Interpretation Services offers nearly 240 languages including American Sign Language (ASL).

Did you know that ÍűșìșÚÁÏ serves one of the most diverse catchment areas in Ontario? When it comes to healthcare, it’s important things don’t get lost in translation. That’s why Interpretation Services are available to all patients and family members who may have difficulty speaking or understanding English.

At ÍűșìșÚÁÏ, Video Remote Interpretation—or “Interpreter on Wheels”—offers around-the-clock real-time interpretation American Sign Language and over 34 of North America’s most common languages, plus audio-only support for more than 200 others.

“Language does not need to be a barrier to receiving high quality health care,” says Carmen Alcalde, Interpreter Program Coordinator at Humber’s Patient & Family Resource Centre. “Through the Interpreter Program patients and families with limited English proficiency are able to understand vital information about their diagnosis and treatment options, and have the opportunity convey their preferences.”

How it works

We use a service that provides remote video access to a trained interpreter – 24/7. Usually it takes less than 30 seconds to connect with the correct interpreter via an iPad. This service is available at any time at the Hospital, and we can even bring an interpreter onto the line if you phone the Hospital.

Interpreters can rephrase culturally-specific references and anything else that will help the patient properly understand the discussion.

Everything is private and confidential.

We use two providers:

• Over-the phone, provided by Languages Services Toronto
• Video remote interpretation provided by Language Line Solutions via Access Alliance

What’s the difference between an Interpreter and a Translator?

Interpretation doesn’t involve word-for-word translation. Interpreters take into account body language and context, so that they can rephrase culturally-specific references and anything else that will help the patient properly understand the discussion.

“This service helps us lessen the equity gap that is created when patients are unable to communicate with their healthcare providers,” says Carmen, “I’m happy we offer it to our patients.”

Thanks to funding raised through our recent Illuminate: A Diwali Celebration, we will be able to purchase new machines for our Schulich Family Medicine Teaching Unit. Thanks to our generous supporters, we are able to break down language barriers, ensuring that every patient, regardless of the language they speak, receives the care they deserve.

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““Before my surgery my knee was holding me back from life,” says Wendy. “A week after my surgery I could walk with my dog for 45 minutes every day, bend over to garden, do my housework, and ride my bike.”

Six weeks prior, Wendy had her right knee replaced at Humber River Hospital by Dr. Martin Heller. Her husband dropped her off in the morning for her 9:00am surgery and she met with Dr. Eric Wong, her Anaesthesiologist, who walked her through SKiP, the innovative approach to pain management used in Humber’s Same-Day Knee Replacement Program.

“Dr. Wong is a fantastic Anaesthesiologist,” says Wendy. “He explained everything that he was doing and showed me how the bottle attached to the catheter in my thigh would block pain for the next three days.”

When Wendy arrived in the operating room, Dr. Heller showed her “his new assistant”, the ROSA Knee System. During her operation, Dr. Heller used ROSA to robotically-guide his measurements, allowing him to more accurately position Wendy’s knee implant.

“At 10:20am I opened my eyes and I wasn’t in any pain,” says Wendy. “I was moved to recovery where I had a ginger ale, and not long after that my physiotherapist had me up and walking. We even did stairs! I was so amazed that my knee was working and it wasn’t even hurting.”

At 1:30pm that same day, Wendy’s husband picked her up.

The ROSA Knee System robotically guides surgeons during total knee replacements, allowing far greater accuracy in positioning.

By the next morning, Wendy was walking with a cane. She did the laundry and played with her dog. Dr. Wong called her every day to check on her SKiP catheter, which was still working to block pain sensation. On the second day, Wendy was feeling confident about her pain levels and asked her husband to help remove her catheter following Dr. Wong’s instructions. She felt great!

“Before my surgery I would walk the dog and my knee would sometimes lock up, freezing me in my tracks. It was excruciating. My knee was holding me back from life,” says Wendy. “A week after my surgery I could walk with my dog for 45 minutes every day, bend over to garden, do my housework, and ride my bike.”

By the time Wendy arrived at the cottage with her family six weeks later, she was feeling very strong. Watching her son and grandkids swimming and tubing, Wendy knew what she wanted to do.

“When I announced I wanted to ski, my son said ‘No way!’ but I knew I could do it,” says Wendy. “I said ‘hit it!’ and away we went. The water felt great on my legs – I’ll never forget how proud and happy I felt getting to enjoy that moment with them.”

“I’ll never forget how proud and happy I felt getting to enjoy that moment with them.” says Wendy.

How Surgical Innovation is Getting Patients Back to their Lives Faster

This wasn’t Wendy’s first knee replacement. In 2017, Wendy had her left knee replaced with Dr. Heller at Humber River Hospital, before the arrival of the ROSA Knee System, and before the SKiP nerve block was available. It was the same hospital, the same surgeon, and a completely different experience.

“After my first knee replacement, I stayed at the Hospital for a few nights and came home in a brace,” remembers Wendy. “I knew I would eventually need my right knee replaced but I was nervous and kept putting it off. But I was so amazed at how quickly I felt better after my robotic surgery this time.”

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With STERIS, loved ones eagerly awaiting baby news in the Labour & Delivery Family Lounge now receive rolling updates on the television screen. “It’s very reassuring to know where your loved one is,” says Paula Reynolds, the Resource Nurse in Labour & Delivery.

Humber’s family-centered approach to care means that in many cases family are encouraged to be present during birth. Sometimes people will wait in the Labour & Delivery Family Lounge if there are too many people or if the parents would like more privacy.

With STERIS, loved ones eagerly awaiting baby news in the Labour & Delivery Family Lounge now receive rolling updates on the television screen. Patient names have been swapped out for unique IDs, and updates are immediate so visitors are always informed.

“It’s very reassuring to know where your loved one is,” says Paula Reynolds, the Resource Nurse in Labour & Delivery. “STERIS has the potential to be very useful to the unit, especially with more people choosing to deliver at Humber River Hospital.”

Plans can also change quickly during childbirth and when the care team is acting quickly, family can still be informed through the STERIS screen. If someone is in labour and they are moved to the Operating Room for a C-Section, family in the waiting room will receive that update. When the baby is born and they are ready for visitors, the screen will communicate that as well.

Eventually, as with STERIS in the Surgery Program, family members will be able to opt in to receiving text updates directly to their phones, so family members can leave the waiting room for a meal or a coffee without having to worry that they will miss any updates.

The technology has also been useful to members of the healthcare team like Paula, who appreciates the instantaneous, full-picture view while she’s coordinating Labour & Delivery Care for multiple patients. Her screen shows more detailed patient information. There are also plans to have STERIS’ birthing information available on the .

“If we have seven patients in triage, I’ll know right away and can support the team there,” says Paula. “We have a large unit, so it is great to have status-updates at my fingertips.”

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It is staffed by an integrated, interdisciplinary team of professionals drawn from key departments across Humber River Hospital, including Emergency, Medicine, Surgery, Nursing, and Operations. When our team identifies a potential patient-flow bottleneck or other delay or problem, they can take action.

Since the Command Centre opened in November 2017, patient flow has already improved, despite an 8% increase in patient visits to the Emergency Department. Compared to last year, the wait time for having an inpatient bed cleaned has been reduced by 45% and the time a patient in the Emergency Department waits for an inpatient bed has been reduced by 33%!ÌęThese improvements reflect the equivalent improvement in patient flow of opening 23 new beds.

We asked four members of this interdisciplinary team to tell us more about how the Command Centre is reinventing patient care at Humber River Hospital:

Jane Casey, Program Director Emergency Services & Command Centre

“I am the Director of our Hospital Command Centre, which is a first in Canada! The Command Centre team is a dynamic team of leaders and outside-of-the-box thinkers. We’re now fully operational, and working to improve processes at the Hospital so that our frontline staff and physicians can be at the bedside more often with their patients. The real-time information we work with has put a spotlight on what we do well – our successes – as well as our opportunities for improvement. The Command Centre embodies transformational change in health care, and I’ve been really proud of how engaged the staff at Humber River Hospital have been, through contributing their ideas for improved patient care and by visiting the Command Centre to see what we do first-hand.”

Dr. Susan Tory, General Internist and Command Centre Medical Director (right)

“In the Command Centre, my role is to provide the clinical point of view. When we make decisions, I represent the physician voice in the room. We are transforming healthcare by shining a spotlight on inefficiencies and addressing them. If a patient is waiting on an ultrasound to go home, someone in the Command Centre helps make that happen so they can go home sooner. I’m really excited to be a part of that, and I think every hospital will want to be doing this soon.”

Paula McFee-Grant, Clinical Expediter for the Command Centre and Patient Flow Manager

“It’s my job to expedite the bottlenecks in patient flow. I make sure things like beds being cleaned, patients being picked-up by portering, tests results being received, and referrals are done in a timely manner. We’re already making a big difference. What I love about my job is that I can communicate with team members from all areas of the Hospital, now that we sit in the same room. We can see patient flow on the big screens and work together to make the patient experience better.”

Ellen Francesconi, Medical Imaging Inpatient Flow Technologist (left)

“When an inpatient at Humber needs exams or procedures to be done in Medical Imaging, it is my job to make sure it is safe for the patient to do so and coordinate the various exams. Our goal is for the patient to have all the exams done in a timely fashion in one visit to our department, and to reduce stress to the patient, and help the Hospital take care of the patient in the best way possible. My colleagues in General X-ray, CT scan, MRI, Ultrasound, Nuclear Medicine, Interventional Radiology and Breast Health all work very hard and make it possible for me to be successful in my job.”

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The Command Centre is a data-driven ‘mission control’ situated at the very heart of Humber River Hospital. The 4,500 square foot facility enables us to monitor and manage the flow of our patients at every stage of their care journey with us.

Think of it like air traffic control at an airport.

The time a patient in the Emergency Department waits for an inpatient bed has been reduced by 33%

What Impact Has the Command Centre had at Humber River Hospital?

Patient flow has already improved, despite an 8% increase in patient visits to the Emergency Department. Compared to last year:

• The wait time for having an inpatient bed cleaned has been reduced by 45%
• The time a patient in the Emergency Department waits for an inpatient bed has been reduced by 33%

Only a few months after the Command Centre opened, these improvements reflect the equivalent improvement in patient flow of opening 23 new beds.

Our Patients, Our People, Our Community

The Command Centre team includes decision makers from across Hospital departments. They monitor key data points from the same room, so that they can make decisions quickly.

For our patients, the Hospital Command Centre means timely access to care. That means less time waiting for beds to open up, shorter hospital stays, and speedier discharges.

For our physicians, nurses and other staff, the Command Centre means they can focus their attention and energy on delivering quality patient care and achieving the best possible healthcare outcomes, and spend less time coordinating patients’ movement.

For our community, the Command Centre means we will be able to serve the changing needs of a growing population and continue to deliver quality care.

How does it work?

The Command Centre team includes decision makers from across Hospital departments.

They monitor key data points, all from the same room, so that they can communicate efficiently and respond quickly to:

• Emergency Department volume
• Bed allocations and assignments
• Room cleaning
• Critical care capacity
• Surgical scheduling
• Discharge planning

While we’ve launched the Command Centre to help us improve patient flow and continue to deliver excellent patient care to Humber River Hospital’s community, this is just the beginning. Our vision is to build the most advanced hospital command centre in North America, and put ourselves at the leading edge of delivering high-quality reliable patient care inside and outside the hospital system:

Phase 1: Improving Access & Patient Flow – November 2017

For our community, the Command Centre means we will be able to serve the changing needs of a growing population and continue to deliver quality care.

• Established the Command Centre with a focus on improving and streamlining patient flow through the Hospital system from intake to discharge, creating “virtual” beds.

Phase 2: Improving Clinical Safety & Quality – 2018

• Expand Command Centre monitoring to include key clinical pathways and reduce preventable patient safety incidents that result in serious harm or death.
• Track patients’ progress through “care maps” tailored to their unique health needs and the specific care they require.

Phase 3: Community Reach & Home Monitoring – 2019

• Use wearable technologies and Internet-connected devices in the home to monitor and manage patients after their discharge to home recovery and reduce the likelihood of return hospital visits.
• Harness new technologies and patient data to support seamless teamwork between Command Centre staff, hospital professionals, and our community healthcare partners.
• Use Command Centre resources to identify post-discharge patients who need follow-up care or other timely healthcare intervention.

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The Black Box Platform offer surgeons a unique opportunity to learn, resulting in better patient outcomes.

“It’s the strangest thing to be a surgeon,” says Dr. John Hagen, the Chief of Surgery at Humber River Hospital, “Because other than your patient results, you don’t really have any way of knowing how you’re doing or what areas you could improve.”

Aware of the profound impact that recording technology had on the aviation industry in reducing errors and saving lives, Dr. Hagen has welcomed a similar technology into 3 of the 16 Humber River Hospital operating rooms: the OR Black Box.

The OR Black Box is a research collaboration with Surgical Safety Technologies (SST), which is headquartered in St. Michael’s Hospital’s Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute.

How does it work?

This technology includes cameras, audio equipment, an extremely powerful computer, specialized analyzing software and much more.

This technology (which includes cameras, audio equipment, an extremely powerful computer, specialized analyzing software and much more) captures what goes on during surgery, including conversation, number of people in the room, how many times the door to the OR opens and closes and patient vital signs.

A computer algorithm detects and flags moments of interest to be evaluated by an independent third-party, and areas for improvement are reported back to the Hospital. The laparoscopicÌęvideos (footage taken by cameras inside the patient) are analyzed and can be reviewed by the Humber River Hospital surgeons to see where improvements in technique could be made.

All of these features offer surgeons a unique opportunity to learn and improve skills anonymously, resulting in better patient outcomes.

St. Michael’s Hospital is the headquarters for the Black Box project and collects data from participating hospitals across Canada in the hopes of one day sharing consolidated results, trends, and learnings with the international medical community, with the purpose of one day ushering in a new wave of surgical safety and knowledge. Humber is proudly at the forefront of this international research project to improve surgical safety thanks to the support from our donors.

Our Thanks

The Black Box Technology at Humber River Hospital was made possible by a generous donation from the Paul B. Helliwell Foundation.

“I think consistently learning and improving is essential in any field but when it comes to surgery, it’s perhaps even more vital,” says John Jenah, President of the Paul B. Helliwell Foundation. “Patients should feel reassured that Humber is investing in this practice. Humber and Dr. Hagen care deeply about their surgical staff being the best they can possibly be but also about sharing knowledge with others in the field. I’m so proud that the Paul B. Helliwell Foundation is on the ground floor of bringing this technology to Humber River Hospital.”

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WATCH: Humber River Hospitals Recliner Chairs

At Humber River Hospital, 80% of our inpatient rooms are single rooms. Here are five key features of the rooms that we love:

Convertible Sleeper Chairs That Pull Out Into Beds

Patient-Centred Care means family-centred care. In all of our single inpatient rooms we have , so that family members can be with their loved ones and so that our patients can wake up and see a familiar face. We have no set “visiting hours” – because friends and family are important and are always welcome at Humber River Hospital.

IBTs connect our patients with their social networks, call nurses, control room temperature, and more.

IBTs (Integrated Bedside Terminals)

IBTs connect our inpatients with their social networks, call nurses, read barcodes, control room temperature, and can be used to pull up parts of a patient’s electronic medical records too. Best of all, our inpatients can use their IBTs in many languages including English, French, Italian, Spanish, Vietnamese, Arabic, Punjabi, Russian and Tamil.

Tint-Controlled Windows

Did you know that the windows in patient rooms at Humber River Hospital can be tinted light or dark using the IBT in your room? One of our favourite applications is how our paediatric patients are able to healÌęsurrounded by soothing sunlight, and their parents are able to tint their windows to dark forÌę

Your Own Bathroom

Every inpatient room at Humber has its own bathroom equipped with a toilet, sink, and shower, giving our patients privacy while also being more convenient for those with limited mobility.

A View of Humber’s TD Green Roof

A View of Humber’s TD Green Roof

Humber River Hospital’s green roof spans 13,192 square meters. In addition to being friendly to the planet, it’s friendly for our patients too; The green roof is visible from the vast majority of inpatient rooms, as natural views in hospitals can have a positive impact on healing. Planting was designed to LEED Sites standards, so that no clean water needs to be used to maintain it.

The post 5 Things You’ll Find Inside a Single Inpatient Room at Humber River Hospital appeared first on Hennick Humber Hospital Foundation.

10:33 am: Patient has entered the Recovery Unit, you will be notified when visitors are permitted.

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Imagine the peace of mind it gives families to know exactly where their loved one is throughout their surgical journey.

Humber River Hospital is the first Surgical Program in Canada to use the STERIS RealView patient tracking system, which uses Real Time Locating System technology to track patients throughout their surgery.

Family members anywhere can opt to receive text updates to their smartphones, updating them on their loved one’s progress. They can also track surgical progress on one of the television screens in the waiting area. Each patient is given a case number so that they may remain anonymous to others viewing the screens.

A mother watching STERIS updates in the waiting room.

Loved ones can receive updates at all stages, including:

• Pre-operation Admission
• The Operating Room or the Cystoscopy Suite
• Post Anaesthetic Care Unit
• Surgical Daycare for discharge or admission to the inpatient unit if they are staying overnight.

STERIS will update the family when their loved one is ready to receive visitors, so family members can leave the waiting room for a meal or a coffee without having to worry that they will miss any updates. Loved ones at work or abroad can also opt to receive notifications as updates become available.

WATCH: Dr. Stephen Halman explains how STERIS RealView is making a difference for patients and their families.

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#10:ÌęHumber Acquires Cysview + Blue Light Cystoscopy Equipment, to Better Detect Bladder Cancer

Did you know that we were the first hospital in Canada to use this technology to better detect bladder cancer? According to data provided by Cysview earlier this year, in 30% of cases this technology detects an additional tumor, and there is a 16% reduction in reoccurrence rates following treatment.

Special thanks to Sam and Donna Ciccolini for helping us bring this technology to Humber.

#9: Our Maternal and Child Program is 1^st in Ontario to Welcome Lucina

This high fidelity obstetrics simulation robot allows Humber staff to practice delivering babies in a controlled environment.

#8: Humber Receives LEED Gold Certification

Our energy efficient building saves Humber millions of dollars annually that is reinvested in patient care. Our building has 100% fresh air circulation, a 13K square meter green roof, and 96% of construction waste was diverted from landfill.

#7: Humber uses state-of-the-art fluorescent imaging technology for its breast reconstruction program

An injectable dye and special imaging equipment helps plastic surgeons determine healthy tissue and improve breast reconstruction outcomes after mastectomy.

Special thanks to the Paul B. Helliwell Foundation for helping us bring this technology to Humber.

#6: Humber records busiest day on record in the ER

Almost 500 patients are seen in a 24 hour period, making Humber River Hospital’s Apotex Emergency Department the busiest single site ER in Ontario.

#5: Humber voted #1 in patient satisfaction among large GTA community hospitals

According to the CIHI and the NRC Patient Experience Survey Results, we were also rated 6th overall in Ontario!

#4: Humber Opens OR 16

Every year this means: 710 new inpatient cases, 485 new day surgery cases, and 1,195 more lives changed.

Thank you to all of our our guests, sponsors, and committee members of The River Ball: Havana Nights by the River.

#3: Alex Christofides is the Foundation’s 2017 Humber Hero

Alex is a Child Life Specialist who makes a difference for our paediatric patients every single day through the Hug and Hold Program. Alex makes surgery less scary, by showing the kids and their parents what will happen using a medical teaching kit. The parents are invited into the operating room to be there as their child falls asleep. Alex has been leading the program since she proposed it in 1998. Congratulations Alex! To watch the full video, .

#2: Humber surgeons perform Canada’s first Ventral Hernia Repair with da Vinci Surgical Robot

The robot enables Dr. MacLellan and Dr. Tan to perform complex abdominal wall procedures, which have previously only been performed in Canada with an open technique (which is much more invasive). This new minimally invasive approach decreases the risk of wound complications, results in less pain for the patient, and shortens length of stay in the Hospital.

The da Vinci Surgical Robot is the centerpiece of the Murphy and Helen Hull Robotics Centre at Humber River Hospital. The Centre was established thanks to a transformational donation from the late Murphy and Helen Hull.

#1: Humber River Hospital Opens First Hospital Command Centre in Canada

This year Humber River Hospital opened its first-in-Canada ,Ìęa state of the art, data-driven ‘mission control’ that will improve patient flow and allow usÌęto serve 4,000 more patients per year!

The post 2017 Countdown: Our Top 10 Moments of the Year! appeared first on Hennick Humber Hospital Foundation.

The BoxPicker is part of our closed loop system.

“What excites me most about Humber is the atmosphere of being at a digital Hospital. Our pharmacy has a closed loop system: a physician or nurse practitioner enters an order for medication, a pharmacist verifies it, our PillPick and BoxPicker robots dispense and package the medication, and then it’s taken straight to the nurse by an Automated Guided Vehicle or a Pneumatic Tube – all in 30 minutes! Everything is tracked and everything is precise. We can look up a patient 10 years after they were prescribed something and know which medications they were given, including the batch and lot.” – Bhupinder Nijjer, Automation Supervisor, Pharmacy

Anna Piro with the PillPick

“I love working in the Pharmacy Department because even though we are behind the scenes, we are an integral part of the Hospital. I work hand-in-hand with our pharmacists to provide medication to our many clinics, our emergency crash carts, and to the teams who care directly for our inpatients. It is so important that our patients receive medication that is correct and safe. Automation like the Swisslog PillPick behind me helps us reduce errors, and provides safety and traceability with our drugs. I really enjoy training new staff, because your training sticks with you!” – Anna Piro, Pharmacy Technician

Jennifer Singh makes TPN

“I’m making TPN, which stands for total parenteral nutrition. This is the nutrition that patients receive intravenously (through their veins). We have a large volume of patients who can’t eat, and without IV’s they wouldn’t be able to survive. I’m really proud of the work we do. We have a fantastic team. It’s very important to do everything correctly, so we all go through rigorous training to keep our patients safe. We follow the highest sterility standards, and Humber River Hospital actually has one of the best sterile rooms in Canada.” – Jennifer Singh, Pharmacy Technician

Vicki Lau uses the fluid dose machine

“This is the fluid dose machine. It’s a small robot that packages liquid medication into smaller cups. I also get to work with automation machines like the Pill Pick and Box Pick. These innovations are such an exciting step forward – it’s pretty much why I chose to work at Humber! I like learning new things and the technological advances in pharmacy are amazing” – Vicki Lau, Pharmacy Technician

An Automated Guided Vehicle

Automated Guided Vehicles s are an important part of the automation that takes place in our Pharmacy Department. Click here to learn more or watch the video below where Bhupinder Nijjer, the Automation Supervisor, calls an Automated Guided Vehicles for a medication delivery:

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