04BY THE NUMBERSOur community hospitals have a lasting impact on the City of Toronto

05-11OUR HOSPITALSSuccess stories from Toronto’s seven community hospitals

12GIVINGHere’s why and how you need to support your community hospitals

MEDICINE IN YOUR OwN BACkYARDThat hospital down the road offers tremendous health care services close to

home. Great treatment. Great people. Great for your community.

communityhospitals week

APRIL 2015

SETTING A NEW STANDARD

map2 • community hospitals week

TORONTO

ToronTo’s CommuniTy HospiTals* Plotting locations approximate** Set to open Oct. 18, 2015

The Scarborough Hospital Birchmount Campus 3030 Birchmount Rd. Scarborough M1W 3W3

Humber River Hospital Finch Site2111 Finch Avenue WestNorth York M3N 1N1

Humber River Hospital Church Street Site200 Church StreetYork M9N 1N8 The Scarborough Hospital

General Campus 3050 Lawrence Ave. E. Scarborough M1P 2V5

Rouge Valley Centenary2867 Ellesmere Rd.Scarborough M1E 4B9

Humber River Hospital Keele Street Site2175 Keele StreetToronto M6M 3Z4

Humber River Hospital New Site**1215 Wilson AvenueNorth York M3M 0A7

NYGH Seniors’ Health Centre2 Buchan Court North York M2J 5A3

St. Joseph’s Health Centre30 The QueenswayToronto M6R 1B5

NYGH General Site4001 Leslie St.North York M2K 1E1

Etobicoke General Hospital101 Humber College Blvd. Etobicoke M9V 1R8

NYGH Branson Ambulatory Care Centre and the Urgent Care Centre555 Finch Avenue West North York M2R 1N5

Toronto East General Hospital 825 Coxwell AvenueToronto M4C 3E7

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community hospitals week • 3news

community hospitals week

PublisherIan Proudfoot

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EditorPeter Haggert

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Copyright 2014. All right reserved.

7

It was an east side coffee shop when representatives of some of Toronto’s community hospi-

tals met with folks from Metroland and started to talk about reaching the community.

Community hospitals have good stories to tell – and frankly through Metroland’s nine com-munity newspapers in Toronto, well, we tell good stories.

It was there, this very special community hospitals week edition was born.

In generic terms, a community

hospital provides general servic-es to a geographical area it sur-rounds.

While often top-rate services attract patients from a region – or even lands afar, that’s a basic differentiation as opposed to the more singularly focused health care facilities.

We asked each hospital to pick a discipline and tell a story through the eyes of patients or staff. While highlighting a singular discipline it’s fair to say you can get most services at each of the seven hos-pitals here.

A hospital is a community hub. Families are born and die there. Repeated visits of one form or another builds comfort and fa-miliarity – important to a patient. And hospitals across this city have

risen to the challenge of providing language services to our diverse population. Health education or outpatient services bring us to a community hospital regularly.

Simply put community hos-pitals are at the heart of our 140 neighbourhoods of Toronto.

We are delighted in this edition and our partnership with our com-munity hospitals. We hope you support their efforts in a big way.

Please take an extra read of the article on the back page of the sec-tion about giving.

You may be surprised just how essential support from people like you and me are to these important community providers.

Peter Haggert is editor-in-chief of Metroland Media Toronto. He can be reached at phaggert@in-sidetoronto.com

Community hospitals play key role in treating health needs of local residents

Toronto’s community hospitals have good stories to tell

Communities are more than just where people live, work and play; they’re also where

people turn to for health care. Seven Toronto hospitals – To-

ronto East General, Humber River, North York General, Rouge Valley - Centenary campus, The Scarborough Hospital, St. Jo-seph’s, and William Osler - Eto-bicoke campus – are considered community hospitals.

“A community hospital is essen-tially more regionally focused,” said York University professor Paul Ritvo, School of Kinesiology and Health Science.

“It’s in contrast with a hospital that draws from multiple catch-ment areas, like Toronto General, and hospitals with specializations of treatments. When people have to travel long distances, and there is a large number of beds, they can feel quite anonymous in the hos-pital. Community hospitals have a stronger relationship with the im-mediate geographic community.”

If someone lived close to, say,

Mount Sinai Hospital near Uni-versity Avenue and College Street, they would consider it to be their community hospital, even though it’s not part of the group of seven, Ritvo said.

“There is no problem with people identifying with larger hospitals,” he said. “The differ-ence is, the further and further away people are (from a hospital), the closer they are to where they live. With many downtown hos-pitals, those selections were done a long time ago. Community hos-pitals are and should be aligned to community treatment centres

that may be more geographically based.”

‘Personally Cared For’Through diverse data sources,

Ritvo said people’s health is usu-ally determined based on their own behaviour and their own identification of health practices, and most believe community hos-pitals and facilities are a prudent force.

“(Patients) feel more personally cared for,” he said.

“Their state of mind and healing process is promoted. They feel they are being taken good care of.”

Local AccessSome programs, including car-

diac and cancer care programs, are offered as regional programs within community hospitals where more patients can have lo-cal access to high-quality services, while being closer to their fami-lies.

Dr. Eric Hoskins, Ontario’s minister of health and long-term

care and a Toronto MPP, said it’s imperative to continue build-ing and improving the province’s health-care system – with prox-imity of care a priority.

“That means ensuring that On-tarians have access to the care that they need as close to their communities as possible,” he said, noting hospital funding in Ontar-io has risen from $11.3 billion in 2003 to $17 billion today.

Hoskins also noted that with hospitals now funded through Lo-cal Health Integration Networks (LHINs) – as they have been since 2007 – the province’s aim is to make sure the funding gets communities “the highest level of care – whether in hospitals or, in-creasingly, in individuals’ homes and other settings.”

“It is my expectation that (LHINs) work together with their local hospitals to help deliver on these commitments by improving the patient experience, reducing service gaps and ensuring greater health-system accountability.”

Peter HaggertEditor’s Notes

A hospital is a community hub. Families are born and die there. Repeated visits of one form or another builds comfort and familiarity – important to a patient.

ToronTo EAST GEnErAl Humber rIVer • NortH York GeNeral • rouGe

VAllEy - CEnTEnAry campus • tHe

SCArborouGh hoSpiTAl st. JosepH’s • WIllIam

oSlEr - ETobiCokE CAmpuS

Patients feel more personally cared for. Their state of mind and healing process is promoted.

–Dr. Paul Ritvo

CommuniTy hoSpiTAlS in ToronTo

Facilities are at the heart of Toronto’s 140 neighbourhoods

facts4 • community hospitals week

annual emerGency deparTmenT visiTs

babies born in a year

number oF campusesnumber oF volunTeers

number oF sTaFF

beds

paTienTs TreaTed annually

number oF docTors

3,495

3,611 3,46215

2,607,000

29,68419,393

717,503

BY THE numBErsour community hospitals have a lasting impact on the city of Toronto

Dr. Carmine Simone (left) provided life-saving surgery on Ajay Jain at Toronto East General Hospital’s Centre of Excel-lence for Thoracic Surgery. And now, the Jain family has provided a $1 million gift to Toronto East General to support the hospital’s redevelopment plan. At right, the Jain family at Ajay’s wedding.

“Toronto East General Hospital saved my life — literally”medical crisis leads to lasting relationship for the Jain family

Ajay Jain was 30 and in his prime—a suc-cessful entrepreneur, with his entire life ahead of him—when a major tragedy oc-

curred. Ajay was rushed to Toronto East General Hospital’s emergency in critical condition. Dr. Carmine Simone, a skilled thoracic surgeon and Chief of the Toronto East General Hospital De-partment of Surgery, was able to respond to the crisis and performed the life-saving surgery.

“Toronto East General Hospital saved my life—literally. I was so very fortunate to be treated here. My family had heard about the hospital’s exper-tise in thoracic care and knew that Toronto East General was the right place for me. Dr. Simone and his team didn’t waste any time, they rushed me into surgery after midnight and worked tire-lessly through the night to save my life.”

Forever GratefulAjay and his parents, Madhu and Arun Jain, will forever be grateful for the role Dr. Simone played on that momentous day. It was this care that in-spired the Jain family to think about giving back and to step forward with an extraordinary gift of $1-million to support the hospital’s redevelop-ment project.

“Dr. Simone is truly a gentleman. He provided both me and my family with support and comfort when we needed it the most. Today, Dr. Simone has become a part of my extended family. I feel that every special moment in my life should be shared with him, after all it is because of him and Toronto East General Hospital that I’m able to live my life today.”

“Our gift is a way for us to ensure that this remarkable Centre of Excellence for Thoracic Surgery is here for the next family who needs it,” Ajay’s parents said. “All stakeholders are respon-sible for the availability of excellent health care in their community. Everyone who is able needs to step up to the plate.”

It is not unusual for a serious accident or ill-ness to bring a hospital, a family and a commu-nity together in a lasting relationship. “Donor support has helped to establish our renowned lung program”, said Foundation President, Tere-sa Vasilopoulos. “This magnificent gift from the Jain family is yet another testament to the power of community.”

feature story community hospitals week • 5

• Toronto East General Hospital is the primary gateway to the health care system for one of Canada’s most socio-economically and culturally diverse populations – in Toronto’s most rapidly growing community. Highly vulnerable populations – seniors living alone, low-income families, people with mental health issues. -– 70 languages — newcomers make up close to 50%f of the population. • Toronto East General Hospital has earned numerous prestigious provincial and national awards for quality, innovation and patient-safety, such as the inaugural “Minister’s Medal Honouring Excellence in Health Quality and Safety in 2014 and the Mental Health at Work® Silver Award of Excellence.• Fiscal Responsibility: Toronto East General Hospital achieved its 14th consecutive year of balanced budgets in 2014-2015

• Education and Teaching: Toronto East General is a community teaching partner of the U of T Faculty of Medicine and many other educational institutions. The hospital provides educational opportunities for residents and students from a variety of health disciplines More than 230 members of the medical staff have U of T faculty appointments.• Centres of Excellence in Thoracic Surgery and Prolonged-Ventilation Weaning: A ministry-designated Centre of Excellence in Thoracic Surgery (surgery of the lung, chest, and esophagus), Toronto East General Hospital performs all thoracic surgery for Sunnybrook’s Odette Cancer Centre, North York General and Royal Victoria Hospital in Barrie.

toronto east general hospital – facts

$60 Million Raised!all thanks to you!You’ve made the Ken and marilYn thomson Patient Care Centre Possible.

setting a new standaRdFaCebooK.Com/torontoeastGeneral @eastGeneral @torontoeastGeneral Charitable no. bn 11925 9448 rr0001

feature story6 • community hospitals week

Etobicoke General Hospital long a community leader it’s a family feeling at this community-based institution that treats 200,000 patients annually. The emergency department alone gets 73,000 visits making it one of the busiest in the province.

Dr. Kamil Haider has worked at Eto-bicoke General Hospital for almost 13 years. A close friend who was em-

ployed at Etobicoke General convinced him to join the hospital to experience the benefits of working with a close-knit team in a friendly and compassionate work environment, where every day is different.

“We are one big family here with the will-ingness and determination to provide great care, day after day. The patient population is very appreciative of the treatment we provide,” said Dr. Kamil Haider, Site Chief, Emergency Medicine.

For more than 40 years, Etobicoke General Hospital’s Emergency Department (ED) has been providing support and immediate re-sponse to people in crisis or in need of urgent medical care. From minor injuries like broken bones and lacerations, to life-threatening con-ditions like heart attacks and strokes, the ED cares for and treats patients experiencing an array of injuries and illnesses.

Part of William Osler Health System (Os-ler), Etobicoke General is a full-service com-munity hospital in Etobicoke, serving the large and diverse population living in Eto-bicoke and surrounding communities like Vaughan, Bolton, Caledon, east Mississauga and northwest Toronto.

First ResponderIn addition to serving these growing com-munities, Etobicoke General is also the ‘first responder’ for Toronto Pearson International Airport – the largest airport in Canada. This means the hospital – and especially its ED – stands ready to meet the wide-ranging needs of an international population of travellers.

“We have unique challenges with the aging infrastructure; nonetheless Etobicoke Gen-eral’s emergency department manages more than 73,000 patient visits a year in a space built for 33,000,” said Dr. Haider. “Providing care in a space meant for half the visits it was built for – that takes innovation. I can’t say enough about our front line people - they ap-proach their work with a high level of commit-ment and dedication to keep the community healthy and vital.”

Major Expansion ProjectSoon, Dr. Haider and his team will have a space as fine as the physicians and staff who provide safe, patient-inspired care. The hospital is em-barking on the first major expansion project in its 43-year history. In 2018-19, Etobicoke Gen-eral will open a state-of-the-art, four-storey wing that will provide the best in diagnostics, treatment and technology, so patients can con-tinue to get the help they need, close to home. The new wing will include a brand new ED that will be more than double the size of the current space. With the inclusion of dedicated treat-ment zones, patients and their families will have more privacy and improved support areas while receiving life-saving care.

“As a physician and donor at Etobicoke General, I am proud to support the delivery of world-class care at Etobicoke General and to be part of an excellent team of physicians, nurses and staff,” said Dr. Kamil Haider. “Every con-tribution to the expansion project is important. It’s an investment that ensures everyone in the community has access to the best health care services in a state-of-the-art facility, for gen-erations to come.”

For more information on Etobicoke Gener-al’s ED, the new wing and how you can help, visit oslerfoundation.org.

• Etobicoke General is a full-service hospital in Etobicoke, serving the communities of Vaughan, Bolton, Caledon, east Mississauga and the northwest corner of Toronto and north Etobicoke.• Last year alone, the hospital handled more than 73,000 emergency department patient visits, delivered more than 2,600 babies, performed more than 17,700 surgeries, provided 70,600 outpatient diagnostic imaging tests, 91,619 outpatient clinic visits, excluding the ED.• Etobicoke General is an important mental health resource, offering emergency mental health services for people in crisis, acute inpatient care for adults suffering from major mental illness, and outpatient education clinics and day programs, as an alternative to hospitalization. Last year, the hospital provided care for 16,800

adult mental health clinic visits. • As a First Responder for the international population from Toronto Pearson International Airport, Canada’s busiest airport, Etobicoke General provides exemplary crisis care and outbreak management for patients that come from the four corners of the globe.• The hospital has a legacy of innovation, including: the first finger re-attachment; pioneering natural best tissue reconstruction and laparoscopic colon surgery; first laparoscopic hysterectomy in Canada, and more.• The hospital is currently undergoing extensive infrastructure upgrades and renovations in preparation for a new four-storey, five level wing, scheduled to open in 2018-19.

etobicoke general hospital – facts

Dr. Kamil Haider, Site Chief of Emergency Medicine at Etobicoke General Hospital Is among the 360 doctors and 1,500 staff serving the west Toronto hospital. The facility, part of the William Osler Health System, l is embarking on the first major expan-sion project in its 43-year history. In 2018-19, Etobicoke General will open a state-of-the-art, four-storey wing that will provide the best in diagnostics, treatment and technology, so patients can continue to get the help they need, close to home.

feature story community hospitals week • 7

• $225,000,000 to be raised to pay for equipping the new hospital• 51,489 pieces of equipment to be purchased under 100 tenders• 114,000 expected emergency room visits in the first year• 75 per cent of construction waste in the building of the hospital diverted from landfill• There will be a 40 per cent decrease in energy consumption, 35 per cent less water used and the equivalent savings of 20,000 tons of CO2 due to green initiatives

humber river hospital – facts

Humber River Hospital reaching new heights in health care

canada’s first digital hospital, a 1.8 million square-foot facility, to open in october

Anna Eliopoulos is convinced she has a friend for life in Humber River Hospi-tal.

“Humber River has been an integral part of my family,” says Eliopoulos, chair of the hospi-tal’s women’s wellness committee and a long-time volunteer and donor.

“You want the hospital to be the best it can be for your community. It’s your safety net. Its your go-to hospital.”

Anna knows how important it is to be treated close to family, herself a former patient.

“I was there five days and I had the confi-dence in the hospital,” she says. “the care of the doctor and nurses was second to none.”

“I just want the hospital to have the ability to showcase the excellent care staff and physi-cians provide,” says the founder and president of Peter and Paul’s Baskets and Gifts.

That showcase is on the horizon as Humber River Hospital’s good work and community footprint continues to grow with the opening in October of Canada’s first digital hospital, a 14-storey, 1.8 million square foot facility, vis-ible just north of the Hwy. 401 and Keele St.

Optimal Health Care ExperienceCreating an optimal health care experience for women is at the heart of the new Humber River Hospital’s Breast Health Centre being constructed there. A big part of that experience comes from the Sensory Suite, designed to dis-tract a woman from the discomfort and anxiety of having a mammogram.

Humber River will be one of only five other hospitals in Canada to utilize the Sensory Suite technology, with the goal of enhancing care for women on so many levels.

In the Suite, patients have the option of choosing from different scenes using an iPad – seaside, garden or waterfall with gentle com-plimentary sound – to create an ambience spe-cific to their interests and comfort levels that will last for the duration of the testing.

With the Sensory Suite, Humber River will be empowering patients to play a leadership role in their own care delivery.

For doctors like Chief of Diagnostic Imaging, Dr. Russell Blumer, the new hospital campus is a big boost for all medical professionals.

“We’re getting brand new equipment in ev-ery area that allows us to provide even better care. We have new generations of technology,” he says.

He recognizes the community must come forward to help keep the hospital at its most efficient, with fundraising essential for equip-ment replacement.

“We depend on fundraising campaigns to raise money for capital equipment. – a lot does come from the community.”

For Dr. Blumer, Humber has become a home as well. He first came to Humber after moving from Montreal. While looking for a Toronto position he happened to meet another physi-cian who led him to Humber.

He’s been there since 2002 and expects to spend the rest of his career at the hospital. He believes the hospital offers “superstar service.”

Anna Eliopoulos, chair of the hospital’s women’s wellness committee, believes the care provided at Humber River Hospital is next to none. With a major equipment reinvestment going along with a new facility opening in the fall, the community will be increasingly well served. One such program (at right) will be a unique and state-of-the-art sensory suite.

feature story8 • community hospitals week

• NYGH has more than 400,000 patients visits each year and growing• NYGH’s Charlotte & Lewis Steinberg Emergency is one of the most visited in Canada with over 121,000 visits last year• NYGH’s obstetrical centre is one of the largest single site centres in Ontario and each year we celebrate the births of almost 6,000 babies

• NYGH is a major regional centre for surgery with more than 40,000 surgeries each year• NYGH heads up Toronto’s research hub for Family and Community Medicine with the directorship appointment of The Gordon Cheesbrough Chair to the University of Toronto Practice-Based Research Network (UTOPIAN)

north york general hospital – facts

Laura Fung can’t say enough about the flexibility of North York General Hospital’s treatment programs, which al-lowed her to maintain a regular life while in treatment. In-set, Phillips House will open in 2016, providing a home-like setting for mental health treatment programs.

North York General changed Laura’s lifea talented cook’s now flourishing in life thanks to treatment for her eating disorder. it’s community support that continually improves mental health programming at nyGH.

Laura Fung felt she had a secret life. As an in-dividual with an eating disorder brought on by the death of her mother, she struggled for years

before finding relief at North York General Hospital. She can’t say enough about the mental health pro-

gramming provided by the hospital, and how it has changed her outlook on life.

“It’s like night and day. It was only over a year ago I finished the treatment program. Before that, I couldn’t imagine waking up and not having to worry about it being a bad day.”

“Going to North York General was convenient for me. A lot of other programs are full time. They were able to provide me with something to adapt to my work and life schedule. I felt (my disorder) wasn’t se-vere enough to give up my career,” says Laura, who has a talent for cooking and even has been a finalist to appear on Master Chef Canada.

That convenience is what makes North York Gen-eral’s programming critical to the surrounding com-munity and beyond. It’s treatment that can minimize absence from work and is close to home for family friends and the patient.

“Mental illness has become the number one cause of workplace absence, exceeding cancer, “says Sandy Marangos, director of mental health and emergency services at North York General.

“Having a full range of mental health services avail-able in the local community is critical to supporting families to cope with the many challenges of daily living, while working and raising children, it affects everyone in some way. People have to realize mental illness is not the result of being weak, – it is a biologi-cal disorder – stigma still influences whether people seek help.

“The public is not often aware of the range of mental health services available at North York General and at other community hospitals. We have 70,000 outpa-tient visits a year; people don’t always realize we offer

a range of services close to home and that we partner with local agencies, families and local schools,” says Marangos.

Redeveloping Phillips HouseNorth York General’s Mental Health and Paediatric program are taking another great leap, with the rede-velopment of the Phillips House, expected to open in 2016.

Phillips House is a stunning historical property and estate, which was endowed to NYGH. It’s been vacant for a number of years and is scheduled for redevelop-ment and will become a premiere outpatient mental health facility for children, youth and women. The re-development of Phillips House is going to become a reality thanks to the fund-raising efforts of the North York General Foundation and the generous support of members of the local community and businesses.

“We really hope to create a unique environment where children and youth will feel comfortable be-cause they will be receiving care in a warm, inviting, safe, homelike setting,” says Marangos. “We will be able to use the grounds outside, and offer a variety of therapies including art, music and yoga. We are re-ally excited about the possibilities to create a unique treatment setting.”

The hospital foundation has raised $5.2 million of the $6 million needed to open the doors. “We appreci-ate the support of our local community and without them we would not be able to realize this dream,” says Marangos.

For Laura, she can see only positives from the addi-tion of Phillips House. She believes a homelike setting can lessen the anxiety of someone seeking treatment.

North York General Hospital is affiliated with the University of Toronto and is one of Canada’s leading community academic hospitals, offering a culturally diverse community a wide range of acute care, ambu-latory and long-term care services across three sites.

Core programs include Cancer Care, Child & Teen, Emergency Services, Maternal Newborn, Medicine & Elder Care, Mental Health and Surgery. Through partnerships, collaboration and academic endea-vours, North York General seeks to set new stan-dards for patient- and family-centred care. Working together with patients and their families, they are making a world of difference.

Make a world of difference todaywith a legacy gift for toMorrowWe are committed to providing our culturally diverse community with the bestpossible care today and in the future. But we can’t do it without you. When youplan a gift to North York General Hospital, you leave a legacy that will serveyour community for generations to come.

for More inforMationcall Valerie Morrison at 416 756 6708email valerie.morrison@nygh.on.cavisit us online at nyghfoundation.ca

each legacy gift offers its own tax and financial benefits.call us today to learn which one is right for you.

feature story community hospitals week • 9

Rouge Valley: The heart of the regionHeart attack survivor appreciative of treatment at hospital; gives back through volunteering

Walking a mile isn’t always easy. Just ask heart attack survivor Ken Scullion.

But learning to walk that mile was a criti-cal part of his successful rehabilitation at Rouge Valley Health System and one of the first steps to Scullion be-coming a long-time cardiovascular rehab volunteer.

Scullion is a retired university registrar, on the road often, still consulting at universities.

“Eight weeks into my retirement I had a heart at-tack. I had no inkling of any issues. I had been neglect-ing myself, not to mention my family history,” said Scullion, a Scarborough resident.

Fortunately, there’s an emergency response proto-col (called Code STEMI) in place across Scarborough and Durham Region to get patients like Scullion hav-ing a heart attack in the community directly to the re-gional cardiac care centre at Rouge Valley Centenary where they can get the life-saving treatment they need to unblock the blood vessels in their heart — all within a crucial 90-minute window. In Scullion’s case, within 10 minutes of arriving at Rouge Valley, he was in a cath lab with the cardiologist above him saying “you’re go-ing to be fine.”

6,500 PatientsAnd fine he is today, appreciative of his treatment at Rouge Valley’s regional cardiac centre. Scullion is one of more than 6,500 patients seen each year at the car-diac centre, which recently celebrated a significant ex-pansion and upgrade. Now with three new cath labs and a dedicated procedure room for pacemaker and ICD implants, the regional cardiac centre can treat more patients and offers even more specialized ser-vices closer to home.

Well aware of how much the regional cardiac pro-gram at Rouge Valley was able to do for him, Scullion has turned his experience into giving back at the hos-pital. He is a volunteer with the cardiovascular reha-bilitation and prevention program, which is another regional cardiac service led by Rouge Valley. Scullion supports patients who have gone through similar car-

diac events or at risk of cardiovascular disease.“I’m never going through this again,” he thought

and it wasn’t long after rehab volunteers convinced him to join their efforts.

As a volunteer, Scullion greets new patients and old ones, walks with them, and assists in patient support and understanding routines and anxiety that come from cardiovascular issues.

The regional cardiovascular rehab service is a key example of hospitals and community coming together to provide patients with access to high-quality care closer to where they work and live, said chief of cardi-ology, Dr. Joe Ricci.

Many years ago, cardiovascular rehabilitation pa-tients needed to go to a downtown hospital. That’s why 25 years ago, Rouge Valley decided to bring reha-bilitation services to its Centenary site, making it more convenient for patients and family in the surrounding community.

Regional IntegrationSince 2011, the program has expanded through in-tegration with regional hospital partners, as well as thanks to the support of and local municipalities and the Central East Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) — a body that oversees the allocation of health care services and resources throughout its jurisdic-tion. The regional cardiovascular rehab service now serves 4,000 patients a year at community-based sites throughout the Central East LHIN, all to give people service as close to home as possible.

The program is assisted by hundreds of volunteers – those with first-hand experience who can share their stories with rehab patients.

It’s that kind of help from a volunteer who has been through the cardiac experience that’s invaluable for people in rehabilitation, said Dr. Ricci.

And he agreed with Scullion about the advantages to quality care close to home.

“I think it’s very important to get care in your com-munity. You should expect the highest level of care in your own community. You have to have that confi-dence. If a region is committed to high quality of care, there’s no barrier to that,” he said. “Ken’s right – the highest quality of care close to home is a driving prin-cipal for us.”

Dr. Ricci thinks big. The regional cardiovascu-lar rehabilitation service has grown to nine sites, in Scarborough, Ajax, two in Oshawa, Whitby, Port Perry, Bowmanville, Lindsay, and Cobourg, provid-ing people with effective community-level care where they live. Rouge Valley serves as the central hub, co-ordinating bookings and ensuring the standard of the service across the different sites.

Dr. Ricci thinks the collaborative initiatives under-way are only a start – and that healthcare can become much more efficient and effective by applying a simi-lar patient-focused approach that has worked so well for regional cardiac care.

Rouge Valley Health System volunteer and former patient Ken Scullion walks with fellow former cardiac patient and current cardiovascular rehab volunteer George McConnachie on the hospital’s 11th floor.

• The birthing and newborn centre at Rouge Valley Centenary is home to an advanced level 2C neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), which is designated to deliver and care for babies as premature as 30 weeks gestation. • Rouge Valley Health System follows a Lean philosophy, which is an approach to constant improvement that puts patients first. Since 2008, the hospital team has put Lean methodologies in action to improve patient care, leading to patients: waiting less time for emergency department care

and lab/diagnostic imaging results; going home sooner thanks to improved patient flow; walking less distance at pre-admit clinics.• Rouge Valley Health System is proud of a community affiliation with the University of Toronto. • Rouge Valley employs 2,822 people and has 621 volunteers• There are 495 beds/bassinets in operation.

rouge valley health system – facts

Providing life-saving and life-changingcardiac care services closer to home.

www.rougevalley.ca

Each year, we see more than 6,500 patients for cardiac consultations, emergency and elective procedures to

unblock blood vessels in the heart, advanced cardiac imaging, managing and treating arrhythmias (irregular

heartbeats), and cardiovascular rehabilitation to help achieve an optimal heart healthy lifestyle.

feature story10 • community hospitals week

St. Joe’s puts community firsta love for serving this close-knit community drives dedicated paediatrician dr. eddy lau.

One look at Dr. Eddy Lau’s face and you know he loves his job.

That’s because being chief of paediat-rics at St. Joseph’s Health Centre means so very much to the community, so very much to his own fulfillment.

The St. Joseph’s Health Centre – affectionately known as St. Joe’s – has served the surrounding community for nearly 100 years. With universal values of respect, dignity and compassion, few hospitals are better situated to provide diverse health care for a surrounding community and be accepted as a hub of that geography.

It’s the understanding of the surrounding de-mographics that have led St. Joe’s to building a long history of a very strong paediatrics depart-ment. In fact, St. Joe’s is the founder of the first Birthing Coach Program in Toronto, and is the first hospital in Ontario to grant in-hospital de-livery services to midwives.

It’s all suits Dr. Lau fine. As a young doctor, Lau worked his way through

various clinics and hospitals before finding a home at St. Joe’s.

“At that point, this area had the highest (baby) delivery rates in Ontario. That made it a good fit for someone like me.”

“I actually wanted to be in paediatrics as a teenager. I’ve always worked well with kids.” said Lau, a graduate of Queen’s University. “They are interesting because they are honest. But you have to engage them with a different skill to find out what’s bothering them.”

The Strength of CommunityThe doctor is a complete believer in the strength of the community hospital system.

Lau says community hospitals offer virtually every service needed on a daily basis. “95 per cent (of ailments) can be managed by your com-munity hospital, in your local community.

And in the area surrounding St. Joe’s that’s important with a high rate of young families.

For Lau “I fell into this neighbourhood.” He enjoys the eclectic mix of people, streetscapes and vibrant feeling. He’s made the area his home.

“The neighbourhood is really diverse. It’s somewhat gentrified with a wide range of eth-nicities. People are friendly; it’s like a village walking up and down the street – you often see somebody you know.”

It’s outreach into that community which drives many of St. Joe’s new challenges.

Lau is excited about a new school program being formalized at St. Joe’s that brings proac-

tive care to the school setting. “Our consultant paediatricians, family physicians, and specialists such as our paediatric neurologist can see kids at school who would be missing appointments elsewhere,” he said. “What we’re looking at are a number of kids who don’t come to the doctor.”

Family challenges, social issues often get in the way of medical attention, he said.

That attachment to community is so impor-tant, that in March St. Joseph’s announced it was forming a new community engagement council, drawn from local residents.

“This is their community hospital and so they need to be able to be the voice at the table say-ing this is what we need in our community,” said Elizabeth Buller, president and chief executive officer of St. Joe’s.

“We’re quite excited about it because it really does put the community and the voice of the pa-

tient at the forefront.”The council is expected to help the hospital set

priorities and give insight into whether current services are working in the community.

Give today at foundation.stjoe.on.ca

CONSTRUCTION IS ABOUT TO BEGINTO IMPROVE OUR JUST FOR KIDS CLINIC

THANK YOU TO OUR LEAD DONORSR.P. Bratty Family Foundation and the Ladies’ Lunch

The Selke Family & Front Street CapitalCharitable Foundation’s Summer Solstice

Sprott Foundation

SUPPORT GREAT CARE FOR KIDSIN OUR WEST-END COMMUNITY“St. Joseph’s Health Centre is my community hospital. I take care of kidshere every day, and I bring my family to St. Joe’s for care too. Thank youto everyone for helping make our children’s floor special for kids.”

– Dr. Eddy Lau, Chief of Paediatrics (shown here with grateful patient Jaxson)

More than 3,200 babies are born each year at St. Joseph’s Health Centre – and that’s just the first stage of a variety of hospital programs that follow youth through their growing. St. Joe’s Chief of Paediatrics Dr. Eddy Lau believes 95 per cent of the health care you need can be accomplished at a com-munity hospital.

• There are 500,000 who live in the vicinity of St. Joseph’s Health Centre• The centre is an educational facility, with more than 570 medical trainees and 440 interprofessional students• Each year the hospital receives 100,000 emergency department visits• St. Joe’s is a major employer of the region it serves, with 2,500 staff and 400 active physicians• 300 dedicated volunteers work on behalf of the health centre

st. joseph’s health centre – facts

The Scarborough Hospital: Breaking barriers

feature story community hospitals week • 11

commitment to a diverse community means services available in more than 200 languages

For The Scarborough Hospital’s Dr. Jim Rath-bun it’s about breaking barriers for the best possible patient care.

For folks like Laila Punjani it’s about a new lease on life.

Not unlike so many people growing older, Laila Punjani knew she needed knee surgery. The fam-ily had the opportunity to have that work done just about anywhere in the world.

But extensive research led them right back to their region and The Scarborough Hospital.

That’s because of the reputation of orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Rathbun.

Dr. Rathbun is noted for his revolutionary work on knees, most particularly what’s known as the Oxford domed lateral knee technique. Well-known in the medical community, the knee surgery at the hospital draws patients from afar and even delega-tions of visiting doctors to witness the surgery.

That alone was enough to convince Laila’s family to bring her here. The many other benefits of The Scarborough Hospital have turned them into life-long advocates.

“There is a different atmosphere here altogether. You really feel the community here,” said Laila’s daughter-in-law Alisha Punjani.

Diversity in LanguageOne compelling benefit of the hospital is the com-mitment to providing culturally sensitive care to a diverse population, which includes diversity in lan-guage.

Formal world-class interpretive services are available in more than 200 languages at The Scarborough Hospital. For Laila, being able to re-ceive information in her native Gujrati language helped ease her hospital stay.

The family could have walked away after the suc-cessful surgery and positive hospital experience, but chose rather to host a fabulous garden party to raise funds for the purchase of a spinal surgery table.

And now, Alisha is the Co-Chair of Women in Philanthropy, a special fundraising council of The Scarborough Hospital Foundation. As well, Laila’s son Shafiq Punjani sits on the Foundation’s Board of Directors.

“I was ignorant. I had no idea how hospitals oper-ate, how budgets are handled. Fundraising is such an important part of the hospital - there’s such a need for funds for new equipment,” said Alisha.

“There are amazing surgeons with such great abilities at The Scarborough Hospital. It’s a hub for

some incredible doctors.”Dr. Rathbun couldn’t agree more. While his noto-

riety could have driven him elsewhere, Dr. Rathbun has chosen to make The Scarborough Hospital his home for more than 40 years.

“When I joined The Scarborough Hospital, Scarborough was a growing community. It was a busy place that needed a young energetic surgeon,” he said.

Over the course of his career with the hospital, Dr. Rathbun has always valued the opportunities to expand his surgical techniques, such as the Ox-ford domed lateral knee, and understands it’s only through the appreciation and support of the com-munity that the hospital can purchase equipment to perform state-of-the-art procedures.

As Alisha stated, The Scarborough Hospital is a truly a community hospital; you see friends, neighbours, and regular visitors.

“Hospitals like The Scarborough Hospital basi-cally offer everything. There’s not much that a pa-tient can’t have done here - this is a big community hospital with excellent quality care and services,”

notes Dr. Rathbun.For Alisha and family, The Scarborough Hospital

has become like a second home. And it’s uplifting to see the good work, the medical advancements and the tangible benefits their fundraising efforts can achieve.

“There are so many feel good stories here,” adds Alisha.

• The Scarborough Hospital (TSH) is Canada’s largest urban community hospital, with over 3,100 staff, more than 700 physicians and close to 750 volunteers.• Nearly 5,000 babies are delivered each year at TSH.• The hospital’s Oncology Clinic has more than 24,000 patient visits each year.

• TSH is among the top 10 hospitals in Ontario for the highest volume of breast reconstruction cases. • Our volunteers gave an incredible 51,432 hours of service in 2013-2014.• TSH performs more than 41,000 surgeries each year.

the scarborough hospital – facts

Alisha Punjabi, co-chair of a hospital foundation support-ing network called Women in Philanthropy, knows full well the great health care provided at The Scarborough Hospital. She also knows how important financial con-tribution is to the hospital to maintain the best possible equipment for surgeries performed by people like Dr. Jim Rathbun, noted in his field for knee surgery techniques.

I Support ScarboroughHospital Will you?

giving12 • community hospitals week

Givingmakes for better health care

Community hospitals are local institu-tions to remember the next time your school, cultural group or friends are

thinking of holding a fund raiser. There is always a great need to fund new programs, machines and buildings as health care is at the heart of every community.

“When you get ill, the first place you tend to go is your community hospital. You may be referred to a tertiary care teaching hos-pital on University Avenue if your situation becomes more serious, but, usually, your first stop is your local community hospital,” said Mike Logue, senior vice president of KCI, a firm working with community hospi-tal foundations in the not-for-profit sector.

The province does not cover all the costs for community hospitals and that is why fund raising, which is done by hospital foundations, is essential to helping serve local hospitals and that mostly centres around getting new medical machines, pro-grams and buildings.

“The province pays for the operating costs of the hospital - all of the hospital operations, and if they are building a new hospital or building a new building, the cost is 90 per cent and the community pays for 10 per cent.”

Hospital FoundationsAlmost all hospitals in Ontario and across the country have their own foundations for fund raising, Logue said.

In Ontario, hospitals have their own sep-arate foundations, which is a separate arm from the hospitals. The foundation has it’s own board of governors where there is a “dotted line relationship” with the hospital, he explained.

And many times the hospital board chair or hospital Chief Executive Officer are members of the board of the foundation. But the foundation usually has their own staff, their own office space and is usually located at the hospital or near it.

“They are the official fund raising arm out in the community,” Logue said.

For some, the fund raising goal of 10 per cent may seem like a large goal to reach, but Logue said, “The key message is that this is your community hospital and com-munity care is everyone’s responsibility from a philanthropic perspective. That they encourage giving to their community hos-pitals. And that community hospitals also

feel that when you give to our community hospital your dollars are staying in the com-munity.”

One of the key things fund raising does in a community hospital is it helps fund pro-grams, buildings and equipment that are not funded by government.

“Community hospitals and community and health care, in general, all receive a significant amount of funding from govern-ment but government does not cover every-thing,” he said.

Importance of FundraisingThis is where fund raising comes in to look at that local share with the commu-nity banding together to raise funds for ma-chines, such as CAT Scan (CT) or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) campaign.

“They are projects the community under-stands - we need a CT scan or we need an MRI - those are the kind of projects we find can make up elements of cases. If there are certain expansions to redevelopment proj-ects, for example, the government is only going to fund only so much of that. Criti-cal components in health care and critical delivery.”

There are many ways residents can help raise funds toward their community hospi-tal, Logue said. “Community members can give back by making a personal donation, online or doing that at the foundation of-fice, organizing a third party event, which is becoming more and more popular.”

For example, he said, hosting a golf tour-nament, barbecue or street party for the foundation is one way the community can help give back. First, go to the foundation to get permission to use the name of the foun-dation and say, for example, all proceeds are going the hospital.

“There are lots of foundations that have golf tournaments,” Logue said.

The community can fund raise in sever-al different areas: annual fund campaign, direct mail, online giving, special events like a gala put on by the hospital founda-tion, or third party events.

Logue said another big part of raising the funds is through major gifts. Bequests, which are planned gift, can be restricted and that means going to a specific area like mental health or cardiac or if it is un-restricted, which means it is going to the most important needs of the hospital.

Here’s why community hospitals depend on your donations

Humber Regional Hospitalwww.hrhfoundation.caBy phone: 416.658.2001By email: foundation@hrh.caBy mail: Humber River Hospital Foundation 2175 Keele Street, 7th Floor Toronto, ON M6M 3Z4Charitable Registration No. 11930 6306 RR0001

North York General Foundationwww.nyghfoundation.caBy phone: 416-756-6944By fax: 416-756-9047By email: foundation@nygh.on.caBy mail: North York General Foundation 4001 Leslie Street Toronto, ON M2K 1E1In person: The Foundation offices are located by the south elevators on the first floor of North York General HospitalCharitable Registration No. 88875 1245 RR0001

Rouge Valley Centenarywww.myrougevalley.caBy phone: 416-281-7342By email: foundation@rougevalley.caBy mail: Rouge Valley Centenary 2867 Ellesmere Road Scarborough, ON MIE 4B9In person: Southeast corner suite, Rouge Valley Centenary Courtyard 2867 Ellesmere Road, ScarboroughCharitable Registration No. 123797474RR0001

The Scarborough Hospitalwww.tsh.toBy phone: 416.431.8130By email: foundation@tsh.toBy mail: The Scarborough Hospital Foundation 3030 Lawrence Avenue East, Suite 108 Toronto, ON M1P 2T7In person: General campus, Medical Mall, Suite 108 3030 Lawrence Avenue East, Toronto Birchmount campus, Administration Offices 3030 Birchmount Road, Toronto

St. Joseph’s Health Centrewww.foundation.stjoe.on.caBy phone: 416.530-6704By email: foundation@stjoe.on.caBy mail: St. Joseph’s Health Centre Foundation 30 The Queensway, Toronto ON, M6R 1B5In person: 5th floor, Sunnyside Building 30 The QueenswayCharitable Registration No. 11918 3382 RR0001

Toronto East General Hospitalwww.tegh.on.ca / www.foundation.tegh.on.caBy phone: 416.469.6003By fax: 416.469.6605 By email: foundation.tegh.on.caBy mail: Toronto East General Hospital Foundation 825 Coxwell Avenue, Office A128 Toronto, ON M4C 3E7In person: Toronto East General Hospital Foundation 825 Coxwell Avenue, Office A128 Toronto, ON M4C 3E7Charitable Registration No. 11925 9448 RR0001

William Osler Health System Foundation www.oslerfoundation.orgBy phone: 416.747.3388By email: info@oslerfoundation.orgBy mail: William Osler Health System Foundation 101 Humber College Blvd. Etobicoke, ON M9V 1R8In person: Etobicoke General Hospital 101 Humber College Blvd., Foundation office (Main Floor) Etobicoke, ON M9V 1R8Charitable Registration No. 12996 5133 RR0001

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