President's Corner - Board Retreat

An organization is only as strong as its weakest link, or so the old adage goes. If this is the case, York Central Hospital Foundation’s future has never looked stronger or brighter.

Recently, we hosted a Board Retreat in the Berwick Family Auditorium. The event’s title was “Becoming a High Performance Board” and focused on how to improve upon past successes while obtaining future goals.

The evening opened with a presentation from York Central Hospital President & CEO Altaf Stationwala about the future of health care in Southwest York Region.

Board Members then enjoyed a presentation focusing on fundraising trends as well as comparables for local organizations. A discussion was initiated about moving forward as a collective, accountable group and how each Board Member can become increasingly involved in the Foundation.

The questions raised by Board Members were thought-provoking and their feedback will be invaluable in helping us reach our goals both now and in the future.

Having an engaged and dedicated Board of Directors is crucial to our success. As members of our growing community, you can rest assured each and every Board Member is committed to raising funds for medical technology that will improve health care for you and your family.

The retreat renewed my optimism and belief for the future, and I hope it did the same for you. With your support and our Board of Directors committed to achieving our goals, we’re well on our way to helping York Central Hospital “become the finest community hospital in Canada.”

Wishing you the best of health,

Bill Leacy

President & CEO

Media Advisory - r.a.p.t. in health luncheon

 For Immediate Release:

Media Advisory

BEVERLY THOMSON AND DR. BRYCE WYLDE TO SPEAK AT YORK CENTRAL FUNDRAISER

Richmond Hill, ON – The second r.a.p.t in health luncheon, to be held March 4, 2011, will include guest speakers Beverly Thomson, co-host Canada AM and honorary co-chair of the event and Dr. Bryce Wylde, a leading Canadian alternative health expert and a recent guest on the Dr. Oz show. The event will also feature entertainment by Yani and The Clave King, gift bags, raffles and door prizes.

All proceeds from the r.a.p.t in health luncheon will go towards equipping York Central Hospital’s newly renovated and expanded Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The state-of-the-art unit was opened on December 14 and has increased the hospital’s capacity to provide specialized care for those babies that require extra attention after birth. Last year, the Hospital welcomed over 2,800 babies; on average, 13% or 364 of these infants required specialized care.

Who:                Ms. Beverly Thomson and Dr. Bryce Wylde

What:               Second biennial r.a.p.t in health luncheon for York Central’s NICU

Where:              Le Parc Concord

20 North Rivermede Road

Concord, ON L4K 2H2

When:               Friday, March 4, 2011

Time:                Registration: 9 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.

Keynote Speakers: 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Lunch and entertainment: 12 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Photo opportunities will be available during and after the event.

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Media contacts:

Margo Sage-Arnold                                         Jaimie Shen

Manager, Special Events                                    Special Events Coordinator

York Central Hospital Foundation                        York Central Hospital Foundation

Tel: (905) 883-1212 ext. 7803                              Tel: (905) 883-1212 ext. 7807

E-mail: msagearnold@yorkcentral.on.ca              E-mail: jshen@yorkcentral.on.ca

Inspirational Gift - Richmond Hill Christian Community Church

The Richmond Hill Christian Community Church recently chose York Central Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit as the beneficiary of their holiday charity drive. Over the course of the holidays, members of the congregation generously gave more than $19,000 towards this priority project.

The NICU was opened on December 14, 2010 and will eventually have the capacity to care for twice as many of our tiniest and most vulnerable babies as the old unit. Each spacious care station is designed and equipped specifically for infants needing special care and includes an isolette and physiological monitor, intravenous pumps, a bedside computer documentation system and phototherapy units.

The new NICU has the appropriate space and design to more easily accommodate life-saving equipment and greater flexibility to deal with emergency situations. Ultimately, this leads to improved development for babies with challenges at birth and allows families in our community to take their babies home sooner.

Their donation is the largest the Foundation has ever received from a church and we are incredibly honoured for their generous gift.

Thank you to everyone at the Richmond Hill Christian Community Church for inspiring us this past holiday season!

York Central – YOUR Community Hospital

For more than 47 years, York Central Hospital has been a provider of increasingly progressive and innovative health care services to you, our community. 

Last year, our Emergency Department saw 80,000 patient visits – for reference, that’s more than Mount Sinai and Toronto General’s Emergency Department visits combined!

The hospital is home to several specialized services including the York Region District Stroke Centre, York Region Chronic Kidney Disease Program, York Region and Simcoe County Behaviour Management Services, Central East Autism Services for York Region as well as the York Region Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault Care Centre.

Staff help welcome 2,800 babies into the community each year – your nieces, nephews, neighbours, daughters, sons and grandchildren.

When your child requires stitches after a playground fall, it’s our Emergency Department you’ll visit. When your mother or father requires knee or hip replacement surgery, the hospital’s dedicated surgeons and staff will provide the expert and compassionate care they need to recover and get back home.

Patient scores in the Palliative Care and Chronic Kidney Disease Program are exceptional. We’re a provincial leader in Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) for colon cancer, and are positioning to become an MIS Centre of Excellence.

Through your incredible generosity and dedication, we completed the largest redevelopment and expansion in our history. At York Central Hospital Foundation, we’ve been proud to partner with you to enhance health care in our community.  

York Central isn’t just any community hospital, it’s YOUR community hospital. Email me today to find out how you can become involved and help us ensure our future is as bright as our history.

Sincerely yours,

Alyshia

Stewardship & Communications Coordinator

President's Corner - Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) Suite

February is more than half over and that means the grand opening of our newest priority project is around the corner!

Construction began on our second Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) Suite in this month, and is expected to be finished in the spring.

Minimally Invasive Surgery reduces patients’ pain, decreases recovery time, helps to improve wait times for surgical care and overall improves patient outcomes and satisfaction.

Our first MIS, The Paul B. Helliwell Foundation MIS Suite, was opened in September 2009 and our team of established MIS surgeons is able to provide a broad range of MIS laparoscopic services including:

·     Adrenalectomy – the removal of cancerous adrenal glands

·     Percutaneous nephrolithotomy – removal of kidney stones

·     Laparoscopic nephrectomy – removal of all or part of an infected or cancerous kidney

·     Laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy (LAVH)

·     Laparoscopic abdominal hysterectomy (LAH)

·     Colon and rectum resection for benign and malignant disease

·     Gastrectomy

·     Hartman’s procedure and reversal of Hartman’s procedure – emergency procedure for a perforated bowel

·     Hernia repair

·     Splenectomy –removal of a diseased or damaged spleen

·     Thoracoscopy – internal examination of the pleural cavity (the body of cavity that surrounds the lungs

York Central Hospital is one of a few hospitals in the province that has such a complement of general surgeons with fellowship level training and the skills to perform advanced MIS procedures.  As a group, we are performing among the highest volumes of laparoscopic colon resections in the GTA.  As well, we are a provincial leader in MIS for colon cancer surgery. 

With this success come challenges. Simply, we do not have enough time available to schedule all the surgeries in one MIS Suite.  Moreover, to help York Central Hospital move closer to fulfilling our vision of becoming the finest community hospital in Canada, we are expanding our MIS services to include urology and gynaecology which will help patients suffering from prostate or bladder cancer and fibroid tumors.

With a second MIS Suite, operating room turnover, operative times, physical burden on nurses, team morale and overall efficiency will be improved which will add to these savings.  In addition, a second MIS will help our ability to attract top notch surgeons and retain our expert nurses and allied health professionals.

Perhaps most importantly, the impact on the patients will be outstanding.

The total costs for a second MIS Suite are estimated to be $525,000. If you are interested in helping us fund this vital initiative, please email me. Together, we can improve health care for residents in Southwest York Region.

Wishing you the best of health,

Bill Leacy

President & CEO

Inspirational Gift - Garofalo Family

Our goal as a Foundation is to raise money for life-saving medical equipment and technology not covered by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. We rely on the generosity of donors like you to help us reach our fundraising goals.

Each year, we are continually amazed and gracious for the support of our community. In addition to the support of residents living in Southwest York Region and beyond, we are proud to be able to say our staff, physicians and board members are also donors, including the Garofalo Family.

Recently, Foundation Board Member David Garofalo generously funded a patient care room on the Integrated Orthopaedic Patient Care Unit.

It is through generosity like yours and the Garofalo Family’s that we are able to provide York Central with life-saving equipment and technology.

Thank you Garofalo Family for your inspirational gift and for Caring to make a difference™.

If you would like to become involved at York Central Hospital Foundation either as a donor or volunteer, please email me – I’d love to hear from you!

Sincerely yours,

Alyshia

Stewardship & Communications Coordinator

Media Advisory - Strides For Stroke Kick Off Celebrations

For Immediate Release

February 11, 2011

Media Advisory

KICK OFF CELEBRATIONS FOR ANNUAL WALK / RUN TO

TAKE PLACE

AT YORK CENTRAL HOSPITAL

Richmond Hill, ON – The Strides for Stroke 5K Run/Walk official kick off celebration is taking place Monday in York Central Hospital’s Berwick Family Auditorium. Staff, friends and family can take advantage of early registration fees and enjoy a slice of pizza. York Central Hospital President & CEO Altaf Stationwala will also be joining the celebrations. The annual walk run takes place in May 7, 2011. Funds raised from the event will benefit the York Region District Stroke Centre located in the hospital.

Since 2006, York Central Hospital Foundation’s annual walk-run has raised over $345,000, helping to fund the acute care expansion and purchase state-of-the-art equipment for York Central Hospital.  This includes a new Digital Mammography Unit for Breast Health, leading-edge surgical equipment and construction to triple the size of our Emergency Department. 

Who:                York Central Hospital Foundation

What:               Strides for Stroke 5K Run / Walk Kick Off Celebration

Where:              Berwick Family Auditorium

York Central Hospital

10 Trench Street

Richmond Hill, ON

When:               Monday, February 14, 2011

Time:               11:00 a.m.:        Event Kick Off

                        12:15 p.m.:        Message from Altaf Stationwala, President & CEO

Photo opportunities will be available during and after the event.

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Media Contacts:

Margo Sage-Arnold                                         Jaimie Shen

Manager, Special Events                                   Coordinator, Special Events

York Central Hospital Foundation                        York Central Hospital Foundation

Tel: (905) 883-1212 ext. 7803                              Tel: (905) 883-1212 ext. 7807

E-mail: msagearnold@yorkcentral.on.ca              E-mail: jshen@yorkcentral.on.ca

President's Corner - Let's Talk... About Mental Health

Today, the inaugural Bell Let’s Talk Day is taking place nationwide. The initiative seeks to break the often negative stigma associated with mental illness. Bell will contribute  five cents for every long distance call and text message its customers make to support mental health related programs across the country.

Olympian Clara Hughes will help kick off the conversation, which includes an online portal at bell.ca/letstalk. Canadians can post their comments, questions and their own smiles while learning about mental illness and how they can begin their own conversations at home and in the workplace.

The initiative is part of the largest ever mental health initiative by a Canadian-corporation. The 5-year $50 million Bell Mental Health Initiative was announced in September is focused on 4 pillars: Anti-stigma efforts, improving care and access, research support, and new workplace initiatives.   

It’s important to recognize mental illness can and does affect anyone and everyone. It could be your neighbour, your family member, a friend or even yourself.

At York Central Hospital, we offer many Mental Health Inpatient and Outpatient services including a Psychiatric Inpatient Unit, Day Treatment Program, Day Hospital and Crisis Intervention Services, to name a few. Our dedicated team of professionals work hard to ensure those suffering from mental illness get the care they require to properly treat and manage their illness.

Today, I’ll be joining in a national conversation to break the stigma associated with mental illness. Will you be joining?

For more information, please visit bell.ca/letstalk or bce.ca/mentalhealth.

Wishing you the best of health,

Bill Leacy

President & CEO

Enhancing Patient Care, One Pump At A Time

On average, 77% of patients admitted to York Central Hospital require an IV Pump during their stay; that’s more than 14,000 patients every year and this number continues to grow. 

“IV pumps are one of the most crucial pieces of equipment at a hospital. They are used to administer pain relief, vital medications, blood products and in some instances, provide patients with the one of the most basic necessities of life: hydration,” said Dr. Larry Grossman, Chief of Staff at York Central Hospital.

Currently, the hospital uses eight different infusion pump systems that do not have built-in safety features.  The inconsistency creates several challenges and presents greater exposure for human error when dispensing medications.  In addition, learning each pump system means on-the-job training, which takes away from the amount of time health care providers spend with their patients.

One of York Central Hospital’s most pressing priorities is to standardize IV pumps hospital-wide.  The pump selected by the Hospital is the Symbiq Infusion System – one with a near perfect safety rating.

This pump system increases safety for patients by auto-programming medications, preventing human errors.  They are electronically manufactured to detect potential errors, averting mistakes while tracking “near misses” for future improvement.  In addition, since the pumps are programmed to dispense the appropriate dosages, nurses and other staff members have more time to spend with patients, improving the overall quality of care.

“Over and above improving patient safety, one standardized pump system will also increase staff satisfaction and reduce expenditures associated with having eight different infusion systems including supplies and service contracts,” said Dr. Grossman.

The pumps communicate wirelessly with installed software, allowing administrators to gather infusion data remotely.  This data is provided in standardized reports to support quality assurance directly related to patient safety and quality of care.

York Central will be the first Hospital in the region to install this system, which has a clinician safety compliance rating of 99.6%.

The total cost of implementing the required 441 new pumps hospital-wide is estimated at $4.8 million.  The Foundation has been challenged to raise $1.2 million for this project in the 2010/2011 fiscal year.

York Central Hospital’s vision is to “be the finest community hospital in Canada”. One standardized infusion pump system hospital-wide will help us achieve this goal.

To find out how you can help us fund this vital initiative, contact Tammy Bucci at 905-883-2032, ext. 5.

Let's Talk... For a Good Cause!

On September 21, 2010, Bell launched a $50-million multi-year charitable campaign to support and promote mental health services nationwide.

Bell launches national charitable initiative supporting mental health

The initiative is being led by Mary Deacon, former CEO of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) Foundation. The campaign will focus on four pillars: anti-stigma, community care and access, workplace health and research.

The telecommunications company also announced Bell Let’s Talk Day, which will seek to raise awareness about mental health. On February 9, 2011, 5 cents from every text message and long distance call made by Bell customers will be donated to support mental health initiatives across the country. Six-time Olympic medalist Clara Hughes will be leading the national conversation.

Mental illness is something many people suffer from, but is something not often discussed, and the facts are startling:

·  At least one in five Canadians experiences a form of mental illness at some point in their lives – each and every one of us has a family member, friend or colleague who will experience mental illness

·  Mental illness represents 15% of Canada’s health care burden but receives only 5% of health care funding

·  Just one-third of Canadians who need mental health services actually receive them

·  Mental illness is the number one cause of workplace disability in Canada – accounting for 30% of disability claims and 70% of disability costs

·  Mental illness costs the Canadian economy $51 billion each year in lost productivity – every day, 500,000 Canadians are absent from work due to a form of mental illness

Mental illness affects residents in every corner of our country, Southwest York Region included. York Central Hospital provides both inpatient and outpatient services to patients and our dedicated team of professionals works hard to ensure those suffering from mental health get the treatment they require.

On Wednesday, you can help raise awareness by doing what most of us love to do anyway: communicate with friends and family. Send a text message, or make a phone call to someone you haven’t spoken to in a while.

You’ll be helping to open the lines of communication and support mental health initiatives throughout the country.

For more information, visit www.bell.ca/letstalk.

Looking forward joining you in the conversation,

Alyshia

Stewardship & Communications Coordinator

Keeping Your Philanthropic Resolution

With January over, statistics show a large number of us will have broken the New Year’s resolutions we set for ourselves.

Was your New Years resolution to be more active, or eat healthier? Perhaps it involves giving back to others. According to Time Magazine, philanthropy is one of the top 10 resolutions - and also one of the ten 10 most broken. 

It’s not too late to get back on track!

Investing in your community hospital is one of the most important and rewarding decisions you can make. You’ll be helping to secure the future of our health care system, and most importantly, assisting those in the community right now who need our services.

Each year, more than 80,000 visits are logged in our Emergency Department. Countless more are admitted to other departments for various medical issues.

These patients may be your family members, your friends, your neighbours, your coworkers or perhaps even you.

It’s often said the most fulfilling thing in life is to give back, so why not start with your own community hospital?

Becoming a monthly donor is a simple and effective way to give back to York Central. Your donations can be designated to one of our priority projects, or an area of your choice such as oncology, palliative care or the emergency department.

Getting started is easy and once you’ve signed up, you can feel good knowing you’re improving healthcare in our community. Of course, crossing a resolution off your list as “complete” instead of “forgotten” is an added bonus!

Log onto our website or email me to find out how you can become one of our monthly donors today.

Remember, small, monthly gifts add up to a big change!

Sincerely yours,

Alyshia

Stewardship & Communications Coordinator