Two new CT scanners enable radiologists to do more specialized types of exams more quickly and with sharper images, says Chief of Radiology Dr. Amit Mehta, left, pictured here at the St. Catharines General Site with Bonnie Sipos, Regional Technical Director of Diagnostic Imaging, Laboratory and Infection Control.

The new CT scanner is moved to its new home at the Welland Hospital Site. Since the section of the CT shown in this photo weighs 4,000 pounds, a team of engineers was brought in to ensure the corridor floors could handle the weight. The CT suite was renovated to handle the new unit, with upgrades to the electrical and heating/ventilation systems, additional lead lining in walls, and a new lead window to the control room.

When the decision was made to replace Welland Hospital Site’s CT unit this summer, Niagara Health’s diagnostic imaging leaders came up with a creative way to cover several weeks without a key diagnostic tool: a portable CT unit (pictured here) temporarily located outside adjacent to the Emergency Department.

This summer has seen the installation of two Siemens 128-slice Somatom Definition AS+ CT units, one at St. Catharines General Site in June and one at Welland Hospital Site in August. These units complement the 64-slice Siemens CT unit installed at Greater Niagara General Site just a few years ago.

CT scans combine special X-ray equipment with sophisticated computers to produce multiple images or pictures of organs, soft tissues, bone and blood vessels during a scan lasting only a few minutes. About half of all CT scans involve a dye injected to provide contrast and show the function of an organ or blood vessel.

During a scan, technologists are able to capture the images in many dimensions or angles. Radiologists, physician specialists in diagnostic imaging, then study the scans to interpret abnormalities or injuries and ultimately provide a diagnosis, such as tumour or artery blockage. The digital images remain in a central archive database, allowing physicians and health professionals throughout Niagara to access them in their office or hospital.

Patient Safety

“From a radiologist’s perspective, these new scanners enable us to do more specialized types of exams more quickly and with sharper images,” says Niagara Health Chief of Radiology Dr. Amit Mehta. “The speed of the new units is amazing and it will make a difference to patients. Our older units meant patients would often have to hold their breath for five or more seconds. That doesn’t sound like much, but some patients simply can’t hold their breath for that long. Now, they only have to hold their breath for two seconds.”

Another benefit to patients is lower radiation exposure.

“We have had some of the lowest radiation doses for our CT exams when compared to some national studies, but with the new scanners, we have been able to further reduce the dose for many of our exams,” Dr. Mehta explains. “For patients who need a lot of diagnostic imaging tests, radiation exposure is a concern, and the units we have in place at our three acute sites allow us to do more scans safely.”

Complex Studies & Improved Wait Times

More complex studies or scans are now routinely being done at the St. Catharines General Site, such as cardiac studies (looking at images of the coronary arteries to evaluate for blockages to the heart) and non-invasive angiograms (dye is injected through a small intravenous catheter to show arteries anywhere in the body such as neck, head, chest, abdomen).

“We are performing state-of-the-art exams in Niagara,” says Dr. Mehta. “Patients no longer need to travel outside the region.”

“This new system gives us the capability to do everything,” Dr. Mehta says. “We’ll be able to do more types of exams than many teaching centres. This is state-of-the-art and puts us well ahead of a lot of other hospitals.” All the routine exams can also be done quicker with improved image quality and information, explains Bonnie Sipos, Regional Technical Director of Diagnostic Imaging, Laboratory and Infection Control.

At Welland Site, the CT suite was renovated to handle the new unit with upgrades to the electrical and heating/ventilation systems, additional lead lining in walls, and a new lead window to the control room. During the five weeks of work, a portable CT was brought on site, so that wait times would not increase. About 900 patients received scans in the portable unit this summer.

“The NHS wait time is at the provincial average (40 days), and we expect to reduce this wait time with the new units in operation,” Bonnie says. “In Welland, we will increase our patient volumes from 9,600 scans per year to about 11,600, an increase of 20%. When you combine that total with Niagara Falls at 11,800 cases per year and St. Catharines at 18,000 (here two shifts operate seven days a week to keep up with demand for complex cases), we expect to do more than 40,000 scans per year.”

Donor Support

“Almost all diagnostic imaging equipment is very costly, and we are fortunate to have the support of our community through our hospital foundations,” says Dr. Mehta. “We negotiated an excellent price with our vendor for the new units, but even so, the foundations are looking for $2 million to cover the cost of the units and renovations. We sincerely thank the staff and campaign volunteers of the NHS Foundation, St. Catharines General Hospital Foundation and Welland Hospital Foundation for working with their donors to generate the funds needed. Without their support, this wouldn’t have been possible.” More diagnostic enhancements are on the books for this fall, including the region’s first digital mammography unit, expanded scans on the MRI and a digital image repository that will provide one-stop shopping for healthcare professionals in southern Ontario to access patient images online.

After a number of challenging and satisfying years as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. James Beecroft began the process of ‘humanizing’ his medical practice.

“It was while living in Simcoe that my wife and I became friends with a family doctor and his wife who first planted the idea of switching to ‘human’ medicine,”says Dr. Beecroft, now an Emergency Department physician in his hometown of St. Catharines.

“I call it my species expansion,” Dr. Beecroft jokes. “Humans were the only species that I could not practice on as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine.”

Dr. Beecroft graduated from the University of Guelph, Ontario Veterinary College, in 1996. He practiced in several southern Ontario clinics, with both large and small animals, for seven years. As Dr. Beecroft’s family grew, his perspective on life began to change.

“I enjoyed practising veterinary medicine tremendously but decided that I really enjoyed working with people the most and wanted to focus my attention on their direct healthcare,” says Dr. Beecroft, a father of three.

He applied to the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine at McMaster University and began his studies in August 2003. At that time, his youngest child was only eight months old.

After commuting from Simcoe to Hamilton for medical school for about one year, he and his wife decided to move the family to St. Catharines for both personal and professional reasons.

“I knew I would have more opportunities to complete my clinical rotations in hospital in the Niagara area,” says Dr. Beecroft.

He completed medical school in 2006 followed by his family medicine residency two years later. He was then accepted into an Emergency Medicine Program through McMaster, in which family physicians acquire an additional year in Emergency Department training.

That training wrapped up at the end of June, and Dr. Beecroft began working as an Emergency Department physician with Niagara Health last month, in the St. Catharines ED and the Ontario Street Site Prompt Care Centre.

“I have worked in numerous hospitals in Hamilton, London and Burlington, and St. Catharines is definitely presenting a new challenge for me,” Dr. Beecroft says. “The ED and Prompt Care Centre see a tremendous number of patients, and many of their healthcare needs are complex. The staff is very supportive as I take on this new challenge.”

Debbie Sevenpifer,
President and Chief Executive Officer

Our local Auxiliaries and Foundations do an incredible job of raising funds and donations. On behalf of the patients served by the Niagara Health System and the people who work here, I would like to take this opportunity to thank these hard-working and committed people – many of them volunteers — for the contributions they make year after year. This past year has been especially challenging due to the economic downturn, and our Auxiliaries and Foundations have handled this increased pressure with grace and dedication.

Thanks to their ongoing efforts and partnership, we have been able to move ahead with investments in life-saving diagnostic equipment like the new state-of-the-art 128-slice CT scanners recently installed at our St. Catharines General and Welland sites.

It is a common misunderstanding that medical equipment is paid for by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. With few exceptions, such as radiation equipment, it is the responsibility of hospitals to either generate sufficient cash flow from operations by balancing their budgets or by operating surpluses or to fundraise to pay for medical equipment. Even though the NHS is performing better than 85 per cent of peer hospitals in Ontario with respect to efficiency, our hospital has and will continue to experience operating deficits over the next few years until the Hospital Improvement

Plan is implemented. As a result, the NHS does not have significant cash to fund new equipment purchases. One of the greatest challenges we currently have as an organization is funding our equipment needs, to keep pace with new technology and provide state-of-the-art medical care to the residents of Niagara.

The NHS must rely solely on donations from Foundations and Auxiliaries to fund necessary new and replacement medical equipment. Last year, $4 million was raised through local fundraising activities. In addition, $1 million was drawn from operations to deal solely with unfunded emergency purchases of equipment that broke down and could not be repaired or could no longer be used because of a change in standards of patient care.

Every year, our hospital compiles a comprehensive list of much-needed equipment, furnishings, technology and renovations. The process to compile the annual list involves literally hundreds of people from across our patient care programs and sites. As demand for care grows and medical technology advances, the list gets bigger and longer each year, illustrating the ongoing need to invest in our equipment.

Patient care equipment and medical technology is highly specialized and as a result very costly. Our hospital’s needs outpace our ability to fund everything on the annual list.

Ensuring our hospital makes the best use of our resources is essential, and we have a rigorous process in place to prioritize equipment needs. As well, through the creation of Centres of Excellence under the Hospital Improvement Plan, going forward we will also be able to avoid the duplication of equipment across our sites.

However, at this time, we have more than $31.5 million in identified equipment and renovation needs, most of which we cannot fund. We are projecting that our equipment requirements over the next five years will exceed potential sources of funding by an additional $8 million (approximate) each year.

As you read about the new CT scanners in this issue of Niagara Health Now and learn more about the tremendous benefits they bring to enhancing patient care, I am sure you too will appreciate the efforts being made by our Auxiliaries and Foundations to raise the funds required to fund this vital equipment.

I’ve now officially lost count of the number of times I’ve heard: “It just doesn’t feel like summer this year.” While many agree the weather hasn’t been the warmest, I am thankful that the smog and high humidity days have been few in number for our chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthmatic patients across Niagara.

As we head towards the summer vacation home stretch, many of us begin to prepare for the fall and winter months ahead. Healthcare workers know the importance of being prepared. From the infection prevention measures that are routine aspects of our daily hospital work to emergency preparedness and pandemic planning, there is much that we do to provide for the ongoing safety and well-being of our patients.

One of the most critical things that everyone who comes into a hospital can do is practice good hand hygiene. This is one of the most effective things we can do for the safety of our patients, visitors and co-workers and to prepare for the months ahead.

Have a great August and don’t forget, wash your hands!

Christine Clark, Chief Communications Officer

Electricians install the underground duct bank for one of the two electrical power supplies to the new facility.

Workers check the elevations for the storm water collection sewer which will drain surface water to the storm water management pond.

The new health complex project continues to progress at an aggressive pace in St. Catharines.

With the site fully cleared for construction throughout the months of June and July, and the site plan officially approved by the City of St. Catharines, a significant amount of work has been completed in order to progress to the next phase of development which will include issuance of the building permit and the beginnings of the concrete structure.

“This is a very exciting milestone in the development of the building and a concrete sign that the project is on schedule and continually progressing,” says Plenary Health CEO Mike Marasco. “It won’t be long before cranes are a staple of the landscape at First Street and Fourth Avenue.”

“Upon completing a tour of the site, the most impressive aspect has been the rate of the excavation work completed by Rankin,” says NHS Chief Planning and Development Officer Gloria Kain. “It is very easy to orient yourself to the layout and even imagine where the main entrance will exist. After years of planning, I can finally visualize the building from the ground up. It’s a very exciting experience!”

The extensive site servicing work which has taken place included the creation of temporary access roads, a storm water management system, sanitary sewer system, watermains, gas and hydro utilities, as well as electrical ducts. While the site work continues, the architects and project management team have been reviewing the most recent design submission. A critical piece in the development of the building, this submission contains updated drawings and specifications for the building based on input from the clinical staff, physicians and project team.

Niagara Health is continually interested in engaging the public in the design and build process. As part of this commitment, the project architectural www.niagarahealth.on.ca Niagara Health Now | August 20, 2009 Pg 3 model will be on display in the Food Court of the Pen Centre from August 12 to August 27 and again from September 14 to October 2.

The model will also be a VIP exhibit during the Canadian Tour Championship at the St. Catharines Golf and Country Club from August 31 to September 6, with a special presentation by the project team on September 1. A portion of the proceeds from the golf championship will be directed towards the Walker Family Cancer Centre as part of the It’s Our Time Campaign. For more information, go to www.stgcc.com.

Interactive public open houses will also take place in St. Catharines, Thorold and Niagara-on-the-Lake this fall. These forums will provide Niagara Health an opportunity to showcase some of the exciting design elements and seek input from the public on materials and finishes to be incorporated into the main public areas of the facility.

The sessions run from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. with free parking:

Monday, September 21
Thorold, Location To be determined

Thursday, September 24
6th Floor Boardroom, Ontario Street Site 155 Ontario Street, St. Catharines

Wednesday, September 30
Conference Room, Niagara-on-the-Lake Site 176 Wellington, Niagara-on-the-Lake

Additional open houses will occur throughout Niagara to inform residents about this important facility which will provide new regional healthcare services in cancer, cardiac catheterization, and longer-term mental health.

Dragica Gojmerac, Medical Laboratory Technologist at Welland Hospital Site, loads specimans into a Vitros Chemistry Analyzer.

Niagara Health System is the first hospital system in Canada to use the Vitros 5600. This new technology allows the Laboratory to speed up the testing process, meaning faster diagnosis of patient conditions. Another benefit, especially for those patients who don’t like needles, is that the latest technology requires smaller blood samples.

This innovative medical equipment is located at the St. Catharines, Welland and Niagara Falls sites and serves the entire region. The three instruments were a no-cost upgrade to existing equipment, so Niagara Health System did not incur any additional capital costs for the upgrades.

“Medical technology is evolving at a rapid pace and changing the way healthcare providers care for patients and diagnose patient conditions,” says Albert Lee, Manager of Laboratory Medicine Program at St. Catharines General Site. “The Vitros 5600 now does the work of two separate instruments, and does the testing with greater speed and accuracy.”

Today’s health concerns range from the threat of new infectious diseases to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Whether it is a blood test, a throat swab or a biopsy, tests performed by medical laboratory professionals provide vital information about a patient’s health. Up to 85% of decisions about diagnosis and treatment are based on laboratory test results.

The new equipment performs 90% of tests typically needed in a hospital laboratory, including glucose, hepatitis and therapeutic drugs. It is capable of holding over 100 samples at a time, working on a Sample-Centred Processing System described as “one tube in – one tube out.” This process eliminates the need to split or move samples manually between instruments. This increases efficiency and quality of testing.

“Requiring a smaller size biological sample means less time and discomfort for patients, particularly those needing multiple tests,” says Joanne Guzda, Manager of Laboratory Medicine Programs at the Welland and Niagara Falls sites. “The Vitros 5600 runs twice as fast as its predecessor, providing results much sooner, meaning patients can receive earlier diagnosis and treatment.”

Anyone up for a Lifestyle Challenge?

Congratulations to the winners of the Spring Lifestyle Challenge; from left, Val Franco, J’Neene Marchese, Rose Fabiano, Josephine (Josie) Stranges, Dean Hipwell and Harold Vesely. This team worked hard, got fit, lost weight and won money to help out their colleagues. With winnings of $3,000, the team purchased items for staff use at Greater Niagara General Site, including a fridge for Health Records and office furniture.

Staff can register now for the Fall Lifestyle Challenge, being held once again in partnership with White Oaks. Details include – teams of five or more, registration $320 each participant, three-month membership at White Oaks, access to personal trainer and more. For more details, go to source•net and click on the homepage link or contact Pam Mackie, ext. 50204, or Sandy Lynch at 905-688-2032, ext. 5214. Deadline to register is Sept. 15.

News Briefs

Downtown St. Catharines streets were blocked off recently for the filming of the finish line scene for “The Finish Line,” a short film which is part of the It’s Our Time Campaign. Photo courtesy of the St. Catharines Standard

Thanks to all who came out to be part of healthcare history

More than 100 NHS healthcare professionals and staff, Auxiliary and campaign fundraising volunteers, donors and members of the community enthusiastically played their roles at the filming of the finish line scene for a short film – called “The Finish Line.” This film, part of the It’s Our Time Campaign’s public awareness initiative, is intended to encourage those who haven’t yet done so to contribute to the fundraising campaign.

The It’s Our Time Campaign is a joint effort of the foundations of the NHS. Funds raised will support the development of the new healthcare complex and Walker Family Cancer Centre; equipment and renovations at the Douglas Memorial and Port Colborne sites; the new Welland Hospital Auxiliary Dialysis Centre and new 128-slice CT Scanner for the Welland Site; and a new dialysis centre, upgraded operating rooms and anaesthetic equipment, along with new state-of-the-art echocardiography and ultrasound machines at the Greater Niagara General Site.

“No other local initiative in our lifetime will have as significant an impact on as many lives as this revitalization of healthcare for all Niagarans,” says long-time fundraiser Archie Katzman who stars in “The Finish Line” film’s final scene.

Vast amounts of volunteer hours and generous support from leading donors in our community have helped to achieve $26 million of the campaign’s $40-million goal. Now it’s time for all of us to become involved and help the campaign cross the finish line!

For staff, regular payroll deductions are a convenient way to contribute that cumulatively makes a real difference. This can be arranged through the site foundation offices. Members of the public can visit the It’s Our Time Campaign website (Ways to Give tab) or call the Campaign office at 905-378-4647, ext. 32314, for more information on becoming a donor.

And stay tuned. In September, the film will be available on the Campaign website: www.ItsOurTimeCampaign.ca, on TV Cogeco Cable 10, and it will be produced on DVD.

An exciting It’s Our Time Campaign event to mark on your calendars is the The Big Move Cancer Ride – a 50-kilometre and 100-kilometre bike ride through Niagara on Sunday, Sept. 20. Both 50-kilometre and 100-kilometre rides are fun rides, rather than competitive races.

All proceeds will support the development of the Walker Family Cancer Centre. Corporate sponsors making this possible are:

Plenary Health Niagara; PCL Construction Leaders; Fallsview Casino Resort; Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP; Walker Industries and Aramark Healthcare.

Gather a team, or ride as an individual, but don’t miss out on this amazing adventure! Registration fee is $50 and includes a shirt, catered lunch and food/drinks along the route. Riders aged 14 and up are asked to make a minimum pledge commitment of $500. The ride starts and ends at Club Roma, Vansickle Road, St. Catharines.

“All of these funds will support cancer care in Niagara, allowing cancer patients to make their personal journey at home, here in Niagara,” says Sandra Sabo, It’s Our Time Campaign Director for North Niagara.

Each year, more than 15,000 individuals receive care at the Oncology Clinic at St. Catharines General Site. Many of those patients then have to travel elsewhere for cancer care services not available in Niagara. Once completed, the Walker Family Cancer Centre will allow 95% of cancer patients to receive both their chemotherapy and radiation treatment in Niagara.

So get moving! Ask your colleagues, friends and neighbours to sponsor you for The Big Move – then come out and participate in training, running every Thursday until race day at Rockway Community Centre at 6 p.m. for a one-to-two hour ride with volunteer trainers. Training will vary in length and intensity.

To learn more, view the routes and register, go to www.bigmovecancerride.com. You can also make a pledge for another rider online.

Q and A with Jean Armitage

The Niagara Health System Board of Trustees is made up of volunteers who live and work in Niagara. Each Board member brings unique skills and expertise to this leadership role. The Board is responsible for governing the NHS and providing strategic direction to the Hospital to ensure it meets the health-care needs of the community within the resources that are available.

Niagara Health Now is publishing a series of question-and-answer profiles on individual members of the Board to help our readers get better acquainted with them. This week’s profile is of Board Member Jean Armitage.

Where were you born?
I was born in Sudbury, Ontario, the “Nickel Capital of the World.”

Number of years living in Niagara:
I came to St. Catharines in January 1988 to work at the then Hotel Dieu Hospital in the new position of Assistant Director of Patient Services which included, at that time, Nursing, Diagnostic Imaging and Laboratory Services. By the time I retired in 2000, I was responsible for over 40 departments and all of the regional programs.

Occupation:
I am a Registered Nurse. For most of my career, I have held leadership and management positions working at all levels of responsibility. I have enjoyed and been challenged by all of my jobs but the two that people find most intriguing are the summer I worked as an outpost nurse in the Northwest Territories in isolated Inuit and Native communities and my stint as a screening nurse at the airport in Toronto during the SARS outbreak. I currently work for Laurentian University teaching online courses for Registered Nurses enrolled in the Post RN Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. There are NHS nurses in the program as well as graduates at all levels from staff nurse to vice president.

What are the greatest rewards from your job?
Teaching online courses for Laurentian University allows me to help nurses who have difficulty attending classes due to job and family commitments or unavailability of facilities in their community. Over the years, being able to improve patient care and support staff to provide quality, innovative services has been the greatest reward of my professional life.

What influenced you to become a member of the NHS Board of Trustees?
I applied for a Board position because I wanted the new St. Catharines hospital to be built. Since becoming a member, I have broadened my mandate to include improving healthcare for the people of Niagara through the integration of services. I have worked in a number of community and teaching hospitals and have surveyed many small rural and northern hospitals for accreditation so I have an appreciation for the benefits of an integrated health system and the struggles to achieve it.

How many years have you served on the NHS Board?
I will be starting my third year this fall.

What is your greatest achievement or reward as a member of the Board?
Being part of a Board comprised of dedicated, informed, members who work collaboratively to address the many issues they face; serving as a member of the Board’s Quality Committee which works to ensure that we meet or exceed national standards for care and service; and having the opportunity to work with knowledgeable, committed staff are my rewards.

What is the greatest opportunity for the NHS?
To integrate services so that the people of Niagara have access to quality, cost effective, patient-centred healthcare including qualified dedicated staff and physicians and the latest in diagnostic, treatment and management technology is our greatest opportunity at this time.

What is its greatest challenge?
Change is difficult and funding is limited, but I believe the NHS can in time overcome these challenges and achieve its vision.

Other involvement as a member of a volunteer Board, past or present?
I have served on a number of Boards in Niagara including Child Advocacy Centre Niagara, Hospice Niagara, VON Niagara, Contact Niagara, Niagara Ina Grafton Gage Village and the Rotary Club of St. Catharines Sunrise.

How would you describe yourself to someone who doesn’t know you?
I am not good at describing myself – I let my actions and convictions speak for me.

What is your greatest personal achievement?
My greatest achievement is that, after over 40 years of working in healthcare, I am still positive about our healthcare system and remain actively involved in helping to make the system even better.