Source: Catholic Health Alliance of Canada

Copyright: Public Domain

Digitized: November 2018

Hôpital St. Boniface General HospitalWinnipeg, Manitoba

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Notre chemin ensemble ~ Our Journey Together. .

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Catholic Hospital History Project Documenting the legacy and conh'ibu.tion of the Congregations of Religious 'Vomen in Canada,

theil' mission in health care, and the founding and operation of Calholic hospitalS, ?

Projet de la t1ttttt~Q,' Histoire , des hôpitaux catholiques au Canada

Retl'llcer l'hél'itage et ln contribution des cOllgrégl)tions de f('ligieuses au aU.adll,

leur missIon en lIIatièl,(, de soins de s,mtl'ainsi que la fondation et l'cxploitation des hôplfllUX Clllholiques,

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Tus HosPrrAL oN THE RupCELEBRATES 725YEARSI t 's no easy task reaching the age

I of 125 but as St. Boniface GeneralI Hospital celebrates its 125thanniversary this year, it shows nosigns of slowing down. Its ongoingcommitment to quality patient careand to the community remainstrong, despite challenges to thefacility and to health care in general.

The first hospital in WesternCanada, St. Boniface GeneralHospital was founded by the Sistersof Charity of Montreal "Grey Nuns"in 1871. Since then, it has evolved tomeet the changing needs of thegrowing population it serves. It haskept pace with, and often takes theIead in advances in health care. Butthroughout its history, St. BonifaceCeneral Hospital has held onto andpromoted the values practised bythe first four Grey Nuns who arrivedin St. Boniface by canoe in 1844.

As the firsl hospital in the wesl, St.Boniface General Hospital helpedestablish the foundations of healthcare in Manitoba. It continues to

Today physiciansperlorm over4,000 surgeries ayear in some ofthe mosl modernand advancedoperaling roomsin Norlh America.

take a lead role in health carethrough its involvement with othersin providing high quality patientcare, education and research.

"We believe in working with othersbecause we can't do it all ourselves," explains |ack Litvack,President and Chief ExecutiveOfficer. "That's why we've been aleader and supporter of changes inhealth care delivery and are part-ners in the Manitoba AcademicMedical Centres Consortium withthe University of Manitoba and theHealth Sciences Centre."

"Members of our medical and hos-pital staff participate in the develop-ment of new health care initiativessuch as the Urban Health PlanningPartnership because we want tokeep the focus on the patient.Patient-focused care is where webegan and we're keeping to thosetraditions," he says.

"The pioneering spirit that broughtthe first Grey Nuns here continues

St. BonifaceGeneral Hospilalwas renownedlor its surgicalprocedures asearly as 1890.

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The first hospital in Western Canada, Sl.Bonilace Genelal Hospital was establishedin 1871 by Sr Ste. Th6rise ol the Sistersof Charity of Monlreal "Grey Nuns".

Fronl cover(clockwise from upper lefl)

1. Over 4,ll{10 babies a yeal are deliveredin Sl. Boniface General Hospital.

2. The lirct hospilal built in 1871 seruesas slolage alter lhe conslluclion of a newhospital in 1890. (Pholo c.1895)

3. Sl. Boniface acquired lhe filst magnelicresonance imaging scannel in Manitobain 1991.

4. Nursery al Sl. Bonilace, c. 1910

5. Aerial photo of Sl. BonifaceGeneral Hospital complex, 1994.(Photo Bill Peters)

6. In the early years lhe Grey Nunsworked in all areas of the hospilal.(Phamacy, c1905)

Today, althoughsunounded bymodern technolo-gy, patients con-tinue to receiuecare and com-passion al thehands of lhestalf.

today because there still are unmetneeds to which we are called torespond," adds Sister ]acqueline St.Yves, Vice-President Mission andCommunity Services.

"That's what we're about as agrovpi' she says of the Grey Nuns."We are here for those who are notlooked after and for those who haveno one."

It 's a principle dating back to the hos-pital's beginning when the Sistersprovided care to anyone in need,regardless of religion or ability topay. This fact was illustrated duringa debate at the Manitoba Legislatureabout proposed government fund-ing ($500) for the hospital.Attorney-General Clnrke explainedthat (St. Boniface) was a public hospi-tal, as persons of all ueeds and nationswere admitted qnd well taken care ofby the Sisters in charge of the institu-tion. The Sisters of Charity, said theAttorney -G eneral, know no distinc-tion. They neaer ask whether the poorsuferer is torturedby n Protestantpain or a Catholic feaer that "racks"the tortured body of the poor humanbeing. The sufferer akaays finds inthem a careful, deuoted friend andnurse. (The Weekly Manitoban andHerald of Rupert's Land and theNorth-Western Territory, May 20,1871.)

From 1915 -1918over 7,700 sol-diers are lreatedat the Hospital;l inding care andcompassion allhe hands of lhesislers.

"More than 150 years ago, the CreyNuns brought a dedication to peopleof all faiths and creeds in Manitoba.But they also had a pragmatism andflexibility that is reflected in how ourhospital has evolved through its 125year history" says ]ack Litvack,President and Chief Executive Officer.

Today, the hospital's mission state-ment, echoing the mission of theGrey Nuns, is:

. to provide the highest quality careto its patients

. to be of service to the community

o to participate in the vital areas ofeducation and research.

The first four Grey Nuns came tothe banks of the Red River with amission to teach, comfort and nursethe poor. That tradition lives ontoday in the hospital on the banksof the Red. Just as the river stillflows past the hospital, the valuesof those earlv Grev Nuns continueto flow throughout the hospital.

St. Boniface General Hosnital nowlooks ahead to the next 1)5 years ofproviding compassionate care to thesick and needy while seeking newand advanced ways to improve thequality of life for all.

The Grey lluns' mission lo promote ercel-lence in palienl care is lhe basis uponwhich lhe hospilal has grown and uponwhich it seeks to lesp0nd t0 the needs 0fthe people 0f lts many communities.

The new Gommunily lV Program allowspatienls 0n long 01 short lerm intravenousantibiotic lherapy t0 receive care at home.

The cwiosity and dedicalion 0f physiciansand researchers al lhe hospital andResearch Genlre have led to,new discover-ies in lhe realmenl 0f many diseases.

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Congratulations on y ourl25th Anniversary

Suite 800, 200 Graham AvenueWinnipeg, Manitoba R3C 4MlTel: (204) 957-1770Fax: (204) 957-0808

Established in 1976. the lnternalionalAward honours individuals who have madean outslanding conlribution l0 health caleand humanity. 01. Jonas Salk, (1976),Dr. Ghristiaan Barnad (1977) and MolherTeresa (1982) ale among those who havebeen honoured;

Money raised through the support oflvlanitobans has contributed to thedevelopment of health care researchin.Maniloba.

RssreRCH FouxDATroN

f| t. Boniface General Hospital

\ gave itself a unique 100th birth-lY dav present in 1971- the St.Bonifac-e

-General Hospital Research

Foundation. The Foundation's mis-sion is to fund research, patient careand education.

Through its many fundraisingactivities, the Research Foundationprovides the seeds for tremendousgrowth in health sciences researchopportunities.

"Without the Research Foundation,there would have been no (new)research space created in Manitoba,"recalls Dr. ]ohn Foerster, Director ofResearch at the Research Centre."The Foundation continues to suo-port the Centre by providing stari-up grants to researchers to launchtheir projects."

This year, the Foundation Gelebratestwo anniversalies: its own 25thanniversary and the 20th anniver-sary of the International AwardDinner, a major fundraising event.The award honours individualswhose genius, talent and energyhave made an outstanding contribu-tion to health care and/or humanity.

"The award winners I've met havebeen humble, passionate people,like Dr. Andrei Sakharov whodidn't know what all the fuss wasabout!" recalls Valerie Coward.Foundation Director.

"We are the enabler," explainsCoward of the Foundation's role."We provide grants to researchor hospital projects that allowresearchers to obtain funds fromother sources, nationally and inter-nationally.

LAUNCHES OUTSTANDING PROIECTS

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The magnetic resonance imaging scanner al St. Bonilaceis a major focus of research and patient care. "This unil helpsdiagnose and treal many diseases, such as lumours, diseases ofthe nervous system and peripheral ioints," notes Dr. BlakeMcGlarty, provincial Head ol Neurosciences. ( t,r o t | & t le* r., ao

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Thanks to the conlributions 0f tormerqhairmen such as Senator Gildas lylolgat,Sam Gohen and Gam Maclean, theResearch Foundalion has raised over$37 million for heallh care research in its25-year history.

In 1959, Dr. Morley Goien'and Dr. RichardBurell perlormed lhe lirst"open-heartsulgery in Manitoba. The eaily work oflhese specialists is mirrored in the dedica-tion and innovalions ol heart researchersand specialists such as 01. NaranianDhalla, Head of lhe GardiovascularSciences Program al the Research Cenhe.

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RESgaRCH CExTRE cREATESHEALTH AND ECONOMIC BENEFITSI n the modern building next to St.

I Boniface General Hospital, moreI than 170 researchers and supportstaff are involved in projects thatwill lead to improved health careservices. The St. Boniface GeneralHospital Research Centre, openedlr.1987, is the first free-standingresearch facility in the country.

"When the hospital celebrated its100th anniversary in 7971," rccallsJack Litvack, President and ChiefExecutive Officer of the hospital, "itrededicated its focus on educationand research, establishing them aspivotal to the hospital's activities."

At that time, the Grey Nuns and thehospital established the St. BonifaceGeneral Hospital Research Founda-tion. It has become the catalyst forthe Research Centre, raising morethan $37 million over the past 25years. Of this, $13 million went tobuild the Research Centre.

"We now are seeing the lruits of thatdecision made 25 years ago,"Litvack comments. "The ResearchCentre has helped establish St.Boniface General Hospital as amajor academic facility in Manitoba,helping our relationship with theUniversity of Manitoba blossom."

Research at the hospital dates backat least to the late 1920s when a lab-

oratory was set up for research pur-poses. Today, some of the mostadvanced health research in theworld, primarily in the field of basicheart research and diagnostic tech-nology, is done at our ResearchCentre. Research is also linked tothe clinical departments of theHospital: infeitious diseases, re-spiratory medicine, nephrology, car-diology, clinical nursing and cancercare. It's an important link becausethe research projects ultimately, andsometimes quickly, benefit patientsreceiving care in these areas.

"From the public's perspective, theResearch Centre has a two-fold ben-efit," Litvack continues. "First, itallows us to attract and retain lead-ers of excellence in health disci-plines to do research and academicwork. Secondly, the activities at theCentre are building the keys totomorrow's medical breakthroughsthat will provide even better careand greater opportunities for treat-ment for all Manitobans."

The Centre's activities also rewardManitoba economically. Researchprojects create employment oppor-tunities and demand for productsand services from Manitoba suppli-ers. The results of the research andthe economic spinoffs together con-tribute to improved health for allManitobans.

Canrxc FoRTHE wHoLE PERSoN

A maior expansion in the 1950's culminatedin the blessing 0f lhe Gloss that standsabove lhe h0spital t0 this day, calling toall those in need.

or 125 years, St. BonifaceGeneral Hospital has strived tomeet more than just the PhYsical

needs of its patients. Through itsPastoral Care Department it serves thespiritual, mental and emotional needsof patients and family members.

The Grey Nuns enhance pastoral carefunding as a practical expression oftheir commitment to caring for thewhole person and as part of themission of the hospital.

"We take into consideration whatpeople are living," explains Sr.

Jacqueline St-Yves, Vice-President,Mission and Community Services."The Grey Nuns tend to be verYpractical and meet PeoPle in theirdaily life."

Pastoral care associates suPPortpatients working through issuesarising from illnesses and transi-tions in life caused bY disease.

As one example, pastoral care asso-ciates accompany the elderlYthrough the experience of loss andtransition as they are moved to anursing home, " says Tim FrYmire,

acting head, Pastoral CareDepartment. "Another way we suP-port families is in assisting themwith the death of a loved one."

In keeping with the different faiths andcultures 0f palients, pastoral careassociates come from a varietY ofdenominational backgrounds, bothordained and non-ordained. Thereare Roman Catholics, Anglicans,Mennonites and others. Arrangementsalso are made for visiting clergy tominister to their peoPle.

"The pastoral approach is oftenabout being part of a communitY inevery facet of our life, be it in cele-bration of life, accomPanYing intime of grief or in work-relatedissues," says St-Yves. "We alsostrive to meet emploYee needs."

\A/hether supporting patients or staffmembers, the pastoral care dePart-ment at St. Boniface GeneralHospital gives the facility a uniqueapproach to care giving' Its a way ofciring that began 125 Years ago andwill continue to be a fundamentalpart of the hospital in years to come.qr

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Throughout its long history lhe hospilalhas benefitted from the support andcommitment of its manY volunleels.

Prcviding Hotel Qualiry Support Semices

to Health Care Settings

C o npatulatians St, Bo nifac e H o spitalon reaching your l25th anniversary

of providing care to' HumanitY Pastoral care associates such as Sr. Tina Winter, s.g.m., help patients deal with illness and the

llansitions in lile caused by disease'

Heallh cale elhics al St. Bonilace helps professionals provide care in a way lhat lespecls the dignityof lhe pal ienl as a human being.

Saint Marguerite d'Youville founder of lheSislers of Ghailg ot Montreal "Grey l,luns"

Decision-making is more complexloday besause of advances in medicaltechnology.

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CenE DECISIONS BASED oN MEDICALAND ETHICAL CONSIDET{\TIONSfoday's health care personnel

I face potentially difficult choicesI in patient care. Although many

decisions are relatively simple,choices can become more difficult ascircumstances become more com-plex. New medical technology andtreatments take ethical decision-making into a grey area where ques-tions must be asked about what pro-motes the human good in a particu-lar situation.

Like other health care facilities,St. Boniface General Hospital followssome basic ethical guidelines. St.Boniface's ethical framework is basedon Christian Catholic traditions andthe teachings of Marguerite d'Youville.These help staff in making choiceswith the patient and family abouttreatment and other needs.

"There are ethics ol the ordinary,"comments Pat Murphy, Co-ordinator,Health Care Ethics Services at thehospital. "For example, telling thetruth to a patient, protecting apatient's privacy and confidentiality."

"Sometimes one "good" may be inconflict with another," Murphysays, "so the problem is decidingwhich is the 'most good'. It's not so

much that we have a set of ethicalrules but we are trying to encourageethical reflection."

In practical terms, the hospital'sHealth Care Ethics Services depart-ment promotes moral reflectionthrough education and consultation.It has as a reference the CatholicHealth Association of Canada'sHealth Care Ethics Guide to helpwork through the more complex sit-uations. This resource outlines basicethical principles: recognizing thedignity of the person, the socialnature of the person (we can't liveor reach our potential all alone), theright to life and the principle of thecommon good.

Ultimately, health care decision-making involves both medicaljudgements and judgements of ethi-cal value or what best promotes thetotal good of the patient.

"Health care ethics is not simplyabout following rules, rather, it is amatter of "right" relationship,"Murphy emphasizes. "It is activityfocused on helping to promote thehuman dignity of all partners inhealth care - patients, families andcare-givers."

Sr. BoNTFACE GENERAL FIosprrALWORKS WITH OTHERS TO TRAINHEALTH PROFESSIONALS

atient care may be the link thatmost Manitobans will havewith St. Boniface General

Hospital, but its research and edu-cation activities ultimately benefitthem as well. Through research andeducation, health care itself ismoved forward, allowing careproviders to offer patients the bestavailable services.

Since the late 19th century, thehospital has worked with theUniversity of Manitoba to providehealth sciences education that com-bines the academic strengths of theuniversity with the health care ser-vices and unique philosophy of thehospital. An arrangement with theMedical College in 1893, for exam-ple, gave medical teachers and stu-dents "free access to the publicwards of the Hospital."

The lirst recorded nursing studentbegan her education at the hospital.In'1,897, the School of Nursing wasestablished, the first in Manitoba.Recently, a new agreement was

reached in which nursing studentsenrolled at the university can dotheir practical activities at St.Boniface General Hospital or theHealth Sciences Centre. The hosoi-tal 's diploma program, dating bickto the first School of Nursing, isbeing phased out in favour of afour-year program.

Another new agreement betweenSt. Boniface General Hospital, theHealth Sciences Centre and theUniversity of Manitoba will enhancemedical education and patient care.Called the Manitoba AcademicMedical Centres Consortium, theagreement emphasizes St. Boniface'srole as an academic health centre. Italso demonstrates its importance tothe University in health scienceeducation and research.

"From an early stage in the hospi-tal's development, the Grey Nunsrecognized that teaching futurehealth care professionals was anintegral responsibility of a qualityhealth care institution. A partner-

ship with the University was a nat-ural," comments Jack Litvack,President and Chief ExecutiveOfficer.

lnstead of duplicating programs atboth teaching hospitals, one pro-gram with a common clinical leader-ship is now being offered at the twofacilities. The programs will work asif taking place in one institution butthe boards of the three partnershave control over what occurs with-in their walls and under their aegis.This means that the values, tradi-tions and culture of each organiza-tion will remain, but within anintegrated program approach.

Although the hospital's collabora-tion with the University of Manitobais primarily in the fields of medicineand nursing, the hospital also partic-ipates in a number of other healthsciences training programs for phys-iotherapists, occupational therapists,registered dietitians, pharmacists,and social workers.

St. Boniface General Hospital's 125years of commitment to educationwill continue as it trains tomorrow'shealth professionals to provide qual-ity patient care.

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The hospilal 's collaboration with theUniversity 0f Manitoba provides 0pportunitiesfor specialisls such as Dr. Puki Cheung,Interuenlional Cardiologist at St. Bonifaceand Assistant Professor 0l Medicine at theUniversity ol Manitoba. Dr. Cheung workswith the coronary arlelies 0t the heart,atlempling lo find solulions to blockages.

Nurse with patient 1940

The Grey Nuns recognized early on thatteachin0 future professionals was animporlant responsibil i ty, 0ne whichconlinues today.

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