Hotel Dieu Shaver and Foundation Thrilled with Results of Snowflakes and Angels Campaign – Goal Surpassed by More Than $20,000
January 13, 2010 – (St. Catharines, ON) The Hotel Dieu Shaver Health and Rehabilitation Foundation’s fifth annual Snowflakes and Angels Christmas fundraising campaign surpassed its goal of $50,000 on its way to raising an astounding $73,000.
“We are very grateful to all those who supported this year’s campaign,” acknowledged Bob Bell, the Foundation’s Executive Director. Thanks to the generosity of hundreds of donors from across the Region, Hotel Dieu Shaver will be able to purchase a new patient bus.
“I think it speaks volumes to the support of the work that is done here at Hotel Dieu Shaver and that even during these difficult economic times the people of Niagara have shown us such great support,” added Mr. Bell.
The patient bus is such an important tool for a rehabilitation hospital. “Our patients are with us for an extended period of time and recreation therapy is an important piece of the overall rehab program. “Having the bus allows our patients to get out and enjoy the many things that most of us take for granted,” Mrs. Rufrano added.
The current bus is 18 years old and is starting to get to a point where more and more repairs are needed. Also, a new bus would be more comfortable and safer for patients and staff.
“I think we were all a little unsure of how successful the campaign was going to be this year given the state of the local economy and the number of worthwhile causes that were also looking for support,” explains Mrs. Rufrano. “I think the success of this year’s campaign can be traced back to people believing in our work, in particular the patients and their families being very grateful for the care they have received at Hotel Dieu Shaver.”
Horse-drawn carriage will deliver angels
to kick-off annual christmas campaign
ST. CATHARINES, ON (Nov. 26, 2009) – With the arrival of Hotel Dieu Shaver’s two angels in a horse-drawn carriage today at 4 p.m., the specialized healthcare facility will officially begin its annual Snowflakes and Angels Christmas Campaign.
The Hotel Dieu Shaver Foundation hopes to raise more than $50,000 during this year’s campaign to help purchase a new patient bus.
“The patient bus is such an important tool for a rehabilitation hospital,” explains CEO Jane Rufrano. “Our patients are with us for an extended period of time and recreation therapy is an important piece of the overall rehab program. “Having the bus allows our patients to get out and enjoy the many things that most of us take for granted,” Mrs. Rufrano added.
The current bus is 18 years old and is starting to get to a point where more and more repairs are needed. Also, a new bus would be more comfortable and safer for patients and staff.
Bob Bell, the Hotel Dieu Shaver Foundation’s Executive Director thinks that the bus will be something people will want to help support. “People realize how essential it is for our patients to get out into the community and to have a good quality of life while they are here and the bus plays a vital role in that,” Mr. Bell said.
To support Hotel Dieu Shaver’s Snowflakes & Angels Christmas Campaign phone 905-685-1381, visit www.hoteldieushaver.org or mail a cheque payable to the Hotel Dieu Shaver Foundation to
541 Glenridge Avenue, St. Catharines, ON L2T 4C2.
The Hotel Dieu Shaver Health and Rehabilitation Centre is Niagara’s Centre of Excellence in rehabilitation, complex continuing care and geriatric services.
For more information:
Bob Bell
Executive
Director
Foundation
Phone: 905 905-685-1381 ext. 8 4216
September 22, 2009
Improving Continence Care for Seniors in the Community
St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton is pleased to announce the expansion of its successful Continence Program to six additional locations across the Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant Local Health Integration Network (HNHB LHIN). This expansion is made possible by funding through the new LHIN “Aging at Home” strategy.
Dr. Jennifer Skelly, Director of the Continence Program, St. Josephs Healthcare in partnership with Hamilton Health Sciences, Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital, Burlington, Hotel Dieu Shaver Health and Rehabilitation Centre, St. Catharines, Norfolk General Hospital, Simcoe and the HNHB Community Care Access Centre is opening 6 new clinics across the region. This will make it easier for seniors to access bladder and bowel care closer to home. Dr. Skelly notes, “For 16 years now I’ve had seniors, who had the means to travel, come to my clinic from all over the region to get help for their incontinence. These new clinics will mean more seniors have better access to help and they only have to go as far as their community hospital.”
The six new clinics will be located at the following sites: in Hamilton at Chedoke Hospital and St. Peter’s Hospital; in Burlington at Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital; in St. Catharines at Hotel Dieu Shaver Health and Rehabilitation Centre; in Simcoe at Norfolk General Hospital and in Brantford at St. Joseph’s Lifecare Centre.
The clinics, under the direction of Dr. Skelly, will be staffed by nurse continence advisors (NCA), who are registered nurses holding an advanced certificate related to continence care from McMaster University and are experienced in managing bladder and bowel concerns. Men and women over the age of 60 are eligible to attend these free clinics. “Bladder and bowel problems are not something seniors have to live with,” Dr. Skelly shares. “It is not a normal part of getting older. These problems can be managed and often cured without the need for surgery or medication. We believe in providing quality bladder and bowel care for quality living.”
Seniors who would benefit from the Continence Care Clinics may be experiencing some of the following problems: going to the bathroom often; worrying about falling when rushing to the bathroom; leaking urine when laughing, coughing, sneezing or doing activities; having frequent bladder infections; waking up often at night to urinate; having strong need to urinate right away; experiencing problems with constipation and or bowel control. Seniors can make their own appointment in the clinics by calling 905-573-4821 or they can have their family doctors make a referral by faxing the Clinics’ central intake at 905-560-1574.
For more information:
Kevin Vallier
Director, Development & Communications
Hotel Dieu Shaver
905-685-1381 Ext. 84826
Kevin.vallier@hoteldieushaver.org
Numerous Accomplishments and Solid Financial Position Highlight Annual General Meeting
June 10, 2009 – (St. Catharines, ON) By all accounts the Hotel Dieu Shaver Health and Rehabilitation Centre enjoyed a successful year both on a patient care and financial front. In fact, the regional centre of excellence for rehabilitation, complex continuing care and geriatric services finished the year with a small surplus of $10,000 while adding new programs and making several improvements to the facility.
Board Chair Dr. Ron McTavish congratulated and thanked both management and staff for their dedication and discipline. “I think this organization deserves a lot of credit for being fiscally responsible while at the same time improving patient care. “We didn’t achieve this surplus by cutting services and laying off staff, it was through sound clinical and financial management,” Dr. McTavish said.
Upgrades to patient treatment areas and patient rooms, a new Centre for Healthy Aging, a completely renovated therapy pool and the celebration of the organization’s 100th anniversary were highlights of the past year. “We accomplished a great deal this past year and we’ve had much to celebrate, but we can’t rest on our past successes,” said Jane Rufrano, Hotel Dieu Shaver’s CEO. “The services and care we provide – rehabilitation, complex continuing care and geriatrics - are incredibly important components of the healthcare system and as the leader in Niagara for these fields we must continually look for ways to improve them,” Mrs. Rufrano added.
The CEO also commended management, physicians and staff for doing their part to ensure that the organization had another successful year both clinically and financially. “One of our values is Responsible Stewardship which states that we respond to community needs by balancing human needs with available financial resources. “I think we have done an excellent job in that area and the proof is four balanced budgets in a row while adding new programs and continuing to improve patient care,” explained Mrs. Rufrano.
For more information contact:
Kevin Vallier
Director, Development & Communications
905-685-1381 ext. 4826
Herzog Foundation donates $75,000 in support of therapy pool project
ST. CATHARINES, ON (March 3, 2008) A lead gift from The Leonard B. Herzog Memorial Foundation has allowed Hotel Dieu Shaver to begin work on renovating its therapy pool this month. Community leaders and Herzog Foundation Board members Archie Katzman and Victor Muratori presented a cheque for $75,000 to the health centre's Foundation Board.
Patients who are recovering from a joint replacement, fracture, stroke, multiple trauma and those who have MS or severe arthritis rely on Hotel Dieu Shaver’s specially heated pool for improving mobility, strength and function through a supervised program that focuses on each patients specific individual needs.
Just some of the benefits to our patients include improved muscle strength and tone, reduced stress, improved morale and increased cardiovascular function and circulation.
To make a donation in support of this project please call
905-685-1381 ext. 4216 or ext. 4826.
Patients Test Positive for C. Diff at Hotel Dieu Shaver
Hospital Implements Outbreak Procedures
for the Protection of Patients and Staff
ST. CATHARINES, ON (April 23, 2008) – Hotel Dieu Shaver currently has two patients on their Complex Continuing Care unit who have tested positive for Clostridium Difficile (C. diff), a bacteria that infects the intestines and the most common cause of infectious diarrhea in hospitals and long-term care homes.
“As soon as we realized there was even the possibility of patient-to-patient spread we put our outbreak precautions in place immediately,” said Manager of Infection, Prevention and Control, Elizabeth Pearson. “Some of our patient population is particularly susceptible to C. diff in that they possess some, if not many, of the risk factors including being elderly, on antibiotics and/or having a serious underlying disease,” Ms. Pearson added.
What makes C. diff so difficult to contain is the ease with which the bacteria spreads. When a person has this disease, the bacteria can contaminate surfaces such as toilets, handles, bedpans or commode chairs. Once human hands come into contact with any of these surfaces they then become infected and the cycle continues. The activities of those patients infected will be restricted until they are free of symptoms for at least two days after treatment is completed. All staff or visitors will need to wear a gown and gloves when entering the infected patients’ room. “But perhaps the most important message is, and this holds true not just for people in a hospital environment but for all of us in our daily lives, we must consistently and properly wash our hands. “That is the single most effective way of preventing disease and outbreaks.”
Other precautions and preventative measures Hotel Dieu Shaver has in place include a double cleaning of infected rooms and an overall heightened cleaning practice, education for staff and designated staff for the outbreak area.
Symptoms of C. diff include watery diarrhea, fever and/or abdominal pain or tenderness.
Outbreak precautions will be lifted when there are no new cases identified in a two week period.
For more information:
Kevin Vallier
Manager, Development & Communications
905-685-1381 ext. 4826