Issue No. 1, February 2013

In a Canadian first, Sunnybrook brain scien-tists have pioneered the use of MRI-guided fo-cused ultrasound to successfully treat patients who suffer from debilitating tremors in their arms and hands. 

“This new non-invasive procedure is revolutionizing medicine,” says Dr. Michael Schwartz, principal investigator of an early stage clinical trial of the therapy and head of Sunnybrook’s Division of Neurosurgery.

“Our goal was to evaluate the safety and initial effectiveness of MRI-guided focused ultrasound in treating patients with disabling tremor, and we are optimistic about the results we are seeing thus far. This technology could have far-reaching implications for many brain conditions, including brain tumours and other movement disorders.”

The outpatient procedure is described as scalpel-free surgery because no incision is made. There is no general anesthetic required and the patient remains awake and alert dur-ing treatment and can go home the next day. Although only five patients have been treated so far in Canada, the procedure appears to be safe, and associated with limited side-effects.

The technology allows investigators to focus ultrasound waves under MRI guidance through a patient’s skull to reach an area deep in the brain, destroying the cells responsible

for the tremor but leaving surrounding areas untouched.

The study enrolled patients with a condition known as chronic essential tremor. In these cases, medication had failed to control the condition. A significant portion of patients with the condition have reduced quality of life related to impairment in the use of their dominant hand for eating, drinking, writing and other activities requiring fine move-ments. Trial participants had only one side of the body treated.

“There was a clearly visible and dramatic im-provement in tremor in the patient cases seen so far,” says Dr. Andres Lozano, a neurosur-geon at the Krembil Neuroscience Centre at Toronto Western Hospital, and co-investigator on the study.

“Improvement in the dominant hand is seen while the patient is still in the MRI scanner. Three months post-procedure there were significant improvements in activities such as writing and drinking from a cup, which were not possible prior to surgery.”

Dr. Neal Kassell, chairman of the Focused Ultrasound Surgery Foundation, says “because the brain is the most difficult organ to treat, we believe that one of the best ways to validate and advance the entire field of MRI-guided focused ultrasound is to support the rapid

development of promising brain applications.

“We are delighted to be collaborating with the team at Sunnybrook, which is one of the world’s pre-eminent focused ultrasound sites.”

Other collaborators come from the Platform of Physical Sciences and departments of Medical Imaging, Neurology, and Anaesthesia at Sunnybrook, and the Division of Neurosurgery at University of Alberta.

Trials are currently planned or underway at Sunnybrook to apply MRI-guided focused ultrasound to treat cancers and tumours of the brain, breast, bone, neck, and rec-tum, as well as benign uterine fibroids. Nadia Norcia Radovini

Revolutionary scalpel-free surgery proving successful

Patient Tony Lightfoot receives focused ultrasound treatment Dec. 18 and then later drinks from a cup without assistance for the first time in over 10 years.

What’s on your mind? We want to know what you think of Your Health Matters and if you have any suggestions for future articles. Drop us a line at news.articles@sunnybrook.ca

The answer: Cancer treatment is an area where strict adherence to the rules is para-mount if you want to ensure the best possible outcome – in this case, cure is the aim, so we should ensure we meet our goal. Radiation treatment after lumpectomy is not an option but part of a package. Otherwise, there is a risk of the cancer returning.

“Many patients ask if they can choose to re-ceive radiation,” says Dr. Jean-Philippe Pignol, a Sunnybrook radiation oncologist. In this case, “cancer treatment is not like choosing options when you buy a car. It is more a black or white thing. Not receiving the appropriate treatment is a serious decision.” 

Patients who have undergone breast-conserv-ing surgery, such as your friend, require radia-tion treatment. That’s because no matter how good a surgeon is at removing the tumour and surrounding tissue, there is always chance a couple of cancer cells – invisible to the naked eye – were missed. 

Perhaps the easiest way of looking at it is to

consider how much risk your friend is willing to accept. Without radiation, the risk of the breast cancer recurring in five years is up to 30 per cent. When breast cancer returns, it is metastatic half of the time, which means it has spread to surrounding tissue, organs or bones, making cure impossible. The goal of care at that point is lengthening survival as long as possible.

Compare that to patients who undergo radia-tion following breast cancer: their risk of re-currence over five years is about five per cent. After five years patients are often considered cured, and if cancer returns after that period of time it is deemed a new primary.

Theoretically, your friend is onto something: 70 per cent of patients may not have cancer recur after limited surgery. There are likely breast cancer patients who don’t require radia-tion, whose survival would not be impacted. However, oncologists currently have no way of determining who these patients are.

There is no question radiation represents a sig-nificant burden in terms of time and mental energy: typically, patients receive treatment five days a week up to five weeks.

“Nobody is very pleased to go every day to a cancer centre. It can be extremely draining, physically and psychologically,” Dr. Pignol agrees.

There are other radiation side-effects beyond boredom, including burning on the skin. Roughly 30 per cent of patients will experience it, but this side-effect disappears typically after a week or two. There have also been concerns that those who have radiation to the left breast may have a higher chance of coronary artery disease and heart attack than those whose right breast is irradiated.

But according to Dr. Pignol, this seems untrue today as technological advances – in the form of CT imaging – help doctors better see what they are treating.

Though there is additional radiation expo-sure, the chance of developing a secondary cancer due to radiation treatment is almost undetectable.

Recognizing that the arduous length of time for radiation treatment is a barrier for patients across Canada – especially those in remote areas who must travel to urban centres – doc-tors are studying ways to provide it in a shorter period of time. For instance, treatment in a single session using implanted radioactive seeds or delivery of radiation during surgery.

“We’re working on solutions,” Dr. Pignol notes. “And since we cannot select who should receive radiation and who should not, the best thing is to simplify the radiation treatment and make it more patient friendly.”

The question: I have a friend who just had a lumpectomy (surgical removal of a breast tumour) and sentinel lymph node biopsy for a small inva-sive lobular breast cancer. She has not yet met with the surgeon for her final report but knows ra-diation to her breast will be one of the next steps. She is quite reluctant to have radiation treatment and wonders about the risk of recurrence if she does not have radiation. Can you refer us to information that would help her with this decision – like what the likelihood of recurrence is without radiation and the long-term effects of radiation?

Alex Midea, 18, is an avid football player who is also battling cancer. The recent appear-ance of the Grey Cup and Toronto Argonaut Matthew Black at the Odette Cancer Centre’s Chemotherapy Unit was, no doubt, inspira-tional for Midea and fellow patients.

Black, a defensive back for the 100th Grey Cup champion Argos, is a family friend of the Mideas.

At 6-foot-1, Midea is an honour roll student in his second year at York University and a line-man for the York Lions.

During summer football training camp he was diagnosed with cancer and has since had to set activities aside to focus on treatment and recovery.

Black, whose younger brother played along-side Midea in summer bantam football,

brought the historic Grey Cup, which the Argos captured in November af-ter defeating the Calgary Stampeders.

Midea smiled as he held the four-foot-long cup, engraved with the names of champions dating back to 1909.

“There were days during training when I was so exhausted I didn’t think I’d make it,” Black says.

“But now, looking back – the struggle was definitely worth the big win,” adds Black, who hopes his energy and story of determination will help strengthen Midea’s resolve.

After spending time with Midea and family, Black remained at the unit to share Grey Cup moments with other patients and staff.Natalie Chung-Sayers

Grey Cup champion lifts spirits during Chemo Unit visit

Lisa Priest, Sunnybrook’s Manager of Community Engagement & Patient Navigation, answers questions from patients and their families, relying heavily on medical and health experts. Email your questions to AskLisa@sunnybrook.ca

Forgoing radiation treatment after breast cancer: not optional

(Left to right) Sherri Rotenberg, RN, Alex Midea, Stephanie Jozwiakowski, RN, and Toronto Argonaut Matthew Black.

Firefighters help beyond the scene, deliver two vital giftsThe Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association continued an annual tradition in December when members visited Sunnybrook to make two very special deliveries.

On Dec. 12, the association donated $17,500 to Sunnybrook’s Louise Temerty Breast Cancer Centre. The centre will open in April and will provide expanded facilities for breast cancer care and allow greater collaboration in research and clinical trials.

As part of the second year of their breast can-cer awareness campaign, the firefighters raised funds from the sale of 1,800 pink T-shirts. As a result, they were able to donate $4,500 more than the previous year.

The firefighters returned again the following week to donate $40,000 to the Ross Tilley Burn Centre. The gift covers the cost of pur-chasing two novel monitoring devices called the pulse contour cardiac output (PiCCO), which measures crucial data regarding heart

rate, heart function and vascular status via a non-invasive method (thermo dilution).

“It helps to monitor patient status more ef-fectively,” says Dr. Marc Jeschke, medical director of the Ross Tilley Burn Centre. “It’s like flying an airplane. Flying successfully and safely means knowing the data and what’s go-ing on around you. The PiCCO enables such information flow.”

Dr. Jeschke credits community support for helping to deliver comprehensive care at the burn centre, which has seen the number of patients it treats annually rise to about 250 from 150.

“None of this would have been possible with-out donor support,” Dr. Jeschke says. “We are very grateful for the firefighters’ support.”

One of the burn centre’s most generous sup-porters, the association has donated more than $600,000 to Sunnybrook over the past several years.

“As firefighters, we see the devastation fire causes and we want to help mitigate that as much as possible,” says Ed Kennedy, president of the association. “It’s a long journey for people who have been injured by fire and we want to help not just at the scene, but also at the hospital.”Natalie Chung-Sayers

Ross Tilley Burn Centre medical director Dr. Marc Jeschke accepts a $40,000 donation from TPFFA representatives on Dec. 19.

Sending something special to a friend or loved one at Sunnybrook is now just a click away. The Sunnybrook Volunteer Association (SVA) launched its new online gift shop, offering added services and convenience.

“This is the latest patient care and comfort initiative from the SVA, making us the first Canadian hospital volunteer association to launch an online store,” says Dan Christante, SVA president. “We hope this will provide pa-tients, their loved ones and families an added level of comfort when they really need to stay connected.”

The site will allow anyone in the world to order a gift for a Sunnybrook patient and have it delivered the same day if ordered by 3 p.m. Orders placed after that time will be delivered by 10 a.m. the next day. Hospital staff can also use the site to order gifts for their colleagues that will be delivered directly to their work area.

A wide range of products are available to order, including baby gifts, flower arrangements, clothing, books and get-well gifts. Special seasonal items will also be offered on the site throughout the year.

The online gift shop officially opened on November 26. Visit sunnybrookgiftshop.ca to have a look at the new site or to place an order 24 hours a day.

Online gift shop offers same-day delivery

Babies in Stockings brings holiday joy to Veterans and newborns alike

Three newborn babies received early Christmas gifts on Dec. 21 when Sunnybrook Veterans made a special trip to the maternal and newborn unit to present them with hand-crafted stockings.

Second World War Veterans Lorne Renaud and Betty Garbutt visited each of the babies – Kira, Connor and Nivea – and their families to give them the stockings, part of an annual tradition at Sunnybrook.

As part of an art therapy program, 40 stock-ings were created for babies born on Christmas Day.

Each stocking is one-of-a-kind, with a small tag sewn inside containing the words, ‘deco-rated by a Sunnybrook Veteran’.

The stockings are a special remembrance and ensure that each newborn will never forget their birthplace and who their first Christmas gift was from. A small poppy is also featured at the top of each stocking.

Renaud also visited the babies last year, and says participating in the Babies in Stockings tradition is his “favourite Christmas gift.”

“The Veterans just love visiting the maternal and newborn unit. This tradition is a heartfelt way of connecting Sunnybrook’s past to tiny newborns,” says Lorrie Clarke, art therapist at the Veterans Centre.

Sunnybrook’s state-of-the-art Women & Babies space specializes in high-risk pregnancy and critically premature babies.

One in five Ontario babies weighing less than three pounds is delivered at Sunnybrook.Sybil Edmonds

Veteran Lorne Renaud with baby Kira, born only three hours earlier.

Here’s a quick, portable lunch that is low in fat and packed with fibre and essential nutrients. The idea is to pack up the ingredients you need for this meal the night before and, if you have access to a microwave, cook the meal at work or school. Be sure to pack this dish in an insulated lunch bag with a small ice pack.

Ingredients (makes one serving):

• 1 cup cooked rice• ¾ cup canned kidney beans (rinsed and

drained)• ½ cup frozen corn• ½ to ¾ cup chopped fresh tomato (about

1 medium)• ¼ cup diced green bell pepper• 2 tbsp finely chopped onions• ¼ to ½ tbsp chili powder

Preparation:

1. In a container, combine rice, beans, corn, tomato, green pepper, onion and chili powder. Stir until combined.

2. Microwave on high, loosely covered, for 2-3 minutes or until hot. Stir before serving.

Tip: Margarine and yogurt containers, plastic children’s dishes and polystyrene foam con-tainers are not appropriate for cooking and reheating in the microwave. These types of containers may release chemicals into food when heated.

Nutrients per serving:

• Calories: 429 • Protein: 15 g• Fat: 1.9 g • Carbohydrates: 90 g• Saturated fat: 0.4 g • Fibre: 14 g• Sodium: 466 mg• Very high in: vitamin C, niacin, folacin,

magnesium, fibre.• High in: thiamine, vitamin B6, panto-

thenic acid, iron, zinc.• Source of: vitamin A, riboflavin, calcium.

Recipe courtesy of Cook! Dietitians of Canada.

Lunch box chili rice and beans

International neuroscience powerhouses at the University of Toronto (U of T) and its affili-ated hospitals – including Sunnybrook – are joining forces to advance research into demen-tia to a degree never seen before.

With 500,000 Canadians suffering from de-mentia and an aging population, the number will double in a generation. The staggering effects are devastating for individuals with de-mentia, but also to the quality of life of those near and dear to them. There are significant impacts on society and health care as a whole, and the current annual cost of $15 billion is expected to increase 10-fold in the next 25 years.

Experts stress treatments are urgently needed to prevent or delay dementia’s onset, and to slow progression once symptoms begin to appear. The current plan of action at U of T is the Toronto Dementia Research Alliance. The timing for this initiative is ripe for several reasons:

• There is a large pool of neuroscience expertise to tap into at U of T, which has the largest collaborative neuroscience graduate program in Canada.

• The current state of technological capa-bilities is advanced and sophisticated.

• There is potential for research to be in-creasingly embedded in care, now more than ever – an economically sensible, continuous quality improvement plan within the Canadian health-care system that is feasible and socially responsible.

Dr. Sandra Black, who last year received the Order of Ontario and was elected to the Royal Society of Canada, has consistently been at the forefront of this push for collaboration to improve care and advance dementia research.

Dr. Black was recently appointed executive director of the Toronto Dementia Research Alliance due to her international reputation as

a leading clinical researcher with extensive ex-perience in stroke and dementia clinical care, research and teaching.

“She is the pre-eminent clinical researcher in dementia in Canada,” says Dr. Ken Shulman, chief of Sunnybrook’s Brain Sciences Program.

Dr. Black has held numerous leadership roles at Sunnybrook and U of T, including the Brill Chair in Neurology, and has been a force for innovation in other collaborative initiatives, such as the Heart and Stroke Foundation Centre for Stroke Recovery, the Ontario Brain Institute, the Ontario Stroke Network, and international projects.

Dementia includes a variety of diseases. Beyond Alzheimer’s disease, there are also vascular cognitive disorders and other major neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson-Lewy body spectrum disease and frontotem-poral degeneration.

“Patients often have a complex mix of these diseases, and we need to better understand and address this murky reality,” says Dr. Black. “We need to move away from oversim-plifying the dementias and instead embrace their heterogeneity and complexity in order to treat them as effectively as possible.”

Dr. Black adds that “the alliance aims to set the standard for the kind of collaboration we should strive for in all fields of medicine and at all levels. Together, we can do so much more.” Nadia Norcia Radovini

Alliance ready to take on dementia

Recent changes to the scope of the nurse prac-titioner role will mean increased responsibility and accountability for such nurses in Ontario, both in community and hospital settings.

As a result of the changes introduced by Bill 179, nurse practitioners will now be able to independently order lab tests and other diag-nostic procedures, prescribe medications and communicate a diagnosis, and admit and discharge patients from hospitals.

“This is a positive change for health care in Ontario that will improve access to care, decrease wait times and help clients navigate complex health-care systems,” says Jo Watson, nurse practitioner practice lead and operations director for the Women & Babies Program.

“Our nurse practitioners are essential mem-bers of our health-care team, and these important changes will help them to maxi-mize their scope of practice. I am proud that Sunnybrook’s nurse practitioners are making such an important impact on clinical prac-tice,” adds Ru Taggar, vice president, chief nursing executive & health professions and quality & patient safety at Sunnybrook.

Ontario’s nurse practitioners are registered nurses with advanced university education and clinical preparation who provide a full range of health-care services. They also assist in the management of chronic conditions, such as diabetes. Sunnybrook is home to 36 of the ap-proximately 800 Ontario nurse practitioners.Sybil Edmonds

When Sunnybrook’s head of surgical oncol-ogy, Dr. Calvin Law, talks about reducing wait times for cancer surgery, he focuses on a single image.

“The most important thing is to visualize a patient at home, with no cancer, smiling. The faster we can get patients through their treatment, the faster they can get on with their lives,” Dr. Law says.

Thanks to the efforts of entire health-care teams in the Odette Cancer Centre and the Department of Medical Imaging, Sunnybrook has made great strides in making this a reality. In most cases, Sunnybrook is greatly below the wait times target set by the Toronto Central Local Health Integration Network for cancer surgeries and for MRI and CT scans.

“What’s important is that there is motion on reducing wait times at every level,” Dr. Law says. He describes the work invested by all staff, including surgeons and their administra-tive assistants, each nurse on the ward involved in enhanced recovery after surgery, a special nurse navigator who acts as a sort of traffic

control centre for cancer care, all the way up to the senior leadership team.

While Sunnybrook leadership found ways to move the first surgery of the day along, the Odette Cancer Centre team also began to look for ways to reduce surgery cancellations. One strategy has been to move to a data-driven pro-cess where performance metrics guide deci-sions and are provided for each cancer surgeon and are viewable by all, making the process transparent, accountable and educational.

“We could see the whole picture. We found ways to work together as a team and we started to share tips and tricks for getting patients the care they needed as quickly as possible,” adds Dr. Law.

Teamwork has also been the key to success in Sunnybrook’s Department of Medical Imaging, where wait times for MRI and CT scans are well below the provincial target. The department’s staff members have worked together with the goal of making the process as efficient as possible.

“There is no doubt demand for imaging is rising, and our staff is meeting this demand. We are fortunate to have skillful and dedi-cated technologists, allowing for high-quality scanning and efficient patient throughput,” says Dr. Alan Moody, a Sunnybrook radiolo-gist and chair of the Department of Medical Imaging at the University of Toronto.

“Patients are often anxious when they come for a scan. Achieving first-rate scan quality involves more than just technical expertise – it reflects true patient-centered care,” he adds.

Sunnybrook’s department has examined its booking process, reduced the patient no-show rate and streamlined the scanning process to ensure all available time slots are used. Every patient that comes to the department is re-viewed and prioritized according to urgency.

Dr. Law returns to his bottom line when speaking about wait times. “What reduced wait times mean is that there is another person out there who no longer has cancer. That’s reason to celebrate.”Marie Sanderson

Sunnybrook taking a team approach to reducing wait times

Dr. Peter Kertes, ophthalmologist-in-chief at Sunnybrook’s John and Liz Tory Eye Centre, speaks to some 350 people on Nov. 29 during the Sunnybrook Speaker Series event, “A Focus On Eye Health: What You Need To Watch For.”

Several topics were covered by leading Sunnybrook ophthalmologists.

Dr. Radha Kohly began the evening with her talk on eye health relating to diabetes. Dr. Carol Schwartz touched on age-related

macular degeneration, while Dr. John Lloyd provided an overview of LASIK (laser eye surgery). Dr. William Dixon highlighted the essentials of cataract surgery.

A full webcast of the event can be viewed by searching “speaker series” at www.sunnybrook.ca.

The next Speaker Series talk takes place Jan. 31 and will focus on psychological treatment for mood and anxiety.Monica Matys

Expanding role for nurse practitioners

Graduates of Sunnybrook’s Women & Babies Program have powerful success stories to tell – and they’re telling them in an exciting new campaign on M4 and M5. Centred on the life-saving care in our High Risk Obstetrical Unit, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and NICU Follow-Up Program, the campaign features bright colours, compelling photographs and touching stories. The campaign is aimed at sharing these stories and raising awareness of the care we offer while expressing the need for continued support. Swing by and take a look!

Dr. Sandra Black heads up the alliance.

Speaker Series: focusing on eye health

How to reach us:

Your Health Matters

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

2075 Bayview Avenue, Suite D1 00

Toronto, ON M4N 3M5

P: 416.480.4040

E: news.articles@sunnybrook.ca

Your Health Matters is published monthly by the Communications & Stakeholder Relations Department and Sunnybrook Foundation. Submissions to Your Health Matters are welcome, however, they are subject to space availability and editorial discretion.

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre is inventing the future of health care for the 1.2 million patients the hospital cares for each year through the dedication of its more than 10,000 staff and volunteers. An internationally recognized leader in research and education and a full affiliation with the University of Toronto distinguishes Sunnybrook as one of Canada’s premier academic health sciences centres. Sunnybrook specializes in caring for high-risk pregnancies, critically-ill newborns and adults, offering specialized rehabilitation and treating and preventing cancer, cardiovascular disease, neurological and psychiatric disorders, orthopaedic and arthritic conditions and traumatic injuries. The Hospital also has a unique and national leading program for the care of Canada’s war veterans. For more information about how Sunnybrook is inventing the future of health care please visit us online at www.sunnybrook.ca

Researchers have discovered a gene associated with the timing of one’s sleep-wake cycle, as well as one’s likeliest time of death.

“This gene variant influences both the earli-ness or lateness of one’s sleep and activity rhythms as well as the clock time of day one is likeliest to die,” says Dr. Andrew Lim, lead author of the study and a Sunnybrook neu-rologist. “This information could be poten-tially helpful in the scheduling of shift work or schooling, and if we know when a person is likeliest to die we can act to prevent this by administering medical treatments at more optimal times, and better monitor vulnerable patient populations.”

Published in the November 2012 issue of Annals of Neurology, the findings emerged from research that initially set out 15 years ago to investigate risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease.

As part of this larger study, investigators

measured sleep/wake and activity rhythms in a large number of older individuals and obtained DNA from them. They used this op-portunity to search for common gene variants that might play a role in the internal biologi-cal clock. In so doing, they discovered a gene variant associated with as much as one hour difference in the timing of people’s internal biological clock.

Everybody carries two copies of this gene – one from their mother and one from their father. The 16 per cent of individuals with two cop-ies of the “late” version of the gene have sleep/wake and activity timings more than one hour

later than the 36 per cent of individuals with two copies of the “early” version of the gene, with the 48 per cent of individuals with one copy of each version of gene lying in between.

Once that link was made, researchers went back to the database to compare the times of death and DNA of those who had passed away during the course of the study, and also found an association between this gene and the time of death.

“This is exciting because it is the first gene vari-ant shown to influence the timing of directly recorded human sleep and activity rhythms and also time of death,” adds Dr. Lim.

Whereas most people were likeliest to die in the late morning or early afternoon, people with two copies of the “late” version of the gene were likeliest to die later in the day, in the early evening around 6 p.m.Nadia Norcia Radovini

Researchers discover gene that predicts time of death

Dialysis staff host shower to celebrate successful patient pregnancySunnybrook’s renal team hosted a baby shower in early October to celebrate the first baby born to an existing dialysis patient at the hospital.

Gabrielle Ivy was born last Sept. 25 to Racquel Delacruz, who has been a home hemodialysis patient at Sunnybrook since 2010.

“Racquel is the first dialysis patient we’ve cared for before, during and after her preg-nancy,” says Dr. Michelle Hladunewich, head of Sunnybrook’s Obstetric Medicine and Nephrology divisions.

Typically, a pregnant woman on dialysis re-quires meticulous care by a dedicated team, including nephrology, obstetrics and a full multidisciplinary staff. Team members are available around the clock to provide care for a pregnancy like Delacruz’s, which is considered to be high-risk.

Medical complications associated with kidney disease mean that pregnancies in dialysis pa-tients are very uncommon. “There have only been 20 babies born in the Greater Toronto

Area to women on dialysis,” Dr. Hladunewich notes.

As for Delacruz, she and her husband Randy are enjoying parenthood and are very excited about the new addition to their family. “Everybody has been so helpful, and I’m so grateful to everyone, especially to Dr. Hladunewich and [home dialysis nurse] Raquel Bersamira, for the care they provided,” Delacruz says.Sybil Edmonds

Dad Randy Abalos, mom Racquel Delacruz and Gabrielle Ivy at the baby shower hosted by Sunnybrook’s home hemodialysis staff on Oct. 16, 2012.

Community of Care integration website launchesSunnybrook’s new physician referral search tool is now available, providing for the first time the names, clinical focus and contact information for specialists most commonly referred by family doctors in the community.

It is part of a new, virtual Community of Care (accessible at sunnybrook.ca/integration), which offers physicians a one-stop shop for information on primary care integration – including news, tips, a rounds calendar and a place to chat about integration. In December, Sunnybrook and its community partners were selected by Ontario as one of the first 19 Health Links, starting us formally on the path to providing seamless care to those patients most in need.

It builds on work we began in the spring, engaging family physicians in the community to understand their needs, conducting surveys and holding outreach interviews, focus groups and open houses. As a result, family doctors asked for a database of specialists to help them better navigate care for their patients.