PROPERTY PURCHASED • PAVILION E: SNEAK PEEK

News weekJGH

THIS

SIR MORTIMER B. DAVIS

JEWISH GENERAL HOSPITAL •NEWSLETTER OF THE APRIL 2005 • www.jgh.ca

Fools rush inFools rush in

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April Fool’s!

aanndd)) aaDr. Fifi (Melissa Holland) and Dr. L’Air de Rien (Olivier-Hugues Terreault)

Health

But if you thinkthis means thatclowns have noplace in theh e a l i n g

process, the joke’s on you.Since the fall of 2003, thered-nosed jesters of theDr. Clown program havebeen proving that any daycan be April Fool’s.

The clowns—who goby such names as Dr. L’Airde Rien, Dr. Boom Boom,Dr. Giggle and Dr. Pudding—generally make therounds at the JGH onWednesday afternoons to

bring joy to patientswho don’t always have alot to smile about. In fact,Dr. Clown is one of themost popular JGH pro-grams to emphasize thehumanization of care—using somewhat uncon-ventional techniques togive patients the emotion-al and spiritual stamina tocope with illness and ademanding stay in hospi-tal.

“Our purpose is not toridicule or make anyonefeel stupid,” says MelissaHolland, also known as

Dr. Fifi. “On the contrary,our goal is to raisepatients’ spirits with a bitof gentle silliness. Wewant them to relate to usas people, so we have sim-ple costumes and very lit-tle makeup. We’re alsocareful not to call our-selves therapists, butwe’ve seen the benefits ofchanging someone’smood, even for a few min-utes.”

Ms. Holland says hos-pital clowning is closer instyle to European theatri-cal clowning than to thepratfalls of NorthAmerican circus clowns.

Improvisationalskills are essen-tial, since hospi-tal clowns mustbe able to quicklygauge each newsituation tod e t e r m i n ewhether thepatient considersthe clowning tobe welcome orintrusive.

Participantsin the Dr. Clown programare also given a solidgrounding in hospital pro-cedures and an awarenessof the hospital environ-ment. This includes aknowledge of hygiene,

familiarity with the issueof patient confidentiality,and the common sense toknow how not to interferewith staff.

Ms. Holland, who stud-ied drama and educationat Concordia, said shebecame interested in hos-pital clowning while teach-ing in Scotland in late1999 and early 2000. In2001, while in Windsor,Ontario, she met Olivier-Hugues Terreault (wholater became Dr. L’Air deRien) and by spring 2002,the non-profit companywas formed. Today Dr.Clown brings laughter toseven Montreal-area hos-pitals, including the JGH,Hôpital Sainte-Justine andthe Montreal Children’sHospital.

“What we try to do isempower patients whofeel they’ve lost control bybeing in the hospital,” shesays. “This can be some-thing as simple as havingthem provoke a reaction inus. Or there are situationswhere a patient can getone clown to squirt a littlewater at another clown. Itmay seem pretty basic,but you’d be surprised atthe enormous differencesthese small gestures canmake.”

Hospital clowning?That’s a laugh!

If your cooking needs panache, thecookbook you need is Panache:Montreal’s Flair for Kosher Cooking,newly published by the JGH Auxiliary.Copies are available for $45 (taxincluded) in the Auxiliary office (A-018) or by phoning 340-8216. Salesrevenue will help support the JGH’sEmergency Department.Panache features more than 175recipes and culinary ideas from someof Montreal’s finest kitchens, coveringstarters, soups, hors d’oeuvres, maincourses and desserts. Submitted by some ofMontreal’s best cooks, the recipes were chosen toreflect the city’s gastronomical diversity. Each recipeis clearly described and uses easily obtainable ingre-dients. Included are dishes for novice cooks, as wellas tips for elegant entertaining for the experiencedgourmet.

PANACHE: Your recipe for successful cooking

Getting well is seriousbusiness at the JewishGeneral Hospital.

BEDSIDE VISIT: Dr. Fifi (Melissa Holland) and Dr. L’Air deRien (Olivier-Hugues Terreault) make one of their many bed-side visits.

2 APRIL 2005 PULSE

Building

The JewishG e n e r a lHospital hasgained much-needed room

for expansion with thepurchase of nearly sixacres of land, plus twobuildings with a total areaof 80,000 square feet.The property, stretchingfrom Côte-des-Neiges toLégaré just north of thehospital, was acquiredfrom Les Soeurs de St.Croix (Quebec Region), aneducational order ofnuns.

At a historic signingceremony in the hospitalboardroom on Feb. 1, JGHPresident Stanley K.Plotnick expressed hisdeep appreciation to LesSoeurs de St. Croix andsaid the hospital has been“blessed to have neigh-bours who care so deeplyabout people and theirwelfare. When the timecame to sell, they knewthe right thing to do wasto serve the people ofQuebec. Making moneywas never a considerationin their minds.” Mr.Plotnick added that thepurchase is “an accom-plishment of great impor-tance that will help tosecure the future devel-opment of our hospitalfor many years to come.”

Jonathan Wener, thehospital’s Immediate PastPresident, called the pur-chase “one of the mostimportant transactionsthe JGH has completedsince the days when thehospital’s foundersbought the land that thehospital now sits on.” Mr.Wener, during whose

Presidency the JGH beganserious negotiations tobuy the land, pledged “tocontinue to show LesSoeurs de St. Croix that

we are deserving of thisgreat opportunity.”

“We are very happy tosell the property to thehospital, because itserves the population,”said Sister AnnetteLegault, Regional Directorof Les Soeurs de St. Croix.“We refused offers tobuild condominiumsbecause we wanted toserve the community. Wewish the hospital the bestof luck in its futureplans.”

“This was a very bigstep for us,” agreed SisterThérèse Lefrançois,Treasurer of the Order.“We’ve owned the proper-ty since 1928 and it’s partof our history. Now we’re

losing that aspect of ourhistory, but for a goodcause.”According to ExecutiveDirector Henri Elbaz, the

purchase gives the JGH anideal opportunity toresolve numerous space-related issues and to sig-nificantly improve hospi-tal programs in need ofexpansion:• The Emergency Depart-

ment has a currentcapacity of just 27stretchers, but requiresa total of 59.

• The Coronary Care Unitfaces severe space limi-tations and is in greatneed of an upgrade.

• The Intensive Care Unitneeds to grow to thepoint where it has atleast 24 beds in a singlelocation.

• More space is required

for operating rooms,isolation rooms, park-ing, etc.

“The obstacles thatstand in the way ofimproved patient carecan be resolved now thatwe have room to expand,”Mr. Elbaz said. “We arenow actively workingwith the government andthe Régie régionale onthese issues.”

The agreement marksthe culmination of awarm relationship thatexisted for decadesbetween the JGH and LesSoeurs de St. Croix.During occasional socialvisits over the years, theJGH expressed an interestin buying the land andasked to be the first to beoffered the propertywhenever the Sisters feltthey were ready to sell.The request was repeatedby several of the hospi-tal’s most recentPresidents, including LeoGoldfarb and StephenVineberg.

In 2002, the Sistersinformed the hospitalthat they were ready tosell the property and aspecial letter authorizingthis transaction wasissued by the Vatican.Finalizing the transactiontook a great deal of effort,since it meant securingthe approval of the Régierégionale, the Ministry ofHealth and the TreasuryBoard, all in time to meetthe deadline for the pur-chase.

Mr. Elbaz emphasizedthat Mr. Wener deserves“a great deal of credit forhis special talent, skillsand ingenuity during themany long hours of nego-tiations. As a result ofthis effort, the offer topurchase was signed, fol-lowed by the deed ofsale.”

3PULSE APRIL 2005

JGH acquires property of Les Soeurs de St. Croix

HISTORIC SIGNING: Present at the ceremony to finalizethe purchase of property from Les Soeurs de St. Croix were(from left) Past President Jonathan Wener, Vice-PresidentJames Alexander, Sister Annette Legault, Executive DirectorHenri Elbaz, Sister Thérèse Lefrançois and President StanleyK. Plotnick.

Newsmakers

• Dr. Albert Cohen, Chief of theDivision of Gastroenterology,has been promoted fromAssistant to Associate Professorat McGill University.

• Dr. Andrew Karaplis and Dr.Mark Trifiro of the JGH’sDivision of Endocrinology haveboth been promoted fromAssociate Professor to FullProfessor at McGill University.

• Congratulations to ChiefEchography Technician Marie-Josée Blais on the birth of a sonon January 21. Mother and babyare well.

• Dr. Jacques Galipeau(Hematology), Dr. MarkWainberg (Director of Research)and Dr. André Dascal(Microbiology and InfectiousDiseases) will appear in a three-part documentary byProductions Pixcom entitled “Cestueurs invisibles - Épidémiesmortelles,” which will be broad-cast in September on Canal D.

• Congratulations to FrédéricAbergel, Director of InformationServices, on recently earning hisPh.D in Public Health, with anoption in Health ServicesAdministration, at l’Université deMontréal’s Faculty of Medicine.

• Dr. Nancy Feeley, a SeniorNursing Researcher with theJGH’s Centre for NursingResearch, has been awardedfunding from various sources toproceed with a pilot project pro-moting the ability of mothers tocommunicate with their very lowbirthweight babies. Dr. Feeley

hopes to involve about twodozen mothers in the studywhich will last for most of 2005.Her work is supported byJohnson & Johnson, theAssociation of Women’s Health &Obstetrical & Neonatal Nurses,the Groupe de rechercheinteruniversitaire en sciencesinfirmiers de Montréal, theGustav Levinschi Foundation,and the Canadian NursesFoundation Partnership Program.

• Henry Mietkiewicz, SeniorCommun-icationsSpecialistin theDepart-ment ofPublicAffairs, isamong thejudges ona nation-wide panelchoosingthe firstinducteesinCanada’sComicBook Hall of Fame. The winnerswill be announced in Toronto onApril 30 at a ceremony to launchthe Shuster Awards, honouringthe country’s top comics talent.The awards are named afterToronto-born artist Joe Shusterwho co-created Superman withCleveland writer Jerry Siegel inthe mid-1930s. Shortly beforehis death in 1992, the reclusiveMr. Shuster was interviewed byMr. Mietkiewicz for a TorontoStar article about Superman’sCanadian roots.

In the news

4 APRIL 2005 PULSE

If you’re celebrating a special event or have an achieve-ment you’d like to publicize, Pulse would like to hear fromyou. Maybe you’re getting married, have just had a baby,are on a winning amateur sports team, or have received anaward. To share your news with everyone at the JGH, justcontact Suzanne Gold (sgold@adm.jgh.mcgill.ca, local 4120)or Henry Mietkiewicz (hmietkiewicz@adm.jgh.mcgill.ca,local 2672), and then look for your name in the “In theNews” column.

The Sir Mortimer B. Davis - Jewish General Hospital Familywishes to express sincere condolences to its President,Stanley K. Plotnick and family, on the passing of hisbeloved father, Henry Plotnick.

Henri Elbaz Samuel MinzbergExecutive Director Foundation Chair

Hela Boro and Eileen Fleischer Myer BickAuxiliary Co-Presidents Foundation President

Every year, on or around Jan. 10,Gerry Anisman drops by the office ofDr. Yves Langlois, the JGH chief ofCardiac Surgery, to celebrate theanniversary of his triple bypass sur-gery in 2002. Mr. Anisman explained itis important to commemorate the daywith the people who helped him “toshow my appreciation. Not everybody

gets the chance tocome back.” As a sur-geon, Dr. Langlois does-n’t often get to see hispatients outside theoperating room. Mr.Anisman’s annual visitsare “unique,” he said.“No other patient doesit.”

Mr. Anisman alsoused the opportunity tothank ICU nurseRachel Michaud, whowas “the first vision Isaw when I opened myeyes after the surgery.”

Ms. Michaud, who came to the hospitalon her day off to celebrate with Mr.Anisman, said the days followingmajor surgery can be overwhelmingfor patients and their families. Beingable to continue the relationship shebuilt with Mr. Anisman during thattime has been very rewarding, shesaid.

An avid hockey player for the past40 years, Mr. Anisman said he has beenfeeling great since the surgery and ishappy to be back on the ice for OldTimer tournaments. “I’m thrilled to behere. I’m happy I’m alive and I’ll beback to visit next year,” he said.

Giving thanksfrom the heart

(From left) ICU Nurse RachelMichaud, Gerry Anisman and

Dr. Yves Langlois

People

More than600 staffm e m b e r swere hon-oured at a

reception on Jan.18 fortheir long service at theJGH. About 350 doctors,nurses, social workers,cooks, therapists, techni-cians, maintenance andhousekeeping staff whohave worked at the JGHfor up to 45 years,attended the event in theSamuel S. CohenAuditorium.

The celebrationincluded live music,refreshments and the dis-tribution of certificatesand pins commemoratingemployees’ career mile-stones at the JGH. Staffmembers who passed the25-, 30-, 35-, 40- and 45-year marks were alsogiven a watch as a specialgift.

Among this year’shonourees was Dr.Hyman Reisler, a cardiol-ogist who has been at theJGH for 40 years. Dr.Reisler addressed fellowhonourees with anec-dotes about the manychanges at the hospital.He looked back fondly onhow the hospital hasgrown, noting that theEmergency Room hadjust three beds when hebegan at the JGH.

Deanna Forde, whohas worked at the JGHsince graduating from theJGH Nursing School in1969, said that when shestarted, the JGH seemedlike “a tiny little hospi-

tal.” She added the JGH isspecial because it’s “a sta-ble place to work. Theytake an interest in you.”

Executive DirectorHenri Elbaz acknowl-edged the group’s manyyears of dedicated serv-ice. “When you spend agreat quantity deal time

at a hospital, you are con-tributing to the stabilityand the continuity ofcare,” he said. “It isbecause of people likeyou that our patientsknow they can rely on theJewish General Hospital,year after year, anddecade after decade.”

THE ICU

Joy and sadness in ICU

Smiles and tearscame to theIntensive CareUnit in earlyMarch, as Sally

Silverstone celebratedher 101st birthday onMarch 2, surrounded byrelatives, doctors, nursesand the JGH’s Director ofPastoral Services, RabbiMyer Schecter. Sadly, fourdays later, Mrs.Silverstone passed away.The JGH extends its sym-pathy to the Silverstonefamily.

Mrs. Silverstone, whohad lived independentlyuntil she was admitted tothe JGH, celebrated herbirthday with balloons,cards and a birthday cake.Her son, Robert, said shewas an inspiration to thefamily: “She was sharperthan us at times.”

In the nearby ICU2,another celebration tookplace on Feb. 9, as theunit marked its first yearof operation. “Whensomeone becomes ill, it’simportant that they getappropriate care in a

timely fashion,” said Dr.Denny Laporta, Chief ofAdult Critical Care. “Wefeel this has improved inthe past year with theexistence of ICU2. Theexpansion has allowedfor safer management ofcritically ill patients.”

Dr. Laporta credits histeam of nurses, physi-cians and multidiscipli-

nary staff for helping theICU2 develop into anexpanded ICU service,“working in complete har-mony with ICU1. There’s atremendous amount ofcollaboration.”

With about 380 admis-sions in the past year, the

ICU2 has been treatingcritical care patients in 10beds. Dr. Laporta said hehopes for an increase instaffing, enabling bothICUs—which often treat atotal of 18 patients at atime—to reach their totalcapacity of 22 beds.

“We’ve also been ableto provide more care tomore patients,” said

Johanne Boileau, HeadNurse for Adult CriticalCare. Ms. Boileau addedthat ICU2’s modern physi-cal environment, includ-ing lower noise levels,has resulted in more com-fortable surroundings forpatients.

JGH thanks employeesfor many years of dedicated service

5PULSE APRIL 2005

Sally Silverstonecelebrates her101st birthdaywith the goodwishes of family

Balloons, refreshmentsand smiling faces filledthe the Samuel S. CohenAuditorium at the LongService Reception inJanuary

6 PULSE APRIL 2005

Construction Update

The Health Sciences Library hascompiled a list of websites for radi-ologists and radiologic technicians.The links to these sites can be foundon the library’s website at www.library.jgh.ca/radiology_e.html.Topics include Associations,Radiology, Radiologic Technology,Diagnostic Imaging, MRI and PET.If you know of a site that would beof interest to readers, or if youwould like to suggest a topic for afuture Medical Web Sites of theMonth, please contact KathleenBlagrave at kblagrav@hsl.jgh.mcgill.caor at ext. 2391.

Stanley K. Plotnick - PresidentHenri Elbaz - Executive DirectorGlenn J. Nashen - Director ofPublic Affairs and CommunicationsHenry Mietkiewicz - Editor, PULSESuzanne Gold - Associate EditorCarly Costin - Web Specialist

Design: Linda VanInwegenPhotos: JGH Audio Visual

Please e-mail submissions to:sgold@adm.jgh.mcgill.caor call local 4120Room: A-106, Fax: 8220

www.jgh.ca

For information about advertising inPulse, please consult www.jgh.ca or call

(514) 340-8222, ext. 5818.We apologize in advance for any errors,

misspellings or omissions. Please note that toour knowledge at press time, all information

in this publication was accurate.

SIR MORTIMER B. DAVIS

JEWISH GENERAL HOSPITAL

The following reference booksare also new to the HealthSciences Library:• Gray’s Anatomy, Susan

Standring• Netter’s Illustrated Human

Pathology, Maximilian L.Buja

• Sabiston and SpencerSurgery of the Chest, FrankW. Selke

• Cummings OtolaryngologyHead and Neck Surgery,Charles W. Cummings

• Introduction to VascularUltrasonography, William J.Zweibel

• Joslin’s Diabetes Mellitus,Ronald C. Kahn

WEB RESOURCES for radiologists and

radiologic technicians

A peek inside Pavilion EBy now, the busiest spot on Légaré St.—and the most famil-iar sight to staff, visitors and passersby—is the iron frame-work and new floors that are gradually being added to thetop of Cummings Pavilion E. However, work is also underway on the design of individual floors, where clinical andresearch facilities are best suited to the needs of patientsand employees.

To answer questions and to discuss the look and layout of the newfloors, architect André Ibghy, of the firm Ibghy Nfoe Lemay, met withstaff in the Nurses’ Lecture Hall on in January. 24. Included in the pres-entation were slides with artists’ depictions of reception areas, a labo-ratory, a nursing station andcorridors in the clinical area.Staff were consulted on vari-ous aspects of the design inorder to create facilities thatare practical as well as visuallypleasing.

Architect’s view of a nurse’s station on a new clinical floor inPavilion E.

By mid-winter, theexternal frameworkfor Pavilion E wasclearly taking shape.

Artist’s depiction of the entrywayto a laboratory on a new researchfloor in Pavilion E.

Happy April Fool’s! Welcome back to Pulse

7PULSEAPRIL 2005

The Weekend to End Breast Cancer is bringing out the creativeside in its participants. While some master the art of solicitingdonations, others are selling homemade items to raise the mini-mum $2,000 needed to participate in the event.When JGH Occupational Therapist Gabi Rosberger went to a partywhere flower pens were being made, she thought this would makea great fundraising project for the Weekend. Along with SheilaMaislin, Marilyn Miller and Felice Wise (other members of theOccupational Therapy "Terminators"), The Power of Pink Gardenwas born. The team now makes and sells pink flower pens for $5each. A variety of pink flowers— some with water droplets andgreen stems —is now available The Garden, located in theOccupational Therapy Department (D-2). "We had this vision of seeing everyone with pink pens," Ms.Rosberger said.The vision is quickly becoming a reality, with the pens increasingin popularity among JGH staff, volunteers, patients and their fam-ilies. As more and more people walk around the hospital with pinkflower pens, "it’s also a wonderful way to let people know aboutthe walk for breast cancer," Ms. Maislin said.In the first three weeks, the group raised $1,000 in pen salesalone. "What makes it even more special is that we’re not onlyraising money for breast cancer, we’re raising money for this hos-pital," Ms. Maislin said. The Terminators are also expandingbeyond the JGH, with pens sales at companies and schools aroundMontreal and even in Toronto.Finding a creative fundraising strategy makes the process easier,and more enjoyable, the team members agreed. "Everybody has toraise $2,000, but I think it goes beyond that. You go for your per-sonal best," said Ms. Maislin, who has already doubled thefundraising minimum."We don’t even have to solicit," Ms. Rosberger said. "We get callsfrom people we haven’t even approached, who have seen the pensand want to buy them." The pens are also great gift ideas, espe-cially for Mother’s Day, she added. "I think a lot of people are anx-ious about raising the $2,000, but they just have to think of proj-ects to do—even a garage sale. If you do it with your group, you

can divide the money among the members."The group is also planning a garage sale, which willgive them incentive for spring cleaning and anopportunity to raise more money. Of course, they’llsell the flower pens there, too. "Everybody, in theirfamily, has been touched by some type of cancer,"said Ms. Rosberger, a cancer survivor. "The Weekendis a tangible way of doing something."To purchase a pink flower pen, call local 8289 or goto Room D-2.

Idea blooms into fundraiser

The Terminators’ flower power: (seated) SheilaMaislin and (standing, from left) Felice Wise,Marilyn Miller and Gabi Rosberger.

www.endcancer.ca

You can support the Weekend to EndBreast Cancer by buying JGHWeekend to End Breast Cancer t-shirts ($15), hats ($13) and waterbottles ($4), now available in RoomA-106! All proceeds go to the Weekend to End Breast Cancer.

You can also purchase WEBC merchandise from the online General Store! Clothing,gifts, first aid gear and more are available at www.endcancer.ca. A portion of theproceeds will be directed to the JGH.

• JGH Family Birthing Centre Walkettes• Hope & Cope• Nursing / Friends• JGH Foundation "The Power to Heal"• Action-Impact (Physiotherapy)• Anesthesia Sprinters• Stars Over the Breast Centre (Breast

Cancer Referral Centre)• Tickled Pink (Nursing Oncology)• JGH Auxiliary• Baby Boomers (Volunteer Services)• Babes "Busting" for a Cure (Post

Anesthesia Care Unit)• Galloping Gourmets (Herzl)For more information, please call 393-WALKor visit www.endcancer.ca.

Show your support for these JGH teams

8 PULSE APRIL 2005

Straight facts in C. difficile bbooookklleett

Long-term patients who spent several months at the Lindsay RehabilitationHospital are back at the JGH and have settled into their newly-renovated unit.On March 2, 21 patients were moved back from the Lindsay on Hudson Rd.,where they had been staying since June. Extensive renovations, including the installation of a central air conditioning sys-tem, were completed in late February in Long-Term Care (6West), Internal

Medicine (7West) and Orthopedics (8West). Additional renovations included new nursing stations in 6West and 8West."This was a huge project," said Allan Ptack, Director of Social Services. The renovations "certainly have created a morepatient-friendly environment. It will be more comfortable for our long-term patients awaiting placement."The staff will also benefit from the renovations, according to Estelle Kalfon, Head Nurse in 6West. "The new nursing sta-tion is much nicer and more functional, and the whole unit is beautiful. It’s a tremendous improvement."Mr. Ptack said a team of dedicated staff members spent months planning the move to ensure the transition would be assmooth as possible. "This preparation really helped in maintaining the patients at the Lindsay," he said. "The success of thisproject was based on the input and effort of the staff, especially the nurses and orderlies of 6West who made certain thatthe move to the Lindsay and back to the JGH went well."In fact, the project will be featured in May at a conference of the Canadian Gerontological Nursing Association. In "TheRelocation of a Long-term Care Unit to a Rehabilitation Hospital: No Problem!!", Mr. Ptack and Ms. Kalfon will explain howa hospital can successfully move long-term care patients.

JGH PJGH PAATIENTSTIENTSreturn fromLindsay Hospital

Got a question about C. difficile? Get the facts in a new bookletpublished by the Jewish General Hospital. "Answers toFrequently Asked Questions About C. difficile" is intended foruse by staff, patients and visitors, and is available at Emergency,Admitting and all Nursing units. Copies can also be obtainedfrom Public Affairs & Communications (A-106) or by phoninglocal 5818 or 2672.The free, 16-page, bilingual booklet was jointly prepared by theInfection Prevention Unit, the Department of Nursing, and theHousekeeping Department. Written in plain, non-technical lan-guage, the text explains the cause, prevention and treatment ofC. difficile associated diarrhea, how the germ is transmitted, thecircumstances requiring the isolation of a patient, and specialefforts by the JGH to sanitize equipment and rooms.The booklet was produced to provide authoritative responses andsound medical advice, especially in light of the rumours and mis-information that arose among the public during last year’s C.difficile outbreaks.Among the questions the booklet answers:• When an employee has been treated for C. difficile and

returns to work, should staff take precautions before and/orafter using the same washroom that that employee has used?

• At what point is it safe to discontinue the isolation of apatient who had been infected with C. difficile?

• Should a person cancel or postpone elective surgery to avoidpossible exposure to C. difficile?

• Is there any value in taking yogurt or similar products to pre-vent or treat C. difficile?

Staff perks Don’t forget that just being a JGH employee enti-tles you to discounts on a wide range of productsand services. Here are four of the places whereyou can save money:• Énergie Cardio: Annual membership for $26.95

per month with coupon (available in Room A-106), 1-877-ENERGIE, www.energiecardio.com

• Quality Hotel Midtown: 20% discount, (514)739-3800, 6445 Decarie Blvd.

• America’s Best Car Rental: Ft. Lauderdale &Miami, (954) 620-7206 (ask for Omar), 10% offalready low prices, www.ab-rental.com

• Marer Vision: 25% discount, (514) 738-2424,5920 Côte-des-Neiges Rd.

9PULSEAPRIL 2005

When a patient is dying, that person’s precious feelings of self-esteem are the only buffer between the realization that death isnear and the decision to die bravely. As a result, building self-esteem in patients is among the most valuable tasks that a doc-tor can perform, Dr. Bernard Lapointe, Chief of Palliative Care,told an audience at Medical Grand Rounds on Feb. 14.Dr. Lapointe’s lecture kicked off a series of events in the 9thAnnual Humanization of Care Awareness Program, designed toremind staff about the importance of compassion in medical care,as well as techniques that might be considered unconventional orunusual.Dr. Lapointe said self-esteem—"the only buffer against theanguish and terror of death"—can be bolstered by respecting thepatient and by "recognizing the person behind the disease.Unfortunately, disease makes a person disappear, but we mustcounteract this tendency because what the patient is, in effect,saying to the doctor is, ‘Help me free myself from that limiting,reductive event that is my disease’".At the community event on Feb. 16, Natural Health ConsultantSusan Wener told a sold-out crowd of 250 that traditional andnon-traditional medicine go hand in hand. "What happens if weactually use our mind to create a desired outcome? Do we havethat power?" asked Mrs. Wener, a practicing member of theCanadian Association of Naturopaths who is certified in Multi-Dimensional Healing. "The mind does not know the difference

between fantasy and reality—it only knows whatyou tell it."A survivor of colon and lung cancer, Mrs. Wener hasfirsthand experience with the effects of mind-bodymedicine. She drew on personal experience to illus-trate the feelings of shock, hopelessness, fear andworry experienced by many people battling illness."I wanted somebody to hold me by the hand andmake it go away," she said. "I felt so alone…I knewit was going to be up to me to overcome it.""I believe in using the absolute best in everything,"said Mrs. Wener, whose presentation earner her astanding ovation. "Use your doctor to monitor yoursuccess. Use all of the aspects of what is out there-traditional and non-traditional. Don’t short-changeyourself."At Nursing Grand Rounds on Feb. 16, a panel ofeight people described the many ways that patientscan be made to feel calmer, happier, more comfort-able and more cooperative while receiving treat-ment in the hospital. For instance, they can havetheir spirits raised by Dr. Clown, receive informationfrom friendly volunteers in the EmergencyDepartment, get in touch with their emotionsthrough music therapy, and respond to the craftsitems in the Humour Cart.Even pet therapy—bringing a trained and placid petto visit a patient—can be extremely effective, saidtherapist Ellen Yarrow. Speaking while her dog,Maggie, lay at her feet, Ms. Yarrow said she haseven seen patients with Parkinson’s Disease stopshaking while petting Maggie. "The best thing wecan do for patients is to let them just enjoy ourcompany and forget for a few minutes why they’rein the hospital at all."The Program concluded on Feb. 24 with commentson the benefits of humanization of care in a sur-gical setting, delivered at Surgical Grand Roundsby Dr. Mark Basik, surgical oncologist andresearcher at the Lady Davis Institute forMedical Research.

Humanizationof CareTreating the person behindthe illness

Participants in the Humanization of Care AwarenessProgram: (from left) Naomi Kogan, Lianne Dzygala,Susan Wener and Mimi Goldenberg.

The educational and entertaining Mini-Med School is returningto the JGH. Due to popular demand, the English series is soldout, but seats are available for the French series, held onTuesday evenings from April 26 to May 31.At Mini-Med’s French series, straight facts will be presented innon-technical language by Dr. Marie-Laure Brisson(Pathology), Dr. Albert Cohen (Gastroenterology), Dr. HowardBergman (Geriatrics), Dr. Bernard Lapointe (Palliative Care), Dr.Ian Shrier (Sports Medicine), Dr. Louise Miner (Obstetrics &Gynecology) and Dr. Apostolos Papageorgiou (Neonatology).Each session will help you understand how today’s medicalchallenges are being met through research and treatment at theJGH.Register now by visiting www.jgh.ca or by calling 514-340-8222 ext. 3337. This program is madepossible by an unrestricted grant fromPfizer Canada Inc.

Mini-Med School: French series

10 PULSE APRIL 2005

Our thanks to everyone who packed the Nurses’ LectureHall for the final two sessions in the current season ofthe Midi Voyage lunchtime travelogues. On Feb. 17, Dr.Don Hickey (Anaesthesia) showed a video and slides ofhis trip to the exotic undersea world around theGalapagos Islands, off the coast of Ecuador. A monthearlier, Dr. Yury Monczak (Diagnostic Medicine)

described the natural beauty and hazards of his ascentof Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

With the mild weather about to return, Midi Voyage istaking a break so that staff can go outdoors again atlunchtime. However, if special sessions are scheduled,you’ll be notified in future issues of Pulse or JGH ThisWeek.

Special food for the Jewish festival of Passover will beserved at the Jewish General Hospital starting atbreakfast on Fri. April 22. Normal food service willreturn on Mon. May 2. In keeping with Jewish dietarylaws, the JGH will serve matzo (an unleavened crack-er) instead of bread on the above dates. Certain otherproducts, especially cereals and any foods containinggrains, will also be restricted. This temporary changewill be in effect for all meals and snacks served inpatients’ rooms and sold in cafeterias, kiosks and vend-ing machines throughout the hospital.Matzo and other unleavened foods are of key signifi-cance on Passover, which commemorates the Biblicalliberation of the Jews by Moses after hundreds of yearsof slavery in Egypt. So great was the Jews’ haste toleave Egypt that their bread did not have time to rise(to leaven). Thus, there is a prohibition against food inwhich leavening has occurred or may occur.Passover food must be prepared and eaten with uten-sils that are not used the rest of the year and havenever come into contact with leavened products. Forthis reason, plastic dishes and cutlery are used for hos-pital meals during Passover. Because of the greatimportance attached to Passover traditions, the JGHappreciates your patience and understanding inrespecting the dietary restrictions during this holiday.

Traditional Foods in place on Passover

Dr. Yury Monczak (centre) and his friends climb Mt.Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

FrFrom seaside om seaside to mountaintop

with Midi Voyage

DATES TO REMEMBER

APRIL: Dental Health Month and National Cancer Month

• April 1: April Fool’s Day• April 6, 7:00 p.m.: The Cancer Prevention Centre’s

eight-week Smoke Free program begins in room C-107.The fee is $50 for JGH employees, pregnant women, stu-dents and seniors, and $100 for everyone else. To regis-ter, or for more information about the program’s person-alized recovery plan, call Laura Hayes at local 3870.

• April 6 - 7: Costco kiosk at Légaré entrance• April 7: World Health Day• April 11, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.: Blood Donor Clinic,

Samuel S. Cohen Auditorium, Pavilion A• April 11: Ann Shapiro Jewellery & Accessories, Légaré• April 12, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.: Share & Care - Diabetes

Wellness Network presents "Diabetes and Its Effects onSkin" with Dr. Manish Khanna, room E-104. Info: 485-0607

• April 13 - 14: Costco kiosk at Légaré entrance • April 14, 6:30 p.m.: JGH Auxiliary presents Casino

Royale at Congregation Shaar Hashomayim. Info at local8216.

• April 19, 11:30 a.m.: JGH Auxiliary Annual Meeting,Samuel S. Cohen Auditorium, Pavilion A

• April 23 (sundown) - May 1: Passover • April 24: JGH Passover Seder in the Cafeteria. Info/tick-

ets at local 4341.• April 24 - 30: National Immunization Awareness Week• April 25: Ann Shapiro Jewellery & Accessories, Légaré • April 26 - 28: Shye Imports educational toys and gift-

ware, Atrium & Légaré• April 26 - May 31: JGH Mini-Med School (Tuesday

evenings)