Good morning, TeamUHN!
It is a pleasure to connect with you across care, research, and education through this weekly CEO update – all in service of A Healthier World.
Key reminders and updates
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UHN will provide retroactive payments to non-union staff after the striking down of Bill 124, which capped increases for nurses and other public sector workers for three years. UHN will confirm the exact compensation details, including the timing and payment process, after finalizing in-year funding later this summer. Since the legislation was struck down in November, unions have engaged in arbitration for retroactive compensation for unionized staff. UHN seeks to keep non-union salary increases in line with union salary increases, with payments aligned with our annual wage adjustment cycle in the Fall. Our colleagues in People & Culture recognize this is a significant development for many TeamUHN members and will share information as soon as it becomes available. We appreciate the patience and understanding of those affected by this decision.
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Congratulations to the entire Sprott Department of Surgery for achieving multiple North American firsts using new robotic platforms. In the last few weeks, several new state-of-the-art robots have gone live in our ORs, furthering a key UHN strategic priority by unleashing the power of technology and innovation. Team members from across the surgical program have been training and preparing for months to ensure the most optimal environment for these additions to our surgical service.
The divisions of general surgery, urology, and gyne-oncology all had historic moments in the last few weeks, and we cannot thank enough, all the people who made this happen. Our robust robotic strategy will accelerate innovation, education (skills and training), and collaboration in research, and our patients will have expanded access to robotic-assisted, minimally invasive surgeries, which have benefits that include less pain and an easier recovery.
Read more in UHN News. The growth and robustness of our robotics program would not have been achieved without the commitment of Dr. Tony Finelli, a leader in this space, and a passionate advocate for our patients having access to the best possible care options. Dr. Finelli performed the first prostatectomy using the Hugo robotic-assisted surgical procedure in North America. Congratulations Dr. Finelli, and your entire team for this achievement! What a privilege it is to be part of this organization in these exciting times.
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Congratulations to Dr. Stéphanie Lheureux, who has been appointed the inaugural Westaway Chair in Ovarian Cancer Research at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. This appointment will allow Princess Margaret to drive global research and innovation to improve treatment options for what is called a "silent killer" because so many cases are not detected until the disease is very advanced. Dr. Lheureux, Site Lead of Gynecologic Oncology at the Princess Margaret, told UHN News that this new hub will not only spur collaboration between experts but attract the next generation of students in training. "Our goal is to highlight ovarian cancer as an important area of research not only at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, but globally," she said. We thank Peter and Brigitte Westaway and the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation for their generosity and hard work.
Read more on UHN News.
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Have your say and help shape the development of a new UHN Quality & Safety Strategic Plan. Share your thoughts on key priorities for improvement by
taking this brief survey today. Interested in sharing further ideas? Attend one of two virtual Town Halls on
July 26 th 12-1 pm, or
August 15 th 12-1 pm.
Enter your email to be sent the meeting-invite, and contact
Sarah.Tosoni@uhn.ca or
Lucas.Chartier@uhn.ca for more information.
What happened at the Executive Leadership Forum meeting
UHN's Executive Leadership Forum (ELF) represents a broad range of voices and skill sets from across the organization and provides direction and oversight in service of patients, TeamUHN and our vision of A Healthier World. See the full membership on
UHN.ca.
The last ELF meeting was held on Thursday, July 6.
Project Agile Update
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Background: Project Agile is UHN's Finance, Procurement, and Supply Chain transformation – a
significant undertaking to modernize the organization with an integrated finance, procurement, and supply chain system. Some key figures behind this project updated ELF. The project, which is on time and on budget, goes live on November 6, 2023.
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Who Presented? Suranga Fernando (Executive Director, Finance & Business Services, Research),
Barry Hudson (Senior Director, SAP Transformation), and
Robert Slepin (Senior Director, Digital Strategy & Advisory)
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What I need to know: The group presented key project milestones since the last ELF update in March, noting that 80 per cent of the new system build is complete and UHN is currently using a test environment for training and demonstrations. A key priority is ensuring the 3,000 TeamUHN members who source, purchase, receive, or pay for goods or services attend educational sessions that begin in July and continue until go-live in November. ELF members agreed to encourage attendance at these critically important sessions and support resource time for participation in gathering system requirements, testing, and training.
IF YOU HAVE RECEIVED AN INVITATION< and have not yet registered, please do so at the link below. If you have NOT received an invitation but are a purchaser or approver, please also register using the link below. Once registered, you will receive a calendar invite within two business days. If you have any questions please email: Zainab.Bekkari@uhn.ca.
CHOOSE YOUR TRAINING SESSION
In the sessions below, we will demonstrate the new system's capabilities, provide information about necessary training, and have subject matter experts on hand to answer questions. There will be significant changes in the way TeamUHN will work when Project Agile goes live on.
We are holding different sessions for our Research teams and our Clinical & Operations teams. The dates and times are as follows:
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July 6 th 2:30pm - 4:00pm (Clinical & Operations)
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July 13 th 2:30pm - 4:00pm (Research)
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July 20 th 2:30pm - 4:00pm (Clinical & Operations)
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August 3 rd 2:30pm - 4:00pm (Research)
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August 17 th 2:30pm - 4:00pm (Clinical & Operations)
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August 31 st 2:30pm - 4:00pm (Research)
Click
here
to register for the session that best suits your role and availability.
Closing Notes
This July marks the 100th anniversary of what is commonly known as the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1923, which banned virtually all Chinese immigration to Canada until its repeal in 1947. For nearly 25 years, this racist policy separated families by prohibiting immigrant spouses and children from joining what was a predominantly male Chinese population in Canada. Though more than 17,000 Chinese men worked in perilous conditions to help build the western section of the Canadian Pacific Railway between 1881 and 1885, the Government imposed a "head tax" to discourage Chinese immigration when their labour was no longer needed. The Act also required all those of Chinese descent living in Canada, even those born in this country, to register with the government and carry certain certificates, or risk detainment or deportation. It is for those reasons that July 1, when the Act was passed, is also called "humiliation day" by some in the Chinese Canadian community. We highlight this injustice today so that we can recommit ourselves to combatting anti-Asian racism and celebrating the strength and resilience of the Chinese Canadian community Learn more about the Exclusion Act on the Government of Canada's website.
It's always wonderful to see TeamUHN members sharing their expertise and discussing their impactful work with the media. Last week, Dr. Mark Bayley, Medical Director of Toronto Rehab,
joined Cityline to talk about concussions, and how to safely start to resume activities of daily life. Be sure to check out that segment
here. Dr. Don Weaver, Senior Scientist at the Krembil Research Institute,
joined CTV News to discuss the U.S. FDA's approval of a drug to slow the progression of Alzheimer's. Watch Dr. Weaver's interview
here.
And now.. our
video of the week. This
clip showcases an amazing initiative from Toronto Rehab called GROW – Garden Rehab On Wheels.
Feedback?
Your feedback is welcome and valued. Please reply directly to me or leave anonymous feedback here.
Have a good week,
Kevin
