2011 award recipients - Regional Geriatric Program Central

8th Annual
Service Awards for
Geriatric Excellence
SAGE WINNERS
POINTS OF
INTEREST
Executive/Senior
Leadership
2
Individual
Achievement
2
Rookie of the Year
3
Volunteer
Achievement
3
Team
Achievement
3
Organization
Achievement
4
Sponsors
4
Photos
6
SAGE Partners
7
Planning Committee
8
SAGE 2012
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For more
information about
the SAGE Program
visit:
www.rgpc.ca
contact:
Lynn Sage
[email protected]
(905) 777-3837,
ext. 12436
JUNE 2011
Celebrating Excellence in Senior Care
The Service Awards for Geriatric
Excellence (SAGE) is a joint initiative of
the Regional Geriatric Program central
(RGPc) and St. Peter’s Hospital,
Hamilton Health Sciences.
The program was introduced in 2003 to
formally recognize the outstanding
achievements of individuals and
organizations who demonstrate
excellence in positively influencing the
quality of life of seniors and to highlight geriatrics as a critical area of
health care.
These individuals are committed to
excellence in care and service delivery
so that seniors and their families can
live with independence and dignity in
their own homes and communities.
They also provide the highest quality of
care for older adults in hospital and
long term care.
Frail seniors with complex health
problems have unique needs. In
Canada, the population 75 years of age
and older will more than double by
2028.
As our population ages, the provision of
quality care for seniors and their loved
ones by skilled professionals is
becoming increasingly important.
This unique awards program is the only
one of its kind in Ontario to celebrate
the professional excellence of
individuals and organizations that
provide health care and community
services for seniors and their families.
The 8th Annual SAGE program was
hosted in partnership with St. Joseph’s
Health System on Friday, May 27, 2011
in Hamilton. The event was attended by
430 guests celebrating the achievements of over 55 nominees from the
regions of Hamilton, Niagara,
Haldimand Norfolk, Brant, Waterloo,
Wellington Dufferin and Halton.
We are very grateful to Ted Michaels
News Anchor for AM 900 CHML, who
graciously acted as the Master of
Ceremonies for the evening, and the
Hon. Sophia Aggelonitis, Minister
Responsible for Seniors who presented
the award for Executive Achievement.
An event of this magnitude would not
be possible without the support of
many community and corporate
partners and we would like to thank all
of the sponsoring organizations for
their generous support.
Celebrating Excellence!
Executive/Senior Leadership
Dr. Michelle Gagnon, Professor, Division of Geriatric Medicine, Department
of Medicine; Head of Geriatrics, St. Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton;
Geriatric Assessment Clinic, Norfolk General Hospital, Simcoe
Dr. Gagnon is a dedicated
professional, providing evidencebased care to older adults and their
caregivers.
She is known as a brilliant educator
who is committed to building
capacity through educating
residents, physicians, allied health
care providers, older adults and
their caregivers. A key example of
her commitment to capacity building is the expert support she
provides for the development and
ongoing operation of primary care
based memory clinics.
Dr. Gagnon provides consultations,
diagnosis, treatment and education to
older adults and their caregivers in
acute care hospitals, outpatient clinics
and long term care facilities.
She is described as having a gift, and
she quickly builds rapport with clients
with her kind, gentle approach and
wonderful sense of humour.
Individual Achievement
Anne Pizzacalla, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Hamilton Health Sciences
Anne has been instrumental in key
initiatives that have improved
quality of life, prevented delirium
and functional decline, identified
and managed geriatric syndromes,
and ensured patients’ environments are as safe as possible. She
has also educated staff to provide
the kind of care older people need
and deserve.
(L) Anne Pizzacalla
(R) Rebecca Repa, President,
St. Peter’s Hospital
Her “can do” attitude has led to
many pioneering accomplishments
including the establishment of the
first Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP)
in Canada and implementation of the
first Gentle Persuasive Approaches to
Dementia Care training for staff at an
acute care site.
Anne is not only a skilled clinician,
leader and innovator, but she is also
an influential educator who spends
countless hours mentoring and role
modeling. She guides and
demonstrates respectful and
compassionate care for seniors.
Individual Achievement
Marge Dempsey, Director of Clinical Services,
Alzheimer Society of Niagara Region, St. Catharines
Marge is known for her visionary
leadership and proactive
approaches to engaging cooperatively with all partners to find
constructive solutions and
strategies. Most importantly she has
a passion for improving the quality
of life of persons with dementia and
their caregivers.
She led the growth and development
of the Alzheimer Society of Niagara
Region from a small community
agency to become one of the largest
2
and most highly respected Alzheimer
Society Chapters in Canada.
Always based on best practice
evidence, Marge has been instrumental in the development of countless
new programs, policies and practices.
As a tireless advocate, educator and
researcher, Marge has positively
impacted colleagues as well as
persons with dementia and their
families for over 20 years.
Rookie of the Year
Aisling Maher, Registered Practical Nurse,
T. Roy Adams Regional Centre for Dementia Care, St. Catharines
Aisling is described as an exceptional
contributor and skilled clinician who is
committed to holistic care. She is a caring
and compassionate person who has
coupled her passion for nursing with a
strong dedication to providing quality
specialized dementia care.
As a lifelong learner, Aisling is a graduate
of PIECES training, and has embraced the
concepts of Gentle Persuasive Approaches
to Dementia Care and Montessori
Programming for the elderly.
Her colleagues say she is the person
they often turn to when looking to
bundle services together to help
people remain independent in their
home. She strives to focus on the
abilities of clients by enabling them to
be the best they can be.
Volunteer Achievement
Myranda Hogan, Volunteer, St. Peter’s Residence at Chedoke, Hamilton
For such a young person (only 15 years
old) Myranda has quickly gained a
reputation with residents and family
members at St. Peter’s as being a reliable,
kind and a caring volunteer.
She exemplifies the true spirit of
volunteerism in her day to day work.
She has a very gentle approach with
residents, and is sensitive and perceptive
to their differing needs and feelings.
themselves in their room, and has a
winning way of connecting with people.
She is also the first and only volunteer
at St. Peter’s Residence to be trained in
Snoezelen Therapy - a multi-sensory
experience promoting mental alertness,
calm and comfort.
Myranda is described as having a
special gift. She looks beyond the
disease to see the real person beneath.
Myranda often spends time with
residents who may feel lonely or isolate
Team Achievement
Housekeeping Team, St. Joseph’s Health Centre Guelph
St. Josephs’ Housekeeping Team members are described as warm and caring.
They recognize that they are part of a larger effort, bigger than just their
immediate job responsibilities, and bigger than any one department – an effort that
requires everyone to pull together.
This team is very engaged and is involved in practical day to day problem solving,
partnering with different
programs to improve living
conditions for patients and
families.
They often put in extra hours,
come to work early, and take
initiative to make sure the
environment for residents is
safe and welcoming.
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Organization Achievement
Wellington Terrace Long Term Care Home, Fergus
Staff and volunteers at Wellington Terrace provide outstanding service and care for seniors and their
families in the community. They are pioneers in implementing best practices and evaluating their
services.
Positioned in a rural community with limited resources, Wellington Terrace has established creative
partnerships with community organizations and
health care professionals
to ensure optimal access
care for residents.
The home is often called
upon for consultation by
other organizations and
has an exceptional
reputation in the
community as a true
leader in the field of
geriatrics.
2011 SAGE Sponsors
TITLE SPONSOR
DIAMOND SPONSOR
4
PLATINUM SPONSORS
GOLD SPONSORS
SILVER SPONSORS
Homewood Health Centre
Willow Publishing
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The Celebration
Dr. Michelle Gagnon
(L) receives the
Executive Award
from the Hon.
Sophia Aggelonitis,
Minister Responsible
for Seniors and MPPHamilton Mountain
Ted Michaels, Master of Ceremonies and
News Anchor for AM 900 CHML welcomes
guests to the 2011 SAGE Awards Ceremony
2010 Volunteer
Award Winner
Nelly Van Pagee
(R), with this
year’s Volunteer
Award Winner
Myranda Hogan
Deborah Bakti, Vice President,
Human Resources, Extendicare
Canada brings greetings
on behalf of Extendicare
Rebecca Repa, President,
St. Peter’s Hospital (R)
presents Anne Pizzacalla with
the Individual Award
The Housekeeping Team at
St. Joseph’s Health Centre
in Guelph accepts the
Team Award
Marge Dempsey receives the
Individual Award from
Susan Gregg, the 2010
Individual Award Winner
Aisling Maher addresses the
crowd after accepting the
Rookie of the Year Award
Hon. Sophia Aggelonitis, Minister
Responsible for Seniors and MPPHamilton Mountain brings greetings
Staff of Wellington Terrace Long Term Care Home
in Fergus accept the Organization Award
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2011 SAGE Partners
www.rgpc.ca
The Regional Geriatric Program central (RGPc), located at St.
Peter's Hospital in Hamilton, is one of five regional geriatric
programs in Ontario. The RGPc is affiliated with McMaster
University.
The mission of the RGPc is to promote a system of health care that optimizes the health,
independence and quality of life of frail seniors based on evidence-informed practices.
Areas of focus include service delivery enhancement, network linkages, knowledge exchange,
evaluation and research.
St. Peter’s Hospital - a site of Hamilton Health Sciences - has
specialized in enhancing the lives of seniors and those with chronic
illness since 1890. St. Peter’s Hospital provides inpatient, outpatient,
community-based programs and services that focus on Dementia,
Aging, Palliative Care and Rehabilitation. St. Peter’s is committed to
finding ways to minimize and manage the daily effects of lifelong
illness by getting to know the person behind the illness. A high-touch,
low-tech approach to caring ensures that the physical, mental,
emotional and spiritual needs of each patient are met every
www.hamiltonhealthsciences.ca
day.
Hamilton Health Sciences is a family of six unique hospitals and a cancer centre, serving more
than 2.3 million residents of Hamilton and central west Ontario Hamilton Health Sciences is
the second largest hospital in Ontario and is affiliated with McMaster University and Mohawk
College of Applied Arts and Technology.
St. Joseph’s Health System is committed to fulfilling
its mission - Living the Legacy – Compassionate
Care. Faith. Discovery.
St. Joseph’s Health System is one of Canada’s
largest healthcare organizations, with partner
organizations including St. Joseph’s Lifecare Centre,
Brantford, St. Joseph’s Villa, Dundas, St. Joseph’s Health Centre, Guelph, St. Joseph’s Healthcare
Hamilton, St. Mary’s General Hospital, Kitchener, and St. Joseph’s Home Care.
St. Joseph’s takes pride in caring for the elderly across the continuum of care, and congratulates
all the remarkable winners of the SAGE awards.
www.sjhcs-gpo.com/sjhs
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SINCERE THANKS TO THE 2011 PLANNING COMMITTEE
Glenys Currie, Director, Community Support Services, St. Joseph’s Home Care
Susan Oates, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Geriatrics, St. Mary’s General Hospital
Jennifer O’Brien, Vice President, Human Resources and Community Services,
St. Joseph’s Health Centre
Maureen Tettman, Quality of Life Director, St. Joseph’s Villa
Jennifer Miller, Manager of Resident Support & Wellness Services, St. Joseph’s Lifecare Centre
Brady Wood, Director, Strategy & Public Relations, St. Joseph’s Health System
Julia Baxter, Manager, Geriatric Mental Health Outreach Programs, c/o Halton Geriatric Mental
Health Outreach Program, St. Joseph’s Healthcare, Geriatric Psychiatry
Patricia Ford, Clinical Nurse Specialist/Adult-NP, Geriatric Services,
St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton
Laura Wheatley, Business Manager, Clinical Programs, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton
Jane Loncke, Director, Clinical Programs, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton
Kelly Tournay, Case Coordinator, Seniors Intervention and Support Program,
Catholic Family Services of Hamilton
Lynn Sage, Education Consultant, Regional Geriatric Program central
David Jewell, Director, Regional Geriatric Program central
2012 SAGE Program
Join Us!
Planning has already begun for the 2012 Service
Awards for Geriatric Excellence. We look forward to
hosting the Awards Ceremony in Kitchener, Ontario.
We are always looking for new ideas and
contributors to enhance the SAGE experience.
We welcome interested individuals from different
professional backgrounds, care settings and regional
communities to join the SAGE Planning Committee.
More Information
Lynn Sage at [email protected] or (905) 777-3837, ext. 12436
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