducing a third issue each year around Valentine’s Day, will allow us to publish even more interesting articles and ad-vancements within the Heart Institute.

Your feedback and comments are always appreciated in order for us to provide the best information to you at all times.

Please contact our office with your views, either by mail, phone, fax or by E-mail to the following:

Nancy Lavoie-Lawson

TO OUR VALUED READERS

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Telephone: (613) 761-4370

Email: info@ottawaheartalumni.ca

Fax: (613) 761-4925

The Ottawa Heart Institute Alumni Inc. 40 Ruskin Street, Ottawa, Ontario, K1Y 4W7, Canada / 613-761-4370 www.ottawaheartalumni.ca

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