Walter Gretzky`s Face-Off With Stroke Condition Critical

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Walter Gretzky’s Face-Off With Stroke
by NADIA NORCIA
& MELISSA JOSEPH
He slyly smiles as he recalls the
time on a flight when the woman
seated next to him insulted the very
famous hockey player on the cover of
the magazine she was reading. With a
chuckle Walter Gretzky recalls her
surprise and embarrassment when she
realized that the person seated next to
her was in fact the father of that
famous hockey legend.
It’s hard to believe that this energetic and spirited man was not supposed to live through the night that
fatal day back in the fall of 1991,
when he was just 52 years old.
Walter, a father to four sons and a
daughter, worked at Bell Canada for
34 years, retiring in 1991. Although
he seemed in good health, Walter
now reflects on the warning signs. “All
my life I would get headaches,” he
says. Thinking it was normal he often
took Tylenol to ease his ‘headaches’.
“It was a continuous pattern. I
thought that it if I hadn’t eaten or
slept enough the night before, that
caused my head to be pounding the
next day.”
“One day I had trouble speaking, I
was seeing double.” A family friend
insisted Walter go to nearby
Hamilton Health Sciences Centre,
where an operation found pre-existing
scar tissue. “It turns out that I had
had many strokes and I had no idea,”
says Walter. “My doctor described me
as a walking time bomb. They
thought I wouldn’t make it through
the night. That was October 13,
1991. And here I am today talking
with all of you.”
It was standing room only in
Credit Valley’s auditorium, as Walter
shared his journey to recovery. He was
the featured speaker at Credit Valley’s
Heart and Stroke presentation, part of
the hospital’s Community Health
Education Series.
It was a difficult journey. “I didn’t
know my name, who I was or how I
lived,” says Walter. “I had to start
from the beginning. I understand
Walter Gretzky gave an all-star performance at The Credit Valley Hospital’s Community Health Education
night on May 29. Gretzky, a spokesperson for the Heart and Stroke Foundation, captivated the full house
with his experiences as a stroke survivor.
The Five Most Common Warnings Signs Of Stroke
1. Sudden weakness, numbness and/or tingling of
the face, arm or leg;
2. Temporary loss of speech or trouble understanding speech;
3. Sudden loss of vision, particularly in one eye, or
double vision;
4. Sudden, severe, and unusual headaches;
5. Dizziness, unsteadiness or sudden falls, especially
with any of the above signs.
why people with Alzheimer’s say they
cry a lot; things are never the same,
memory loss is very frustrating and
emotionally devastating.”
Walter underwent ten months of
recovery. “I had wonderful care from
the same physiotherapist, Ian, for two
years. I’m glad I had the stroke
How to react
If you think you may be having a stroke:
• tell somebody;
• call 911 or your local emergency number immediately.
Stroke is a medical emergency. Prompt treatment
can prevent permanent disability.
Information taken from “Let’s Talk About Stroke,
An Information Guide for Survivors and Their
Families”, Heart and Stroke Foundation.
because if not, I wouldn’t have met
my future son-in-law.” Ian and
Walter’s daughter,Kimberly fell in love
and are now married with children of
their own.
“I haven’t had a headache since
1991. I don’t know why, but I’m just
thankful I’m here,” says Walter. “I
believe every second is precious.”
Grateful for his blessings, Walter
decided he wanted to help others. In
the summer of 1999 he became a
spokesperson for the Heart and
Stroke Foundation, working to promote awareness. He eventually wrote
a book about his recovery and life
journey called “Walter Gretzky on
Family, Hockey and Healing”.
“I feel as though I’ve been given a
second chance at life: that I’m able to
enjoy my grandchildren and all the
other wonderful celebrations in life,”
says an enthusiastic Walter.
He has strong words of encouragement for other stroke victims and survivors.
“All you have to do is think of
me,” he says. “I wasn’t supposed to
live through the night. I couldn’t lift
my legs. I cried. When I visit people
in the hospital, I see how frustrated
they are. You have to have patience
and work hard. You have to want to
get better.”
When asked about the impact he
has had on others, Walter recalls one
remarkable story that remains a special memory. “I met a woman who
was 51 years old. She had heard me
on TV talking about the signs of
stroke. Then, when she experienced
tingling and double vision, she knew
she should go to hospital. There she
told them that she thought she had
that “Walter Gretzky” disease. That
saved her from a blood clot.”
He continues to save people’s lives,
possibly even now, as he speaks to the
captivated, appreciative crowd.
“What better way to promote a
cause than to put a face on it – the
face of the best-known father in
Canada,” says Frank Rubini, associate
manager, Heart & Stroke Ontario
Chapter.
When asked what it’s like to be
thought of as “Canada’s Dad”, Walter
responds: “It’s awesome and so overwhelming. In my travels, I meet all
sorts of people. It’s very rewarding
for me to be able to do this. I want
people to know there is life after
stroke. I am trying to make the most
of what I was given. If telling my
story will help just one person,” he
trails off in what seems to be deep
thought and emotion.
His final piece of advice? “Don’t
take a risk. Know the signs and symptoms of stroke.”
Condition Critical* – Credit Valley Hospital’s Finances Cause For Concern
A Special Message from Credit Valley Hospital
President, Wayne Fyffe
Credit Valley Hospital continues to demonstrate leadership
and positive results in quality and health outcomes. We appreciate the support we have received from the Government, and
from Health Minister Tony Clement in particular, with regard to
our construction/expansion plans to address the limitations of
space in our buildings. We continue to demonstrate that we are
efficient compared to other hospitals (low administration costs,
high percentage of revenue from non-government sources, and
efficient clinical care).
For the year ended March 31, 2002, Credit Valley Hospital
had a deficit of $7 million (approximate total deficit for all hospitals in Ontario was $300 million). If nothing is done to reduce
expenses or increase revenues, we predict that the accumulated
deficit at March 31, 2003 would be $11.5 million. We are taking
steps to address this financial crisis, but our choices are limited.
There continues to be an increasing demand for service.
Approximately15,000 people move into Mississauga every year
and the rest of us are aging! Public expectations are increasing.
We know you want faster access to our high quality care. Finally
our high performance on both administrative and clinical efficiency means service access will inevitably be reduced by implementing further expenditure controls.
In recent years, total Provincial spending in healthcare has
increased at a rate greater than economic growth eg. Health spening increased by 8.9 per cent in 2000/2001 while economic
growth was 5 per cent in 2001.
The Provincial Government has told us there is no more
money. The Federal Government has told the provincial
Government there is no more money. Senator Kirby, Chairman
of the Senate Committee examining the future of healthcare, has
stated very clearly that the Federal Government must provide
more funding for healthcare immediately, while we take the time
to restructure the system. In the meantime, demand for service
from Credit Valley continues, and our financial status erodes
every day.
Our goal is to reduce this year’s deficit to no more than $9
million and to implement a recovery plan that will eliminate the
deficit by March 31, 2004. The choices are not easy.
*Please read the articles on pages six and seven. We invite your
feedback and ideas to help guide our Board and management staff
in the weeks ahead.
Visit our website at www.cvh.on.ca
THE MISSISSAUGA NEWS, OCTOBER 2002
CVH1
Credit Valley’s New Heliport
Will Soon Be Operational
As part of our capital expansion
and renovation project, Credit Valley
has completed construction of a new
heliport, located on hospital property,
near the corner of Eglinton Avenue
West and Credit Valley Road. The
hospital’s existing heliport is 16 years
old and needs to be removed to make
way for construction on the Carlo
Fidani Peel Regional Cancer Centre.
Impressive in size, at 950 sq.
metres (10,000 sq. feet), the new heliport is more than twice the size of the
old one. It’s also made of more
durable concrete, rather than asphalt.
Transport Canada has completed its
mandatory inspection of the site and
our operations manual.
According to project manager
Frank Syer all the specifications are set
by Transport Canada. Frank adds that
there are a number of considerations,
like lighting and the glide (flight)
path that the average person may not
be aware of. For example, helicopters
landing at CVH approach and exit
the site from different directions.
Special lights guide the helicopter. For
the existing port, the hospital’s security officers have to quickly get to and
activate the lights for arrival. The new
heliport has automatic lights that will
be activated in the air, by the pilots
Credit Valley’s new heliport will soon be operational.
themselves. Security staff will continue to follow the normal procedures of
traffic control and security to ensure
safe arrival and departure.
The Credit Valley Hospital heliport is an integral part of the health
care system, supporting air ambulance
transfer between a number of hospitals in our region. There were 25
arrivals and departures from
November 2001 to June 2002. The
heliport is not only used for CVH
patient transfers, but is available for
any air ambulance transfer. A victim
of a nearby accident may depart via
our heliport to be transferred directly
to St. Michael’s Hospital, for example,
without ever entering CVH. We’ve
even had non-patient transfers from
Transport Canada and the Armed
Forces.
The changeover to the new heliport is expected to occur within the
next few weeks.
Child Health Network Introduces Guidelines
In June, the Child Health Network (CHN) introduced
new maternal and newborn transfer guidelines at a special
education session held at Credit Valley, for nurses, physicians
and respiratory therapists – the front-line people caring for
mothers, newborns and children.
“In our region we deliver nearly 17,000 babies a year,”
says Kathryn Hayward Murray, regional neonatal education
coordinator for the CHN’s West Cluster. “While all of our
hospitals are equipped to care for mothers and babies, each
has particular areas of focus.”
The guidelines include steps to follow to ensure patients
are transferred to the closest, most appropriate hospital for
the specific care they need. Kathryn says the CHN hopes
these guidelines will enhance services to help make the
EDITORIAL COMMITTEE
DANIEL CASEY: Social Work
KAREN DOLYNIUK: Foundation
SUZANNE HAMILTON: Speech/Language
Pathology
CRYSTAL PELUSO: Physiotherapy &
Occupational Therapy
DIONNE GALAN: Community
Relations/Communications
MELISSA JOSEPH: Community
ANAAR SAJOO: Genetics
Editor: WENDY JOHNSON
Director, Community
Write to us at:
The Credit Valley Hospital
2200 Eglinton Avenue West
Mississauga, Ontario
L5M 2N1
Published in co-operation with
The Mississauga News
Layout & Design: HOLLY CRAWFORD
Advertising Information:
SCOTT HARTMAN (905) 273-8278
process more seamless for patients and more efficient in terms
of hospital resources.
The Child Health Network (CHN) is comprised of 20
hospitals and 13 community care access centres that provide
maternal, newborn and child services. Credit Valley’s CEO
Wayne Fyffe sits on the board of the Greater Toronto Area
(GTA) CHN, along with Halton Health Care Corp. CEO
John Oliver. Our Senior VP David Rowe co-chairs the
CHN’s West Cluster steering committee with his counterpart, Don Trant, VP from William Osler Health Centre. The
members have come together and are working to ensure a
high level of accessible, quality care for mothers, infants, children and youth, no matter where those services are delivered.
Working Together To Create A Better
System For Newborns And Their Families
by MELISSA JOSEPH,
Communications Manager
Four hospitals in our region - Credit Valley, Trillium Health Centre,
Halton Health Care Corporation and William Osler Health Centre have formed a unique partnership in neonatal (newborn) staff education.
Each is a member of the West Cluster of the Greater Toronto Area
Child Health Network (CHN). Through their collaboration, these hospitals realized that while they are somewhat different in their neonatal
program delivery (each provides varying levels of neonatal care, as designated by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care), there are a number of skill needs and practices they have in common, such as staff training and orientation. They decided to work together to reduce duplication and become more efficient, by planning and learning together, to
meet the educational needs of the staff working in the nurseries.
Kathryn Hayward-Murray, a registered nurse at CVH, was hired as
the West Cluster’s first regional neonatal education coordinator. “This is
a great opportunity not only for the hospitals and community organizations, but also for individual staff, to network and share experiences and
resources,” she says. “Finding common solutions will result in better
patient care.” Also, by working together with one planning group and
representatives from each of the four hospitals, a sharing of the workload
occurs.
Together the group determined that they each needed to run ongoing
training in five key areas: ventilation; infant nutrition; parenteral (related
to blood and intravenous); chest tubes; and venipuncture (the act of
starting an IV). A neonatal skills day was organized at each of the four
hospitals. Participants could attend at any location, which Kathryn says
provided multiple benefits. “Not only were we able to accommodate a
larger number of staff within their busy schedules, the skills day provided
opportunities to visit another hospital site – a terrific networking and
learning experience.”
In her role, Kathryn has also focused directly on the patient’s experience. She coordinated two teams who created and delivered a shared curriculum for pain management and “family centered care” to 185 healthcare professionals from the West Cluster hospitals. Family centered care,
Kathryn adds, “Is about treating each family as an individual unit with
unique needs – not making families fit into a standard care delivery program. Families provide important information about their newborns and
are valued members of our team.” This focus involves things such as
multicultural needs and patient satisfaction. The team evaluated the
nurseries at each of their sites and came up with a number of new initiatives that will encourage families to be more involved.
Many of the babies being cared for in the neonatal nursery are premature and may be experiencing breathing problems or other complications
such as pneumonia or infection. Kathryn says a major focus of their program is to help make this a positive time for new parents, despite the adversities. Some of the initiatives are to encourage parents to take photos of their
new baby and to hold, feed and visit their baby as much as possible.
“This approach is also useful beyond neonatal care,” adds Kathryn.
Sharing practices, learning and training together can help make a better
system for all patients. In a time of diminishing resources and funding,
we hope that our model can be expanded to other healthcare areas and
initiatives.”
Green Light For Regional Maternal/Child Centre
by WENDY JOHNSON,
Director Community Relations
& Communications
The Credit Valley Hospital is one step closer to building a new maternal/child centre. In
the late spring the Minister of Health and
Long-Term Care, the honorable Tony
Clement, announced the provision of $27.1
million to build a new regional maternal/child
centre at The Credit Valley Hospital.
The announcement signals the official
funding for the program, which began at
Credit Valley in February 2000. In order to
provide full service however, the hospital’s
maternal/child program needs to expand. The
$27.1 million will assist in the provision of
care in a new, state of the art, patient and
family-focused program. The MoHLTC’s portion of the $27.1 million is $18.97 million.
Credit Valley must fund $8.13 million.
Until now, expectant mothers with higherthan-normal-risk pregnancies had their regular checkups in downtown Toronto. It wasn’t
unusual for them to travel for up to five
appointments per week during the latter
stages of their pregnancies. The regional
maternal program allows the expectant mom
to have care in her own community — at
Credit Valley – care that is comprehensive and
concentrated so that if she needs to see an
obstetrician, an endocrinologist to manage her
diabetes, as well as a radiologist to monitor
the baby, she can do so with one appointment.
The philosophy is similar in managing paediatric care. Parents whose children are now
receiving care at Credit Valley, say it’s a dream
come true.
The centre will provide “an atmosphere
that invites families to participate in the care
of their loved one, a place that’s filled with
natural light and provides a home-like environment”.
The new centre will handle an estimated
4,755 births per year. The number of inpatient beds associated with the maternal child
program will increase from 49 to 75.
Bassinettes will increase from 26 to 37.
Paediatric outpatient visits related to the new
regional programs are estimated to increase
from 2,300 to 10,640.
Salter Farrow Pilon architect Tye Farrow
shows Health Minister Tony Clement one of
the model patient rooms. It is important to
develop mock rooms to enable hospital professionals to “try out” the suggested materials and equipment for the rooms. In this way,
costly errors can be avoided.
CVH2
West Nile Virus – A New Concern For Our Community
OUR VISION,
by DR. NEIL RAU,
mosquito population dwindles. In particular, risk of encephalitis is low (1 in 300). The
those who are at higher risk for encephalitis most adverse outcomes (death, disability) of
Infectious Disease Consultant
MISSION AND VALUES
(elderly, with other medical problems such as
diabetes, malignancy, chronic steroid therapy) need to take extra precautions to prevent
mosquito bites for the next one to two weeks.
These include:
• Avoiding areas with large numbers of mosquitoes;
• Wearing light-coloured clothing, including
long sleeves, long pants and a hat whenever
you are outdoors;
• Spraying clothing with mosquito repellents
containing 30 per cent DEET or less to ward
off mosquitoes that may bite through thin
clothing;
• Applying repellent sparingly to exposed
skin and follow the manufacturer’s directions.
• Checking all window and door screens in
Am I At Risk?
your home to ensure there are no tears or
Yes, in the sense that we are all at risk so holes.
long as we are exposed to mosquitoes.
Keep in mind that not all mosquitoes
However, the risk is rapidly decreasing as the carry the virus. Even if you are infected, the
As many readers will be aware, The Credit
Valley Hospital had the dubious distinction
of caring for Canada’s first victim of locallyacquired West Nile Virus encephalitis. The
victim, a previously active member of our
community, led a full and active life prior to
his untimely demise on September 14, 2002
from the same disease. As one of the physicians who participated in his care, I take this
opportunity to express my sincerest condolences to his family.
The unfortunate loss of this man has
resulted in important questions from the
community. I will try to address these in
turn:
Our Vision
The Vision of the Credit Valley Hospital is to
be the finest hospital in Canada in the hearts
and minds of the people we serve.
Our Mission
The Credit Valley Hospital offers quality compassionate health care to the people of the growing communities of Peel and Halton.
Our Values
Excellence in Patient Care
Respect
Leadership
Teamwork
Accountability
Partnership
encephalitis are seen in the higher risk
patients. Unlike influenza, which readily
spreads through families and workplaces, the
disease is not transmitted person-to-person.
No human vaccine is expected to be available
in the near future.
Do I Need To Be Tested?
No. In addition, it is not necessary to see
your physician if you think that you have
contracted the disease and recovered from it.
Only those who are ill enough to warrant
hospitalization for manifestations of the disease justify testing for WNV at this time. In
future, after this mosquito season is over, random testing of healthy or recovered individuals might assist Public Health in deciding on
interventions for subsequent years.
For more information about West Nile
Virus visit the Region of Peel website at
www.region.peel.on.ca.
The Real Dirt On
Antibacterial Products
by BETTY-ANN JOLLEY,
Infection Control Practitioner
Board of Governors 2002/2003
Front Row: Cindy Heinz, Wayne Fyffe (President), Gord Stovel (Chairman), Dr. Barbara Clive (Chief of Staff), Harinder Takhar (Vice Chair),
Katie Mahoney (representing Region of Peel)
Middle Row: Peter Smith, Jim Murray, Renato Discenza, Bart Wassmansdorf, Geoff Watson, Jill McGill (President,Volunteer Partners), Cheryl
Englander.
Back Row: Rick Podsiadlo, Louis Girard, Bill Gardiner, Catherine Clark, Dr. Paul Gurland (President, Medical Staff), Norm Loberg, John Dunn
(Chairman, Foundation).
Absent: Wendy Roney, Dr. Ashe Devanasen (Vice President, Medical Staff)
Credit Valley Board of Governors
Welcomes New Members
The Credit Valley Hospital Board of
Governors bid farewell to four members at their
annual meeting in June. Retiring after eleven
years of service was Jane Watson, former Board
Chair; Carolyn Kovachik-MacNeil after nine
years of service; Stuart Smith after five years of
service and Paul Clayton having completed two
years on the Board.
Three new members of the Board of
Governors began their duties immediately following the annual meeting. Those members are:
Catherine Clark, Renato Discenza and Bill
Gardiner.
Catherine Clark is an active volunteer and
businesswoman. She is the principal of C. Clark
and Associates, Communications and Marketing
Incorporated, a firm she founded ten years ago.
Her volunteer work includes the Ottawa
Regional Cancer Centre Foundation, the Adult
Literacy Council, Homes First Society, Oakville
Waterfront Festival and the Oakville YMCA.
Renato Discenza is senior vice president, supply chain and capital management for Bell
Canada. His volunteer board work includes the
Greater Toronto United Way Cabinet; Trillium
Health Centre Foundation Fundraising
Committee; the Greater Toronto Marketing
Association and the University of Toronto
Masters in Telecommunication Advisory Board.
Perhaps Mr. Discenza’s most outstanding achievement to date has been his selection as one of
Canada’s Top 40 under 40!
Bill Gardiner is vice president, international
sales, content solutions with i2 Technologies
Incorporated, based in Dallas, Texas. He is
responsible for maximizing the sales of content
solutions globally, excluding the domestic North
American market. Prior to this, Bill held senior
management and Board roles with both Johnson
& Johnson and Novo Nordisk Canada Inc. within the healthcare sector. His past volunteer service has included the Board of Directors of a charitable summer camp for children with physical
disabilities, a Boy Scout leader and coaching soccer, baseball and T-ball.
Two other new members will be sitting at the
board table. Dr. Ashe Devanesen is vice president
of the medical staff advisory committee while Jill
McGill will represent the Credit Valley Volunteer
Partners.
Public concern about the emergence of antibiotic resistant organisms
has created a perceived need for new
household products and devices (e.g.
toys, hand soaps, towels, animal care
products, etc.) that incorporate antibacterial agents. There is little evidence to suggest that these agents
reduce infections in the home.
Antibacterial agents alter the mix of
naturally occurring bacteria, killing
susceptible organisms and potentially
leaving the resistant ones to survive
and multiply. Furthermore, the incorporation of low levels of antibacterial
agents, which do not kill the organisms, may promote the development
of resistant genes.
Apart from the environmental
concerns, most of these new products
are expensive and play on the public’s
fears of contracting an infectious disease from an antibiotic resistant
organism. In fact, the most common
household illnesses are viral in nature,
to which antibacterial agents are ineffective. The focus should continue to
be on frequent hand washing, safe
food preparation, good personal
hygiene, and basic home cleanliness.
Consistent, thorough hand washing is the cornerstone of preventing
the spread of infection. Hand washing
will decrease the number of diseasecausing organisms on the surface of
your skin. Hand washing should be
done before and after preparing
meals, after using the bathroom, or
providing care to someone who is ill.
Use warm, running water, soap, plenty of friction and a clean towel or
paper towel to dry your hands.
Healthy, intact skin is the first line of
defence against infection so good skin
care is essential.
Home Hygiene Website:
www.ifh-homehygiene.org
Infection Prevention & Control Tip:
It’s a good idea to wash and thoroughly dry your reusable soap dispensers
before refilling.They can support the
growth of “bugs” if not appropriately
cleaned. Avoid “topping-up”.
CVH3
Unseen And Unheard: Prevention And Treatment For Osteoporosis
Unseen and Unheard: Prevention and
Treatment Options is the final piece of a twopart feature on osteoporosis for A Credit to Your
Health.
Prevention
Prevention is your best weapon against
osteoporosis and involves an ongoing effort to
increase and maintain bone density that begins
in your twenties.
In Your 20s And 30s
You should be drinking milk or getting
enough calcium from dairy foods or supplements if not getting enough dietary calcium.
Be active to build strength in bones, including weight-bearing exercise such as walking
into your routine.
Menopausal Women
Women tend to lose a lot of bone mass at
this time, as there is a rapid decline of estrogen.
This is why hormone replacement therapy (see
HRT update also on this page) is recommended in some cases, as it is shown to prevent bone
loss. Discuss this option with your doctor. It
is important to increase your calcium intake
and maintain a healthy, nutritious diet. Keep
active, remembering to include weight-bearing
exercise such as walking.
Elderly
You must maintain the prevention regimen
established in earlier years; maintaining an
active lifestyle, and eating healthy and nutritious foods; in addition to regularly seeing your
doctor to determine if you should be taking
any medication.
How To Prevent A Fracture
• Build strength of bones: review medications,
alter diet, anything that can be done to
improve one’s chances of preventing a fracture.
• Avoid falling: assess what it is that is making
you fall, look at what can be done to modify
your environment. For example, your blood
pressure may be falling, which may lead you to
get dizzy and fall; therefore, you may need a
medication adjustment. Other examples
include the use of a walking aide such as a
walker or your house may need to be
rearranged in some areas that may be unsafe.
Watch out for throw rugs that you can trip or
slip on.
Treatment Options
When you are being treated for osteoporosis, the main focus of treatment is to increase
bone strength and to assess how to prevent
falls. Therefore, falls that do occur are less likely
to break a bone that has been strengthened.
There are multiple areas of treatment for
osteoporosis including medication, activity and
therapy. Discuss your treatment options with
your doctor.
Some of the current treatment options
available include:
• Calcium
• Vitamin D
• Hormone replacement therapy: can reduce
the rate of bone loss
• Bisphosphonates: medicine that can help
rebuild bones
• Calcitonin: medicine that can help rebuild
bones
• Selective estrogen receptor modulators
• Risedronate
Credit Valley’s Occupational Therapy (OT)
department sees a variety of community members with osteoporosis. Patients that usually
come into OT have fallen and they come in to
do the program consisting mostly of exercise.
“It affects their life; really everything they
do,” says Crystal Peluso, occupational therapist and physiotherapist assistant at Credit
Valley. “And usually, if they have osteoporosis, they have other health concerns as well.”
The following are some of the services OT
provides to patients with osteoporosis:
•Consider adaptive equipment (such as a raised
toilet seat) for the home that makes everyday
living easier and safer for the patient.
•Come up with strategies to improve the
patient’s daily functions and activities such as
practicing self care including washing, dressing, grooming, cooking, cleaning, and everyday homemaking to get patients back to
work and everyday living.
•Cognitive functioning assessment helps
patients to be aware of their condition and
works with them to improve their fine motor
skills, adapt to their abilities and living strategies, providing coping mechanisms and a support structure for those patients who need it.
•Physiotherapy is also available, which focuses on gross motor functions such as legs,
trunk control, walking, balance and stair
climbing. This involves low impact exercise,
stretching, anything to increase movement
within a comfort level.
It is important to remember that exercise
is important for treatment, but also for prevention. Try exercise programs that you can
do at home and those that are offered in your
community.
“Preventing osteoporosis in the first place
is much easier than trying to treat it,” says
Dr. Grant. “Follow good prevention habits
and be more aggressive in talking with your
doctor.”
Update On Hormone
Replacement Therapy
by DR. PATRICIA DOYLE
In our last issue Dr. Doyle published an article on hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
Since that time The Women’s Health Initiative
(WHI) published new information about HRT.
We asked Dr. Doyle to bring us up to date on just
what that study means to our readers.
There has been much confusion and alarm
among women and their caregivers since the
publication by the Women’s Health Initiative
this year. For the first time, we have a very
large well-designed study by a highly respected
group of researchers. As a result of their work,
the use of HRT will likely change significantly
in the next three years.
First we should look at what the study did
tell us. The “arm” of the study which was
stopped this year involved approximately
16,000 women. This part of the research was
intended to test the use of combined HRT
prescribed for the prevention of chronic disease. The results indicated that these women
had an increased risk of both breast cancer and
cardiovascular disease. The rates of hip fracture
and colon cancer were reduced, but the overall
risks outweighed the benefits. It is important
for women to realize that individual risk is not
high – these numbers relate to populationbased risk. Or, to put it another way, in one
year we can expect 30 women out of every
10,000 to develop breast cancer. If another
10,000 women took combined HRT for that
year, they would see 38 new cases of breast
cancer. Another 15 out of the 10,000 will have
a heart attack or stroke. Although not as sensational perhaps, as the press would have us
believe, these numbers are significant and bear
careful consideration.
What did the study not tell us? Most
importantly, with respect to breast cancer,
these results do not apply to duration of treatment under five years. Most women take HRT
for symptom relief, and most symptoms last
two years. Since another study was published
in 1998 called the HERS study, doctors
stopped recommending HRT for prevention
of heart disease alone. Now we know this is
good sound practice, and should continue.
Women who take estrogen alone also should
wait for the final study results – their risk was
not increased in this preliminary evidence.
For the women on combined HRT for
many years, there is no need to panic, and no
need to stop the drug while awaiting a doctor’s
appointment. Women should visit their doctors and discuss their individual risk/benefit
assessment. Many will prefer to stop HRT, but
this should be undertaken with the assistance
and monitoring of their physicians. Some will
need to explore other drugs for osteoporosis
prevention. All should discuss modification of
lifestyle to lower heart disease risks, and others
will want information about alternate
approaches to symptom relief. HRT should be
tapered gradually to minimize withdrawal
symptoms. The major part of the WHI study
continues, and much more information for
post-menopausal women will be available
when it is completed.
Pictured, are Amalia Ruggiero (left), from Truly You Wig Boutique, with cancer survivor, Linda Hunter (right).
Look Good, Feel Better
Look Good Feel Better is a cancer
support program that helps woman living with cancer to manage the appearance-related side effects of cancer and its
treatment. The national Workshop on
Wheels stopped at the Mississauga City
Centre on August 13th, 2002, as part of
it’s cross Canada tour to help raise
awareness and support for the program
during their tenth anniversary celebration. Free shuttle buses from the hospital provided the opportunity for staff
and visitors to join in the festivities.
Special guest speakers included Mayor
Hazel McCallion, Credit Valley CEO
Wayne Fyffe and CVH volunteer Barb
McDonald, who received a plaque in
recognition of the support given by
CVH and community volunteers to the
program.
Beauty professionals and cancer
patients from the community volunteered their time to provide live demonstrations during the tour of the workshop.
Any woman currently receiving cancer treatment is welcome to participate
in the program. For more information
and workshop schedules, visit their website at www.lookgoodfeelbetter.ca
CVH4
The Determined Greek
A Story Of Personal Achievement
by JEN OLD
Desktop Publisher
Huddled in a corner of the hallway, a small group gathers to celebrate
an incredible patient’s rehabilitation
progress. It was May 29, 2002,
Stavros Lebesis’ last day as a rehabilitation outpatient at Credit Valley. He
and his mother Anna Lebesis along
with therapists from the Credit Valley
Rehabilitation Centre (CVRC)
Debbie Devlin, Brenda Echlin,
Nancy Preston and Susan Fraser were
celebrating with a slice of cake, a
laugh and warm embraces, before
returning to their home country,
Greece. “It’s time to go home and
continue to work on my program at
home,” Stavros said.
Stavros came to Canada to receive
treatment at CVRC after suffering a
severe head injury (fractured cranium)
as a result of a head-on collision on
November 20, 1999. The accident
caused him to go into a coma for one
month. After regaining consciousness
he spent the next year in Lesvos,
Greece receiving massage treatments
for his injury. Unfortunately the type
of therapy Stavros needed for a positive recovery was unavailable to him
in Greece.
Peter Lebesis, a Mississauga resident and Stravros’ uncle, approached
CVRC and organized his nephew’s
admittance to the program so that he
could receive the care he needed. “We
appreciate that his family supported
him so much,” says Nancy Preston,
physiotherapist. “His uncle would
work with us to translate what Stavros
was saying. He would bring him to
and from therapy. A lot of the credit
has to go to the family.”
CVRC was founded in 1996 when
Credit Valley physiotherapists proposed the idea of the clinic in order to
maintain jobs that would have been
cut due to decrease government funding and to provide a service that was
lacking in Mississauga. CVRC operates as a fee for service clinic.
Rehabilitation at the clinic is financed
by self-paying individuals and health
insurance companies (WSIB or motor
vehicle insurance companies). All
funds are used to run and operate the
clinic and any extra revenue is channeled directly back into The Credit
Valley Hospital for patient care.
Clinic services have grown over the
last six years into three specialized
programs: musculoskeletal/soft tissue
injury
treatment,
catastrophic/acquired brain injury
treatment and the designated assessment centre. Currently there are 11
full time staff operating and working
in the clinic. “We provide a specialized service which has gained recognition and credibility based upon our
positive outcomes,” says Lucy Gilson,
CVRC’s manager.
“We offer services to patients
inside and outside our region –
Toronto, Guelph, Brampton. Our
patients depend on our expertise and
our excellent followup,” says Debbie
Devlin, clinical coordinator. “Our
main objective is to meet the needs of
our patients.”
Stavros received care in the outpatient CVRC program for 20 months
and ten days.
“His head injury presented physical and cognitive deficiencies that
required physiotherapy, occupational
therapy and speech therapy,” says
Devlin.
When Stavros entered the program on September 21, 2000 he was
not able to lift himself out of his
wheelchair. CVRC staff worked closely with Stavros and family to create a
program that would address his difficulties and would build upon skills
gained each day. Cognitive exercises
were composed of: puzzles, mathematics, converting euro dollars, working with tools, building models and
following directions. “The recovery of
his correct physical movement patterns was more difficult than anyone
thought,” says Preston. “He couldn’t
dress himself – his functioning of
everyday life tasks was extremely limited.”
His skills to complete daily tasks
that come naturally to someone without a brain injury progressed quickly
in the first few months and by the
completion of his rehabilitation program with CVRC he was able to:
shave, dress himself, make his own
lunch, do his exercises independently,
stay by himself at home and walk
short distances on his own. “He loves
to come to the gym. When he first
came he couldn’t do anything on his
own, now he does all his exercises on
his own,” says Anna Lebesis.
Patients with severe brain injuries
often lose the ability to protect themselves. It is natural when people fall
that they stick their hands out in
front of them to prevent hitting their
head or doing damage to a sensitive
part of the body. Stavros lost all protective mechanisms, he had to think
about every step, concentrate and
focus on every movement. “Going for
a walk is a mental process where feet,
hands, the transfer of weight from
one foot to another and balance is all
Stavros Lebesis’ personal dedication to his rehabilitation, in conjunction
with the rehabilitation professionals at Credit Valley has sent him back
to Greece a much more self-confident and self-reliant individual.
processed in our thought patterns, we
do it naturally but for someone who
has a severe brain injury, the patient
must relearn how to think about all
these steps so that walking can once
again become an automatic function,
however some people never get this
back,” says Preston.
One of the biggest challenges for
the CVRC staff was the language and
thinking barrier, but “his drive to get
better was so strong, he always had a
positive attitude when undertaking a
new task, a new skill or a new step of
his therapy. He always remained positive, even after a fall when his mother
was upset, he would be the one comforting her and telling her it would be
alright,” recalls Preston.
The road to recovery begins with a
single step and a positive way of
thinking. “The key to a speedy and
complete recovery for every patient is
that they go back to the beginning
and find out what they struggle with,
what they can’t do, and then form
goals based on their own assessment
and work toward these personal
goals,” says Devlin.
With the support of his family and
the expertise offered by CVRC his
improvements to regain a life of independence has been a journey that
took Stavros Lebesis across the world
and onto a road to recovery that is
fueled by an incredible willpower,
determination and strength of character. The Lebesis family left Canada
with warm memories of their time
spent at CVRC. “It’s a very nice hospital here, the people are great,”
Stavros says.
Dying To Be Thin: When Eating Is A Struggle
Credit Valley Marks One Year Of Helping Those Struggling With Eating Disorders
by NADIA NORCIA
PR Specialist
She carefully picks through her fruit, cautious of anyone who
happens to glance her way. In the halls, she’s the talk of many
who pass her by. You could almost hear them whisper: Why is
she so thin? Others however, have reaffirmed her weight loss
along the way; they would say it’s great that she could do it. But
really what did they know?
After months of watching my best friend deteriorate into
mere flesh and bones, her frame quickly became too large for
the tissues on her body. Her collarbone and shoulder bones were
exposed underneath the straps of her prom dress. When I look
back at those photos, I see someone frail, her cheeks sunken in,
she did not exude a happiness, or even contentment with herself; she was scared, feeling out of control. Much like her previous years, as she constantly compared herself to the images she
was exposed to in the world around her. “Every time I pick up a
fork, it’s a struggle,” she confided to me as she picked up her
fork to demonstrate.
Jane* is an example of one of the many people that the
Eating Disorder Program at The Credit Valley Hospital tries to
reach out to. Having celebrated its first year anniversary in June,
the program has worked with patients that have ranged in age
between 19 years to mid 50s. Occupationally they have been
students, professionals, homemakers and some are unable to
work. Many come from cohesive, caring families and others
have experienced childhood abuse and neglect. “Despite these
differences, what is common amongst them is that each strug-
gles with an eating disorder,” says Dr. Colleen Flynn, medical
director of the Eating Disorders Program at The Credit Valley
Hospital. “They come to a program like ours seeking relief from
their symptoms and suffering.”
What’s important to note however, is that a person with an
eating disorder often does not display any of the obvious symptoms of anorexia nervosa that Jane showed. “In 75 percent of
eating disorders cases, the signs are not as recognizable. The person suffering may appear to be healthy, when in fact they have
an eating disorder that is hidden from the rest of the world,”
says Dr. Flynn.
Eating disorders are associated with very high morbidity; for
many people the eating disorder takes over their life and symptoms begin to interfere with educational, occupational and
social pursuits. “Eating disorders can affect every system within
the body including the brain and our psychological well being.”
What’s even more disturbing is that the mortality rate for
anorexia nervosa after 20 years of illness is as high as 20 per cent.
About half of these patients die from the physical complications
of starvation and half from suicide. The mortality rate for
bulimia nervosa after five years of illness is up to five per cent.
“Eating disorders are serious illnesses that take a huge toll on
patients and their families,” says Dr. Flynn. There is obviously a
desperate need for resources and support networks to help victims of eating disorders.
Credit Valley’s Eating Disorder Program provides outpatient
care to those 19-years-old and over who live in Mississauga,
accepting individuals into the program who have mild, moderate and severe illnesses. Treatment is available to women and
men diagnosed with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and eating disorders not otherwise specified (including binge eating disorder). The program begins with the referral process, as patients
require a physician referral. Professional assistance is provided by
psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, nurses and dietitians.
Treatment is provided in a group milieu that promotes the
normalization of eating and the development of adaptive and
effective coping strategies to reduce symptoms and cope with
the anxiety associated with change. “It begins to address the
secretiveness, shame and isolation so frequently associated with
these illnesses,” says Dr. Flynn. “Groups offer an environment
where people can learn from each other while exploring common feelings, thoughts and strategies to reduce symptoms.”
An eating disorder is a hard struggle for everyone involved,
including relatives and friends of someone with an eating disorder. “Knowledge is power and the more you are open to learning about eating disorders and examining the impact your relative or friend’s illness has on you as well as being willing to
explore your own reaction to their illness, the more helpful you
will be to both yourself and to the people you care about,” says
Dr. Flynn. The program provides a family education day that is
offered to families and friends of patients several times a year in
partnership with Toronto General Hospital.
“Everyone’s road to recovery is different,” says Dr. Flynn.
“For some it’s long and arduous, help is available along the way,
I never lose anyone.”
*Jane is a name given to protect the identity of the individual
CVH5
The Way
We Were...
Did You Know?
• The hospital has 366 approved beds but we are currently
operating 381 beds in order to accommodate all of the
patients who require admission to hospital. Once the new
inpatient wing (A-Wing) is built, we will be able to provide an
additional 160 inpatient beds.
Meeting the Need
Last year, the Credit Valley laboratory performed 31 per cent more tests than the previous
year just to meet the needs of the patients. Many outpatient tests such as lab tests, are not
paid for by the Ministry of Health on a per test basis. Last year we analyzed 3,286,109 tests.
• The existing facility covers approximately 440,000 square
feet but is expanding to just under 1 million square feet to
accommodate our regional programs and A Wing.
• Approximately 5,400 visitors and patients pass through the
two main entrances of the hospital each day.
• Each year approximately 20,000 patients are admitted to
hospital.
Familiar Site
13 per cent of the patients seeking treatment at Credit Valley’s ER, end up
being hospitalized. That means when all of the beds are full, the ERAs (emergency room admissions) must be cared for on a stretcher in the ER until a bed
is vacated by another patient on a nursing unit. The wait could last anywhere
from a few hours to a few days.
• Approximately 67,000 patients are seen in the Emergency
Department each year. Approximately 1/3 of those visits
(20,000) are paediatric visits.
• Each year close to 238,000 patients are seen as outpatients
for various procedures and specialist visits (example, oncology,
outpatient surgery, physiotherapy and occupational therapy,
respiratory therapy etc.)
The Way We
Are Today...
• Approximately 140,000 diagnostic imaging tests are performed each year.
• It costs approximately $500 per day for each patient admitted to hospital.
• Credit Valley is not funded per procedure for many outpatient services. That means the hospital actually loses money
trying to meet the growing demands of our patients.
Every Little Bit Helps
• More than 4,100 babies are born at Credit Valley each year.
Increasing hourly parking rates at Credit Valley is one way to help decrease our projected
deficit. Hospitals must generate a portion of their operating funds through revenue generation
such as paid parking. Government does not fund parking lots or their upkeep. Parking fees
also help to pay for patient care.We appreciate your support.
Condition Critical: CVH’s Finances Are In The Red
As expressed in president Wayne Fyffe’s article on the front page of this newspaper, Credit Valley
faces its most serious financial challenge in its history. On these two pages, we attempt to answer some
of the most common questions about how hospitals are funded and what we can do to ensure we can
continue to provide you with the quality patient care you deserve and demand.
How can you say you don’t get enough money to run the hospital. Don’t our tax
dollars pay for our health care?
Similarly, other hospital costs are not fully funded to cover inflationary costs.
Are hospitals paid according to the amount of work performed on each patient?
Credit Valley is not funded per procedure for many of the outpatient services we provide. That
means the hospital actually loses money trying to meet the growing demands of our patients.
Are hospitals’ budgets based on a “per capita” rate?
Hospitals aren’t totally funded by taxpayers dollars. Government – you the taxpayer – pays for
about 86% of our day to day operating costs. The rest of the money must be raised by the hospital.
When our costs go up, we need to raise more money. So that’s why as unpleasant as it is for us to
have to raise things like parking rates and private room rates, we absolutely have to do so. Those
increases will provide us with about $1 million extra a year. We need $10.5 million just to break even.
Credit Valley and other hospitals in the Greater Toronto Area have 96 beds per one-hundred thousand residents. The average in the province is 169.2 beds per one-hundred thousand residents.
Hospitals in the GTA receive approximately $453 per person versus the provincial average of $804
per person. Hospitals in the GTA/905 area are under-funded by $100 million or 37%. Credit Valley
faces unique challenges because it is in an area of the province where population growth has rapidly
exceeded the average “per capita” hospital funding.
Don’t hospitals get additional funding to cover inflationary costs?
How will the funding problem be resolved?
When new contracts are negotiated with professional unions hospitals budgets don’t always
increase to cover the extra costs. For example, the new nurses agreement has increased their salaries
and benefits by 4%. Government has provided us with 2%. We believe our staff are worth the
provincially negotiated increases but it means we have to “find” another two percent per employee.
So, What Are Our Options?
ing budget. It’s an extremely delicate balance.
The Board of Governors represents you, our And it’s a battle we’re losing.
patients. It is their responsibility to ensure that
Credit Valley and our health care professionals Our financial situation is precarious.
Our community is growing and needs medprovide quality health care to our patients. At
ical
care. A full 13% of the patients who arrive at
the same time they need ensure that we spend
our
emergency department end up being admitour money wisely, pay our bills and stay out of
debt much like you manage your household ted to hospital. We would be irresponsible to
expenses. Like you, the Board is constantly turn them away. They need a bed, they need
instructing hospital administration to stretch the drugs, they need special diagnostic tests, they
dollars to meet the needs of our “growing fami- need professionals to provide patient care. It all
ly”. Unlike you, the Board and hospital person- costs money…and there’s only so much money
nel have little control over the number of patients to go around.
who need medical attention, the nature of their
illnesses or the drugs and interventions that will Credit Valley is considered a leader in operating
be required to manage their illness. This means efficiency:
we are constantly trying to juggle the needs of the • Our administrative costs are 11% lower than
patients and the financial realities of our operat- other hospitals of similar size and scope.
Until a multi-year funding formula is implemented by the provincial government which will allow
hospitals to plan more appropriately for growth and expanded services – a funding formula that will
recognize the unique challenges faced by hospitals like Credit Valley where high population growth
is pushing physical capacity and resources to the limit — we will continue to operate in the red.
• Our patient care costs are 13% lower than
other other hospitals of similar size and scope.
• Our cost per patient day is 11% lower than
other other hospitals of similar size and scope.
• Our average length of patient stay in hospital is
9% lower than other other hospitals of similar
size and scope.
• Our non-Government revenue generation is
41% higher than other other hospitals of similar
size and scope.
hospital and the ancillary services such as cleaning the hospital) and,
“Elective” services (where patients need treatment or surgeries but it’s not an absolute emergency so they could wait a little longer).
None of these options is desirable because
Credit Valley is already recognized as a leader in
fiscal responsibility. But these areas must be
considered in order to reduce the growing
deficit.
The Board of Governors has instructed the
hospital administration to move forward with
Turning patients away is NOT an revenue generation strategies and some administrative support reductions that will garner
option.
That leaves us with three areas for cost approximately $1 million to help reduce the
anticipated budget shortfall of $11.5 million.
reduction strategies:
Revenue Generation (examples are raising We still need to find more than $10 million.
No matter what we do, we will not eliminate
parking rates and private room rates)
Support services (the administration of the this year’s deficit because we are already six
Physical Limitations
On any given day, Credit Valley’s website (www.cvh.on.ca) tells us that there are
so many patients being cared for in the emergency department while they wait You’re telling us you don’t have enough money to operate the hospital yet you’re
for a bed on a nursing unit. Why?
planning to make the hospital larger. How will you be able to afford to run an
As the community grows, more and more people require hospital care. Apart from scheduled
even larger facility?
surgeries, patients arrive at the hospital due to an emergency medical condition. Growth analysis
and looking at trends over the years helps us to project how many patients will show up on our
doorstep each year. It doesn’t mean we’ll have a bed for them when they arrive because although
our population has increased dramatically, the size of the hospital and the number of beds hasn’t.
That’s why very often we have fifteen to twenty patients waiting to be admitted to a nursing ward.
While they wait, they’re being treated in the emergency department, lying on a stretcher.
Sometimes the patients are on stretchers for two days before a bed becomes available on a nursing
unit. We call this “gridlock”.
We do have a major expansion project underway which could add close to 160 beds throughout
the hospital. Unfortunately the expansion will not be completed for several years. Once the
expansion is completed, the Government will give us additional money to provide staff and medical supplies and equipment associated with the operation of those new beds. It may seem strange
that we’re talking about expanding the hospital when we’re telling you we don’t have enough money
to operate the existing hospital. We agree. But in reality, new construction is funded out of a different Government budget than the day to day hospital operations. You can’t mix the two funds.
How Will the Expansion Be Funded?
Why can’t I have a private room during my hospital stay?
The total cost is expected to be more than $300 million to meet the needs of all the new patients
In order to try to alleviate the “gridlock” in the emergency department we created more beds. moving into Peel. The Government portion varies depending on each part of the project. Our hosWe have converted private rooms into double-bed rooms, two-bed rooms into three-bed rooms and pital Foundation has undertaken a major campaign for $50 million to be raised from corporations,
so on. But the Government hasn’t been able to fund these extra beds. The annual impact means service clubs, events, businesses and everyone served in our community.
months into this fiscal year (April 1 to March
30). Our goal is to end the fiscal year with a
deficit of no more than $9 million and have
strategies in place to reduce the deficit to well
below that for the next fiscal year. But in reality,
reducing patient and support services is a shortsighted remedy. The only way we will stop
future deficits is to be given funding that truly
addresses the needs of the patients living in this,
the fastest growing community in the province.
parking rate increases).
Projected savings of$3.5 million per year.
Option: Close the extra “unfunded” inpatient beds put into place to meet the
increased demand.
Option: “Cap” some outpatient services at cur- Result:
rent levels or eliminate some altogether.
• Patients not seen may end up as emergency
Result:
patients requiring admission.
• Longer waiting times.
• Longer waits for admitted patients in ER.
• Patient condition could worsen.
• Increased gridlock.
• Delays could impact severity of condition.
Projected savings of $3.3 million per year.
• Delays could impact treatment’s success once
it’s received.
Option: Do nothing and hope that the
B e l o w a re s o m e o p t i o n s u n d e r • Patient may end up seeking treatment in ER.
provincial Government will have sufficient
consideration.
• Increased gridlock in ER.
funds to implement a multi-year funding forOption: Increase revenues. Decrease expenses in • Patient could be transferred to another hospital mula that is population/workload based so
non-direct patient care areas.
if space permits.
that hospitals in high growth areas can adeResult:
• Longer length of stay in hospital.
quately meet the needs of their patients.
Decreased support to clinical staff (we are already • Increased dissatisfaction among patients and all This means we’ll continue to provide service
efficient in administrative and support services). caregivers.
to everyone who comes through our doors
Increased burden on patients and visitors (eg. Projected savings of $4.7 million per year.
for inpatient and outpatient services.
CVH6
our deficit grew by $3.3 million in order to provide extra inpatient beds. And still we don’t have
enough beds!
Result:
• Higher costs.
• More beds required.
• More staff required.
• More supplies required.
Projected deficit of $11.5 million in 2002/03.
Deficit will continue to grow in subsequent
years.
We Welcome Your Feedback
Send your comments to:
“Situation Critical”
2200 Eglinton Avenue West
Mississauga, Ontario L5N 6H1
Email: [email protected]
Or you may leave a voicemail response at
905-813-3330
CVH7
Behind The Scenes At World Youth Day
Credit Valley Hospital community relations
employees, Nadia Norcia and Jen Old, volunteered at World Youth Day July 27 and 28.
This is their account of their once-in-a-lifetime
experience.
With awkward loads on our backs, we
walked in the scorching sun. Sweat fell easily
as we ended our hour-long trek in search of
this large industrial looking building that
stood before us. We barely steped in the door
when a golf cart sped off out into the hot
sunny day. And another, and another. We did
not know what to expect.
The main health services tent at the
World Youth Day (WYD) 2002 Downsview
Park venue was not your ordinary hospital.
Organizers constantly re-evaluated where
supplies were needed, volunteers on walkietalkies attempted to communicate to the four
other medical “tents” on site, while others
hurriedly drove out to deliver supplies, food
and water. And of course, the treatment area,
where health care professionals worked
quickly but efficiently to aid those walking in
from heat exhaustion, cramps, dehydration,
cuts, sprains, fractures, and so on.
Workers from various Greater Toronto
Area hospitals worked together here, regardless of job description in their “normal” lives.
This weekend behind the scenes at World
Youth Day was anything but “normal”.
It was the last weekend of July, the
remaining days of World Youth Day celebrations. Here, as you look around, you saw the
world in Toronto, as thousands of people
from countries all around the world were
here to celebrate World Youth Days from July
23 to 28. People laughed, groups of youth
danced and sang, different languages were
heard with every step.
As part of the event planning, health services were of course of utmost importance for
an event of such a large scale. Like many
other Greater Toronto Area hospitals, Credit
Valley employees were asked to offer their
time and skills as volunteers in the medical
hospital areas at WYD.
“It was really amazing to see the amount
of complex skills that are required to work in
the health care sector,” says Katherine
Rouleau, director of health services at WYD.
“We had people from all different areas of
hospitals volunteering together, all with
Vanna Boghossian couldn’t believe how well she felt just 48 hours after her laparoscopic hysterectomy.
Having A Hysterectomy
by VANNA BOGHOSSIAN
For most women having a hysterectomy
is one of the major decisions they may have
to make in their lifetime. It took me four
years to finally decide that I no longer wanted to deal with backache, cramps, bleeding
and anemia. I had uterine fibroids that are
benign tumours on the uterus. They caused
my uterus to be larger than normal and
caused me to have chronic back pain, heavy
monthly bleeding and severe cramps.
I have three beautiful daughters and two
of them were born by Caesarian section.
Having experienced a Caesarian I knew that
I did not want my abdomen cut open again
and did not ever want to experience that
post operative pain again. So what were my
options?
Every woman who has to decide to have a
hysterectomy has the responsibility to
become informed. Being knowledgeable
allows you to make choices in relation to
your care. There are many sources available
to you, such as: your family physician, your
surgeon, the library and the internet.
Having examined my options I chose to
have a laproscopic subtotal hysterectomy.
What does that mean? Well the surgeon
makes a small incision in my belly button
and three other small punctures in my
abdomen. He removed my uterus in pieces
via my belly button. I was able to keep my
cervix (the opening of the womb) and my
ovaries.
Recovery was amazing. I required no pain
medication post-operatively and went home
the next day. The picture above is of me in
my garden 48 hours after having a hysterectomy. I would have never believed it. A little bit of R&R and a healthy diet aided my
recovery. I had to be reminded, by family
and friends, that I had surgery and to take
care of myself. I have returned back to work
now and feel great.
For some women with a different diagnosis than what I had this type of procedure
may not be an option. It is important in any
of the decisions that we make in life that we
ask important questions related to risks, benefits and alternative procedures that may be
available to us. If your doctor says he/she
doesn’t do that then ask why not?
Remember you have rights but you also have
the responsibility to be informed and take
charge of your health care.
diverse specialties. It was incredible to see
how they worked as a team to serve the community.”
Hema Pereira, ultrasound technologist in
diagnostic imaging volunteered at the main
WYD hospital building at Downsview Park.
Using a walkie-talkie and cell phone, Hema
communicated with the person on stand-by
emergency in the field tents to determine
how many walk-in casualties there were, how
many people they could handle, who had to
move to another field tent or main hospital
building, and if there were enough beds.
The main medical building handled major
emergency casualties, including food poisoning and fractured ankles, with the smaller
hospital tents handling more of the dehydration, cramps, headaches, intramuscular injections, etc. Some patients had to be transferred to outside local hospitals.
Dedicated to the hands-on tasks involved,
Hema worked diligently with others who
quickly became familiar faces and co-workers
for the day.
Hema went on to work in triage on the
Sunday morning, as they were short staffed.
“I knew what triage was, but never really saw
what it was about until I worked in there,”
says Hema. With no computers, volunteers
registered patients by hand. “On Sunday
right after the mass, there was a big rush, we
had thousands of patients walk in. We were
expecting it, but it was still overwhelming.”
“Volunteers worked in chaotic and challenging situations,” adds Katherine. “They
saw twice as many patients as we had anticipated. Their dedication to health services and
the quality of care they provided was superb.”
Neena Malhotra, rehabilitation social
worker at Credit Valley was also a volunteer
at a medical tent where she registered
patients, helped nurses in the triaging process
and directed ambulance attendants with
severely hurt patients to critical care areas.
“It was an amazing experience to meet people
from all over the world,” she said.
Neena’s major obstacle was the language
barrier. “A lot of the pilgrims did not speak
English, so alternative forms of communication other than speech had to be used in
order to get medical information, such as
body language and pointing to medical
forms,” she said. “Another challenge was
keeping up with the demand of patients.
There was always an ongoing flow of
patients.”
“I’m glad I volunteered, it was enjoyable
and you definitely get a lot more back than
you give,” says Neena. “I felt that the patients
were very appreciative of our help and they
were very patient, even though the line-ups
were long and the demand for medical attention was so great.”
“The volunteers had an ongoing focus on
caring for sick people; they knew what they
were there to do and maintained their focus
throughout their shifts, even though the pilgrims were outside the medical tents celebrating the arrival of the Pope,” says Katherine.
“It was a big time team effort,” adds
Hema. “Any person could help from any specialty or department. I’m not a youth, but I
felt like I was 16 years old again. Being
together with everyone was just like being
with a nice big family; they were a very
friendly bunch.”
The Credit Valley Volunteer Partners
present their
17TH ANNUAL BAZAAR
proceeds to the
Carlo Fidani Peel Regional Cancer Centre
Saturday, November 23, 2002
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
2800 Erin Centre Blvd., Mississauga
St. Aloysius Gonzaga Secondary School
(corner of Erin Centre Blvd. and Glen Erin Dr.)
featuring
hand-crafted decorations, candles, soaps, bath oils, gift baskets, chocolates, christmas
cakes and baked goods, jewelry and accessories, unique stocking stuffers, toys, face
painting, snack bar, raffle prizes and more…
Admission is $2
FREE BALLOT TO WIN
A CLASSIC ’63 FORD
GALAXY CONVERTIBLE
COMPLIMENTS OF…
OLDIES
1150 RADIO
CVH8
Everything I Need To Know In Life, I Learned From Matthew
by HELEN REILLY,
Mommy*
When I reflect on the last 12 months,
what strikes me most is the profound impact
this tiny little person has had on those
around him! I have learned more about life,
love, trust and perspective in the last 12
months because of my son Matthew than I
learned in my previous 30 years. I am forever
thankful that I had the opportunity to spend
this, his first year, with him.
Did we do everything right? I don’t know.
I know that when people meet us in a coffee
shop (a favorite fair weather hang out for new
moms in our neighborhood) and ask about
Matthew, I get the usual questions and provide the usual responses such as his name, his
age, and we may laugh in response to the two
bottom teeth he displays so proudly. Many of
those who spend a moment with him also
mention that he looks like a very happy baby.
This, to me, is the greatest compliment anyone can offer. Whatever we have done, right
or wrong, Matthew is happy, and at the end
of the day, he’s the only one that matters! If
he’s happy, we’re happy.
When I stop to think about it, it doesn’t
take a lot to be happy. It is the simplicity of a
child’s perspective, awe, wonderment and
glee that allows you to see and appreciate
everything anew. Everyday happenings take
on new meaning. I have always lived in the
city and rarely gave the planes flying overhead a second thought. Still, since Matthew’s
Grandpa taught him to spot planes in the air
and point saying “bane! bane!‚” they have
become so much more exciting. They really
are fascinating machines when you stop to
think about it.
Don’t even ask when I was last in a park
before Matthew was born. These days, we
What I have learned...
1. Take nothing for granted. Matthew and
I know drivers don’t always respect the
rights of pedestrians.
2. Baths are more fun than showers. Who
takes the time to splash and play with a
duck in the shower anyway?
3. All you really, really need in life is “a song
in your heart, food in your belly, and love
in your family.”
4. The glass is always half full. Matthew can
make the most of a drop of water at the
bottom of a cup, when I would have
thrown the rest in the sink.
5. We should all wake up in the morning,
look into the face beside us and smile.
6. When climbing the stairs, take your time
and count each one out loud.
Matthew will soon celebrate his first birthday.
visit the park nearly every day. Matthew loves
the swings and the slide. It is obvious to me
that often parents enjoy the equipment as
much as the little ones. I never thought I
would see the day when my husband would
climb a ladder and line up with the two to
five year olds waiting his turn to go down the
winding slide. When he descends the slide
with a smile on his face and our son on his
lap, he has the excuse to enjoy the slide the
way he did as a child.
Everything I have done, every day, 24
hours a day for the last twelve months is different from anything I have done before in
my life and yet, it feels so natural that there
must be a force of nature that prepares and
Fall Gardening Tips
With winter fast approaching, there is
still a lot of the work that needs to be done
around the yard. Perhaps some of the trees
and bushes need to be pruned or the bulbs
for next spring need to be planted.
Gardening can be a very daunting task,
especially when you think of the physical
exertion required. However, there are many
benefits that come with gardening.
Gardening tasks require stretching various
muscles and bending your joints which
helps to maintain flexibility. Strength and
endurance is increased as you perform lifting
and other repetitive tasks. In fact, the benefits of 30 minutes of gardening are comparable to those of a brisk walk.
An important aspect of gardening is recognizing your own limitations. You cannot
force your body to do things that it is not
prepared to do. You should take a break
when you are tired. Avoid over-use injuries
by changing your activities throughout the
day. For example, if you must hoe the gardens, mow both the front and back yards
and then plant some bulbs in each garden,
try mowing one lawn, then hoeing one garden and planting some bulbs. Then when
you are done, mow the other lawn etc.
Some important considerations before
gardening are:
• Stretch the muscles you are about to
use by performing the movement beforehand.
• Plan ahead to make sure that you
already have the right tools for the job you
are going to do. Ensure that they are safe for
use.
7. If Matthew can learn to use new words,
so can I.
• Tool size should match the size of your
hand. Choose tools that you can hold so
that your hand is positioned in line with
your forearm.
• Position your body at the height of
your work. For example, consider using a
low, padded kneeling stool when working at
ground level.
• Keep the tools within easy reach perhaps by wearing a gardening apron.
• Do some warm up stretches that are
slow and painfree and that you can sustain
for 10-20 seconds. The stretching movements should be controlled. Do not bounce
or jerk. Repeat each stretch two or three
times before you begin gardening and again
afterwards.
• When lifting, keep your knees slightly
bent. Avoid twisting and reaching. While
carrying the item, keep it close to your midsection while you walk to place it down.
• Above all it is important that in order
to avoid pain and injury when you garden,
you should keep your body in shape all year
round. A routine of regular physical activity
and stretching has lasting benefits.
The occupational therapists and physiotherapists in your community and across the
country offer gardeners these and many
other, helpful gardening hints to ensure that
you get the most enjoyment you can from
gardening while remaining active all season.
For more information, you can visit the
Canadian Physiotherapy Association website
at www.physiotherapy.ca. or the Canadian
Occupational
Therapy
website
www.otworks.com. Happy gardening!
equips parents for such a profound change.
These days, I am preparing for another
change as I will return to work. As impossible
as it may seem now, we will manage the way
millions of families have before us. Still,
much like the birth itself, it seems like such a
monumental feat regardless of how many
have survived the process before us.
My mother has always told me that “Life
will teach you what I cannot tell you.” It is
the truest reality I have come to appreciate.
No matter how many people tell you or how
often they tell you, I could never have understood this kind of unconditional love until I
had a child of my own. Matthew makes my
days so much more meaningful. He makes
me smile. I suspect the highlight of my first
day back to work will be the smile that awaits
me when I come in the door that first
evening. It is that smile that will make it possible to do the same thing all over again the
next day.
8. Planes are amazing!
9. Unconditional love and blind trust are
wonderful feelings. Matthew can let go of
the sofa and fall backwards knowing we’ll
be there to catch him. I will encourage him
to find as many people in his life as he can
to trust and love in this way.
10. Life is slower. Some days are comprised
of errands and household responsibilities,
while others consist of breakfast, a bath, a
walk, lunch, a nap and another walk before
dinner, followed by bedtime stories with a
whole lot of playing in between. Can it get
any simpler?
*Helen, will be returning to work at Credit
Valley in a couple of weeks and we can’t wait to
have her back. And yes Helen, we’ll have a smile
waiting for you when you return – not quite
like Matthew’s but it’ll be there just the same.
Welcome back!
“A Credit To Your Health” Wins Publishing Award
The Credit Valley Hospital was honoured recently with a 2002 APEX Award for
Publication Excellence for the hospital’s newspaper “A Credit To Your Health”.
There were 187 entrants from Canada and the United States, and just nine
awards of excellence were presented. The awards are based on excellence in
graphic design, editorial content and the success of the entry, in the opinion of
the judges, in achieving overall communications effectiveness and excellence.
“A Credit To Your Health” is published with the co-operation of “The Mississauga
News”. Here, from left (back row) The Mississauga News Account Manager Scott
Hartman, Nadia Norcia, Crystal Peluso, Karen Dolyniuk, Dionne Galan and Jen
Old. From left, (front row) Anaar Sajoo, The Mississauga News Advertising Editor
Holly Crawford, CVH Director of Community Relations and Communications
Wendy Johnson, and Melissa Joseph.
CVH9
Helping Families Find Comfort In Devastating Times
by MELISSA JOSEPH,
Communications Manager
The parents of children in Credit Valley’s
satellite paediatric oncology clinic get to
know each other and often lean on each
other for support. Time and again they must
bring their children in for treatment to fight
the devastating disease attempting to rob
them of their youth, their innocence, their
health.
About a year ago, some of the parents
asked Brenda Zalter, clinical supervisor in
social work and her colleague, Anna
Geraldes, coordinator of the clinic, if they
could help them formalize a support group.
Brenda knew they needed to find a healing
place, away from the hospital and treatment
atmosphere. They contacted Wellspring – a
network of support centres for people with
cancer and their loved ones. Wellspring in
Oakville agreed to provide the space.
“Wellspring has been phenomenal,” says
Brenda. “The house is comfortable and
homelike and they’ve offered the parents free
use of their programs like art and message
therapy, babysitting and transportation assistance.”
In their role with the support group,
Brenda and her colleagues provide encouragement and counseling and facilitate group
discussion on any subject the parents wish.
“We talk about their week, how they are
doing,” she says. “These folks have to create
a new sense of what’s a normal life for themselves and their family. We not only talk
about their fears, the treatments and the terrifying possibility of outliving their child, we
also help them find a way to continue to celebrate the positive things in life, like
Christmas and just to be able to laugh again,
despite the immense pain they are suffering.”
One special family in the program
touched a chord with Brenda and her peers.
Nine-year-old Shannon Gardner had been
undergoing painful and exhausting leukemia
treatment for three years. Finally, she was off
of chemotherapy. Tragically, just one month
Shannon Gardner and her brother Kyle, joined dozens of parents and children at the paediatric
oncology support group’s first annual picnic at Wellspring in Oakville. Shannon, whose cancer
recently relapsed, and her family were reunited with a cousin from England who is disabled, at
Walt Disney World in Florida, thanks to the tremendous efforts of Credit Valley staff and generous donors.
later, Shannon relapsed. “It was devastating,”
says Brenda. “All that relief and joy erased in
an instant. “Many children with life-threatening illnesses receive special gifts from
organizations like Wish Kids and the
Children’s Wish Foundation. Shannon had
such a wish granted when she was first diagnosed. Because she was too weak to travel,
Shannon asked for and received a computer.
Brenda knew this relapse meant Shannon
would have two more years of chemotherapy
ahead of her. “We really wanted to help
them find something positive to look forward to,” says Brenda.
She and child-life worker Mary Beth Reid
discovered that, remarkably, Shannon’s
“I Swallowed A Penny”
Credit Valley Hospital’s Unique
Travelling Suitcase And Road Show
Children are eager to play doctor, nurse, patient or technician using the stethescope, blood pressure cuff and oxygen mask offered in CVH’s Travelling Suitcase.
It’s dress up time! Young students will now get the chance to
play doctor or nurse, examine xrays to see what everything from a
broken bone to a swallowed
penny or toy car looks like, and
prescribe treatments to their
“patients” all in the comfort of
their own classrooms.
Recognizing the need to educate children about hospital care,
The Credit Valley Hospital is
bringing the hospital right to the
community’s children with two
popular programs: the Traveling
Suitcase and the Road Show.
Offered to elementary schools
across the Peel and Halton
regions, the programs are designed
to provide young students with
information about health care and
assist in their understanding of
hospital functions.
Geared to children in kindergarten through grade two, the
Traveling Suitcase is like a hospital in a trunk, filled with ‘medical
clinic’ items and a variety of written and visual resources suitable
for use in the classroom. Being at
a curious age, children will be
eager to role play doctor, nurse,
patient or technician, using the
stethoscope, blood pressure cuff
and oxygen mask.
Similarly, the Road Show provides the same opportunities to
young students, and is offered by
Sylvie Hoyer and Sylvia Sharp,
two hospital volunteers.
The Road Show presentations
will take place Thursdays from 10
a.m. until 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.
until 2:30 p.m. and will carry a
$50 charge per presentation to
maintain the cost of supplies and
the program. To rent the
Traveling Suitcase for a one-week
period, the cost is $20, $10 of
which is a returnable deposit. To
book either program, teachers
may contact the volunteer department at Credit Valley at (905)
813-1585.
cousin in England, who is disabled, received
a wish from a foundation over there and
would be traveling with her family to Walt
Disney World in Florida. Brenda and Mary
Beth spent hours and hours contacting different foundations, airlines and anyone they
thought could help bring the families
together.
The result was a multitude of charitable
giving. Air Canada’s Dreams Take Flight
program provided Shannon’s family airfare
to and from Florida and Disney day passes
and the Lion’s Club of Brampton donated
$500 spending money. When Brenda contacted Terr y Hurlbut of Wish Kids in
Woodstock, Ontario, he wanted to help but
knew the universal mandate of one wish per
child excluded Shannon. “It’s really difficult,” explains Terry. “We’d like to be able to
do everything for these kids but if we granted repeat wishes, we wouldn’t (financially)
be able to help the other deserving kids
who’ve never received a wish.”
But Terry was moved by the work that
Brenda is doing and Shannon’s special case.
After talking with his wife they decided to
donate – out of their own pocket – four
nights accommodation at Disney and a limousine to and from the airport. “Sometimes
you have to go beyond the standard. I just
felt this was the right thing to do.”
Brenda says the Gardners were overwhelmed. “It’s really important that we can
reach out to these people beyond the treatment level,” says Brenda. She adds the families had a joyful reunion that bolstered the
spirits of both children.
Credit Valley’s paediatric oncology clinic
is a satellite program of the Hospital for Sick
Children (HSC) in Toronto. HSC has partnered with different hospitals so that the
children who live outside of the downtown
Toronto area can receive some of their treatment, such as bloodwork and chemotherapy,
closer to home. The support group is open
to any parents of children in the clinic,
whether their child is in active treatment,
remission, has relapsed or has passed on.
Credit Valley Goes Hollywood
Congratulations to Credit Valley’s Dr. Rhonda
Taylor, emergency department physician who is
going to Hollywood to meet the cast and crew of
the hit TV sitcom, “Scrubs”!
Dr. Taylor loves the TV show and agreed to be
interviewed for television by Red Apple
Entertainment about why she enjoys the show.
What Dr. Taylor didn’t know, is that Red Apple
Entertainment produces the TV show, “Thrill of
a Lifetime”. She also didn’t know that what the
crew really wanted to do was to surprise her with
an all-expenses paid trip to the Scrubs TV set in
Hollywood! And they wanted to do it at Credit
Valley – in a true-to-life hospital emergency
department.
In the midst of her TV interview, Dr.
Letovsky, chief of emergency (who was in on the
prank) requested a consult, “stat” with Dr. Taylor
to view an x-ray. The TV cameras followed Dr.
Taylor to meet with Dr. Letovsky where he put
up an “x-ray” that said, ‘It’s your “Thrill of a
Lifetime” – you’re going to Hollywood to the set
of Scrubs!’
Dr. Taylor will be winging her way to LA, all
expenses paid by the show, “Thrill of a Lifetime”,
at the end of September. We’ll all have a chance
to view Dr. Taylor’s television debut sometime in
the winter when “Thrill of a Lifetime” airs on
Women’s Television Network (WTN).
Oh, and by the way, Dr. Taylor’s new nickname is “Hollywood!”
CVH10
Nightmare
A True Story About Me
by SHAHIR OMAR
This is a nightmare! First of all, what do
you think is one of the worst things in life?
Well one horrible thing in life is being sick!
What I am referring to is cancer. Guess
what? I am beginning to know this disease
all too well.
It started one day at the home of a family
friend. I noticed this large bump on my
neck. Over the next few days, my family and
I visited the emergency room often because I
was feverish and needed antibiotics. I soon
found out I would be staying for a couple of
days. Everyone was very kind to me because
they all know it is probably hard to go
through so much while being so young.
When my grandfather heard about this, he
became really scared and the next thing I
knew he was on the next flight to Canada
from Malawi. I was referred to “ The
Hospital for Sick Children” in Toronto, not
far from where I live.
When I went to Sick Kids for the first
time it was pretty scary because I had never
been to such a big hospital before. I’m glad
there were lots of fun things to do at the
hospital because little did I know, it would
become my second home. When I got home
Shahir Omar – a very determined young lad!
my family gave me a big welcome home
party. It felt awfully good to finally be back
home to see my family and not make them
come and visit me while I’m in the hospital.
Mahir my brother and Mahin my sister are
always trying to make me feel better by
telling me jokes to make me laugh and stories to fill me in on what I have missed. My
Grandma made me all my favorite foods
because I heard that I would be getting a lot
of cravings.
When talking to my aunt, someone who I
trust, I felt like my mind was going to blow!
I just blurted out to her, “Do you think I
can really do this?”
“Do what?’ she asked.
“Go through this whole losing my hair,
getting needles, going to the hospital, missing so much school and the rest and go
along with it?”
“Well, if you keep your spirits up and
don’t lose hope of making it through this,
sure! Actually I am certain you can make it
through,” she calmly replied. As I watched
my aunt continued to hide her fear, she carried on with a sigh, “This is a difficult phase
that some people have to go through, but it
is up to you to face this extreme challenge.”
After finally being able to share my private
thoughts, I felt as though a hole had been
put in my head and everything that was in
there had escaped.
My hair started to fall out when I was in
the hospital. I then was beginning to feel
angry. Sometimes I couldn’t stop crying.
When I would wake up in the morning, my
sheets and the pillow were covered in hair. I
had looked in the mirror and bent my head
so I could see the top, there were parts with
no hair at all, which sent me into depression.
When I went back to school everyone
asked me where I had been and what had
happened to all of my hair. When everyone
in my class had found out I had cancer, our
class thought of a way to support me and
make me feel better by having a Bandana
Tuesday.
This whole experience has been so scary
and terrifying for me, but in a way makes
me feel a lot stronger and I don’t feel that
frightened to do spontaneous things. The
reason I wrote this story is for all kids and
adults that go through each day knowing
that they have cancer, and ever wondering if
they will wake up from this nightmare.
The next six months will be tough, but I
know I can make it through.
Folic Acid Fortification of Food – Reducing The Risk Of Spina Bifida
by ANAAR SAJOO,
Genetic Counsellor, MSc., CCGC.
About one in one thousand babies
will develop a congenital anomaly
called spina bifida. Two reports in the
August 6 issue of the Canadian
Medical Association Journal suggest
fortification of food staples such as
flour, pasta, and cereals with folic acid
has been successful in reducing the
number of babies who develop neural
tube defects (NTDs).
If the neural tube does not form
correctly in prenatal development,
this causes permanent disability of the
spine or brain. Spina bifida is an
opening along the neural tube. If the
top of the neural tube remains open,
this creates a lethal NTD called anencephaly. At this time, there is no way
to completely repair the neural tube.
NTDs are usually caused by multiple factors, genetic and non-genetic.
Due to genetic factors, the risk is
greater for close relatives of someone
with an NTD. This article will focus
on a non-genetic factor, the B vitamin
folic acid. Folate occurs naturally in
green leafy vegetables, and was first
isolated in spinach in 1941. Some
dietary folate is converted to folic acid
which is used by the body in many
ways. In 1965, the relationship
between folate metabolism and birth
defects was recognized. In the 1980s
research showed extra folic acid
reduced the recurrence risk in families
with NTDs. Further studies showed
supplementation reduces the risk for
woman in the general population
without identifiable risk factors.
About 95 per cent of NTDs occur
in families with no previous history or
risk factors. And since most pregnancies are confirmed after the neural
tube begins to form, daily folic acid
supplementation is recommended for
all women of child-bearing age. The
medical community and media in
Canada, the US, and UK have been
publicizing this information for over
ten years. One very visible champion
of folic acid supplementation is the
March of Dimes. The newest campaign in Ontario comes from the
Folic Acid Alliance of Ontario. Most
women have heard about folic acid,
but many women still do not take
folic acid tablets before conception
through the first trimester of pregnancy.
Because 40 per cent of pregnancies
are unplanned and since the neural
tube forms in the first 30 days of
development, folic acid supplementation is often started too late to have a
preventative effect. To solve this problem, folic acid was added to staple
foods in 1998. The addition of vitamins to food has been successful in
the past. For example, goiter was
reduced when salt was iodized. The
incidence of rickets was reduced with
fortification of milk with vitamin D.
Two Canadian groups, one from
Ontario and another from Nova
Scotia, have now looked at the number NTDs in their respective
provinces and analysed the effects of
screening, folic acid supplementation,
and fortification. Both studies found
a reduction in the number of pregnancies with NTDs by the mid-1990s
when folic acid supplementation campaigns were introduced. Although
vitamin supplementation by women
themselves played a role, another dramatic reduction occurred after fortification of pasta, flour, and cereals
began in 1997/98.
Key Message
See your doctor before starting a
pregnancy to ask about supplementation. Remember the neural tube
forms very early in development.
After the neural tube is formed, tak-
ing extra folic acid does not have a
preventative effect. Folic acid, either
in tablets or in fortified foods is more
effective than folate from fruits and
vegetables. Check the labels. Brand
and no-name brand multivitamins
have different amounts of folic acid.
The minimum recommended dose
for most women is 0.4 mg per day.
Folic acid can be bought over the
counter in 1.0 mg tablets as well.
This B-vitamin is non-toxic.
Ask your doctor to recommend
specific doses of folic acid if you have
any one of the following:
• IDDM - insulin dependent diabetes
• Epilepsy - taking anti-seizure med-
Health Canada (folic acid)
ication
• Family history - if a close relative www.hc-sc.gc.ca/english/folicacid/
had a baby with an NTD
Folic Acid Awareness campaign
(Health Canada)
Where To Get More
(613) 957-2991
Information
March of Dimes
1-888-MODIMES
www.modimes.org
Folic acid Alliance of Ontario
www.folicacid.ca
Motherisk Toronto
Regarding folic acid
www.motherisk.org/folic/index.php3
Baby center.com
Folic acid quiz
www.babycenter.com/quiz/folic/
For copies of folic acid pamphlet:
Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy
Eating, and Nutrition for a Healthy
Pregnancy: National Guidelines for
the Childbearing Years,
call (613) 954-5995
Reference: Canadian Medical
Association Journal,
August 6, 2002, Vol. 167, No. 3
What You Should Know About Genetically Modified Foods
by ANAAR SAJOO,
Genetic Counsellor, MSc., CCGC.
As a health care professional in the field of human
genetic diseases at The Credit Valley Hospital, I understand the complexity of inheritance and how genes interact with each other and the environment. When there
are new developments in pharmaceuticals, agriculture,
pesticides, and conservation, I pay attention. Here’s what
I learned this month: about 60 per cent of us don’t realize products made from genetically modified crops
(GM) have been sold in grocery stores for years.
The debate about genetically modified food is active
in Europe, but only recently hit the news here in
Canada. This time, the debate is not about the safety of
GM food – there have been no problems with food
safety – but about the labelling of food. Single window
labelling is on its way and will affect us every time we
shop for groceries.
On August 26, 2002, the Canadian Biotechnology
Advisory Committee (CBAC) presented its report
Improving the Regulation of Genetically Modified
Foods and Other Novel Foods in Canada to the Federal
government. The CBAC is made up of stakeholders
such as public advocates, experts in science, business,
nutrition, law and the environment. The committee
tries to balance the benefits of biotech innovation with
any potential harms. They support the “precautionary
approach to evaluation and monitoring of potential
long term impacts”. For more information about GM
foods and their eight recommendations, click on to the
CBAC website (www.cbac-cccb.ca) or call 1-866-748CBAC (1-866-748-2222).
The CBAC recommended the government adopt a
voluntary system of labelling for GM foods. This will be
reviewed after three years and made mandatory if necessary. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)
protects consumers from advertising and labeling misrepresentation. They are the body that sets the rules for
ingredient lists, product claims, and mandatory information. Look for “positive labelling” with understandable and truthful information. Negative labelling such
as the statement “contains no GM products” may be
misleading.
Health Canada is responsible for setting food labeling policies regarding health and safety (nutritional content, allergens etc.). After labelling, special attention is
being paid to any potential allergenicity of GM foods.
Health Canada, in combination with international
experts, published Allergenicity of Foods Produced by
Genetic Modification to document the current research
and conclusions. Stay tuned!
CVH11
COMING EVENTS
Thank you for your participation
in events that support The Credit
Valley Hospital Foundation.
If you would like to register for
an event or to find out how you
can host a special event for
Foundation, please call Mary
McPherson, Director Community
Fundraising at 905-813-2645.
Phoenix Ball
October 20
The Mississauga Board of Chinese
Professionals is holding its annual
Phoenix Ball. Credit Valley
Hospital Foundation is one of the
recipients of proceeds from this
gala dinner/dance. Cocktails
begin at 6 and dinner at 7 at the
Mississauga Convention Centre.
Please call Mary McPherson at
(905) 813-2645 for ticket information. We encourage you to
attend this beautiful ball.
Credit Valley Partners’ Bazaar
November 23
Come find that perfect gift for the
special people in your life while
supporting your community hospital at the same time. You will
find handcrafted gifts, toys and
stocking stuffers, baked goods,
jewelry, face painting, raffle prizes
and much more. Admission is $2
with all proceeds to Credit Valley.
Held at the Erin Meadows
Community Centre located at
Glen Erin and Erin Centre Blvd,
the bazaar runs from 10am to
5pm. For more information,
phone (905) 813-4257
Tree of Lights
December 5
Join your community in celebrating the holiday season as we light
up the tree in the main lobby at
Credit Valley at 6pm. For more
information, contact Andra Rice at
the Foundation at 905-813-4509.
Carrying On A Long-Standing Tradition Of Support
Longo’s Pledges $250,000 to Credit Valley
Longo Brothers Fruit Markets Inc. is a family owned business started by
Tommy, Joe and Gus Longo in 1956. The first store was located in Toronto
and was no more than 2,000 square feet with eight workers, all of whom
were family members. In 1962, the Longo brothers opened their second
store and since then, the Longo family has expanded their grocery chain to
13 stores from Burlington to Toronto to Brampton to Markham
to serve their many customers. Their head office is located in
Mississauga. From the beginning Longo’s has built a reputation on a strong commitment to quality, service and value
and demonstrates an ongoing commitment to the well
being of their local communities.
Like Longo’s, The Credit Valley Hospital has a strong
commitment to quality and service and understands the
need to expand to provide the highest quality of health care
to our community. The hospital expansion will see the facility
double our current size and build a new Regional Cancer Centre
and Regional Maternal Child Centre. The Credit Valley Hospital
Foundation has undertaken a $50 million capital campaign to assist with
the expansion of The Credit Valley Hospital. The Foundation depends
upon the generosity and partnership with individuals and organizations
within our community to meet our goal of $50 million.
Understanding the tremendous rate of growth of our surrounding community, the Longo’s Family Charitable Foundation has committed
$250,000 toward the new Longo Paediatric Family Resource Centre which
will be housed in the Credit Valley’s new maternal child centre. The
Foundation is fortunate to have Longo’s as a long-time supporter since
1994.
Credit Valley already offers specialized paediatric services and advance
level II maternal and newborn services to our community. The hospital has
also been designated by the Ministry of Health as the Regional Centre for
Maternal Child Care and will care for high-risk mothers and newborns
in Peel and Halton. Once the new facilities are built, Credit
Valley will be able to provide specialized, complex care closer
to home.
The new Longo Paediatric Family Resource Centre
will be a focal point for patients and families using paediatric services in the hospital. It will be an inviting area
with bright colours, elliptical shape, play areas, toys, and
entertainment for children up to the age of 18 – an area
where children can be children, regardless of their illness.
This unique space will exemplify our humanistic philosophy of
patient care – treating the whole patient, body mind and spirit.
Longo’s vision states that their team of food experts are dedicated to
exceeding customer expectations by offering the best food experience to
every customer, every time. Credit Valley’s vision is to be the finest hospital
in Canada in the hearts and minds of the people we serve. With matching
visions and philosophies, this partnership offers great support to the children and families in our region.
Credit Valley thanks Longo’s for their generous support and is proud to
encourage your support of their business.
DirectProtect Golf Classic Charity Pro Am Supports Credit Valley
The 9th Annual DirectProtect Golf Classic held
on Monday, August 12 th at Lionhead Golf &
Country Club raised essential dollars toward the
new capital expansion project currently underway at
Credit Valley.
The incredible heat was no match for our 136
golfers who enjoyed a challenging day on Lionhead’s
Masters Course. Special thanks go out to our volunteers, staff members, golf classic committee members and board members who were instrumental in
making this event another huge success.
Foundation’s President Norma Bandler sums it
up well in saying, “The DirectProtect Golf
Tournament for The Credit Valley Hospital
Foundation is one of those special days each year
when our supporters get together for a day of camaraderie, play on a great golf course with a little guidance from the pros, and in the end, increase the
strength and success of our Foundation through
their generosity and fund raising.”
The Credit Valley Hospital Foundation gratefully acknowledges the support of our sponsors.
The Valentine’s Gala
Romance – Dance – Dine –
Donate
February 14, 2003
The annual Valentine’s Gala will
be held on Friday, February 14,
2003 at the Mississauga
Convention Centre. Tables of ten
can be reserved by calling Rachel
Huchkewich at 905-813-4123.
Fabulous sponsorship opportunities are also available. Bring your
love and really celebrate this special evening.
Title Sponsor
DirectProtect
Corporate Sponsor
Discount Car and Truck Rentals
Charton-Hobbs
Dominion Stores
Mississauga Area Mazda Dealers
- The Dilawri Group of Companies
Other Sponsors
Allianz Education Funds Inc.
Applewood Chevrolet Geo Cadillac
Oldsmobile
Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd.
Bell Mobility
Bell Nexxia
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
The Document Company Xerox
Golf Evolutions
HB Group Insurance Management Ltd.
Charity Begins At Home
This past June, five year old Jeremy and three
year old Jack decided to do something special for
their community. For the past several years, the
boys have held a garage sale where they sold some
of their belongings. Each year they donate the
proceeds from the garage sale toward a charity in
their community. This year, the two boys donated their earnings of $100 toward Credit Valley.
Jeremy and Jack chose Credit Valley because
both boys were born here at the hospital. In fact,
both boys have a hand print with their name and
birth date up on our BirthDay Club wall on the
third floor in the Labour and Delivery.
Our appreciation goes out to Jeremy and Jack
and the entire Malloch Family for their generosity
and kindness.
Presents
Please Include Me Among Your Family of Supporters
with my gift of:
o $500
OR I prefer to make my donation with my credit card:
o Visa o Master Card o AmEx
OR o Automatic Monthly Bank Withdrawal of $______
o $250
o $100
o $50
o $25
o Other
Name _______________________________________________________________________
Expiry Date
_________________
Signature
________
Date
Card #
The 2003
Valentine’s Gala
Friday, February 14, 2003
Mississauga Convention Centre
Proceeds toward the capital campaign for the
crucial expansion of The Credit Valley Hospital
The Credit Valley Hospital Foundation
welcomes the following new sponsors:
Agfa Inc. as the Mystery Prize Sponsor
Bell Mobility as the
Champagne and Chocolate Sponsor
We gratefully acknowledge our
returning sponsor:
Dominion Stores as the Volunteer Sponsor
Address _____________________________________________________________________
City & Postal Code _____________________________________
(Please attach void cheque)
_______________________
________
Lang Michener
Loblaw Companies Ltd.
Masonite International Corporation
The Mississauga CruiseShip Centres
National Wireless
Perigee Investment Council Inc.
Sys-Net Solutions Limited
TouchLogic Corporation
Transportation Lease Systems Inc.
Phone # ______________________________________________
Email ________________________________________________
Please make cheque payable to:The Credit Valley Hospital Foundation
and mail to: 2200 Eglinton Avenue West, Mississauga, ON, L5M 2N1
Phone: (905) 813-4123
Fax: (905) 813-4334
For tickets or further information about
sponsorships of the Valentine’s Gala,
please call Mary McPherson Director,
Community Fundraising at
905-813-2645
CVH12

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