ing, compassionate and safe

place for our patients and

visitors. Many comments

were passed on to me from

staff, visitors and pa-

tients at how impressed

they were by the student

volunteers. They continu-

ously were always eager

to assist.

I would like to thank all of

our student volunteers

for their commitment to

Mackenzie Health. Your

gift of time at Mackenzie

Health was felt on all

levels of care.

I wish you all the best come

the school year!

Anna Daigle

Coordinator, VCR

What a fantastic summer 2018

we have had. Reflecting on the

past couple of months, a lot

was accomplished. We

were very fortunate to

have Christina Pizzola

join our team. Christina

assisted with

the summer student pro-

gram. Christina brought

positive energy and an

attitude of inclusivi-

ty. She helped ensure

all student volunteers

had the opportunities to

participate in all activities being

offered. She brought to light

three events, Crafting For A

Cure, the Student Newsletter

and the ever popular Careers

in Healthcare Seminar.

With over 350 student volun-

teers in the program through-

out this summer, the dedica-

tion, commitment and hard

work that our student volun-

teers have demonstrated has

once again proven our student

volunteers help create a car-

From Anna’s Desk

A Message from the Summer Program Assistant: Christina Pizzola

STUDENT ROUNDS A U G U S T 2 4 , 2 0 1 8

Summer Student Volunteers,

What a great summer we have had at

Mackenzie Health! It has been an hon-

our to meet and work alongside each

and every one of you over these past

two months.

Throughout my time at Mackenzie

Health this summer, we organized

several events made especially for the

summer student volunteers. With the

help of our Volunteer and Community

Resources department and over 350

volunteers, Crafting for a Cure and the

Careers in Health Care Seminar were

a huge success.

I would like to express my gratitude to all

the volunteers that participated in these

events, as well as all the members of the

newsletter committee for putting together

Student Rounds. Thank you for devoting

your time for the good of the hospital,

staff and patients.

It is all of your hard work and commit-

ment that continues to make Mackenzie

Health one of the best places for stu-

dents to volunteer. Thank you again for

your dedication to volunteering and I

hope to see you all return this upcoming

school year.

INSIDE THIS

ISSUE:

• Five Benefits of

Volunteering

• Where Do You

Volunteer?

• Volunteers in Ac-

tion

• Senior Volunteer

Interview: Virginia

Wainman

• Physical and Men-

tal Wellness: A

Guide to Wellness

for Back to School

and Yin & Yang

• Summer Student

Events: Crafting for

a Cure and Ca-

reers in Health

Care Seminar

• Transition from

High School to

University: A First

Hand Look

• Allied Healthcare

Professions

• A New Vision:

Mackenzie

Vaughan Hospital

• Student Rounds

Newsletter Com-

mittee

• Thank You and

Reminder

Student volunteers at

Crafting for a Cure

P A G E 2

Volunteering…

1. Offers students the opportunity to socialize and build relationships. In a world where social interaction is at a decline, volunteering brings people together and can help build long-lasting relationships. It can also act as a platform for people who share similar inter-ests to be in a community with each other.

2. Helps young people develop skills and gain valuable experience. Volunteering offers people real-life experiences and hands-on learning which allows them to develop a wide set of skills. In addition, volunteering can provide those who are unsure of what their future may hold with opportunities to explore new and different pathways.

3. Helps build resumes and improve employ-ment aspects. Volunteering helps people create a positive and impressive profile. Vol-unteering can provide great working experi-ences and may help you to get your foot in the door. Many employers prefer candidates with volunteer experience.

4. Improves overall health and well-being. Vol-unteering can provide a sense of fulfillment and purpose, and it also allows people to feel happier after witnessing the impact their efforts can make. Volunteering can also be a great stress-reliever, as it allows volunteers to spend quality time away from their busy lifestyles.

5. Can be a profound and eye-opening experi-ence. Volunteering can help better the lives of others, but can also be a informative expe-rience for volunteers. Working with people in need of help will allow a person to become more informed about world issues and there-fore become a better global citizen. This can bring a sense of satisfaction and happiness to all involved.

Five Benefits of Volunteering Annabelle Cheng—Grade 11, St. Theresa of Lisieux CHS Isabella Iacoe—Grade 11, Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts

Although we are both new to the volunteer program at Mackenzie Health, we have already learned and expe-rienced so much. While it was initially a bit overwhelm-ing, after adjusting, we noticed that our stress levels de-creased and that we feel a lot happier. Volunteering at Mackenzie Health has helped us recognize that we are both interested in pursuing a career in healthcare, or where we would have the opportunity to help others. Through volunteering, we have also realized that we were able to enhance our communication and leadership skills and also become more empathetic and compassion-ate towards others. However, perhaps nothing beats the sense of satisfaction that we gained in knowing that we have made people’s lives a bit easier or their day a bit brighter. Volunteering at Mackenzie Health made us more selfless, which allowed us to better understand our-selves and the community around us, which is why it is truly a valuable experience.

At Mackenzie Health, volunteers play a vital role in improving the patient experience. While the impact volunteers make in the world is significant, it is a two-way street. Volunteers from all walks of life can also expect to reap many benefits from the charitable work that they do.

S T U D E N T R O U N D S

Where Do You Volunteer?

Julianna Lancaster– Grade 11, St. Elizabeth CHS

Volunteers in Action P A G E 3

How long have you been volunteering at Mackenzie Health?

34 years since November 7th, 1984.

Why do you volunteer?

I volunteer because my husband passed away at this hospital at the age of 45 and the care given was amazing, so I decided I wanted to give back.

What have you learned over the years?

You are always learning all the time from other volunteers, staff and patients.

What advice do you have for young volunteers?

Listening is key and is a very important part of being a volunteer.

Senior Volunteer Interview: Virginia Wainman

Information Desk Tuesday

and Thursday mornings

Julianna Lancaster—Grade 11, St. Elizabeth CHS

Annabelle Cheng—Grade 11, St. Theresa of Lisieux

Isabella

Gift Shop

S T U D E N T R O U N D S

Mireille and Megan

Information Desk

Jayden

Support Office

Eveline

Dialysis Support

Rojina Day Surgery

Cyrus

Recreation Therapy

P A G E 4

A Wellness Guide for Back to School Dante Orr—3rd Year Kinesiology, York University

Yin and Yang Fatima Sabet—1st Year, York University

Physical and Mental Wellness

Stress can arise from the pressure we put on ourselves or be brought on by external conditions that are out of our control. Adopt a positive attitude, understand when you are feeling overwhelmed, and be strong enough to take a moment. You have the power to decide whether you let stress impact you negatively or positively. It is important to keep healthy relationships with your friends and family, and to surround yourself with support. According to Statistics Canada, 1 in 4 workers are highly stressed which imposes many health risks. Stress may lead to heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, immune is-sues, and obesity. We often tend to push aside and/or ignore our mental health needs, when in reality we should be prioritizing our health. Try to find a relaxing activity, such as meditation, to give your mind a mental break. There are free apps that can help you get started and it is a great way to release negative energy and unwind. Exercising is another great way to tackle your stress, and it does not have to be at high intensity! You can go outside for a walk to both unplug and have some fun. This is just another great way to get your mind off an issue and it can provide a great detox. Everything happens for a reason and sometimes it is necessary to feel

stress. It’s much like the Chinese ‘Yin and Yang’ philosophy that provides us with a balance. It is just up to

us to maintain that balance in a positive way. Stress has the ability to teach us who we really are by testing

our limits, and yet it can just as easily bring us to our breaking point. In all, Lou Holtz, a former American

football player, states it best, “It is not the load that breaks you down, it's the way you carry it.”

anything to do with healthcare, such as speakers coming in to have presentations on gardening.

The next category of wellness, social wellness, deals with the inter-actions that keep us engaged with our family, friends, and commu-nity. This ranges from having a close friend that you can talk with to scheduling time to attend a public event to get closer with the community. Not everyone likes to go to social events, which is per-fectly fine, as social wellness is all about being comfortable with the people around you. At Mackenzie Health, the wellness program organizes staff BBQs, arts and crafts workshops, and ice cream truck days so that staff can get to know each other and feel more com-fortable at work.

Finally, spiritual wellness is the last part of overall wellness and it involves having something to keep you grounded in your morals so you can continue along a positive path. Examples include believing in a faith, praying, etc. At Mackenzie Health, staff can attend prayer sessions hosted by multi-faith chaplains.

With all the information provided, it is evident that maintaining your overall wellness is a complicated process. However, the whole idea is to make sure you are keeping a balance of what is important in your life so that one situation will not overwhelm you and take away from your long-term goals. Creating a sched-ule is a perfect way to allot time and attention to all the parts of wellness and as a result, you will see dramatic results in the fu-

ture! Thank you to Mackenzie Health’s Wellness Coordina-tor, Chantal Sinclair, for her insight on the pursuit of wellness. For more information on wellness visit: The Pursuit of Wellness.

Is there a perfect way

to manage stress?

Does anyone truly

live a stress-free life?

As the summer winds down and the next school year quickly ap-proaches, it is important that we ensure we are working at our maximum potential for next year’s challenges. Wellness is a key word to think of when preparing for the next year and it encom-passes a lot of different aspects. In the eyes of Mackenzie Health, wellness is broken down into subcategories: physical, mental, emo-tional, social, and spiritual. To successfully excel in the future and live a balanced life, you need to satisfy all these areas.

Physical wellness is the first strand of wellness that needs to be tended to. This includes going for a jog, doing yoga, doing massage therapy, going to the gym, or even doing simple home workouts that increase your heart rate. Eating healthy is also a big part of physical wellness because you need the proper energy and nutrients to keep you engaged every day. At Mackenzie Health, there are programs for staff and volunteers that deal specifically with physical wellness such as yoga sessions held during the lunch hour and a mindful eating program in the hospital cafeteria that ensures only the healthiest options are available to staff and patients.

The next two strands of well-ness, mental and emotional, deal with making sure your mind is getting the proper attention. This means that to achieve your goals in life, you need to schedule time to take your mind away from any daily stressors (work, school, etc.). Things like taking breaks while studying, reading a novel, gardening, watching television, going out with friends, and listening to music are all examples of maintaining mental and emotional wellness. At Mackenzie Health, the wellness

program has speakers that come in to speak to staff about mental wellness, as well as speakers that do not necessarily have

S T U D E N T R O U N D S

P A G E 5

Summer Student Volunteer Events

Crafting for a Cure—Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Careers in Healthcare Seminar—Tuesday, August 21, 2018

S T U D E N T R O U N D S

On Tuesday, July 31, 2018, Pamela Bielak, the founder of a non-profit organization called Crafting for a Cure, as well as her team brought supplies to Mackenzie Health to help create craft kits for the kids that visit the hospital. With the help of over 30 dedicated volunteers, we created hundreds of craft kits to enhance the patient experience for children in the hos-pital. Thank you to everyone who participated in this event.

A special thank you to MP Majid Jowhari for joining us at this special event and for congratulating Mackenzie Health’s Summer Job students, Ariel Foo and Christina Pizzola, for all their hard work.

Christina Pizzola—2nd Year Kinesiology, McMaster University

The Careers in Healthcare Seminar, held in the Ber-wick Family Auditorium, was an insightful and fun event for the summer student volunteers. This event highlighted a possible pathway to medical school and also helped familiarize the volunteers with different types of careers in a hospital, and in health care.

Lior Krimus, a UofT medical student, spoke about the im-portance of extracurriculars, research, grades, etc., when applying for medical school. Lior was a gift shop volunteer at Mac-kenzie Health in grade 9. For more in-formation about getting into medical school visit his website: Future-memd.com

Salimah Champsi, a Pharmacy student from UofT, was also a volunteer at Mackenzie Health. She spoke about her unconventional pathway to becoming a pharmacist and some requirements for entering into pharmacy. She informed students that it is fine to not know what you want to do right away.

Diane Ah-Kiné, an Optometrist in Boston, Mas-sachusetts, is a graduate from the University of Waterloo and the New England College of Op-tometry (NECO), specializing in pediatric optom-etry. For 13 years she has been travelling to El Salvador providing eye care as part of a Friends of ASAPROSAR campaign. For more information visit her website: Letsseeeyecare.com

Daniel Devere is a Registered Physiothera-pist in the ICU at Mackenzie Health, gradu-ating from the University of Manitoba. Dan-iel spoke about different types of physio-therapy as well as WiiHab a rehabilitation technique for patients using the well known video game Wii.

Mackenzie Hui is a Registered Nurse (RN) at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. She vol-

unteered in the gift shop, geriatric clinic, LTC, ultra-sound waiting room, etc., at Mackenzie Health. Mackenzie spoke about a ‘Day in the Life’ of an RN and demon-strated the good and bad of being a nurse. She encour-

aged all students to sign up for OneMatch, where bone marrow donors are matched to recipients.

P A G E 6

S T U D E N T R O U N D S

Transition from High School to University: A First Hand Look

Allied Healthcare Professions Gabriella Attanasio—Grade 12, Westmount Collegiate

Third, the people and systems around you are there to help you and there are many people eager to support your transition, so use them to your advantage. Get in-volved in extracurricular activities such as sports, clubs, volunteering, or visit the writing center and student help locations. Don’t be afraid to use the student health cen-

ter for assistance with your emotional and mental wellbeing, particularly if you are away from home for the first time. There are so many programs to join that will aid your suc-cess and where you can meet amazing people as well as build an impressive resume. Lastly, do not get discouraged if things get hard; it takes time to adjust, but you've al-ready made it this far and you will get through it with enough hard work and dedi-

cation!

Many of us wanting to enter the healthcare field have the impression that a doctor or nurse are the only options, but after taking a health care course, I became more aware of other careers in health care that are instru-mental to patient experience. Here are just a few that caught my attention:

Emergency Medical Services: EMS, more commonly known as paramed-ic ser-vices, treat ill-nesses and inju-ries that require an urgent medical response. They provide treatment in the ambulance itself, as well as transportation to definitive care, like an emergency department. For this occupation, there are many requirements such as a current standard first aid certifi-cate, a class F Ontario driver’s license, the minimum age of 18, a Paramedic Diploma from an Ontario college Paramedic Program, and the passing of the provincial certification exam (Advanced Emergency Medi-cal Care At-tendant). Social Work: Social workers aim to help indi-viduals, families, groups, and com-

munities to enhance their individual and col-lective wellbeing. They are concerned with helping people develop their skills and the ability to use their own resources and those of the community, to solve problems. Social work focuses on individual problems as well as socioeconomic issues such as unemploy-ment, poverty, and domestic violence. They work out of places such as child and adult mental health clinics, hospitals, family ser-vices, children’s aid societies, school boards, correctional institutions, and welfare admin-istration agencies. This job requires a BSW or a MSW from an accredited university. Occupational Therapy (OT): Occupational therapists work to solve the problems that interfere with a person’s ability to do things that are im-portant to them such as getting dressed, eating, moving around the house, going to work or school, being an active member of the communi-ty, and any sort of leisure activities that have been compromised by a physical or mental illness. They work out of

various locations such as private prac-tices, clinics, mental health centers, group homes, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, correctional institutions, and even conduct home visits. To become an OT, you must complete an undergraduate university program, followed by your MScOT.

Crisis Intervention Counselling: Crisis workers are professionals trained in mental health who help people of all ages who are in distress. They have the training to help people who are at risk of harming themselves or others, they support those going through acute crises such as terror attacks or natural disasters, and they also assist with the as-sessment and treatment of other distressing issues such as grief, loss, or bereavement.

They often work out of emer-gency departments, mental health clinics, schools, crisis telephone lines, and humanitari-an aid associations. These posi-tions usually require a BSW, BScN, or BA with clinical experi-ence or a CYW diploma.

Other careers you may wish

to investigate are:

• Registered Dietician

• Recreation Therapist

• Imaging Technician

• Health and Safety Officer

• Pharmacist or Pharmacy Technician

• Medical Equipment Technician

• Clinical Informatics Specialist

Whatever your passion, there is probably a career in healthcare just right for you!

Complete with requirements and expectations, entering into University/College can be a big transition in any student’s aca-demic career. Last September when I be-gan first year at York University, the mil-lions of questions you may be asking now, were the same ones I once had. Although these uncertainties can be stressful, they are definitely manageable. Here are some of helpful tips and observations I discov-ered that you may find beneficial to know.

For one, although most classes don’t take attendance, it is important to attend them as professors take time to explain harder topics so that they are clear and com-pletely understood. Also, going to class provides a great op-portunity to ask questions or listen to others ask questions.

Second, staying on top of your classes becomes your respon-sibility and requires personal adaptations in order to achieve success. Semesters seem to go by quite fast and I found although a lot more personal time is now dedi-cated to studying, getting ahead and keeping on top of courses will pose crucial bene-fits in the long run.

S T U D E N T R O U N D S

Renee Gorman—2nd Year Biomedical

Sciences, York University

P A G E 7

Mackenzie Health has been

serving our community for 55

years by providing a world-class

healthcare experience. Their

expansion with the projected

2020 completion of the Mac-

kenzie Vaughan Hospital locat-

ed near Jane and Major Macken-

zie is a sight to behold. For

more information about the

development of Mackenzie

Vaughan Hospital, live webcam

viewing of the construction site,

and opportunities, please visit

the Mackenzie Health website

found here: Mackenzie Vaughan

Hospital.

Not only has Mackenzie Health

continued to expand healthcare

availability through various off-

sites, but also through consult-

ing with patients, families, and

staff to ensure that improve-

ments are being made with ac-

cordance to community feed-

back. Every step of the design

plan is always under constant

revision; by making full-scale

models of rooms to be imple-

mented and creating layout

designs that enable physicians

and patients to carry out proce-

dures with maximum efficiency.

The new hospital will bring

forth new state-of-the-art tech-

nology systems and devices to

make sure that patients and

families are receiving the best

and up-to-date care possible.

“Smart” technology will be inte-

grated with the hospital system

to work seamlessly with the

staff in response to medical

routines and procedures; allow-

ing instant information transfers

between departments and phy-

sicians without time delays. In

preparation for the upcoming

hospital, Mackenzie Health has

already implemented technolo-

gies such as EPIC, which allows

physicians and nurses to have

instant clinical information

about a patient’s medical histo-

ry. Additionally, they have de-

veloped an app called

“MyChart” which enables pa-

tients to update their personal

information, receive real-time

results, and view or cancel ap-

pointments. Additional infor-

mation on how Mackenzie

Health is improving your

healthcare experience can be

found here: Mackenzie Health

EMR. Mackenzie Health contin-

ues to flourish through their

dedication and hard work to

bring together a community of

compassionate and innovative

individuals in the world of

healthcare.

For more

information about

updates, events,

or opportunities,

please visit the

Mackenzie Health

website found

here: Mackenzie

Health.

A New Vision: Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital

S T U D E N T R O U N D S

Sandra Bak—3rd Year Biotechnology, York University

Key Facts:

• $1.6 billion total project cost

• $1.3 billion government grant

• 350 beds, with capacity to expand to 550

• 1.2 million sq. ft.

Student Rounds Newsletter Committee

S T U D E N T R O U N D S

Summer Student Volunteers,

Thank you so much for all of your hard work this summer at Mackenzie Health. We look forward to seeing you all this up-coming school year. Enjoy your last week of summer, and all the best in your future endeavours!

Sincerely,

The Volunteer and Community

Resources Department

REMINDER If you are not returning to volunteer during the school year, please RETURN YOUR ID BADGE to the Volunteer office ASAP. You must return your badge within 90 days of your last shift to receive your deposit refund.

THANK YOU FOR MAKING A DIFFERENCE

THIS SUMMER

Newsletter Layout and Design by Isabella Iacoe and Christina Pizzola

Front row (left to right): Annabelle Cheng, Isabella Iacoe, Julianna Lancaster Bottom row (left to right): Sandra Bak, Dante Orr, Gabriella Attanasio, Christina Pizzola Absent from photo: Renee Gorman and Fatima Sabet

A special thank you to our Newsletter Committee for all of your hard work and creativity!