Part 1“The union filed a complaint,” the nurse said to her colleague. “They don’t want us porting patients. But I don’t know how to use the new computerized porter booking system, so I just do it myself.” By her own account, she has more than 20 years’ experience in nursing, including at the old Humber River Regional Hospital.During my previous chemotherapy session, she was the “senior” nurse who had angrily and confrontationally increased the drip rate of the drug I was receiving, overruling a younger, more recently educated nurse, whose patient I was. The “senior” felt that I was “wasting their time” by insisting they follow the chemotherapy protocol laid out in my file by my oncologist.When I had an entirely preventable rigors reaction (intense sweating and uncontrollable shaking) to the drug minutes later, the “experienced” nurse shrugged it off, casually saying, “well, that has never happened before.”Except similar events have happened before. Frequently.The “old” Humber River Regional Hospital (at its site on Finch Avenue West) had frequent problems with patient care. The first problem I heard was from my 19-year-old neighbour who went to emergency with unexplained continuous bleeding from his nose. He bled for 36 hours at the hospital while doctors found “nothing wrong with him”. “It felt like the doctors and nurses didn’t take me seriously because there was no obvious bullet wound causing the bleeding,” he told me. He believes that he would have died if his terrified parents hadn’t taken him out of the Humber River and checked him in to Sunnybrook hospital. “The University Health Network (UHN) was completely different”, he recounted. “They actually cared about me and took my condition seriously. They put me on a new drug and it saved my life.”His story and many similar ones were used to justify the massive cost of the new Humber River site, with claims of the latest technology improving patient care. And plenty new technology is being used, like the pneumatic tubes that deliver blood samples to the lab at such high speed that they shatter the blood cells, leading to faulty test results. “They promised us when they installed the system that it wouldn’t harm the blood samples,” another nurse told me. But that didn’t prevent my being admitted to emergency due to a bad test result. “You are standing and talking to me, so this result can’t be correct. You would be dead,” the ER doctor told me looking at my blood test result after I waited 60 minutes to be admitted (imagine if it had been a correct result!). A couple of days later it was, “the system would have beeped to warn me, don’t worry!” said casually by a nurse who almost gave me the wrong type of blood transfusion (which could have killed me).Technology is neither the problem nor the solution in these cases. The underlying cause is a lack of critical thought, patience, and listening to patients by burned out, jaded health care professionals. And the patient experiences that I have heard about at the “new” Humber River while researching this story are exactly like the old ones: Medication screw ups, sending elderly patients to non-OHIP-covered offsite clinics they can’t afford, uncompassionate and confrontational medical professionals, and long wait times, including in emergency cases.Stay tuned for Part 2 of this article in the next edition.
'Water Does Wonders’
“Would you like a drink with that?” -a frequent question when ordering food. You look at your child and they ask for a soft drink or juice. Do they ever ask for water or milk? If not, it’s time for a change!The human body is 60-70% water. Water helps to digest food, regulate body temperature, lubricate organs and joints, transport nutrients, and eliminate waste from the body and much more. Children are less heat tolerant and more susceptible to dehydration, especially when physically active and in hot climates. Encouraging children to drink regularly is vital as they can get so involved in what they are doing that they forget to drink enough.Fruit and vegetable juices contain much more sugar and calories and much less fiber compared to whole fruit. Calories in drinks contribute to our daily energy intake in the same way as food. Drinking too many calories overtime causes weight gain, whereas water is a calorie & sugar-free way to keep hydrated. Children do not need juice of any kind to have a balanced and healthy diet.Encouraging water & discouraging sugary drinks is important because:
- Sugary drinks contribute to the obesity epidemic
- Children who are obese have a higher risk of chronic disease and premature death as adults
- Unhealthy weights can influence self-esteem and mental health in children and youth
- Sugar is linked to poor oral health, leading to tooth decay & damage to tooth enamel; most tap water is fluoridated which means that it helps teeth stay strong and protects against cavities
- Exposes them to the ‘habit’ of drinking water instead of sweet drinks
Patterns of drinking behavior appear to be established early in childhood, so it is important that young children get used to drinking water in order to maintain hydration and establish good habits early on.The Healthy Kids Community Challenge (HKCC), an initiative by the Province of Ontario, unites communities with a common goal: promoting children’s health through physical activity and healthy eating. Humber-Downsview is one of 45 communities across Ontario taking part in the HKCC. The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care has launched a new theme for HKCC titled ‘Water Does Wonders’. This campaign encourages kids and families to reach for water when thirsty in an initiative to help kids make healthy choices.Dr. Eric Hoskins, Minister of Health, states, “I am excited to move forward with the second theme of Ontario’s HKCC, encouraging kids and their families to drink water instead of sugary drinks. Helping kids and their families to make healthy choices in their everyday lives is an important part of our plan to help Ontarians lead happier, healthier lives.” Myriam Castilla, HKCC Manager at Humber-Downsview Region says, “We all know healthy eating is important for growing children. So is healthy hydration.”Tips to promote healthy behaviors early & keep children hydrated:
- When your child asks for a drink, offer water and/or milk first
- Pack a water bottle for children heading off to school/outings/other activities
- If your child is already used to sweet drinks, start to reduce their intake by offering water diluted drinks and then move on to water and/or adding slices of fruits or vegetables (cucumber, lemon, lime, orange, mint) for natural flavor
- Encourage your child to eat fresh fruit and vegetables instead of drinking juice and other sugar drinks
- Be a role model by not keeping sweet drinks in the house or consuming sweet drinks yourself
- Remember: Young children only eat or drink what is given to them!
For more information about partnerships and to invite Water Does Wonders to your next event, contact Myriam Castilla via:Website: http://healthykidstoronto.comEmail: myriam.castilla@bcchc.comOffice: (416) 249-8000 ext. 2256
Greener Acres at Downsview Park
World Food Day, celebrated on October 16, mobilizes action around hunger and the disproportionate impact of hunger on the world’s most vulnerable populations.The 2016 World Food Day theme, “Climate is changing. Food and agriculture must too,” has been chosen to raise the profile on food security. The world’s poorest, many of whom are farmers, are being impacted the most by higher temperatures and increased weather-related disasters. At the same time, the global population is growing and is expected to reach 9.6 billion by 2050. To address these realities, agriculture will need to adapt and become more resilient to the adverse effects of climate change.Food security suggests that people can obtain safe, nutritious, culturally appropriate food through a sustainable food system. Growing food in a sustainable way means adopting practices which produce more with less in the same area of land and using natural resources wisely. It also means investing in better post-harvest handling and management along the entire food supply chain that will increase returns to farmers.Farming is no longer confined to rural areas. Food is now being cultivated in dense urban areas on unused space. It is hard to get more urban than Fresh City Farms. Founded in 2011, Fresh City Farms combines three things: a farm, a delivery system and a grocery store. The six acre urban farm and greenhouse, on the western edge of Downsview Park, grows organic, high-value per square foot produce and sources from more than 80 farmers and food makers across Ontario and beyond. The social enterprise also provides 15 member farmers with a starter plot where they learn to farm as a career. Making agriculture urban - against the backdrop of traffic from Keele Street - is a constant reminder that this model can work. Fresh City now serves 2,000 customers and delivers almost 4,000 orders monthly through its bag delivery system.“The hyper-local approach to growing food means it is fresh, it is accessed easily and we are encouraged to eat in season,” says Fresh City Farms manager Hannah Hunter.This fall, celebrate World Food Day by supporting small-scale urban farmers. To learn more about Fresh City Farms, visit freshcityfarms.com.
On the Go? Grab Some Fresh Fruits and Vegetables during your Commute
If you regularly commute through Downsview Station you may have recently noticed a food market with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The Grab Some Good TTC pop-up food market is an initiative by Toronto Public Health, the TTC, and FoodShare Toronto to make healthy and affordable food more accessible throughout the city.The produce sold at the pop-up market comes directly from the Ontario Food Terminal (which is the main food distribution centre for Toronto,) and from local farms who supply seasonal produce. This guarantees low-cost high-quality fresh produce that is never sitting on a shelf.The pop-up market has a variety of affordable and fresh produce including: oranges, cantaloupe, watermelons strawberries, blackberries, carrots, kiwis, peaches, pineapples, lettuce, kale, spinach, cilantro, bell peppers, eggplant, garlic, mushrooms, avocados, cauliflower, cilantro, garlic, ginger, and other produce. For commuters that needed a meal on the go there were fresh salads and fruit cups available.Barbara Emanuel, Manager of Healthy Living at Toronto Public Health explained that, “prices are as low as possible to enable access to fresh produce,” which encourages commuters to make healthier food choices without breaking their food budget.In addition to providing healthy food alternatives at affordable prices, FoodShare employs community members like Rickysha Jean-Baptiste, a lifetime resident of the Downsview neighbourhood, who works at the pop-up market. Rickysha began working with FoodShare Toronto after completing a placement through the University of Guelph-Humber, where she studies. Her passion for the Grab Some Good market is visible through the friendly customer service she provides to commuters. According to Rickysha, her and her colleagues usually serve over 100 customers in their 4 hours of operation, and consistently receive positive feedback from commuters who would love to see an earlier start time for the pop-up market.The Grab Some Good pop-up market is a pilot project that started in May 2016, and will hopefully become a permanent fixture at Downsview Station. You can purchase affordable, fresh, diverse, and healthy produce at Downsview Station on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M.
Urgent Care Closed at Jane and Finch Hospital
July 2016 marked the end of urgent care at the Humber River Hospital site located at Jane and Finch. The location will continue to provide CT, MRI and general x-rays.The news may be bitter sweet for many residents who are watching the sun set on the community's old York Finch Hospital, while services are being redirected to the new hospital located near Keele and Wilson.Joe Astrella, President of the Grandravine Homeowners Assocation, says the old York Finch Hospital played a large role in his life.When Joe moved into the community in the late 1960's he immediately took up the call to help in fundraising for the York Finch Hospital that was under construction. In 1970, his daughter Grace was born there and over the years, his family would drop by when the need arose. In 1994, Joe credits the hospital for saving his life following a heart attack.When talk began of expanding the Humber River Hospital network a decade ago, Joe joined a coalition of local residents who favoured expansion of the Jane and Finch site rather than moving it to a new location.Joe learned of the urgent care closure through this interview and believed residents should have been better notified since the news came as a surprise to him.Without proper notification, some residents might seek medical assistance at the hospital only to find out through a sign that they will have to seek help elsewhere."I am disappointed." said Joe, "When I was active with the coalition, we were told that the Humber River Hospital site on Church Street would be closing, but that emergency services would still be provided at our Jane and Finch location."As services continue to be cut back at the Jane and Finch hospital location, the time may well come when the government decides to pull the plug on our local hospital once and for all. A disappointing outcome indeed.For more information on the new Humber River Hospital or the urgent care closure, residents can visit www.hrh.ca or call 416-242-1000.
Healthy Back to School Lunches
Children need a constant supply of energy, vitamins and minerals throughout their day to grow, play and learn. Providing healthy lunches and snacks that are appealing to younger tastes is a challenge for most parents. Parents want to send convenient, affordable, nutritious food that their kids will eat. By offering a variety of foods, a child’s growing body will get all the nutrients that they need while exciting their tastes buds.Children should eat balanced meals and snacks to provide lasting energy throughout the day. Snacks help children stay energized and prevent overeating at meals. Without enough energy from food, they may feel too tired and find it difficult to concentrate in class. To keep a child nourished and ready to learn, a snack should include a mix and match of 2 out of the 4 food groups and a balanced lunch should include at least 3 out of the 4 food groups as recommended by Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide.For example, a snack and lunch for a child between 9 to 13 years of age needs a total of 2-3 servings of vegetables and fruits, 2-3 servings of grain products, 1-2 servings of milk and alternatives and 1 serving from the meat and alternative group for their school day .To prepare a healthy lunch and snack that your child will look forward to eating, think like a kid. Use your imagination and the food guide for creative ideas. Packing a lunch and a snack needs some pre-planning. Involve your child in the planning and preparation. Not only will you spend quality time together, your child will learn about balanced eating and will be more likely to eat food they made themselves. Tasty Bagged Lunch Ideas Add interest and variety by trying the following ideas:
- Salmon or tuna whole wheat wrap with cucumber slices, cherry tomatoes, white or flavoured milk and a plum
- Quartered chicken quesadilla made with sliced yellow and orange peppers, mushrooms & cheese with a side of grapes
- Mini-muffin eggs with spinach & onion on a whole wheat English muffin, green and red pepper slices & peach halves
- Grilled Turkey, apple & cheddar sandwich, carrots with dip & milk pudding
- Nut butter sandwich with banana and/or strawberry slices and steamed soybeans (edamame)
- Homemade sesame chicken fingers with plum sauce, sweet potato fries, vegetable sticks, milk pudding & melon slices
- Mini meatloaf muffins, thermos noodle vegetable soup, & pear quarters
- Bagel pizza with celery and carrots stick with a hummus dip, yogurt & mango slices
- Homemade mini burgers with couscous salad & orange wedges
- Turkey kebob skewers, whole wheat pita triangles with a tzaziki dip & raspberries
Nutritious Snack IdeasTry these easy ready-to-eat snacks your kids will love. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Yogurt with high fiber cereal and blueberries
- Apple slices and low-fat cheese cubes
- Sliced bell pepper sticks and baby carrots with cottage cheese, hummus or guacamole dip
- Banana bread with cheese strings or milk and kiwi
Parents rally against changes to Ontario autism services
A mother holds back tears while speaking to the large crowd at a rally outside of Queen’s Park.“We are mourning the loss of the life we thought our child would have. We had a plan,” said Brianne Brown, whose son Chase was diagnosed with autism at the age of two.Like so many other families of children with autism, her plan was cut short by the Liberal government’s changes to autism services.Children over the age of five no longer qualify for Intensive Behaviour Intervention (IBI), even though many of them have been on the waiting list, to access the service, for years. Instead, the government is offering a one-time payment of $8,000 to families (this will not even come close to covering the cost of private treatment).“$8,000 for what? A couple months of service? It’s nothing.” Said Brown.Families and those who work with children who have autism agree that this one-time payment just isn’t enough.“I've worked with kids on the autistic spectrum and I've seen the progress they can make with IBI therapy,” said Erica Shiner, candidate in the upcoming TDSB Ward 5 by-election.“Offering parents a lump sum that is one sixth of the cost of a year's worth of IBI leaves children and their families high and dry. It's not right to take this crucial therapy away. We can all empathize with the challenges of having a child with special needs, even if that's not our experience. We need to stand together as parents, as educators, and as public servants to make sure that the government does the right thing and reverses these cuts,” she added.Experts have weighed in on the issue to say that there is no evidence to suggest children over the age of five won’t benefit from IBI. It’s the personal stories, like Brianne’s, that are fuelling the movement to stop cuts to these life changing services.Parents, David and Linda Galvao, held signs at the rally with pictures of their two children that read, “Started at 6 and began to speak” and “2nd child waited 3 years for IBI, now what?”With plans to return to Queens Park for a fourth time, the movement by parents’ groups and coalitions shows no signs of stopping.For information on upcoming rallies and events visit www.ontarioautismcoalition.com
New Hospital Will Reinvent Patient Care
Humber River Hospital needs public's help to achieve $225 Million fundraising goal
By David Ros
In less than a year, North America's first fully digital hospital will open its doors, serving patients from Downsview and beyond.The first patients at the new Humber River Hospital at Keele St., and Wilson Ave., are set to be treated this October 18, 2015.Heather Hurst, the President and CEO of the Humber River Hospital Foundation said the new hospital will offer an unparalleled patient experience and help to “reinvent patient care in Canada.” “The digital perspective is not to have digital for digital's sake, it's really designed around the patient,” Hurst said. “The focus is on patient centred care and what the digital aspect is going to provide is opportunities for care providers to spend time with patients and their families.”Hurst said that the technology will not only increase the efficiency of patient care, but it will also cut down on the amount of paperwork which is in line with the hospital's three guiding principles of being “lean, green and digital.”“Everything that doctors nurses and allied health professionals do will automatically go right up into the patients' healthcare records,” Hurst said. “When a patient is in what we call a smart room they have their own bed side terminal and in this bed side terminal, they will have access to their healthcare records in their own language.”She added that the terminals will also provide patients with access to “educational portals,” where they will learn about the type of care that they will receive and can also set goals and objectives with their healthcare providers.“One of the great things about that is that the doctors and the nurses will be able to engage in conversation with the family about what they actually read and see on their healthcare record,” Hurst said.Hurst said the 1.8 million sq. ft., facility will contain 656 beds, 80 per cent of which, will be located in single patient rooms and it also boasts the second largest green roof in Canada.Increased efficiency was also a major focus of the hospital's design, with a concerted effort being made to make a really large hospital seem small. The hospital will have 9 entranceways and patients will not have to walk any more than 30 feet in order to get to their clinics.Hurst said another aspect of the hospital's patient centred approach is that families can stay with their loved ones 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and that the hospital will provide an area for families to stay over night. If families are unable to visit, patients will also be able to Skype with them from their bed side terminals.Hurst said that the digital technology will also help families of patients who have a language barrier or who are unable to verbally communicate to better understand the care their loved ones will receive.“You'll be able to see who has been in the room each day and what department they're from so you can actually engage in a discussion as to why those people saw your loved one,” Hurst said.While the government has provided a significant amount of money for construction costs, the hospital is reliant on personal and corporate donations to raise the $225 Million required to furnish and equip the hospital. Hurst said that the hospital needs to purchase 550,000 pieces of equipment and has currently raised a total of $65 Million.“Even though the hospital is opening, we still have a lot of money that we need to raise and we really want the community to know that we really need them to help us raise the money for the pieces of equipment,” Hurst said.If you wish to donate to the Humber River Hospital, or find out more information about fundraising events, you can contact the Humber River Hospital Foundation at 416-658-2001, or visit their website at www.hrfoundation.ca.
A 'One-stop shop' for all your medical needs
by Camila Acosta
Set up at a new location closer to the heart of our community, Polyclinic Medical Centre has opened its doors - promising a leading-edge medical experience.
Seeking medical help can often be a stressful and time-consuming task, but it doesn’t have to be. At a short walk from Finch and Dufferin, the Medical Centre is ready to work, and thoroughly equipped to deal with our community’s needs.
“It is a bigger, newer facility,” said Dr. Lew Pliamm, head of the practice, adding that our community now houses “the largest medical mall in Canada”
The new facility offers advanced and comprehensive care. A single location provides two dental and sleep clinics, equipped with CPAP therapy. Just down the building’s hall, two medical labs offer multiple tests, such as ultrasounds and ECG. A fully-equipped rehabilitation institute has also opened its doors, and will soon be followed by a North York Endoscopy Centre. Close to the building’s entrance, there is a foot care clinic, next to a fully-stocked pharmacy.
Eleven family doctors are available by appointment and walk-in, and are accepting new patients. They are seeing patients six days a week, and at extended hours.
Polyclinic Medical Centre also values accessibility. Located at 2 Champagne Drive, the nearest bus stop is steps away from its main doors. For those arriving by car, the clinic offers five hundred parking spots, free of charge.
The new and improved Polyclinic provides us advanced care at the heart of our community. Its new specialists and environment promise to centralize our health care needs in one location - as Dr. Pliamm calls it, a “one-stop shop.”
It's time to implement a HealthSafe program
by Tom Rakocevic
Imagine going for a medical examination and contracting an illness from your visit. It has happened here in the GTA.A Toronto Star analysis of inspection data posted by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) showed a staggering 1 in 7 clinics in Ontario did not meet inspection standards since 2011 (reported November 2, 2014 – Toronto Star).The newspaper also revealed that serious illnesses such as Hepatitis C and meningitis have been contracted in Toronto health clinics, although this level of information was not readily available online to the public.To find out when your medical clinic was last inspected and the result of the inspection, go to http://www.cpso.on.ca/Public-Register/Out-of-Hospital-Premises-Listing and search for it by name in the list.This inspection information was made public by the CPSO due to a new bylaw it passed on January 31, 2013. Although this was a good move by the CPSO, many seniors and individuals who are not comfortable with computers and the internet have a barrier to accessing this important information.Toronto Public Health regularly inspects and reports on food establishments as part of its food safety program called DineSafe. The results of their inspection are posted via the green/yellow/red signs you have seen at restaurants and other food establishments.In February 2013, I worked with Councillor Anthony Perruzza in drafting a motion to Toronto City Council requesting the CPSO to “make their inspection data public and implement a system that would make the results viewable both as a hard copy at the location and online (similar to DineSafe Program for restaurants).” This motion passed in the Council meeting on February 20-21, 2014, but the CPSO has not implemented this worthy initiative.To view DineSafe inspection results online, go to http://www.toronto.ca/health/dinesafe/#inspectionResult. Believe me, it will not be the last time you visit that page. For some of you, it may feel a little like watching a video on how hot dogs are made. Sorry.The CPSO could learn a lot from Toronto’s DineSafe program. In addition to providing inspection results in an easy to understand format at the establishment, DineSafe appears to provide more overall inspection details, and places are visited multiple times a year rather than once every few years.I continue to advocate for better health, which means visiting health care professionals on a regular basis. In turn, health care professionals must ensure that their premises are clean and safe. With 1 in 7 health clinics not making the grade on initial inspections, there may be some cause for concern. As well, clinics need to be regularly visited to ensure proper procedures have been followed. It is time to implement a “HealthSafe” program so health inspection results are easy to see just like they are when we visit our favourite restaurant.