saving lives, one innovation at a time arming patients to beat breast cancer, in all its forms how lives are saved, 24/7, inside the region’s trauma HQ page 30 centre of discovery: two new floors of research and healing page 24 battling superbugs with smarter use of antibiotics page 36 spring | two thousand and eleven contents spring2011 30 2 21 38 HOW YOU HELP US RUNNING FOR HIS LIFE PROSTATE CANCER RISK CHANGE LIVES Innovative heart surgery A new tool to better Letter from Campaign that allowed one patient screen men for potential Chair Jennifer Tory to go straight back to trouble running half-marathons 4 40 WE ARE SUNNYBROOK 24 A STENT IN TIME Faces of our community: Centre FOR Discovery Minimally invasive doctors, researchers, Two new floors in M-Wing surgery to fix dangerous nurses, fundraisers and and countless advances in aneurysms more health care 42 10 26 THE ALL-CLEAR SPECIAL DELIVERY LETTING GO A new treatment that’s like When moms have multiple End-of-life decisions are Drano for clogged arteries births, they need special painful for both patients’ attention families and doctors 45 THE JAZZY 12 29 PHILANTHROPIST RESEARCH INNOVATION Why Mario Romano is Cutting-edge thinking, Xbox in the operating moved to give back to from an ultrasound helmet room, the ATM for Sunnybrook to using light to kill cancer medication, and more cells 48 30 A PATIENT’S LETTER 14 COVER STORY: EVERYDAY TALES OF A thank-you note from a breast TRAUMA patient who was brought Amazing stories of lives back from the brink CANCER saved, and the daily drama How Sunnybrook of the region’s major tailors treatments to trauma centre fight the disease in all its forms - and saves 36 lives RESISTANCE IS FUTILE Plus: Identifying A project on the smarter breast-cancer types, use of antibiotics could and how to know if help keep superbugs at you are at risk bay sunnybrook spring 2011 1 letter from the campaign chair chestnut park You are SpRIng 2011 helping us publishers Craig DuHamel change lives Pamela Ross Sunnybrook magazine is your portal into the editor Simon Beck daily life of Sunnybrook. We want to keep you up to speed on what Sunnybrook is doing art director Frank Perito to ensure you have access to the best care possible. And, we want to show you how contributors MairiAnna Bachynsky investments made in Sunnybrook are having Laura Bristow a real impact on the lives of real people. Natalie Chung-Sayers Since our last issue, I’ve heard from read- ers in a number of ways. Allison Dunfield Our stories stuck with some of you, so Sally Fur much so that hundreds made donations to Marlene Habib important projects we told you about. For Katie Hewitt this we’re so grateful. I also received many Hannah Hoag letters telling me how important Sunnybrook Marjo Johne magazine is to our community. Laurie Legere Monica Matys Here’s what some of you told me: Celia Milne Joan Ramsay “Wanted to let you know that I thoroughly Nadia Radovini enjoyed reading your magazine. It was Jennifer Schnare filled with exciting news and I read it from Christina Varga cover to cover.” – Bonnie P. photography Tim Fraser “I just received my first issue of Sunnybrook Ryan Enn Hughes Magazine. I think it’s a fantastic idea.” Doug Nicholson – Jessica V. “I read the magazine from cover to cover senior manager, client engagement Teena Poirier and I learned more about Sunnybrook than I marketing solutions & custom content group ever knew before.” – Richard P. director, ad production services Sally Pirri In this issue, we share with you important and magazine production stories on topics that we help our patients deal with each and every day – breast cancer, production co-ordinator Isabelle Oandasan managing end-of-life issues and life-threaten- ing trauma. You’ll also read about the latest in program manager Liz Massicotte research and innovative new treatments. And don’t miss the centre spread where you’ll get advertising CMC a peek at the truly amazing work that will go on in the new research space we’re building Sunnybrook Magazine is designed and produced by at Sunnybrook. The Globe and Mail Custom Content Group As always, we thank our corporate sup- on behalf of Sunnybrook. porters who make this publication possible, ensuring that no hospital operating funds are used to bring you these important stories. all correspondence Once you’ve read through this issue of Sunnybrook Sunnybrook Magazine, please let me know 2075 Bayview Avenue, Suite D100 what you’d like to hear more about. As a Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5 part of Sunnybrook’s community, this is your magazine. [email protected] | www.sunnybrook.ca Just e-mail me at [email protected]. Printed in Canada by Transcontinental Printing Inc. Prepress by DM Digital+1. Jennifer Tory Chair, Campaign for Sunnybrook inconjunctionwith sunnybrook 2 spring 2011 we are sunnYbrook faces of our staff and our community the the the the pharmacologist nurse phYsician ASSISTANTS funDraiser new kids on The veteran’s Jumping for the block a cause best friend Zlata Janicijevic and department, so if I can make Maureen Taylor’s idea of that experience for patients Derek Walton, ALS patient Derek’s case is rare. The Registered practical nurse wasn’t her career path, success on the job is to get better, easier, less time con- and Sunnybrook donor, majority of ALS patients have Interaction Man Monalisa page starts every so she joined the military patients fixed up and back suming that’s a good thing,” has been jumping out of an average lifespan of less shift at the Sunnybrook Vet- and then got the urge to home as efficiently as pos- says Ms. Janicijevic, who on planes for a cure for ALS. than three years - Derek has For over a decade, Dr. David including that some heart- erans Centre asking herself: try out nursing. She joined sible. a typical shift may handle up Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis now been living with ALS for Juurlink has been Sunny- burn medications can raise “How do I treat my veterans the Sunnybrook Veterans Ms. Janicijevic, Ms. to a dozen patients. “It really (also known as Lou gehrig’s nine years. brook’s master in demystify- the chance of a repeat heart better?” Centre after earning her Rpn Taylor and other physician shows the initiative and in- disease) is a fatal neuro- “As my arms and legs ing dangerous drug mixes. attack, that some blood Since May 2007, Ms. page, credentials at george Brown assistants – newcomers novation at Sunnybrook as a degenerative disease that weaken, so too does my While the new glasgow, pressure sufferers taking also a medical technician in College. to the health care scene whole, the fact it is willing to Derek says ultimately “buries energy level, but not my n.S., native works with calcium channel blockers the army reserves, has been Ms. page, whose hus- in Canada – are trained to take on this new profession.” you alive.” heart,” says Derek. “I feel that patients, and as a clinician, could experience critical spreading joy to the war vet- band, Capt. Jason page, support doctors in ERs. They Ms. Taylor, who spent Derek founded Jump for because ALS affects around researcher, teacher and ad- blood pressure drops while erans who become residents is an artillery officer in the conduct patient interviews, some two decades as a “pALS” (people with ALS), 3,000 Canadians only, com- ministrator, some of his most on certain antibiotics, and at the centre when they Canadian Forces, has many take medical histories and health journalist with CBC- an event that he has held pared to some other condi- vital work involves analyz- that the antidepressant paxil can no longer live at home stories about how veterans perform exams and proce- TV’s The national and five twice, most recently this past tions which affect hundreds ing large-scale patient data may interfere with the breast independently. have touched her heart, but dures - from suturing cuts to years producing a weekly August, to benefit the ALS of thousands of Canadians, to uncover dangerous drug cancer drug tamoxifen. Ms. page is a member of befriending one particular setting broken bones, sedat- health show for TVOntario, program at Sunnybrook, the there isn’t enough awareness interactions. “When a new drug is on an interprofessional care resident stands out. The ing patients, and advising on was looking for a new chal- largest of its kind in north or funding for this disease.” “[We] study disease on a the market, in some ways it team of nurses, physicians, hearing-impaired man in his preventive health care. lenge. At age 48, with her America. Through these Derek’s purpose is to large scale, a large number is a bit of an experiment on occupational and physio- late eighties normally kept Ms. Janicijevic was the two children grown and the events, Derek, along with raise more than money. He of patients, as opposed to the population, and we use therapists, pharmacists, au- to himself, but about three first pA hired at Sunnybrook, support of her husband, dozens of other skydivers, wants to raise awareness of patients one by one, using data available to use to see diologists, speech-language years ago Ms. page walked in September 2009, and infectious disease specialist has raised over $150,000 the disease. With his event their health-care records,” if it's a safe or unsafe thing,” pathologists, social workers, into his room, tapped him oversees three other pAs, Dr.