Pulse (Winter 2009)

KEEPING STAFF INFORMED: YOUR JGH – YOUR NEWS

WINTER 2009

IN THIS ISSUE:Outstanding JGH employees honoured at AGM .......3-6Galerie 3755 unveils artistic talent of JGH staff.......... 13Accreditation Accolades for the JGH .......................... 17jgh.ca

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From hair to bare

Click-bzzzzz! The elec-tric razor suddenly

came to life and everyone cringed—everyone, that is, except X-ray Technologist Stephanie Foote, who was about lose every hair on her head. “I’m ready!” she exclaimed with a smile that radiated excitement and ea-gerness. Moments later, as masses of long, thick hair fell away, she added, “I’ve been waiting five years to do this.” Five years had passed since Ms. Foote lost her grandmother to lung can-cer, but the memories of

her loved one undergoing treatment remained vivid. “She handled the treatment quite well, but when she un-derwent chemotherapy and started losing her hair, she began to lose courage,” Ms. Foote recalls. “I wanted to shave my hair then, to show her my support, but she begged me to wait until after graduation.” On Aug. 20, before fam-ily, friends and colleagues in a conference room in the Radiology Department, Ms. Foote kept her promise. Part of the proceeds from her

Taking a short cut to fight lung cancer

Stephanie Foote, “before”…

Warmest holiday wishes Throughout 2009, we have been commemorating the anniversary of the Jewish General Hospital and celebrating the remarkable achieve-ments of the past 75 years. Now that the current year is almost at an end, we can clearly see that it, too, deserves a special place in the hos-pital’s history. This is particularly true, given the extraordinary effort by staff in going above and beyond the call of duty to care for patients in the face of the H1N1 pandemic. In grateful appreciation for everything we have accomplished together this year, we would like to wish everyone at the JGH a Happy Hanukah, a Merry Christmas and a joyous holiday season, with best wishes for a healthy and rewarding New Year.

Dr. Hartley Stern, Executive Director Bernard Stotland, President

JEWISH GENERAL HOSPITAL • WINTER 2009

Director, Public Affairs and Communications - Glenn J. Nashen • Editor, Pulse - Laure-Elise Singer • Co-Editor, Pulse - Henry Mietkiewicz • Executive Assistant - Geneviève Grenier • Communications Coordinator - Stephanie MalleyContributors - Dana Frank, Sean Martin, Orit Misrachi • Translation - Régine Banon • Design - Latitudes Marketing and Design • Photos - JGH Audio Visual Services • Printer - Les Emballages ColoramaPlease e-mail submissions to: [email protected].

3755 Côte-Sainte-Catherine Road, Room A-106, Montreal, Quebec H3T 1E2

For information about advertising in Pulse, please consult JGH.ca or call 514-340-8222, ext. 5818. We apologize in advance for any errors, misspellings or omissions. Please note that to our knowledge at press time, all information in this publication was accurate.

jgh.ca

2 PULSE • WINTER 2009

fund-raising effort, Shavin’ it short with your support, are going to Pul-monary Oncology at the Segal Cancer Centre. She is also donating her hair to be made into a wig for a patient un-dergoing chemotherapy. Ms. Foote completed a two-year program in radiation technology at Dawson College, followed by a one-year stage at the JGH. She joined the JGH Radiology Department in June 2009, five years after her grandmoth-er was treated at the hospital by Dr. Mark Palayew. “That’s what drew me to the JGH. Dr. Palayew was so kind to her, he would sit on her bed and talk to her. There’s such a strong sense of family here. I’ve even worked with his father, Radiologist Dr. Max Pa-layew.” Those who watched Ms. Foote get shorn were full of praise and en-couragement: “You’re gonna save on shampoo!” Mary Iacuessa, Chief Technologist in the Department of

Radiology, commented, “She’s very brave. Her participation is a generous and selfless gift. Our department is very proud of her.” On Sept. 8, Ms. Foote left for Cape Town, South Africa, for a six-month volunteer exchange program or-ganized by Canada World Youth. “Today is just the beginning of my humanitarian work,” she vowed in August. “You feel good giving; it’s the best feeling. I know my grandma is watching from heaven.” P

Hair to bare

Under the microscope: Research at the JGHPulse abstracts

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… and Stephanie Foote, “after”

An international study led by Dr. Brent Richards, a JGH re-

searcher and endocrinologist, found that Caucasian men with two spe-cific genetic variants are more likely to develop the most common form of baldness. The study, published in the October 2008 issue of Nature Ge-netics, involved investigators from GlaxoSmithKline and King’s College in London, England. One man in seven is at risk for male-pattern bald-ness, a largely inherited condition that begins to affect one-third of men before the age of 45. Dr. Richards also speculates that this particular genetic variation may also be responsible for the same type of baldness in non-Caucasian men. Although the find-ings may not be immediately useful in developing a baldness cure, they may help to predict hair loss, allowing men to begin treatment at the earliest stage of the condition.• A new experimental treatment for multiple sclerosis completely reverses

the autoimmune disorder in mice and might work the same way in hu-mans, as reported in Nature Medicine in August 2009. Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s own immune response attacks the central nervous system, leading to progressive physical and cognitive disability. The new treatment, appro-priately named GIFT15, was discov-ered by a team led by Dr. Jacques Gal-ipeau of the JGH Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research (LDI). Since GIFT-15 puts multiple sclerosis into remission by suppressing the immune response, it might also be effective against other autoimmune disorders such as Crohn’s disease, lupus and ar-thritis.• A 2007 Montreal-based study led by LDI researcher Dr. Bluma Brenner revealed that people newly infected with HIV are far more likely to trans-mit the virus because they don’t know that they are carrying it, and because they are most infectious in the earli-est stages. These research findings led to a community initiative that was

launched in fall 2009 and included the LDI’s Dr. Mark Wainberg, a world renowned AIDS researcher. Through early intervention, the initiative hopes to eradicate the epidemic in Montreal. A site was opened in the Gay Village offering anonymous one-minute test-ing to detect the virus at its earliest stages, along with peer counseling for newly diagnosed individuals.• A common anti-viral drug, riba-virin, was found to be beneficial in treating cancer patients, according to the results of a Canada-wide trial whose clinical portion was led by Dr. Sarit Assouline, a JGH hematologist, and Dr. Wilson Miller, Director of the JGH Clinical Research Unit. The study, published in Blood in May 2009, demonstrated that ribavirin suppresses a gene that, when overly active can lead to cancer. Patients treated with the drug did not suffer adverse side effects.• Dr. David Dunkley, a Clinical Psychologist with the JGH Insti-tute of Community and Family Psy-chiatry and an LDI Project Director,

published a study in the July-August 2009 edition of Comprehensive Psy-chiatry which found that people with a tendency for harsh and frequent self-scrutiny were more likely to suf-fer from depression. Dr. Dunkley followed his subjects for four years and determined that those who were generally less satisfied with life were also highly self-critical, preoccupied with other people’s disapproval, more likely to experience troubles in their relationships, likely to have difficulty functioning from day to day.• A type of white blood cell not only defends the body against infec-tion, but has also been found to be crucial for “recycling” iron from old red blood cells. Results of the study by Dr. Prem Ponka and his LDI re-search team, including researcher Dr. Shan Soe-Lin, were published in Pro-ceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (April 2008). Dr. Ponka dis-covered that when this type of white blood cell is deficient in a specific

From left : Dr. Carmen Loiselle, Laurence Girouard, McGill University Doctoral Stu-dent in Clinical Psychology and Jamie Cassoff, JGH Project Coordinator.

3PULSE • WINTER 2009

Pulse abstracts

Research may yield insight into cancer and aging

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protein, it hoards iron that is needed for the formation of new red blood cells, potentially leading to a harmful excess of iron.• Dr. John Hiscott and his research team have devised a novel “combina-tion” therapy that kills cancer cells while preserving healthy cells. The strategy, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (September 2008), involves using vi-rotherapy, an experimental treatment in which a harmless, non-human vi-rus targets and destroys cancer cells, together with a new cancer drug that boosts the potency and, thus, the effectiveness of the therapy. The combination has proven to be highly specific for tumor cells and offers the potential of a new biological thera-peutic approach for cancer treatment. The studies were performed by Dr. Nanh Nguyen, a post-doctoral fel-low in Dr. Hiscott’s lab at the LDI. Dr. Hiscott is developing clinical trials through the JGH Clinical Research Unit. The treatment would be applied to patients who are resistant to con-ventional therapy, or to patients with primary cancers—breast, prostate, co-lon and others—that do not respond to virotherapy alone. P

Dr. Chantal Autexier, of the Lady Davis Institute for Medi-

cal Research, has good reason to be enthusiastic about exploring the roles of telomeres and telomerase, which protect genetic material in human chromosomes. Not only is Dr. Autexier fascinated by this line of investigation, but this past Octo-

ber, her post-doctoral advisor, Dr. Carol Greider of the Johns Hopkins Institute, was named co-winner of the 2009 Nobel Prize for Medicine for research in this field. “The ba-sic research that has been carried out for decades on telomeres and telomerase has laid the ground-work for more recent studies into

their clinical application,” says Dr. Autexier, who was so intrigued by her post-doctoral work that she has continued her research as head of an LDI lab. Scientists are interested in investigating the roles of telomeres and telomerase in cancer, aging and in a rare genetic illness that causes premature aging and early death. P

From right: Dr. Chantal Autexier with PhD students Marie Eve Brault and Johans Fakhoury.

The Annual General Meeting of the JGH has evolved into much

more than a review of the highlights of the previous year. It’s a celebration of the extraordinary performance and tireless dedication of members of staff in all fields. Leading the way at the meeting on Oct. 8 were six special individuals who received Awards of Excellence for having provided pa-tients with hope, high-quality care and peace of mind.

The Award for Excellence in Medical Research is presented to a researcher whose insights and initiatives have re-sulted in a unique and significant con-tribution to patient treatment and care.

Dr. Carmen Loiselle Thanks to the internet and other multi media tools, most individuals

have greater access to medical infor-mation than ever before. But does this abundance of information really help patients become better informed about their health status and needs? If so, are well informed patients actually better able to cope more effectively with their illness and make a more informed use of health care services? These are just some of the questions that Dr. Carmen Loiselle has been exploring since 2001 as a Senior Nurse Scientist at the Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research (LDI) and JGH Centre for Nursing Research, as well as in her role as Associate Professor at the McGill University’s School of Nursing, where she teaches nursing and cancer research.

Outstanding employees honouredat 75th JGH Annual General Meeting


5TH Annual Department of Psychiatry Research DayBuilding strongfoundations: The role of childpsychiatry research in supporting childrenand families

Friday,March 26, 2010For information, Dr. Phyllis Zelkowitz, 514 340 8222, ext. 5258, [email protected] orCaroline Dovick, 514 340 8222, ext. 4626, [email protected]


In her work, Dr. Loiselle pays par-ticular attention to the way cancer pa-tients seek information in cancer clin-ics and online, because research has shown that they are often dissatisfied by the type and quality of information they may come across. They report feeling ill-equipped to deal with con-tradictory information and feel over-whelmed by masses of information. However, by systematically studying the psychosocial impact of searching for information online when one is af-fected by cancer, Dr. Loiselle has been able to uncover profiles of preferences for cancer information and their im-pact on people’s well-being. She and her team are currently customizing web-based tools to assist newly di-agnosed patients in gaining access to timely, reputable cancer information to assist them in making cancer-re-lated decisions, streamlining commu-nication with the care team and guid-ing them through the maze of cancer services offered at the JGH and in the nearby community. This crucial aspect of cancer care research has won Dr. Loiselle strong praise from her provincial, national and international colleagues. At the JGH, Lynne McVey, Director of Nurs-ing and Co-Director of the JGH Segal Cancer Centre, notes that Dr. Loiselle is the first nurse to receive the Excel-lence in Medical Research award from the LDI. In addition, Dr. Loiselle has received numerous grants and awards from leading Canadian funding agen-cies.

Award for Excellence in Administra-tive Support is presented to a member of the administrative support staff who has demonstrated outstanding per-formance and excellence in quality of work, quantity of work, job knowledge and willingness to provide support in ac-complishing the mission of the depart-ment and/or hospital.

Maria Siarlis Ever wonder why JGH patients are so satisfied with their meals? For a significant part of the answer, look no

further than Maria Siarlis, Admin-istrative Technician in the Dietetics Department. Through her efficient operation of the computerized system that keeps track of thousands of customized meals each week, Ms. Siarlis can help satisfy the sometimes complicated di-etary needs of hundreds of patients. This includes standard meals, as well as enteral feedings (tube feedings) for patients who cannot ingest food orally. Once the dietary information is digitally compiled, Ms. Siarlis passes it along to the kitchen staff, who prepare a seemingly endless stream of meals. Not only are patients given foods that meet their medical and nutritional re-quirements, they can order the foods they enjoy, to get an emotional boost as they recuperate. Ms. Siarlis joined the JGH in 1980 and held a variety of positions in the kitchen, before being promoted to her current post in 2002. In this capac-ity, “she’s the sunshine of the depart-ment,” says Norma Ishayek, Chief of Dietetics, “since she smiles all the time, her laugh is infectious, and she’s ready to help anyone with anything at any time.” Ms. Siarlis says she finds her work especially appealing in this digital era, because computers can juggle much more information to give patients many more food choices. “That makes me feel good,” she adds, “because it means patients can be as comfortable as possible.”

The Award for Excellence among Al-

lied Health Professionals is presented to a member of the allied health pro-fessional staff who has demonstrated a high level of commitment to patient care, has applied best standards of care, and has made a major contribution to the quality of life in the hospital.

Anna Aguzzi When patients undergo cancer treatment or surgery, their nutrition may suffer. That’s when Anna Aguzzi steps in as a Clinical Dietitian—often at the earliest stages of care—to make

sure patients have the strength to un-dergo treatment and recover properly. Since coming to the JGH in 1981, Ms. Aguzzi has worked everywhere from Geriatrics and Urology to Otho-pedics and Cardiology. However, she specializes in head and neck oncology, where she plays a crucial role in help-ing patients overcome the side-effects of chemotherapy, radiation therapy or an operation. This includes assisting those who have difficulty swallowing because of pain, burns, swelling or other conditions. Ms. Aguzzi says she recognized early in her career—a pe-riod when her specialty was uncom-mon—how important a role a dieti-tian plays in diagnosing and treating swallowing disorders. Thus, she has been dedicated in passing along her expertise to colleagues, dietetic stag-ières and students. Ms. Aguzzi has also established a process to coordinate home nutri-tion services for discharged patients, and she ensures follow-up by building partnerships with dietitians in CLSCs, nutrition companies and community health organizations. This has earned

Maria Siarlis

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Employees honoured at JGH 75th Annual General Meeting


praise from Donna Schafer, Chief of Clinical Nutrition, and from Norma Ishayek, Chief of Dietetics, for her “devotion, compassion and the im-peccable quality of care.” Through sustained help, support and encouragement, the eventual goal is for patients to eat normally again, says Ms. Aguzzi. “Providing this con-tinuity of care is very rewarding,” she

adds, “because we see patients return-ing to good health, with improve-ments in their quality of life.”

The Award for Excellence in Manage-ment is presented to a manager who has demonstrated outstanding job per-formance, superior leadership skills and great efficiency in directing the depart-ment.

Jacques Misrachi Since joining the JGH in 1992, Jacques Mis-rachi has played a piv-otal role in keeping the hospital’s finances in order—currently as the Assistant Director of Fi-nance, and from 1997 to 2006 as Financial Con-troller. Mr. Misrachi is also one of the rare mem-bers of staff with a global view, having managed the finances of the hos-pital, the JGH Founda-tion, and the Lady Da-vis Institute for Medical Research. As he moved through each of those ar-eas during times of con-siderable expansion, Mr. Misrachi perceived inad-equacies in the old finan-cial systems that were then in place. To meet the changing needs of an institution whose fi-nancial investments and

interactions were growing increas-ingly complex, Mr. Misrachi devel-oped more elaborate procedures and controls, while implementing new forms of technology. For this reason, Laurent Ziri, Director of Finance, de-scribes Mr. Misrachi as “a true man-ager—passionate about his work, and someone who will not spare any effort in getting the job done.” “We’ve seen a real evolution,” says Mr. Misrachi. “At one time, every-thing was manual—the ledger, the financial statements. To improve ser-vices to the entire hospital, we’ve since put everything on computer. But de-spite this evolution in technology, our work is still based on people. The younger generation brings energy and efficiency, and a flexibility in learning and adapting to the new technologies. They form a great team with the loyal employees who bring their own expe-rience and perspective.”

The Award for Medical Excellence is presented to a physician who inspires others with exceptional care for pa-tients, extensive knowledge of medicine, valued teaching, superior abilities and accessibility to colleagues throughout the hospital.

Dr. David Melnychuk Dr. David Melnychuk was a rarity when he was brought to the Jewish General Hospital in 1992, and remains so to this day. Upon his arrival, he be-gan providing cancer patients with greater continuity in the care they received throughout the hospital, thereby perform-ing a valuable service that was unique in Quebec, and is still relatively uncommon. Today, as a Clinical Associate in On-cology, Dr. Melnychuk carries a full load of cancer patients, but his clinical activities fo-cus mainly on individuals with head and neck cancer, colorectal cancer and gyneco-logical cancers. In pursuing this life-saving work, Dr. Melnychuk has shown himself to be an out-

standing clinician and researcher, says Dr. Gerald Batist, JGH Chief of Oncology and Director of the Segal Cancer Centre. “He is a kind and gen-erous person, universally admired by patients and respected by colleagues. There’s no doubt he has his own style and makes his own impact. If we could clone him we would.” Dr. Melnychuk says healthcare in-stitutions often have rigid structures, so he credits JGH leaders for their insight and courage in integrating his activities with those of the Oncology Department. “It means someone is on-site to deal with acute problems or with patients who drop in without an appointment,” he says. “That flexibili-ty allows the hospital to respond more directly to the needs of our patients, which is reflected in our high quality of care.”

The Award for Excellence in Nursing is presented to a member of the Depart-ment of Nursing who serves as a model for others by using her/his unique abili-ties, facilitating outstanding care, and exhibiting and building nursing knowl-edge.

Anna Aguzzi

Jacques MisrachiDr. David Melnychuk

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Rosemary Short Since 1990, Rosemary Short has dedicat-ed herself to helping children between the ages of 3 and 12, who have serious psycho-logical, cognitive and behavioural problems. As Head Nurse of Child Psychiatry Services, Ms. Short also works with the children’s families and as a key member of a multi-disciplinary team that develops assessments and interventions that draw on the strengths of the child and the family. Her objective is to enable children to their regular schools and to feel more comfortable within their families. These efforts have won praise from Lynne McVey, JGH Director of Nursing, who de-scribes Ms. Short as “consistently demon-

strating leadership in preserving the Child Psychiatry program at the JGH. She makes a difference every day in the lives of children and their families who are, more often than not, quite isolated in our society. Thanks to her perseverance and her leadership of the interdisciplinary team, this program has be-come a provincial leader in caring for chil-dren and their families.” Ms. Short served on other units in her first several years after joining the JGH in 1983, but finds working with children especially rewarding. “More than 70 per cent of adult mental illness can be traced back to child-hood,” she says. “With children, you are intervening early in life. You can work with them, along with their families and schools, on the underlying causes of their difficulties to help them build a future.” PRosemary Short


The Archie Deskin Scholarship is presented to a nurse who is currently employed by the JGH and demonstrates exceptional leadership abilities. The recipient has also been officially accepted to a graduate program from an accredited university to further her or his knowledge, primarily in the field of nursing.

Sonia Boccardi Sonia Boccardi, a Nurse Educator in Surgery, practices what she teaches: she is as keen a student of nursing as she is a teacher in the field. Ms. Boccardi is pursuing a Master’s degree in Science and Nursing in tertiary care through the University of Ot-tawa’s distance learning program, in addition to her full time duties at the JGH. Ms. Boccardi joined the JGH on 4NorthWest as a staff nurse for three years, then moved for six years to the ICU, where her fascination with “complicated cases” spurred her to become her own teacher in her current specialty, head and neck sur-gery. “It’s a matter of asking questions,” she says. “I immersed myself in head and neck when I started this job. I enjoyed the challenge of learning about different types of surgery and treatment in head and neck cancer. I also borrowed old textbooks from Dr. [Martin] Black and I viewed operations.”

After a brief leave of absence to teach nursing at John Abbott College and practice nursing on a cruise liner, Ms. Boccardi re-turned to the JGH as a Nursing Educator on the Surgery unit. She relishes passing along her expertise to the 12 nurses who have ar-rived on 4NorthWest since June. “I love that they’re fresh out of school, because they’re eager to learn,” Ms. Boccardi says. “Head and neck is not taught in school, so I keep my teacher’s hat on. I enjoy watching them discover new things.” Ms. Boccardi’s activities are not limited to the fourth floor of Pavilion D. She visits other units to teach nurses about specific head-and-neck procedures, such as tracheostomies. Last April, she also began a two-year mandate as Co-Chair of the JGH Education Leadership Council, leading and facilitating group discussions with Nursing Educators and Clinical Nurse Specialists. They, in turn, share their new knowledge with nurses on the units. Top-ics include new and up-and-coming projects and initiatives in the hospital, educational opportunities at the JGH, and readying nurses for accreditation. P

Sonia Boccardi (left) with Nurse Geneviève Pedneau, 4 NorthWest.

Ms. Boccardi is also committed to helping other nurses that would like to formally upgrade their knowledge in a specialty. The Canadian Nurses’ Association certification program of-fers nurses with the opportunity to become certified in one of 16 specialties. Ms. Boccardi obtained her certification in Crit-ical Care from the CNA in 2006. She and Valerie Frunchak, the Nursing Director of Maternal-Child Health, encourage nurses to apply for the CAN exam. “We offer bursaries, we spearhead publicity for CNA,” says Ms. Boccardi. “Having gone through the process myself, the application, self-study, the exam, I can help guide other nurses and transmit the sense of pride in deepening their knowledge of a specialty.” P

Certify yourself!


Seated, from left: Markirit Armutlu and Marjorie Jeune. Standing, from left: Caroline Robitaille, Paule Bernier and Chantal Bellerose.


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JGH becomes Quebec focal point for patient safety campaignThis past summer, the Jewish

General Hospital became the Quebec focal point for the activities of Safer Healthcare Now!, a national campaign coordinated and funded by the Canadian Patient Safety Insti-tute (through Health Canada). The campaign aims to improve the safety of patient care through learning, by sharing information and by imple-menting interventions that are known to reduce avoidable adverse events. In becoming one of just four focal points in the Canadian campaign—one for each of the Western, Ontario, Que-bec and Atlantic regions—the JGH is continuing to play an active role in bringing improvements to the Que-bec healthcare network. “Since the transfer of the Que-bec Campaign to the JGH from the Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM), we have worked diligently to reestablish the Quebec Campaign team and reconnect with our many partners and participant organizations,” says Markirit Armut-lu, Director of the Quebec Campaign and JGH Quality Program Coordina-tor. Three new Safety and Improvement Advisors were named to the Quebec Campaign team at the JGH: Dieti-cians Chantal Bellerose and Paule Bernier and Pharmacist Caroline

Robitaille. Each has extensive expe-rience in health care and quality im-provement.

Areas of responsibility of the Safety and Improvement Advisors:

Chantal Bellerose• Improved care for acute myocardial infraction• Fall prevention and injuries from falls• Prevent venous thromboembolism• Prevent methicillin-resistant staphylococ-

cus aureus (MRSA)

Paule Bernier• Prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia• Deploy rapid response teams• Prevent surgical site infections• Prevent central line-associated bloodstream infections

Caroline Robitaille• Prevent adverse drug events through medication reconciliation in Acute Care• Prevent adverse drug events through medication reconciliation in Long-Term Care

If you have any questions about a particular intervention, please contact via Lotus Notes the appropriate advi-sor or the new administrative agent for the Quebec Campaign, Marjorie Jeune. P

jgh.ca/CampagneQuebecoise-eapsss

The Jewish General Hospital can take a bow for implementing a

pace-setting disclosure policy that other Quebec healthcare institutions look to as a model of openness and concern for patients’ rights. These words of praise were delivered by a se-nior official of the Ministry of Health at a November news conference in the JGH that emphasized the importance of initiatives such as disclosure in en-suring that patients receive safe, high-quality healthcare services. Danielle St-Louis, Director of the Quality Division at the Ministry of Health and Social Services, said that when a hospital openly states its will-

JGH committed to patient safety“We are not only a teaching hospital, but a learning hospital”— Patient safety advocate Bernie Weinstein.

The panel presenting at the press conference included, from left: Lynne McVey, Danielle St-Louis, Paula Beard and Bernie Weinstein.

ingness to tell patients about adverse incidents involving their care, it builds trust by demonstrating dedication to honest and ethical practices. In the in-stances where accidents do take place, she said, patients take comfort from a sincere apology and the knowledge that the hospital is serious about pre-venting the accident from recurring. Ms. St-Louis’ remarks came during a news conference hosted by the JGH Quality and Risk Management Pro-gram. The event was held to mark Na-tional Patient Safety Week (November 2-6), in partnership with the provin-cial Ministry of Health and the Cana-dian Patient Safety Institute (CPSI).

A linchpin in protecting patients is disclosure—introduced at the JGH in 2001—in which hospitals inform patients, their families and the gov-ernment about the details surround-

ing an event where harm was done or almost done. “Critical incidents affect thousands of patients every year in Canada,” says JGH Executive Direc-


Patient safety campaign

The good, the bed and the ugly


Was it really possible? A JGH hospital bed surrounded by dangers that could put a patient a risk? And ac-

creditation on the horizon! Fear not. This was a mock hospital room, one of many ac-tivities organized by the JGH Quality Program during An-nual Patient Safety Week, October 5 to 9. The idea was to show staff members a bed in the worst possible condition with multiple safety errors, and then have them try to point out as many mistakes as possible. Having them compete to find errors helped reinforce the importance of keeping an eye out for real-life problems that could adversely affect a patient’s health. “Our objective is to educate staff and students about safety by demonstrating the importance of identifying and report-ing errors,” explains Quality Program Coordinator, Markirit Armutlu. Staff members and students were invited to note as many errors as possible in a questionnaire. Prizes were drawn throughout the week, with winners among the 174 partici-pants including: Estelle Kalfon, Head Nurse, 6 North; Steve Silver, a Technical Analyst in IT; Patrick Grenon, a Special-ist in Technical Applications in IT; and Vanier College Nurs-ing students Marthe Ndongo and Tram Hai Yen Nguyen. Other activities offered throughout the week included Quality and Safety, Medical and Nursing Grand Rounds; a two-day ErroMed session (a patient safety training pro-gram); and a community event featuring My Leaky Body, a play performed by Julie Devaney, exploring the Canadian healthcare system from the perspective of a patient. P

tor Dr. Hartley Stern. “At the JGH, all members of the healthcare team are aware of the importance of report-ing and disclosing. We have fostered a patient safety culture, so that our healthcare professionals learn from critical incidents to ensure they do not happen again.” Quebec is one of only three Canadian provinces where, since 2002, legislation has required the investigation of critical incidents. Markirit Armutlu, the Quality Pro-gram Coordinator, added, “The dis-closure of accidents can improve pa-tient safety by reinforcing the values important to a culture of safety—hon-esty, respect, and transparency.” Lynne McVey, JGH Director of Nursing and Co-Director of the Quality Program, noted that the JGH disclosure policy, which has been em-braced by hospital management and

clinicians, has resulted in a 50-per-cent reduction in the number of inci-dents “with serious consequences” in the last three years. “It takes courage to change the culture of patient safety, but we’ve been encouraged by our positive results, which reinforce the notion that good communication is the basis for patient safety.” The importance of open channels of communication was also stressed by Dr. Joseph Portnoy, Director of the Department of Professional Ser-vices and Co-Director of the Quality Program. He said staff should not be silenced by shame or a fear of conse-quences, but should be encouraged to admit their mistakes and learn from them. “Critical incidents are not the fault of a single healthcare worker, but rather of the processes, the systems and the standards that are in place. These have to be examined and re-

examined on a continual basis so that we can learn from near-misses or mis-takes.” On hand to share his gripping story was Bernie Weinstein, who described a lapse in disclosure at the JGH, in-volving improper medication admin-istered to his mother-in-law. (The incident occurred a number of years ago, when disclosure of information was not required by law.) After this matter was resolved, Mr. Weinstein accepted Dr. Portnoy’s invitation to become a patient safety advocate. He is now an active member of the hos-pital’s Quality and Risk Management Committee. “To be told, ‘Don’t worry, it’s okay’, is not the answer,” says Mr. Weinstein. “What you really want to hear is, ‘We know what went wrong and we are doing something to ensure it does not happen again. And we apologize.’ This response is crucial in reassuring patients and families, and in creating

a relationship of trust with healthcare professionals.” Mr. Weinstein adds that the JGH actively solicits patient feedback. “It is a misnomer to say that we are only a teaching hospital. We are a learning hospital—one that learns from itself.” These sorts of policies and practices, which help hospitals across Canada to learn from and prevent adverse events, are studied and developed by the CPSI. “In concert with healthcare institutions throughout the country, the CPSI creates reporting and learn-ing frameworks using tools, resources and cutting-edge research,” says Paula Beard, CPSI Director of Operations. “These are implemented by front-line staff to the benefit of patients. We cre-ate systems to reduce human error: to determine what happened, what are we doing about it, and to offer that all-important apology to patients and their families.” P

Quebec Campaign administrative agent Marjorie Jeune (right) watches as Pharmacy Techni-cian Chantal Bolduc attempts to identify mistakes in mock hospital room.


Caring Beyond… caught you caring!

World Breastfeeding Week 2009September 29 to October 3

Displays of caring and consider-ation toward patients and their

families are deeply appreciated, and don’t go unnoticed, thanks to the Humanization of Care Committee’s Caring Beyond Program. JGH staff that go beyond the call of duty can be nominated by colleagues, patients or families for an award, with win-ners selected by the committee and presented with a pin and a plaque in an informal ceremony within their department. The latest honouree is Carole Sé-guin, a Nurse Clinician who has been with the JGH Breast Centre for seven years, since its inception. Ms. Séguin was nominated by a patient who, “shocked and anguished” by her breast cancer diagnosis, was grateful “above all for Ms. Séguin’s sweetness, her empathy, her patience, her psy-chological support and her encour-agement.” “It is hard to say ‘just a few words’ about Carole,” said Chief of the JGH Breast Centre and Radiologist Dr. André Lisbona, as he spoke of his ad-miration for Ms. Séguin at the Caring Beyond gathering, Nov. 23. “I could speak about the superb job she does

as team leader of the Breast Centre, about her humility, perseverance, commitment, loyalty, hard work, per-fectionism. But I prefer to talk about Carole the person. Her main goal is centered around the patients’ well be-ing from the time they arrive at the Breast Centre, all along the way. I’ve seen her laugh and cry with patients, but even in bleaker times, she always passes along a message of hope and serenity, so that the patient knows that someone cares about them. She is intense about her vocation, she believes in it, that to me is important above all else.” Ms. Séguin gestured to her col-leagues who were gathered to hon-our her, saying that there were many among them that she would choose as recipients of the Caring Beyond award. “I am really moved, delighted

and humbled at re-ceiving this award. It is surely the fruit of my passion for my work, but it equally reflects my grati-fication and great respect for the ex-ceptional teamwork that motivates me, and that is at the source of my devo-tion to my patients. This honour is root-ed in the harmony and undeniable pro-fessionalism of my team, which inspires me to go beyond my role.” The Co-Chairs of the Caring Beyond program, JGH vol-unteers Hela Boro and Betty Laxer, announced this fall that they will be joined in their chairing duties by Mi-chèle Nault, a Management Officer in Human Resources. “In partnering with Human Resources, we hope to raise awareness about the program

throughout the hospital,” says Ms. Laxer. “I think this new addition to our team is exciting, and will be a bo-nus to the program,” adds Ms. Boro. P

Carole Séguin receives her Caring Beyond award.

jgh.ca/caringbeyond

From left: Postpartum Nurse Dona Saladin; Melanie Sabbagh, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Maternal-Child Health; Postpartum Nurse Dina Kokkotis; Postpartum Nurse Kristen De Souza; Mary Grace Espinosa, Assistant Head Nurse, Postpar-tum; and Postpartum Nurses Susan Parker, Heather Cameron and Lina Sabbagh.

The JGH celebrated World Breast-feeding Week–promoting mother’s

milk as the “optimal infant nutrition”–with a series of activities. Educational kiosques (pictured above) were set up in Postpartum and the NICU to highlight the benefits of breastfeeding to both mother and baby, while new mothers participated for the third straight year in the annual Breastfeeding Challenge. Also as part of the week’s events, the Maternal-Child Health Division and the Herzl / Goldfarb Breastfeeding Program hosted an interdisciplinary Professionals’ Day in partnership with Montreal Public Health. The confer-ence was attended by 250 guests, in-cluding nurses, general practitioners involved in maternity care, pediatri-cians, lactation consultants, dieticians and pediatric researchers. P

Belle’s View

At the JGH, every doctor, nurse and healthcare pro-fessional has a fascinating story to tell—and Belle Zin-iuk is an avid listener. As an author and volunteer, Belle loves meeting and writing about the people who make the hospital great. Be sure to check out her blog at

RE: CONSTRUCTIONUnit/Service Work Status

Angiography #2

Child Mental Health Facility

Elevators (Pav. G and kitchen)

Endocrinology (Pav. E, 1st floor)

Endoscopy

Epidemiology (Pav. H, 4th floor)

Gastroenterology

Geriatrics (Pav. D, 6th floor)

Laundry services

Operating Room #5

Palliative Care (Pav. B, 4th floor)

Radiology

Restrooms (Pav. A, 1st and 2nd floors)

Rheumatology(Pav. A, 7th floor)

Roof

Sterilization (CSR)

Emergency Department

Cafeteria

Elevators (Pav. C)

Cardiology (Pav. E, 2nd floor)

Renovation to replace outdated equipment with a new, state-of-the-art machine

Construction of dedicated pavilion adapted to needs of Child Psychiatry program (*See accompanying article)

Major renovation

Renovation of department

Renovation; modernization of sterilization zone

Renovation

Renovation of department

Complete renovation of unit dedicated to acute and short-term care, to accommodate 38 beds, with a designated supervised unit of 4 single-patient rooms.

Complete renovation and replacement of most washing machines and dryers, to upgrade performance

Renovation of minimally invasive cardiac surgery room, to accommodate new state-of-the-art equipment

Complete renovation

Construction of a new Cellular Radiology laboratory

Installation of new Digital Radiography machine and fluoroscopy

Renovation for comfort of public and staff

Renovation to accommodate new offices

Repairs to several rooftops, particularly in Pav. A.

Construction of a new “green roof”, Pav. B, 6th floor

Major renovation to modernize infrastructure and transfer activities from the OR

Replacement of X-Ray equipment with Digital Radiography

Renovation of cashier area and entrance

Major renovation

Major renovation to accommodate new unit

In planning

In progress

To begin 2010

To be completedFeb. 2010

In planning, to be completed in 2010

To begin Dec. 2009

To be completed Feb. 2010

Completed Nov. 2009

In progress, to be completed Feb. 2010

Completed Aug. 2009

Completed

To be completed Dec. 2009

In planning

In progress

Completed Nov. 2009

In progress

To begin April 2010

In progress



In progress


The new Child Mental Health Facility, under construction.


The new Child Mental Health FacilityThe JGH Division of Child Psychiatry, founded in 1966,

offers specialized treatment for children and their families who come from ethnically diverse backgrounds. The Division has one of the most noteworthy day hospi-tals and the only evening hospital in McGill University’s Integrated University Health Network (RUIS). The day and evening hospitals offer intensive treatment to children who are deemed high-risk, between the ages of 3 and 12. An outpatient service also offers consultations and treatment to children 2 to 15. At the moment, the Division’s services are located in various places within the JGH. However, they will soon be grouped under one roof in a new pavilion under construc-tion on Côte-Sainte-Catherine Road, just west of the Insti-tute of Community and Family Psychiatry (ICFP).

In the new building, the program’s clinical requirements will be met more efficiently through:• the grouping of all child mental health services in one

location• the separation of services for adults and children• upgraded facilities, especially since renovation of exist-

ing facilities is not feasible• development of a single area dedicated to all forms of

psychiatry, with the ICFP and the new Child Mental Health Facility in close proximity P

Freezing weather bringsfrozen parking rates Take advantage of stable rates or a year of free public transit!

Giving the green light to alternative transportation

Approximately 200 new parking spaces have been opened up for

JGH staff in the Plaza Côte-des-Nei-ges lot. As an added bonus, monthly parking fees will be frozen for at least two years for Plaza Côte-des-Neiges permit holders. By comparison, rates in all JGH parking lots will rise in Jan-uary. For those parking in the Plaza lot, a free shuttle bus with frequent service will be available during the peak hours of 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The availability of new parking spaces will enable staff to relocate due to the need to eliminate more

than 100 JGH spaces. With winter ap-proaching, additional space is needed in the JGH lot for safe and effective snow removal. Members of staff can give up their permits altogether and be reimbursed for the cost of public transit for a full year. This offer is also open to resi-dents of Montreal’s north and south shores and includes the federal gov-ernment’s tax deduction. To participate or for more informa-tion, please contact JGH Parking Co-ordinator Eric Nemeth at extension 2084 or via Lotus Notes. P

The Jewish General Hospital has teamed up with Mobiligo, an

agency that promotes alternative transportation, to bring a greener and more efficient form of transport to the hospital. “The goal of these measures is to re-duce greenhouse gas emissions. Large institutions such as our hospital have an impact on our community, so it is important for us to engage in and model environmentally safe prac-tices,” says Martin Caria, Head of the JGH Hospital Transportation Com-mittee. Mobiligo proposes such alternative forms of transport as carpooling and car-sharing. These are being explored in partnership with other major or-ganizations in the neighbourhood, including the University of Montreal, Sainte-Justine Hospital and Brébeuf College. The idea is to partner people who live in proximity to one another so that they drive to work together, thereby reducing single-occupancy vehicles on the road. The hospital already participates in the Communauto program, which

is a car-sharing service that employ-ees can use based on their needs and schedules. Mr. Caria says the hospital wants to promote more active forms of trans-portation as well. “We also encourage our staff to engage in healthy activi-ties such as walking and bicycling,” he says. To that end, bike racks have been installed in front of the new main en-trance on Côte-Sainte-Catherine to accommodate more cyclists. “We’ve also asked the City of Montreal for Bixi stations to be installed on hos-pital property to further facilitate the use of bicycles as a form of transport,” says Ilan Elbaz, Sustainable Develop-ment Co-Coordinator for the JGH and Chairman of the Green Commit-tee. JGH Staff will receive an email no-tice in early 2010 detailing how they can become involved in these and other “green” initiatives. For more information on alter-native transport, visit mobiligo.ca, communauto.com and montreal.bixi.com/home. P

Canadian veterans joined JGH doctors, nurses, staff members,

volunteers, visitors and patients at a brief Remembrance Day ceremony held on November 11. Approximately 150 people were in attendance and adorned with poppies, to honour the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces who have fought and who continue to make sacrifices for peace. “These flowers serve as reminders of nature’s ability to withstand the de-structive elements of war, a symbol of hope in a period of human despair,” said Valerie Frunchak, Director of Hospital Training and Staff Develop-ment. “They are reminders of those who died while fighting for peace.” Philippe Castiel, Director of Plan-ning and Development, Real Estate Management, Biomedical Engineer-

The JGH Commemorates Remembrance Day

ing and Special Projects, saluted the members of JGH staff who have fought for Canada, including:• Dr. Harvey Sigman, Division of

General Surgery – Lieutenant-Col-onel (Ret.), Armed Forces

• Dr. David Elkin, Division of Plastic

Surgery – Pilot, RCAF, twice shot down over Germany

• Dr. Markus Martin, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology – Lieutenant-Colonel, Member of the Reserves

“It is because of the veterans’ sacri-

fice that we place such a high value on life. It is the same love of life that has brought us to the JGH,” remarked Mr. Castiel. Dr. Martin participated in the cer-emony this year, reciting the poem We Will Remember Them. Lenore Plafker, Administrative Assistant in Technical Services, recited the iconic Great War poem, In Flanders Fields, by Canadian Lt.-Col. John McCrae. The crowd then observed a moment of silence at 11:00 a.m., followed by prayers of remembrance from JGH Chaplaincy Service’s Rabbi Raphael Afilalo and Father Aimée Mwepsi. The ceremony concluded with par-ticipants turning to face the Canadian flag as it was raised outside the hos-pital’s main entrance, to the bagpipe strains of O Canada. P


Chloé Decarie DroletSylvia PehlivanianThis October, the Nursing Resource Centre celebrated the births of two daughters to staff members. Nursing Coordinator Chloé Decarie Drolet gave birth on Sept. 26 to Lyvia, weigh-ing 6lbs., 5oz. Lila Rose, 6lbs. 8 oz., was born to Administrative Techni-cian Sylvia Pehlivanian on Oct. 6.

Laurent ZiriJGH Chief Financial Officer Lau-rent Ziri and Sandra welcomed 8.5 lbs. Michael Joseph on Aug. 27 at the JGH. Michael joins older sister Anaelle Myriam. Dan Gabay Dan Gabay, JGH Assistant Director of Professional Services, and Ilana Nixon-Gabay celebrated the birth of Matthew Armand, 8.6 lbs., on Aug. 16. Matthew was born at the JGH. “The obstetrics team was fantastic,

Names in the Newsstarting with the great team of nurses to the attending resident and physi-cian,” remarked the grateful dad.

Georges BendavidGeorges Bendavid, JGH Plant Main-tenance Facilities Coordinator, and Lise welcomed Simkha, born Sept. 12, 8.8 lbs. Simkha was born at the JGH with a midwife, and joins “big sister” Leah.

Dr. Michael GoldMany happy returns to Dr. Michael Gold, in Internal Medicine, who cel-ebrated his 90th birthday.

Eva CohenJGH Chief of Pharmacy Eva Cohen participated in the annual Spanish Society for Hospital Pharmacists conference in Zaragoza, Spain on Sept. 23. With several hospitals in Spain preparing to integrate Smart Pumps, Ms. Cohen was invited to present on the hospital’s use of Smart Pumps to reduce medication errors (for more on Smart Pumps, see Pulse Fall 2009, pg. 19).

From left: Dr. Schiffrin; Dr. Lisheng Liu, President of the World Hypertension League; and Dr. Gianfranco Parati from Milano, Italy.

Dr. Ernesto SchiffrinThe JGH Physician-in-Chief of the Department of Medicine, Dr. Ernesto Schiffrin, was invited to the World Hypertension Congress in Beijing, China, which took place Oct. 29-Nov. 1. Dr. Schiffrin, an expert in hyper-tension and cardiovascular disease prevention, delivered a keynote lecture on Inflammation and vascular remodeling in hypertension.

Births and Birthdays

Congratulations

In the Spotlight

Dr. Vicky Tagalakis Dr. Vicky Tagalakis, Associate Di-rector of the JGH Centre for Clinical

Epidemiology and Community Stud-ies, was the recipient of the 2009 JGH Auxiliary – Department of Medicine Academic Enrichment Award. The award will be applied toward Dr.

Tagalakis’s participation in the Wom-en Faculty Professional Development Seminar in Scottsdale, Arizona. The program is designed to guide women in developing leadership skills and advancing their position within aca-demic medicine.

Megan MartinMegan Martin, JGH Pharmacy Com-munications Officer, recently received three honours in the field of journal-ism. In Sept., she was given the Jim Allard Scholarship from the Cana-dian Association of Broadcasters for academic achievement and a dedi-cation to broadcast media. Shortly after receiving that scholarship, she was nominated for a Beyond Borders

Media Award in the Student Category for an article she wrote in The Ga-zette called “Human Rights School”. Beyond Borders is an international human rights advocacy organiza-tion focused on child exploitation. In Nov., Ms. Martin received Concordia University’s Cynthia Gunn Journal-ism Award and Scholarship, for her dedication to local media.

Glenn J. Nashen Congratulations to Public Affairs and Communications Director Glenn J. Nashen, who was elected to a fifth term as City Councillor in Côte Saint-Luc. Mr. Nashen is responsible for matters relating to public safety, traffic and emergency preparedness.

From left: Dr. Ernesto Schiffrin, JGH Physician-in-Chief, Department of Medicine; Auxiliary Director Nancy Rubin; Auxiliary Immediate Past President Rona Green; Dr. Vicky Tagalakis; and Auxiliary Co-Presidents, Phyllis Karper and Linny Blauer.


JGH welcomes—and educates—Cree student nursesAdd another language to the doz-

ens that have been heard in the corridors of the Jewish General Hos-pital. The newcomer is Cree, includ-ing a greeting that was extended for the first time in the Block Amphithe-atre on Nov. 9: “Moos dabwehimsoo”, or “Always believe in yourself ”. The greeting was offered by Cree Deputy Grand Chief, Ashley Iserhoff to 16 Cree nursing students from the Cen-tre for Collegiate Studies in Chibou-gamau, who along with their super-visors were hosted at the JGH by the Department of Nursing. Thus began clinical training in the first program of its kind, offering Cree nursing students, who are not fluent in French, an opportunity to fulfill their stages in English at the JGH or at St. Mary’s Hospital, in partnership with the McGill University Health Cen-tre. The three institutions have since spring worked closely in partnership with both the Chibougamau Centre and CEGEP St. Felicien to bring this program to fruition. In their seven days’ total training in Montreal, the students gained experience in elder-care, acute care, medical care, obstet-rics and pediatrics. While the program took the stu-dents far from their homes in James Bay South and Naskapi (near the Labrador-Quebec border), Deputy Grand Chief Iserhoff counseled them to draw strength from their families,

from one another, and from within: “Continue to reach for your aspira-tions, even when you face obstacles, or are discouraged by others or by voices in your head. You must always encourage each other; you must listen to your teachers, to the family who care about and love you.” The nursing students benefit from completing the clinical portion of the program in a major city. They are exposed to the large number of spe-cialties practiced in larger hospitals, which ultimately will help them build a broad and solid clinical experience. Solange Piché, of the Cree Board of Health and Social Services of James Bay, said, “You must think about merging your culture and what you have learned ‘down south’. The tech-nique for giving an injection is the same, but it is very important that you adapt your approach to the communi-ty.” Ms. Piché went on to explain that the nurse’s task in outpost clinics that lack doctors “is to learn techniques in hospitals, how to give treatments to patients, how to build a good thera-peutic plan. But once you are in your community, you will not necessarily be performing all of these techniques. What’s more important is to have a holistic view of the patient.” “In the course of your time here, you will see and meet patients, fami-lies and staff in an richly diverse and multicultural environment,” the stu-

The cafeteria is about to become a prime destination not only for

food that tastes good, but for artwork with good taste. Starting in January, original art—stained glass, sculpture, jewelry, paintings, poetry, photogra-phy and more—by members of JGH staff, volunteers and students will adorn the walls and display spaces in the cafeteria. This ongoing program is entitled Galerie 3755, referring to the hospi-tal’s Côte-Sainte-Catherine address. Exhibits will be curated by JGH Art Therapist Mona Rutenberg and by

The JGH has many “hidden” artists, including Barbara Harman, a Respiratory Protection Coordinator, who has drawn every aspect of the hospital’s facade from many angles. Artwork in a variety of media by talented members of JGH staff will be on display for several months in a portion of the cafeteria known as Galerie 3755.

Exhibit unveils artistic talent of JGH staff

dents were told by Marsha Ptack, the JGH Coordinator of student placements and nursing recruitment, who, along with Estelle Kalfon, Head Nurse and Joyce Certosini, Assistant Head Nurse on 6North, were present to welcome the students. “Our 1,400 nurses are immersed in the McGill model of nursing, and you will see how theory has been turned into practice. Equal attention is paid to patients and their families, who care for patients as they regain their health and are re-integrated into the family after being discharged from the hos-

pital.” The students, each paired with one nurse, followed a single patient during their stage and performed primary care including injections, medication and hygiene. “Take the opportunity to ask the questions you wondered about during your studies,” Ms. Ptack advised. “In a stage, you also learn what you don’t know. Since we are teaching institutions, our nurses are trained not to simply supply you with answers, but to guide you in finding the answers yourselves.” P

Seated, from left: Theresa Bosum; Sylvie Grignon, a nurse at Chibougamau Hospital and nursing teacher at the Centre for Collegiate Studies in Chibougamau; Sonia Bosum. Standing, from left: Sandra Shecapio, Anika Vachon and Joyce Certosini.

Shiri Alon, Archives Assistant in the Health Sciences Library. If you’re interested in submitting your artwork for future shows, please contact Ms. Rutenberg at [email protected] or Ms. Alon via Lo-tus Notes. P



The H1N1 virus finally made its deadly presence felt in Montreal

this past fall—and the Jewish General Hospital was ready. After a brief en-counter with the flu last spring plus months of subsequent preparation, JGH staff swung into action with the quick, efficient vaccination of front-line workers, followed by support staff, volunteers and patients. More people were inoculated in a shorter period than in any another healthcare institution in Quebec. The vaccination of doctors, nurses, on-site residents, fellows, trainees, students and volunteers against the H1N1 vi-rus was carried out on units through-out the hospital. By early November, a special clinic had been set up in the Samuel S. Cohen Auditorium (Pavil-ion A) for certain high-risk patients and any members of staff who had not yet been inoculated. “We led by example to encourage all of our nearly 5,000 members of staff to be vaccinated,” said JGH Executive Director Dr. Hartley Stern, as a nurse injected him with the H1N1 vaccine. “As administrators of the hospital, we have an obligation to deliver the high-est quality of care to our healthcare providers—doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals—so that they can, in turn, offer our patients the best and safest care. I want to con-gratulate and thank everyone who has been involved in implementing our staff vaccination strategy.” JGH volunteers, crucial members of the JGH team, were also inoculated. If a significant number of healthcare staff become ill with the flu, volunteers may be asked to provide support and assistance. Lynne McVey, JGH Director of Nursing, notes that nurses were the first to step up to be vaccinated in or-der to remain healthy and be better prepared to protect the public. ”Nurs-es are at the forefront of the vaccina-tion campaign in administering the vaccine and acting as role models by being vaccinated. The JGH partnered with the Quebec Order of Nurses to encourage nurses to get vaccinated.” Isabelle Caron, JGH Associate Di-rector of Nursing and Chair of the JGH Pandemic Committee, adds,

JGH leads the way in H1N1 vaccination

Constanta Constantin, a Nurse in Health Services, inoculates William Klebanskyj, a Respiratory Therapist in the Pulmonary Function Lab.

“The JGH is committed to providing the tools that allow members of staff to make an informed decision about their inoculation.” A pandemic webpage, created for JGH staff and the public, provides constantly updated information about the virus and the vaccination effort in the form of FAQs, lists of resources published by Québec Health and So-cial Services, and an explanation for relatives on what to do when visiting infected patients. Links to authorita-tive and pertinent sites, such as that of Montreal Public Health, were also available. Grand Rounds were held during In-fection Prevention and Control Week, with Dr. Andre Dascal, a senior JGH infectious disease physician and a mi-crobiologist in the Division of Micro-biology, educating staff and address-ing their questions and concerns. He provided a historical overview of flu pandemics; presented studies and statistics comparing the seasonal flu with H1N1 in terms of their impact on different segments of the popula-tion; and explained what vaccines are composed of and how beneficial they are. Staff took heed, with the over-whelming majority opting to be vac-cinated. “I am very encouraged that so many members of staff have decided to take personal responsibility and the proper precautions by getting inocu-lated,” said Dr. Stern.

“JGH personnel were vaccinated in a very short period of time, thanks to the staff members who organized and carried out this historic effort,” added Ms. McVey, who singled out Ms. Caron for her strong leadership

role and Suzanne Paulhus, workplace coordinator of the Health and Safety Department, for capably organizing the operation of the staff vaccination centre. P

Operation Chicken SoupA total of 1000 JGH staff and volunteers were offered

a free bowl of hot and healing chicken soup on Nov. 17. They lined up in the Cafeteria to collect this gift from the hospital, offered as a gesture of appreciation for all their hard work over recent months, throughout H1N1 efforts and the accreditation process. Executive Director Dr. Hartley Stern donned an apron to help distribute the soup and say ‘thank you’ in person, join-ing JGH employees, managers, directors and leader-ship including (from left) Dana Frank and Stephanie Malley, of Public Affairs and Communications, Dr. Stephen Rosenthal, Director of Information Services, Beverly Kravitz, Director of Human Resources, Ber-nice Mendelsohn, Chief of Audiology and Speech Pa-thology, and Van Hai Nguyen, of Human Resources. P

jgh.ca/pandemic


Clean sweep for JGH hand hygiene program

Celebrating the launch of the JGH hand-hygiene program on the Hemodialysis Unit on Sept. 4 are (from left): Lynne McVey, Dr. Mark Lipman, Nephrology Head Nurse Sophie Pouliot, and Dr. Hartley Stern.

4 West recently joined the program, with 2 Main, 7 West and 7 NorthWest to launch

Give yourselves a hand—a clean hand, that is. By participating in the JGH hand hygiene

program, you’re making the hospital safer for pa-tients, for yourself and for your colleagues. “Through this program, members of staff have shown their commitment to high-quality care in ensuring the safe passage of patients through the hospital during their stay,” says Executive Direc-tor Dr. Hartley Stern. He also notes that hand hy-giene and other safe-practice measures have led to a “major decline” in nosocomial infections. Lynne McVey, Director of Nursing, adds that hand hygiene “is at the foundation of patient safety and infection prevention,” and she thanks members of staff and volunteers who are cham-pions of the program. Dr. Mark Lipman, Chief of Nephrology, notes that JGH staff are keen on being involved in the hospital’s self-improvement initiatives, pointing to the 100 per cent participa-tion of his unit in the hand hygiene program. “Pa-tients have weakened immune systems,” he says, “and we must do everything we can to keep them from acquiring an infection in the hospital.” P

Influenza A H1N1 Flu Vaccine

Megan Martin

Despite all of the information flowing to the public about the

Influenza A H1N1 Flu vaccine, many people have questions about its effec-tiveness and safety.

Question: Does the vaccine really work?

Answer: The simple answer is yes. The vaccine is the most effective way to prevent the spread of the virus. It is true that some people (roughly 10-15 per cent of people vaccinated) won’t develop immunity, even though they get the vaccine. This is because not all immune systems respond in the same way to the immunization.

Question: Are there potentially se-rious side effects?

Answer: It is normal to have con-cerns about side effects. There are some risks associated with the flu vaccine, but the chance of developing

serious side effects is low. Vaccines are among the safest tools used in medi-cine. In Canada, serious side effects have occurred in about one for every 100,000 doses of vaccine given. Most of the side effects from vaccines are minor and temporary, like a sore arm or mild fever.

Question: Can the vaccine give me the H1N1 virus?

Answer: Absolutely not. The vaccine contains dead influenza viruses, and they cannot cause infection. People sometimes think they have the flu af-ter receiving the vaccine because they have side effects, such as a mild fever.

Question: Does the vaccine con-tain mercury, and if yes, is it safe?

Answer: The vaccine contains thi-merosal, a preservative that naturally contains mercury. It has been used in vaccines since the 1930s. The amount

of mercury in thimerosal in the influ-enza vaccine is very small and has not been shown to cause any harm.

Question: If I get the regular flu vaccine every year, am I protected from the H1N1 virus?

Answer: No. The Influenza A H1N1 virus is different from the regular flu virus. The regular annual flu vaccine

will not protect you against H1N1. If you have questions about the In-fluenza A H1N1 flue vaccine, don’t hesitate to ask your doctor or health professionals.

– Megan Martin, Pharmacy Communications Officer

Pharmacy Phacts

jgh.ca/handhygiene

jgh.ca/pandemic


IPC Week addresses conFLUsion about H1N1

Vanier College nursing students and JGH staff were treated to a tour of the JGH microbiology lab by Registered Technician Sonia Gioseffini during Infection Prevention and Control Week, Oct. 20-22. Activities planned throughout the week by the Infection Prevention and Control team also included lectures and Grand Rounds on H1N1 and vaccination, and a hand-washing traveling cart and kiosque.

Congratulations on your 75th anniversary

Statement in the House of Commons by the Hon. Irwin Cotler, Member of Parliament for Mount Royal:

Mr. Speaker, I would like to draw attention to the historic anniversary of a health institution founded by the Montreal Jewish community and located in my riding.

It is the 75th anniversary of the Jewish General Hospital, one of the province’s largest and most engaged cutting-edge healthcare institutions. Affiliated with McGill University, it admits more than 23,000 patients a year, together with at least 300,000 outpatient visits, 67,000 emergency visits and delivers more than 4,000 births on an annual basis.

I invite my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to this world-class institution, providing comprehensive, accessible, innovative, responsive and patient-oriented health care to all Quebecers and beyond.

JGH 75th Anniversary Tribute VideoDrop by the Public Affairs and Communications office (A-106) for your copy, or view online.

jgh.ca/75thAnniversary


Accreditation Accolades for the JGH

“Olympics” combines thrills with skills

jgh.ca/accreditation2009

Along with renewal of its accredi-tation for another three-year

term, the Jewish General Hospital has received warm praise from Accredi-tation Canada for fostering a culture that promotes safety, cleanliness, high-quality care, an emphasis on the needs of patients and their families, the smooth functioning of interdisci-plinary teams, and a spirit of collegial-ity and cooperation among staff. The report, released on November 20, paints a panoramic portrait of the JGH’s activities, based on obser-vations by a team of surveyors from Accreditation Canada during a week-long visit in November. Executive Director Dr. Hartley Stern said that throughout the ac-creditation process, “it was evident how completely and unequivocally dedicated staff are to maintaining and upgrading the quality of care, while ensuring that patients and their fami-lies are confident that their physical and emotional needs have been met. It was also clear—to me and to the surveyors alike—that staff feel this commitment every single day, and

not just when scrutinized during the accreditation period.” Dr. Stern added that the report “singles out many departments and services where the JGH deserves high praise. In addition, it contains many recommendations and positive ideas that should prove useful in raising our hospital to an even higher level of per-formance.” He also thanked Jocelyne Pépin, 2009 Accreditation Coordina-tor, for her “diligence and attention to detail in coordinating every step of the extremely complex and demand-ing accreditation process.” Ms. Pépin joined Dr. Stern in ex-tending her gratitude “to all of the technical, professional and admin-istrative staff, to the support staff and volunteers and to patients and their family members for their ac-tive participation in the accreditation process.” She also expressed her ap-preciation for Dr. Stern’s unrelenting support, as well as the dedication and dynamism of the Co-Presidents and accreditation team members through-out the long process. “Your concerted efforts enabled us to achieve success

in this monumental project,” she said. The final report confirmed that the JGH achieved accreditation status. A number of conditions outlined in the decision will have to be addressed by April 2010. The new process, Qmen-tum, unites the notions of quality

Forget the luge; don’t bother with ice skates. When the Emergency

Department stages the Olympics, the equipment includes feeding machines and urinary catheters. The objective is not to test athletic prowess, but to demonstrate nursing skills—and ulti-mately, it’s the patients who are the big winners. The hospital’s version of the “games”, the 2009 ED Skills Olympics, was staged in the Samuel S. Cohen Audi-torium for all of the 100+ nurses in Emergency, as well as more than 30 nursing assistants and several nurses from 2 Main. That meant fun—and interactive training—as they learned more about many of the practices they apply on their units. The fall “Olym-pics” were open to day, evening and night staff in eight-hour shifts once weekly during the seven weeks leading

and momentum. Accreditation teams will be invited to pursue their activi-ties, to compile statistics and indica-tors, and to monitor all of the changes implemented prior to the 2009 visit, through to the next visit, scheduled for 2012. P

up to accreditation in early November. The atmosphere was decidedly en-tertaining, says Melanie Sheridan, the ED Clinical Nurse Specialist who developed and coordinated the Olym-pics. Staff participated in various activ-ities, including Genito-Urinary’s The Stream Team; Gastrointestinal’s Tubes and Lubes; Infection Prevention and Control’s Queens of Clean; Ambula-tory Care’s The Walking Wounded; and Respiratory Therapy’s The Divas of Donning and Doffing; educational games of Wheel of Fortune and Jeop-ardy; and an array of quizzes. The “Ask the Expert” segment also invited specialists from other areas of the hospital to share their knowledge and insights. Participants included Rosemary Steinberg, JGH Local Commissioner of Complaints and Quality of Services and Guy Lessard,

Head Nurse in Psychiatry. Other ex-perts who lent their support included Louise Samuel, Entero-ostomal Ther-apy Nurse, Bonnie Selcer and Stella Papadoukakis from Transfusion Services, pharmacists Gaelle Abit-tan, Guila Benyayer, Nada Dabbagh and Caroline Robitaille, Discharge Planning Nurse Suzette Chung and

Going for the Gold standard

Accreditation SummationSUCCESSES:• Strong positive culture of ownership (Board committed and strong

leadership from CEO)• Strong commitment to high quality at the point of care• Positive collegial atmosphere • Strong academic and research priority• Segal Cancer Centre is a wonderful asset to the hospital and com-

munity• Very clean facility• Great training centre for physicians and allied health care• Low vacancy rate in Nursing / Low turnover rate of both staff and

physicians

CHALLENGES:• ED poorly laid out forms a hazard to patient and staff safety• Constant financial pressure; a major influx of resources is needed • An analysis of the impact of adding new programs and services on

existing ones• Written roles and responsibilities to be available for staff• Performance appraisal to apply to all

Cont’d on page 18


Participating in Olympic training are from left: Stephano Janssen, Nursing Assistant; Brigitte Ireson-Valois, Staff Nurse; and Nathaly Gabriel, Nursing Assissant.


Calling all registered participants for the 2010 Ride to Conquer Cancer and the 2010 Weekend to End

Women’s Cancers. Stop by A.900.1 to pick up your Ride With Me and Walk With Me buttons and wear them with pride around the hospital. Use them as conversation starters to talk to people about the event, why you participate and why you need their support. And don’t forget to ask them to join you in your quest to defeat cancer. The 2nd edition of the Ride to Conquer Cancer will take place July 10-11, 2010 and the newly renamed Weekend to End Women’s Cancers will take place Au-gust 28-29, 2010. For more information on these events, please visit conquercancer.ca and endcancer.ca. P

–Siobhan O’Brien, Coordinator, Weekend to End Women’s Cancers

Have you walked in the Weekend to End Breast Cancer? Ridden in the

Ride to Conquer Cancer? Do you plan to do so in 2010? These two amazing events have raised a combined total of nearly $42 million for the JGH Segal Cancer Centre, in no small part due to the participation of the many JGH employees who generously dedicate their time and energy to training, fund-raising and volunteering. We want to cel-ebrate these accomplishments and inspire even more JGH staff to take up this im-portant cause.

To promote the event, to help you fund-raise and to create a buzz around the hos-pital, we want to tell the stories of JGH walkers and riders. What inspired you to join? How did you prepare? What are your best fundraising tips? Why have you signed up again and again? If you would like to be profiled and share your story with the hospital, please contact Jackie Leibov at extension 2763 or via Lotus Notes. P

Jileen Cassell, a Social Worker from the ED. Ms. Sheridan says the tone reflected the “amazing cre-ativity and humour” of Emergency staff nurses who creat-ed the posters and presentations and manned the booths. “With accreditation approaching, the Olympics were held at an opportune time. The idea was to help nursing staff refresh the skills they don’t necessarily practice every day, such as the nursing care of tracheostomies (a tube is in-serted into the trachea to help the patient breathe), chest tubes and feeding pumps.” Lectures and information booths enabled nurses and nursing assistants to update their skills and learn about new technologies, medication, and policies and proce-dures. “New nurses get a lot of training in our department, but veteran nurses benefit from the Olympics as a review,” notes Valerie Schneidman, Assistant Head Nurse in the ED. She speaks from experience, having begun her nurs-ing career 23 years ago in the Emergency Department with her nursing school colleague, Ms. Sheridan. “I think our

Going for the Gold...

Have you done it yet?

Wear them with pride

Customize yourJGH.ca web page!Dozens of JGH staff have been trained on the new JGH website

since its launch in August. To help Content Editors get started on their new site, the Public Affairs and Communications Depart-ment will soon distribute a Website Policies and Guidelines manual, covering such topics as:• User management• Corporate styles and guidelines• Content ownership and confidentiality• Content freshness, language, and translation• Tips on creating a welcome page, on writing effectively for the

web, and on preparing and organizing web content.

Existing features used by our Current Editors include: • Customized eForms • Photo galleries

New features include: • Private sites for individual departments (Intranet)• Customized banners

Coming soon…• Customized event calendars that can be posted to the web page’s

homepage automatically• Blogs• Podcasts, both audio and video

All web pages must be reviewed and approved by PAC before they are posted. For further details, refer to the Website Policies and Guidelines manual.

If your department would like to establish a presence on the new JGH website, additional exposure through banners or featured sites, or if you have any ideas or suggestions regarding the website, please contact Orit Misrachi, JGH Digital Media Specialist, at extension 2676 or via Lotus Notes. P

staff really enjoyed it, because they interacted with various people, and are not in a classroom or being tested formally, which can be intimi-dating.” Ms. Schneidman added that “the Olym-

pics were made possible by the commitment and mammoth scheduling efforts” of ED Head Nurse, Valerie Pelletier. P


The level of care and support that my mother received from check-in until release was excellent. The nurses on the floor, in the ICU and in the Step-Down Unit were wonderful, as were allied professionals such as physiotherapists. While my mother was in surgery, I was given frequent updates by the volunteer who was on duty at the waiting room, as well as by the operating room nurse coordinator, Bob Paré. In Post-Surgery, the head floor nurse, John Marsala, also came by several times to see if everything was all right. This high level of care, sensitivity and attention really helped us through a tough time.

Donald Klein, son of Gloria SolomonMontreal

On Sept. 16, although I was in extreme pain, I resisted going to a hospital because they have become synonymous with VRE, C. difficile, long waits and harried, unsympathetic staff. However, when I finally came to the Emergency Department at the Jewish General Hospital, I was triaged and admitted within 20 minutes.

The Emergency staff could not have taken better care of me. Throughout the night, I was treated with courtesy and kindness by the nurses and security guards, and by the orderlies who brought warm blankets for the patients or transported us for x-rays and other tests. I would be remiss if I did not mention the doctors, with so much to do for a room full of worried, ill patients. However, they were attentive to my needs and always had a smile.

There was also a particularly poignant event, involving an elderly lady who had been brought in by her daughter. At some point, the daughter had to leave. The lady, who spoke neither English nor French very well and was sitting at some distance from the nursing station, began to cry, obviously afraid of being alone and forgotten. One of your sweet, compassionate nurses asked if I would mind exchanging seats with this lady. The nurse reassured me she would not forget about me, but she felt the lady would be greatly relieved if she did not feel so alone. I readily agreed!

I thought to myself, this is exactly the kindness and warmth I would like to see in all hospitals, where each of us is at our most vulnerable. I am glad the Jewish General is such a wonderful hospital.

Perla Muyal

Montreal

Those of you who interact with her every day are

surely aware of the professionalism and kindness

of the surgeon, Dr. Nancy Morin. But to me, one of

her patients, this lady is far more than a healthcare

provider; she’s an angel. During our consultations,

her vast knowledge of her specialty is tremendously

reassuring, but what is especially remarkable is her

ability to listen attentively. And it’s not as if she’s not

busy; you should see the waiting room on Wednesday

mornings!

Dr. Morin also has a human approach toward

her patients—a comforting touch accompanies her

explanations of our health problems. Personally, I find

I need that physical contact to ease the stress of the

medical appointment. Thank you from the bottom of

my heart for everything you do, Dr. Morin.

Lucie Hogue

Saint-Laurent

In grateful appreciation!

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TTHHUURRSSDDAAYY,, DDEECCEEMMBBEERR 1177,, 22000099

PLEASE BE PREPARED TO SHOW YOUR HOSPITAL ID CARD

FOR STAFF WHO WORK THE NIGHT SHIFT: A SPECIAL BREAKFAST WILL BE SERVED BETWEEN 6:30 and 8:30 A.M. IN THE SAMUEL S. COHEN AUDITORIUM (A-102)

PLEASE JOIN US IN THE CHALET* (Cafeteria)

FOR A WARM AND HEARTY DINNER DROP IN ANY TIME BETWEEN

4:00 and 6:00 P.M. FOR A HALF HOUR

DJ by

Fresh Entertainment

Cotton Candy

Ski Simulator

Air Hockey

Raffle Prizes

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT MICHELLE AT EXTENSION 6750

Documents

Pulse (Winter 2009)