Royal Review June 27, 2014

Meet the Doc

Celebrating teamwork—Jessica Bresee, NP, Enhanced District Stroke program; Lana Dunlop, Man-ager ,Emergency Services and Barb Lemay, Director, Laboratory Services.

Working together reduced ‘door to needle’ time

June is Stroke Awareness Month—Do you know the warning signs?

.

Submitted by Jessica Bresee, NP, Enhanced District Stroke Program Time is brain, so how much brain did RVH save this year? In each minute that an ischemic stroke goes un-treated, 1.9 million neurons, 14 billion synapses, and 12 km of myelinated fibres are destroyed. This year, RHV reduced the median door-to-needle time for delivering the clot-busting drug t-PA from 84 minutes to 65 minutes!

Together, Team RVH helped save 36 million neu-rons, 266 billion synapses and 228 kilometers of myeli-nated fibers! From Barrie, 228 km of myelinated fibres would take us very close to London, Ontario! This remarkable achieve-ment could not have hap-pened without the teamwork of the Acute Stroke Team, the Emergency department staff and physicians, Imaging Services staff and radiolo-gists, and the Laboratory team. These team members

worked to-gether to think big and ex-plore solutions to improving these times. They respect each member of the team and recognize the importance of each individual’s contribu-tion to provide exemplary stroke care. They own their practice, and above all are committed to providing the best patient care. Thank you for inspiring us all.

If you think you are having a stroke call 911 immediately. Know the warning signs: Weakness - sudden loss of strength or sud-den numbness in the face, arm or leg, even if temporary. Trouble speaking - sudden diffi-culty speaking or understanding, or sudden

confusion even if temporary. Vision Problems- sudden trouble with vision even if temporary.Headache – sudden, severe and unusual headache. Dizziness - sudden loss of bal-ance, especially with any of the above signs.

Eric Mulder On first meeting Dr. Eric Mulder, an RVH psychiatrist, you would assume that he is exactly as he appears – warm, good-natured and stoic. You would never imagine that he is an avid thrill seeker, who is passionate about ATV-ing and snowmobiling. Just this past winter, Eric snowmobiled more than 200 km and his ATV adventures have taken him across the Rockies and through the Ap-palachian region of the South-ern United States. Here’s what a colleague in our Mental Health program had to say about him. “Eric has such an ‘easy-to-like’ manner and often puts those around him at ease, patients and colleagues alike. He is reliable and conscien-tious, and I can confidently say that if I had a family mem-ber in need of care for mental illness, I would want Dr. Mulder to be the one provid-ing that care,” says Dr. Craig Livermore.

Page 2 Inspiring care...

RVH Royal Review June 27, 2014

You are appreciated! At the beginning of the month we held Team RVH Appreciation Week and I want to, once again, tell you how much I truly appreciate you. We are indeed fortunate to have such exceptional people – staff, physicians and volunteers – working and giving of their time here at RVH. Together we have accomplished so-much and the future for healthcare in this region looks bright because of our collec-tive commitment to putting our patients first and to providing safe, high quality care. Always. Everyday. Without exception. As an organization we can only be suc-cessful if we Value our People. We should do just that everyday. But it’s im-portant we set aside a few days, pause for a moment, and specifically recognize the incredible members of Team RVH. During Team RVH Appreciation Week we did just that as we shared a meal, had some fun and enjoyed the opening of the enhanced Wellness Centre, based on your feedback and suggestions. It is also my pleasure to announce that this year’s Team RVH Appreciation Spirit

Award goes to Lindsey Crawford’s portfo-lio of Patient Programs. Congratulations to Cancer Program, Pharmaceutical Ser-vices, Mental Health & Addictions, Surgery Program, Maternal Child & Youth, Cardio-vascular & Renal and Ambulatory Care! Celebrating each other and the out-standing work we do should not be left to just one week. It is important that we con-tinually recognize our peers for the way they model our values of Work Together, Respect All, Think Big, Own It and Care. To do this, we have created a new peer-to-peer recognition program, ‘Values in Action’, or VIA. Through a link on the homepage of the RVH intranet you can send an electronic postcard directly to your colleagues or you can fill in the hard copy VIA postcards found in your depart-ments. Our patients and families will have the opportunity to recognize your outstanding work too. Recognition cards and drop boxes will be available to them throughout the health centre and on the bedside en-tertainment units. We know our job to bring care close to home is not done. As RVH continues along its exciting journey of innovation and

change, we will con-tinue to grow and ex-pand. Women’s cancer services, advanced cardiac care and child and youth mental health are all areas of focus for the future. The future for RVH is indeed bright! But as we walk along this journey together, we must remember to stop and acknowledge each other for the exceptional care we provide and the many ways we Make each life better. Together. Thank you for your dedication to the pa-tients entrusted to our care. As this is my last Skot Talk for the sum-mer, I wish you a happy and healthy vaca-tion time with family and friends. I’ll be in touch. Janice

RVH co-op students graduate with frontline knowledge Some Simcoe County high school students are graduating this month with hands-on knowledge of healthcare that goes far beyond what they learned from text books, thanks to an effective partnership between RVH and the Simcoe County District School Board. This year RVH was a living classroom for 37 high school co-op students from five local schools working in departments as diverse as Security, the Simcoe Muskoka Regional Cancer Program, Pharmacy, and the Mental Health and Addictions program. “The goal of the co-op program is to provide opportunities for students in a real work setting and help them confirm, or discover, their interest in a health-related career,” says Val Bennett, Director, RVH Volunteer Resources. “By spending time at RVH, students develop an awareness of and appreciation for clinical and non-clinical careers.” Shane Araujo, 18, hopes his co-op in RVH’s Organizational Development and Human Resources departments will help refine his future career focus. Araujo has plans to be-come a forensic accountant, but anticipates there are many things to be learned from his time at RVH.

“I asked for a placement here because I really wanted to experience working in a large organization. No matter what my future career goals are, it is valuable to gain experience in a professional setting. I have learned so much about collaboration, taking responsibility to complete tasks and the amount of preparation that goes into a project.” Tara Grigoriadis, Co-operative Education Chair at Barrie’s Eastview Secondary School, and her colleagues work diligently to find placements for up to 200 co-op students each year. Students go through a rigorous matching process to find placements that are suitable to their skills and their interests. For co-op students like Brady MacDonald, 17, the whole experience was invaluable. Brady’s co-op had him working directly in the Operating Room as he is considering a career in medicine. “I was amazed at the level of teamwork in an Operating Room,” says Brady. “Everyone really works together as a team and everyone has an important role to play.” For the third consecutive year, RVH has once again earned the Ministry of Education’s Passport to Prosperity Ontario Employer designation which recognizes the health centre’s commitment to developing and delivering career-related learning opportunities for Ontario students.

Brady MacDonald and Shane Araujo

Page 3 Inspiring care...

RVH Royal Review June 27, 2014

5 years

10 years

Out of the Blue: Be prepared—RVH hosts mock disaster

Meet Marcie Dunn - Nurse Practitioner in the Simcoe Muskoka Regional Cancer Program. Marcie is the latest winner of the RVH Auxiliary 50/50 draw. Marcie’s south-end Barrie home suf-fered some damage from the June 17 tor-nado. After the storm subsided, Marcie went for a walk around her neighbourhood and saw how much damage had actually been done. She realized the damage to her home could have been much worse – and she realized how lucky she truly was. Fast-forward to 1 p.m. on June 18 when Marcie’s lottery ticket was drawn. Now she truly knows she has luck. Congratulations Marcie! Pictured above: Margaret Tervit (left, Marcie Dunn (centre) and Janice Wil-liams, President, RVH Auxiliary.

At the Auxiliary's General Meeting in May, the new Auxiliary President Janice Wil-liams received the ceremonial gavel from outgoing President Wayne Hubbard.

Lifelong learning

Staff recently celebrated receiving financial support from RVH’s Education Trust Fund to continue growing their skills and knowledge. The trust fund began in 1988 due to the generosity of donors who, like RVH, believe in learning and per-sonal development that supports innovation and creativity. In May 2014, 270 indi-viduals and groups benefitted from the trust fund. The next intake deadline for Trust Fund applications is October 17. Application forms can be found on the RVH Hub.

Seven school staff were brought into RVH via am-bulance for chemical de-contamination after floor cleaning fluid spilled in the hallway of a local high school. That is the mock sce-nario the RVH team, as well as community part-ners, faced during last week’s Code Orange CBRN Mock Disaster. To practice their response, the team went through the entire triage, decontami-nation and admitting proc-ess under the watchful eyes of volunteer observ-ers. Thanks to Carol Holden and her team for leading this training and for al-ways keeping Team RVH well-prepared.

New President at the helm

A whirlwind couple of days

Page 4 Inspiring care...

RVH Royal Review June 27, 2014

Walk in My Shoes

Values in Action or VIA—a new informal recog-nition pro-gram— has launched at RVH. We invite you to recognize

your colleagues for their great work and for living our values of Work Together, Respect All, Think Big, Own It and Care. You can recognize your colleagues by: • E-card—intranet • Postcard—departments have VIA

postcards available (pictured below)—just fill it out and hand it to the person you think deserves recognition

Foundation News Countdown to Accreditation 2015

Cathy Newton, Discharge Planner, has decided to retire after 25 years at RVH and 39 years of nursing. In her retirement, Cathy plans to travel, play golf and continue on as a Parish nurse in her faith com-munity. She will support her congregation with health resources, education and pastoral care. We wish her all the best in the next chapter of her life.

Kirsten Parker is the new Chair of RVH’s Board of Direc-tors for a two-year term. A resident of Barrie, Kirsten has been a Board member since September 2009, most re-cently serving as Second Vice-Chair. She has a long his-tory of supporting her community, playing vital roles with the Gryphon Theatre Guild, Midland Rotary Club, the Uni-versity Women's Club, YM/YWCA, Cancer Society, Heart and Stroke and the Barrie Montessori School. Kirsten’s commitment, leadership skills and dedication to RVH will be vital in helping us achieve our vision to Make each life better. Together.

RVH welcomes new Board Chair

RVH’s most recent ‘staff members’ have flown the coop—well not literally. In order to provide the family of ducks living on our third floor green roof with the best possible chance to survive in the wild, they have been successfully relocated to a wetland. Many staff have also noticed a hungry hawk circulating the feathered family which made them ‘sitting ducks’ with no place to escape. Many thanks to Natasha Ringhofer, Rob Purdy, the BFO team, and Security for com-ing to the aid of our fowl friends.

Our on-site visit for Accreditation is fast approaching this winter! In February 2015, a team of surveyors will tour our facility, recognize the many things we do well and experience the great care we provide our patients while com-pleting patient tracers around the organiza-tion. In preparation for the visit and to con-tinue to provide support and education for all staff, Patient Safety, Quality and Risk Management is pleased to present monthly Lunch and Learns specifically related to accreditation topics. Our kick-off topic was a review of re-quired organizational practices. In the up-coming months we will target topics and education that will benefit all staff in feeling supported throughout the accreditation process. Our next Lunch and Learn is scheduled for July 29 at noon in room 4G343-45. Keep your eyes open for post-ers in your area. To “spock” your interest in accreditation even further… stay tuned for an upcoming accreditation theme that will be revealed in September.

Eva Johnston (left) and Mylisa Hender-son (right) of Scandinave Spa Blue Mountain present Jamie Campbell (centre) from the RVH Foundation with the proceeds of their annual Yoga & Pilates Marathon. This event is held annually in memory of their dear friend and co-worker Lee-Ann Thomsen. Funds from this event honour Lee-Ann’s memory by supporting patient care in the Simcoe Muskoka Regional Cancer Centre at RVH.

Hockey Night in Barrie returns The puck will drop on this year’s Hockey Night in Barrie (HNIB) on August 14 at the Barrie Molson Centre. Over the past six years HNIB, organized by MP Patrick Brown, has raised more than $1 million for RVH. Players include NHL greats such as Darcy Tucker, Shayne Corson and Mike Gartner plus an amazing line up of NHL stars. Tickets are available now through www.ticketpro.ca or via the Barrie Molson Centre box office. Check out details at www.hockeynightinbarrie.com.