Raising awareness about kidney health
Each year, to mark Kidney Month in March and World Kidney Day, which fell on March 13 this year, UHN's Nephrology team uses a variety of activities to promote kidney health awareness and showcase the expertise of their team.
This year, those activities included educational rounds for members of the Nephrology team, a series of social media activities on UHN channels and a World Kidney Day booth at Toronto General Hospital.
At the booth, a variety of interactive activities were offered, including spinning the wheel for free gifts, playing Plinko and taking photos with the World Kidney Day picture frame. Visitors were also able to answer questions related to knowledge of kidney functions, risk factors of kidney disease, early detection, treatment and other relevant subjects, as well as enjoy healthy snacks. Educational materials were available and multiple dialysis machines were on display.
Chronic kidney disease affects one in 10 Canadians. UHN's multidisciplinary Nephrology team, patient partners and volunteers who helped make this year's events successful, say everyone plays a part in promoting kidney health.
UHN becomes first acute care hospital in Canada to receive gold stellar certification
The Specialized Dementia Unit (SDU) at UHN's Toronto Rehab, University Centre was recently awarded the Gold Stellar Certification with Excellent Standing — the highest possible recognition by the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA).
UHN is the first acute care hospital in Canada to receive the prestigious distinction, a testament to its unwavering dedication to enhancing nursing satisfaction and excellence in care delivery.
Launched in early 2024, the Stellar Certification program recognizes workplace excellence in health care, supporting nurses, boosting job satisfaction and ensuring workplace safety and professional development. The only one of its kind in the country, the certification sets a new standard in nursing support and retention.
The journey to receiving the award was no simple feat. Thanks to the certification efforts made by leaders in the unit, enhances included practices around staffing, support and professional development.
For the SDU, this involved supporting attendance at nurse wellness activities offered during shifts and integrating the Building Resilience within Institutions Together with Employees (BRITE) program into daily huddles. Nurse-to-patient ratios were also re-evaluated to reduce burnout and a plan to have up to 25 per cent of staff achieve Gerontology Nursing certification was also put in motion.
At the heart of their efforts, the unit prides itself with continuing to ensure nurses feel heard and have the tools and knowledge they need to thrive.
Three leading research institutes convene to advance cancer neuroscience
The Allan Slaight Breakthrough Forum on Cancer Neuroscience brought together top researchers in cancer, neuroscience and mental health.
The forum on March 24, which was made possible by the Allan Slaight Breakthrough Fund, was designed to foster cross-institutional collaborations and serve as a catalyst for transformative projects at the intersection of neuroscience and cancer research.
Hosted by UHN's Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and joined by UHN's Krembil Research Institute (KRI) and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), the event welcomed more than 60 principal investigators. The gathering provided a unique platform for exchanging insights, exploring new research directions and building lasting collaborations.
The forum opened with remarks from institutional leaders, Drs. Aaron Schimmer, Director at the Princess Margaret, Jaideep Bains, Director of the Krembil, and Aristotle Voineskos, Senior Vice-President of Research and Science at CAMH and Joint Vice-President for the CAMH-UHN Partnership, and Brad Wouters, UHN's Executive Vice President of Science & Research. Their addresses underscored the urgency and importance of integrating cancer, neuroscience and mental health research.
Dr. Schimmer highlighted the forum's potential to foster cross-disciplinary collaboration and encouraged researchers to seize this opportunity to elevate cancer neuroscience research to new heights.
Throughout the day, attendees engaged in thought-provoking discussions on cancer models, the cancer microenvironment, nervous system signaling within the cancer microenvironment, the molecular control of cognition and the molecular impact of stress.
With 10 expert-led talks, interactive panel discussions and dedicated networking sessions, the forum spurred new scientific questions and opportunities to bridge the gap between cancer biology and neuroscience.
"I have thoroughly enjoyed this interdisciplinary symposium, which focused on the importance of mental health in cancer and strategies we can use to understand and improve it," said Dr. Madeline Li, a psychiatrist and the lead in psychosocial oncology at the Princess Margaret. She connected with several researchers from KRI and CAMH to discuss links between depression and cancer, and expressed her excitement for potential new projects.
To support the momentum generated at the event, the Princess Margaret, KBI and CAMH established a Joint Seed Grant Program in Cancer Neuroscience to fund promising collaborative projects emerging from the forum. The goal of this funding opportunity is to foster impactful research that ultimately improves patient outcomes.
UHN welcomes visitors from Singapore General Hospital
UHN welcomed back visitors from Singapore General Hospital (SGH) for a second site visit focused on patient safety and human factors.
The visit on April 3 was co-hosted by UHN Quality, Safety & Clinical Adoption and Healthcare Human Factors.
The morning was focused on application of human factors principles to safety event reporting and learning; learning from safety events and building organizational capacity in quality and safety — facilitated by members of UHN Quality & Safety.
There was also a panel with UHN Quality & Safety leaders and a second panel with leaders from UHN's Emergency Department, Joint Department of Medical Imaging, Laboratory Medicine Program, Clinical Informatics, Practice and Pharmacy. The panels supported candid discussion and the “all teach, all learn” environment.
Healthcare Human Factors facilitated the afternoon session, which featured practical case studies of human factors in the hospital setting.
In 2024, SGH's senior leadership visited three top hospitals around the world, including UHN, to learn about leading quality and safety practices. UHN Quality & Safety hosted that visit, which featured presentations and tours by TeamUHN.
TeamUHN members who participated last year and UHN Quality of Care Committee members were invited to a virtual presentation to hear about SGH's findings from their international visits.
