Congratulations to Dr. Jeffrey Wrana, winner of the Premier’s Summit Award for Medical Research! Read about the prestigious honour bestowed last night on this Lunenfeld Senior Investigator and Mary Janigan Research Chair in Molecular Cancer Therapeutics. Another great research success story centres on the announcement of $22 million in funding from the Ministry of Research and Innovation for the Lunenfeld research teams of Drs. Andras Nagy, Tony Pawson and Colin McKerlie. In celebration of Leave a Legacy Month, Mount Sinai psychiatrist Dr. Virginia Wesson discusses her decision to take an extra step in her support of the Hospital. You can still buy tickets to one of the season’s most glittering events, the Auxiliary Gala on May 25, to see Lionel Richie and support technological advancements at Mount Sinai. Mount Sinai is up and running – and walking! – for September’s Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon 2010; registration and fundraising information is here. If you’re planning a wedding or shower, check out our beautiful Wedding cards.
York Central Hospital uses a team approach to delivering health care.
During your stay, depending on your needs, you may be seen by a variety of medical and associated health professionals – medical and surgical specialists, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, pharmacists, dietitians, respiratory therapists, technicians and technologists, social workers, and more. Our volunteers also enhance our services and support excellence in patient care.
Team Members
Each member of our team is committed to putting your needs fi rst, and collaborating with each other in order to provide expert and compassionate care. Here’s a look at some of their roles. We encourage you and/or your family to ask them any questions about your care throughout your stay.
* Attending Physician – The attending physician is fully informed of your health needs, and is in charge of your complete medical care while you are in the hospital. As needed, this physician orders medication, tests or treatments; works with the rest of the team to give you the best possible medical care; and refers you to specialists within the York Central Hospital.
* Nursing Staff – They ensure ongoing assessments of your condition; administer and monitor treatments and medications; discuss, co-ordinate and provide teaching and education related to your health and care needs. As well as bring any questions or concerns forward to your physician or other health care professionals.
* Nursing Manager – The nursing manager is responsible for overall care and staffing on the patient care unit.
* Social Workers – Social workers can help you and your family to cope with the impact of illness, injury and hospitalization. These health care professionals provide counseling; facilitate discharge planning; and can help you link with a wide range of community resources and supports to ensure continuity of care.
* Registered Dietitians: Registered Dietitians provide you with nutritional care and education, including assessing your nutritional requirements and monitoring nutrition care plans.
* Physiotherapy – Physiotherapists assist you in improving and maintaining your physical abilities. This includes assessments, setting goals, and the services to help you in your recovery.
* Occupational Therapy – Occupational therapists are sometimes called in if your independence has been challenged by a disease, accident, disability, or other condition. Through assessments, treatment, and education, these professionals help you to learn or re-learn how to carry out daily living activities.
* Pharmacists – Pharmacists provide pharmaceutical care and medication management services. They review, dispense and monitor all medications ordered for you in hospital including home medications to ensure you receive the best possible results from your regimen. Pharmacists also counsel you about your medications during your hospital stay and when you are discharged.
* Speech-Language Pathologists – Speech-Language Pathologists assess your speech, language and swallowing abilities. They provide education and develop treatment and management plans to help facilitate your recovery.
* Other Staff – During your hospital stay, you may encounter several other staff (from the lab, medical imaging, nuclear medicine, etc.) who contribute to your diagnosis or treatment. Please don’t hesitate to ask any of these staff, or your doctor, questions about your treatment or tests.
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive, degenerative disease of the brain, which causes thinking and memory to become seriously impaired. It is the most common form of dementia. (Dementia is a syndrome consisting of a number of symptoms that include loss of memory, judgment and reasoning, and changes in mood, behaviour and communication abilities. Related diseases include: Vascular Dementia, Frontotemporal Dementia, Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease and Lewy body Dementia.)
The disease was first identified by Dr. Alois Alzheimer in 1906. He described the two hallmarks of the disease: “plaques” – numerous tiny dense deposits scattered throughout the brain which become toxic to brain cells at excessive levels and “tangles” which interfere with vital processes eventually “choking” off the living cells. As well, when brain cells degenerate and die, the brain markedly shrinks in some regions.
Image of tangles and plaques
The image below shows, a person with Alzheimer’s disease has less brain tissue (right) than a person who does not have the disease (left). This shrinkage will continue over time, affecting how the brain functions.
Sandy and Tanya Hutchens feel that it is our obligation and, indeed, our pleasure to give back to the community and to the charities that know how to work in their independent areas of expertise to effectively help those who need it, Whether it is in the area of medical causes, poverty concerns, or animal rights issues we feel that we are fortunate and privileged to be able to contribute.
Hello Sandy,