No appointment? No problem!

JEAN CHRÉTIEN’S KEYNOTE • PSYCHOSOCIAL ONCOLOGY • PAVILION K GROUND-BREAKING
Jewish General hospital jgh.ca
Volume 47, no. 1 Spring 2011
No appointment? No problem!
Quicker, easier access to health care
at the Herzl CRIU Walk-in Centre
Weekend to End Women’s Cancers,
Ride to Conquer Cancer:
Two events, one family, three participants
JGH News
1

2 spriNG 2011
F I R S T P E R S O N S I N G U L A R
Library’s wealth of knowledge
is vital to patients’ well-being JGh news
A
s John Lennon once sang, “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy
making other plans.” That, in a nutshell, is how I ended up spending
more than 40 years at the Jewish General Hospital in a dream job that I
had never originally dreamt of. I’ve always loved books and the feel of libraries,
but a librarian is not something I imagined I’d become.
After earning my B.A. in
1968, I was about to take off
for Paris to study French at
the Sorbonne, when protesting
Sorbonne students
began rioting—and there
went my plans! So I enrolled
in the Master’s program in
Library Science at McGill
University which led, in my
second year, to a part-time
job at the JGH Medical Library
(renamed the Health
Sciences Library in the
’80s). In 1970, I launched
Arlene Greenberg
my career at the JGH Lady
Davis Institute for Medical Research and, in
1978, became Chief Medical Librarian.
Over the years, most of my contact has
been with doctors, nurses and other healthcare
professionals who come to the Health
Sciences Library (Pavilion A, second floor)
for trustworthy, timely information. However,
I take great satisfaction in knowing that,
ultimately, it’s the patients who benefit. By
supporting scholarship and research—for
everyone from the greenest student to the
seasoned veteran—our team plays a crucial
role in improving the quality of patient care.
Through the library’s Patient and Family Resource
Centre, we are also in direct contact
with patients (or their relatives) who need
reliable health information. To play such a
vital role in a patient’s well-being is extremely
gratifying.
I’ve also been fortunate to witness a remarkable
evolution. In the pre-digital ’70s,
everything was manual and time-consuming.
To find an article from the medical
literature, I had to comb
through the massive Index
Medicus for appropriate
references. Today, if you
know where to look, answers
can be pinpointed
more quickly. No longer
are librarians the only ones
capable of locating medical
information. Although the
staff still depends on us to
help navigate a vast array of
online databases, journals,
books and other resources,
we have become educators.
In this role, we provide others
with skills to search for themselves, keep
up to date and avoid information overload.
Since so much data is available online, we go
where staffers work and teach them in their
own environment. We also attend rounds—
for instance, in Surgery or the Neonatal
Intensive Care Unit—to better understand
their needs and quickly respond to highly
specific requests.
Fortunately, not all vestiges of the past
have disappeared. During the hospital’s 75 th
anniversary in 2009, the Health Sciences Library
launched the Legacy Project to properly
catalogue and preserve our rich trove
of archival materials. To me, the library still
feels like the oasis it always was—a refuge
from the hospital’s hustle and bustle, where
you can browse through newspapers, journals
and books on subjects ranging from
medicine to Judaica. Above all, it’s an essential
repository of knowledge, to be navigated
with a mouse-click or the turn of a printed
page. Either way, I’m proud to be the guide.
Arlene Greenberg
Chief Medical Librarian
Care for all.
Spring 2011
Published by:
SIR MORTIMER B. DAVIS -
JEWISH GENERAL HOSPITAL
DEPARTmENT OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS
AND COmmUNICATIONS
communications@jgh.mcgill.ca
President:
Bernard Stotland
Executive Director:
Dr. Hartley Stern
Director of Public Affairs
& Communications:
Glenn J. Nashen
Editor:
Henry mietkiewicz
Contributors:
Laure-Elise Singer
mark Shainblum
Stephanie malley
Pascal Fischer
Francesca Frati
Graphic design:
Christine Lalonde
Translation:
Louise Trépanier
Printer:
Colorama Packaging and Printing
Photography:
JGH Audio-Visual Services
To subscribe, please see page 13
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#40062499
Return undeliverable mail with Canadian
addresses to:
Jewish General Hospital
3755 Côte Ste-Catherine Road, A-107
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A mcGill University
Teaching Hospital

Cover Stories
Features
Jean Chrétien
Contents
No appointment? No problem!
Pilot project soars 10
Easier access to health care
Come one, come all 12
Patients’ walk-in experiences
Vital signs 13
Adding up the numbers
What, where, when? 13
Basic info
On the cover: At the Herzl CRIU Walk-in Centre, Zohaib Ahmed is examined by Nurse Practitioner Kristel Constance
with assistance from Nurse Practitioner Kelly Thorstad
Annual General Meeting 4
Jean Chrétien’s keynote speech
Pavilion K under way! 5
Premier Charest breaks ground
Mind + body vs. cancer 14
The psychosocial strategy
Of Special Interest Familiar Faces
National recognition 7
JGH’s leadership award
Healthcare strategies 7
Dr. Stern at the Board of Trade
Survey says… 29
Patients rate the JGH
Dynamic recruitment 30
A push to hire the best
Surgical pioneer 19
New solution for aneurysms
The Weekend and the Ride 20
One family, two events
Reheating cold cases 22
Medical mysteries solved
Foundation report 15
Auxiliary report 24
Newsmakers 26
To your health 28
The big picture 31
JGH News
3

JGH praised as “the image of Canada”
Jean Chrétien addresses Annual General meeting
With his characteristic mixture of self-deprecating wit and from-the-heart bluntness, former Prime
minister Jean Chrétien used the Jewish General Hospital’s 76 th Annual General meeting to express
his gratitude for his life-saving surgery at the JGH—an institution he described as “the image of
Canada”.
Mr. Chrétien, who underwent surgery last year
and returned as the keynote speaker on Nov. 10, said
he admires the JGH for its long history of extending
treatment to people of all backgrounds from across
Montreal and Quebec. “All the religions, all the colours
of the skin, all the political beliefs, and they all
work together. That is the Canada I love.”
Describing his experiences in this multicultural setting,
Mr. Chrétien drew warm laughter as he recalled
the morning of his operation: “There came a guy to
shave me. So here I am in a Jewish hospital, the guy
shaving me is a Muslim, and I’m a Chrétien!” In a
similarly light tone, he said he was impressed by the
awards that would be handed out at the meeting, “but
the best award is a guy like me who gets out alive.”
Concluding on a more serious note, Mr. Chrétien
said he was “very impressed that all of you care about
your hospital and that you are concerned about the
quality of the lives of your fellow citizens.” Referring
to Canada as a whole and the JGH in particular, he
added,
“We are together. We live together.
We respect one another.”
Samuel Minzberg (centre) receives the Distinguished Service
Award from Executive Director Dr. Hartley Stern (left) and
President Bernard Stotland, FCA.
4 spriNG 2011
Former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien,
keynote speaker at the JGH Annual
General Meeting.
Another highlight was the presentation of the Distinguished Service
Award, the hospital’s highest honour, to Samuel Minzberg who had served
as JGH President from 2007 to 2009. Mr. Minzberg thanked his colleagues
on the Board of Directors and members of staff for their close cooperation
on the milestones of his term, including the transition of Executive Directors
from Henri Elbaz to Dr. Hartley Stern; the launch of robot-assisted
surgery; and a major expansion of the Division of Radiation Oncology.
Acknowledging these achievements, President Bernard Stotland noted:
“Not only did Sam help guide the hospital with vision and expertise, he
did so with patience, warmth and genuine concern for everyone who relies
on the JGH.”
In reviewing the major accomplishments of 2009-2010, Dr. Stern noted
that “we will be taking some justifiable pride in those events. However, rest
assured that we are not celebrating these achievements as ends in themselves.
Rather, we are celebrating our collective ability to do more on behalf
of the patients who entrust us with their lives and well-being.”
Serving as Master of Ceremonies, Lynne McVey, JGH Director of Nursing,
briefly recalled the landmark Annual General Meeting of the previous
year, adding, “Even though years like 2009-2010 aren’t milestones, every
year is still special. The need to do our best for our patients is an ongoing
challenge that yields outstanding achievements, regardless of what the
calendar says.”
It’s Care my for hospital!
all.

Awards of Excellence
President Bernard Stotland, FCA, (left) and Executive Director
Dr. Hartley Stern (right) congratulate Award of Excellence
winners (from left) Dr. Calvin Melmed, Dr. Ernesto Schiffrin,
Gloria Aronoff, Isabelle Caron, Barbara Lang, and Michèle
Lefort. Dr. Brett Thombs could not attend.
The following staff members were honoured with
Awards of Excellence in recognition of their outstanding
contribution to the JGH:
• Dr. Calvin melmed, Emeritus Chief of the Department
of Neurosciences – Medical Excellence
• Isabelle Caron, Associate Director of Nursing for
Medicine, Geriatrics and Mental Health – Excellence
in Nursing
• Barbara Lang, Director of the Department of
Volunteer Services – Excellence in Management
• Dr. Ernesto Schiffrin, Physician-in-Chief and
founder of the JGH Cardiovascular Prevention
Centre – Excellence in Basic Research
• Dr. Brett Thombs, an investigator in the Division
of Psychiatry Research – Excellence in Psychosocial
or Clinical Research
• michèle Lefort, Administrative Technician to the
Director of Nursing – Excellence in Administrative
Support
• Gloria Aronoff, an Occupational Therapist in
the Department of Psychiatry – Excellence among
Allied Health Professionals
Find out more about winners of the Award of Excellence
in the JGH Report to the Community 2009-2010 at
jgh.ca/annual.
pavilion K
is under way!
Premier and cabinet ministers
attend ground-breaking
Describing the Jewish General Hospital as “a shining light”
in the healthcare systems of Quebec and Canada, Premier
Jean Charest joined three of his senior cabinet
ministers and the Chair of the Government Caucus in breaking
ground on Nov. 8 for the first phase of the Jewish General Hospital’s
ambitious, new critical-care wing, Pavilion K.
Ground for Pavilion K is broken by (from left) Lawrence Bergman, Raymond
Bachand, Pierre Arcand, Dr. Hartley Stern, Dr. Yves Bolduc, Premier Jean Charest,
Bernard Stotland and Philippe Castiel, JGH Director of Planning and Development.
Speaking in the Block Amphitheatre to a packed audience of JGH board
members, administrators and staff, Mr. Charest congratulated the hospital
on the meticulous planning that led to government approval for the first
phase. He also expressed the hope that subsequent phases would follow a
similar course.
Mr. Charest noted that the JGH’s reputation for outstanding care has
been the key to strong community support for the project, whose modern,
spacious Emergency Department is scheduled to open in spring 2012. In
this first phase, the government will contribute $93.9 million, while the
JGH Foundation will raise additional funds for other aspects of the project
in all of its phases.
Later phases of the $300 million pavilion will include facilities for intensive
care, coronary care, neonatal intensive care and surgery, as well as new
patient rooms, each containing no more than one or two beds. The overall
goal is to minimize the spread of infection, bolster efficiency, accommodate
the most sophisticated medical technology, and enhance the privacy, dignity
and safety of patients.
Echoing the premier’s sentiments, Dr. Yves Bolduc, Minister of Health
and Social Services, praised the Foundation and its volunteers for playing
Continued … please turn the page.
JGH News
5

pavilion K … continued from page 5.
Premier Jean Charest addresses hospital officials and staff in the Block
Amphitheatre.
a vital role in enabling the JGH to perform strongly, rather than
merely adequately. Raymond Bachand, Minister of Finance and
Revenue, and Minister Responsible for the Montreal Region, called
the hospital “a great institution” and acknowledged its leadership in
research and teaching.
The JGH’s dedication to the continuous improvement of its care
won compliments from Pierre Arcand, Minister of Sustainable
Development, Environment and Parks, and MNA for Mount-
Royal, who added, “Your excellence passes beyond our borders and
we will be behind you.”
Lawrence Bergman, Chair of the Government Caucus and MNA
for D’Arcy McGee, recalled the hospital’s long tradition of serving
people across Montreal and Quebec, and he concluded, “My final
words are for all Quebecers of varied languages, colours, religions
Get ready to rumble
From late winter until mid-spring, the construction of Pavilion
K will be something not only to watch, but to hear and feel.
Patients, visitors and staff may briefly notice mild vibrations
and muffled rumbling at various times during the day, because
dynamite will be used until the end of April to break up and remove
large, underground rock beds from the site where Pavilion K will
stand. But there’s no need to worry! All necessary safety measures
have been put into place to ensure that sensitive hospital equipment
will not be affected. Seismographs are also being used to measure
the vibrations to ensure that they are not too intense. Your understanding
during this period of construction is greatly appreciated.
6 spriNG 2011
Care for all.
and origins who benefit from this wonderful hospital: today health
care in Quebec takes another step forward.”
“Pavilion K is a tangible and concrete symbol that highlights
the strong and productive relationship among the government,
the people of Quebec and the Jewish General Hospital,” said Dr.
Hartley Stern, JGH Executive Director. “Our symbolic handshake
confirms our intention to give of our insight, expertise and experience
to help strengthen the healthcare system as a whole. We are
not just building a modern hospital; we are building a modern
healthcare system.”
JGH President Bernard Stotland said Pavilion K promises “greater
effectiveness in combining the personal touch with the requirements
of modern medicine. The founders of the Jewish General
Hospital would surely have been astounded to see how their facilities
have grown. However, I am certain that if they had the chance
to step into the existing building or even into Pavilion K, they
would instantly recognize it as their hospital.”
Dr. Hartley Stern speaks about Pavilion K to an audience that includes
Premier Jean Charest and members of his cabinet (second row).
Private support is critical
to Pavilion K
Nearly $50 million in private funding must be secured to furnish
and equip the new operating rooms, intensive care units and new
private and semi-private rooms in the new Pavilion K. Private
support will be critical at all stages of the project and will be
essential in ensuring that this critical-care pavilion reaches its full
potential and yields maximum benefits to patients from across
Montreal and throughout Quebec.
Donations can be made at www.jghfoundation.org
or by calling the JGH Foundation at 514-340-8251.

News
checkup
JGH saluted for public-sector leadership
Winning out over more than 70 entries from across Canada, the
Jewish General Hospital and the LaSalle Hospital have been honoured
with a major national award for their innovative collaboration
to reduce waiting times for surgery. In a ceremony in Toronto
in November, the hospital was named a 2010 winner of the IPAC/
Deloitte Public Sector Leadership Awards, founded by the Institute
of Public Administration of Canada and Deloitte, in recognition of
excellence in public-sector health care.
On an initiative by the JGH, the hospitals began working together
in 2009—with cooperation from the CSSS Dorval-Lachine-La-
Salle—to take advantage of underused operating rooms at LaSalle.
Operations are now performed at LaSalle by JGH surgeons on JGH
patients who need straightforward surgery, such as hernia repair.
Not only are these patients scheduled more promptly, the JGH’s
own operating rooms are freed up more quickly for complex cases
such as cancer surgery. The JGH is now rated by the Quebec Ministry
of Health and Social Services as one of the rare hospitals with
acceptable waiting times for surgery.
Heading the project at the JGH were Dr. Lawrence Rosenberg,
Chief of Surgical Services; Valérie Vandal, Nursing Director of Surgery;
and Executive Director Dr. Hartley Stern. Working with them
at the LaSalle Hospital were Micheline Ulrich, Director of Nursing;
Dr. Hélène Daniel, Director of Professional Applications; Dr. Jean-
François Courval, Chief of Anesthesiology; Ghislaine Fortin, Coordinator
of Surgical Services; and Executive Director Yves Masse.
The public healthcare system will continue to face major and
mounting difficulties in the coming years, Executive Director
Dr. Hartley Stern warned business leaders on Jan. 13. However,
in addressing the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal, Dr.
Stern offered reassurance that solutions can be achieved through
initiatives that the JGH is already implementing.
Dr. Stern also urged his audience to become more active in safeguarding
the viability of the public healthcare system. “Quebec’s
private sector can play a stronger and more prominent role by
establishing partnerships with public-sector healthcare institutions,”
he said. “Ultimately, this will strengthen the entire public
system, to the benefit of everyone.”
Dr. Stern said patients should have access to data about the
quality of their healthcare institutions and the effectiveness of their
doctors—information the JGH plans to release later this year. He
also advocated greater use of personalized medicine, development
of healthcare teams in hospitals, and integrating improvements in
the quality of care into an institution’s strategic vision.
To view a video of the presentation, please visit jgh.ca/stern.
The IPAC/Deloitte Public Sector Leadership Award is accepted by the JGH’s
Dr. Hartley Stern, Valérie Vandal (second from left) and Dr. Shannon Fraser,
Chief of General Surgery (second from right). Representing the LaSalle
Hospital is Micheline Ulrich (third from left). Presenting the award are Jill
Birch, Principal of Market Development at Knightsbridge Human Capital
Solutions (left), and Maureen Hennessy, President of Hennessy Consulting.
Healthcare system fixable, business leaders told
Dr. Hartley Stern addresses the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal.
JGH News
7

Cabinet minister praises clinical teams
Michelle Courchesne, Quebec Minister of
Government Services and Chair of the Treasury
Board, got a first-hand look at progress
on Pavilion K, during a tour of the JGH in
January. “The minister was able to recognize
the speed of construction, which began just
four months after authorization to proceed
with preparatory work on the first phase,” said
Philippe Castiel, JGH Director of Planning and
Development. “Minister Courchesne also witnessed
the excellence of our clinical teams and
the care they provide in facilities that are sometimes
less than ideal.”
From left: Lawrence Bergman, President of the
Government Caucus and MNA for D’Arcy-McGee;
Michelle Courchesne; Dr. Hartley Stern, JGH Executive
Director; Lynne McVey, JGH Director of Nursing;
JGH President Bernard Stotland; and Philippe
Castiel.
Labouring toward better obstetrical care
A
safe hospital environment is not born, but created. That’s why the JGH Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
has joined birthing centres across Canada in ensuring best practices in obstetrical clinical care through
participation in the mORE OB program (managing Obstetrical Risk Efficiently).
With 136 JGH obstetrical staff enrolled in this patient safety initiative,
an entire healthcare team “labours” along with the birthing
mother to ensure safe childbirth.
All of the department’s obstetricians, residents, family medicine
physicians and obstetrical nurses who are involved in deliveries are
participating in the three-year program, as are affiliated midwives.
Together they revisit the theory behind current, evidence-based
obstetrical care while refining their skills as a team. “This helps us
to intervene and communicate more effectively in complex patient
situations” explains Kimani Daniel, Clinical Nurse Specialist.
“Through this program we will have a common language regardless
of prior training or background,” says Verna Grizzle, a
nurse in the Family Birthing Centre. Ms. Grizzle co-chairs MORE
OB with Dr. Cleve Ziegler, JGH Director of Gynecology; Dr. Ann
Rothman, a family physician at the Goldman Herzl Family Practice
Centre; and midwife Karine Valle-Pouliot.
“The collaborative team approach to learning exposes gaps that
may exist in departmental guidelines and practices,” Dr. Ziegler
says. “If there’s a chance that safety may be undermined, we
work together to remedy these inconsistencies.” This is achieved
through workshops and skills drills where obstetrical techniques
can be practiced in a non-stressful environment. Close teamwork
is essential, adds Dr. Louise Miner, Chief Physician in Obstetrics,
because “we need to set aside the medical hierarchy in emergency
situations and communicate effectively about the patient’s needs.”
8 spriNG 2011
Newscheckup
It’s Care my for hospital!
all.
A MORE OB workshop combines serious training with a lighthearted
approach.

Anniversary tributes
keep coming
On Dec. 8, 2010, Lawrence
Bergman, President of the Government
Caucus and Member
for D’Arcy-McGee, rose in the
National Assembly to read the
following declaration:
“We congratulate the Jewish
General Hospital on its 75 th
anniversary. This hospital has
become a leader in the field of
research and is among the best
teaching institutions. Health care and related services are provided
to all Quebecers, regardless of their origin, religion, colour or language.
The Jewish represents what is finest in the tradition of the
Jewish people: benevolence and good deeds. And it is the age-old
Jewish concern for the well-being of the community which inspired
the founders of the Jewish to go about building the hospital
in the first place.
“I pay tribute to all the doctors, nurses, researchers, administrators
and volunteers who have given the best of themselves durng
the past 75 years. Today, The Jewish is a hospital where cuttingedge
knowledge and human compassion go hand in hand. May the
Jewish General Hospital continue to go from strength to strength.”
Transforming ideas
into efficiency
In keeping with its traditional focus on upgrading the quality of
care and putting patients’ needs first, the JGH is embarking on a
multi-year, hospital-wide program to improve efficiency and trim
waste in innovative ways. The program, known as Transformational
Change, calls for careful scrutiny of various hospital activities—
for instance, how patients move through various stages of treatment,
and how supplies are ordered, purchased and distributed.
Once weaknesses are identified, techniques to overcome them are
developed by specially trained members of staff.
“The reality of the economic state in Quebec and Canada is that
we have to do more with less,” says Dr. Hartley Stern, JGH Executive
Director. “Through Transformational Change, we will give staff
the ability to work more efficiently, to create, to innovate.” He notes
that when staff work in a more logical and consistent way, waste
can be cut and savings can then be reinvested in developing programs
that enhance patient care.
To symbolize the importance of Transformational Change, the
program is being co-chaired by two of the hospital’s top clinical administrators:
Lynne McVey, Director of Nursing, and Dr. Lawrence
Rosenberg, Chief of Surgical Services. “We will be starting small,
but ending up by involving everyone on staff, as well as patients and
their families,” says Ms. McVey. “We will also joined by members of
our community who are volunteering their expertise.”
Care – and training – for all
JGH technologist Thérèse Bendavid (seated) shares her skills with visiting
laboratory directors from China.
Eight laboratory directors from China’s Gansu Province have completed
an intensive, three-week management training course led by
Dr. Elizabeth MacNamara, JGH Chief of Diagnostic Medicine. The
trip to Canada last fall was arranged specifically for the visitors to
train at the JGH, in recognition of Dr. MacNamara’s expertise in
laboratory management.
Delegates concentrated on subjects they can apply in the hospitals
they represent, including training technologists, budget control,
research opportunities, informatics and point-of-care testing.
Two analysts from the Gansu Provincial People’s Hospital also participated
in more extensive, one-year training on all aspects of a
university hospital laboratory.
Dr. MacNamara first visited Gansu in 2008 at the invitation of
the Chinese Minister of Health, and will return to China this year
to help implement laboratory quality initiatives.
Hope & Cope turns 30
Hope & Cope is gearing up for anniversary celebrations in recognition
of 30 years of innovative, volunteer-based support for cancer
patients and their families. The festivities will climax in August on
the theme of “30 Years in 30 Days”. Among the premier events will
be the annual Soirée Fantastique (Aug. 23); a symposium featuring
leading experts on cancer and wellness; and the fabulous Denim &
Diamonds, where young adults (ages 18 to 35) will gather to support
the JGH Hope & Cope Wellness Centre and its young-adult
programming.
Also planned are many other exciting events, including picnics,
cooking classes in the Wellness Centre’s kitchen, and demonstrations
of yoga and qi gong. Many events will be free, while a nominal
fee of $30 will be charged for others. As soon as plans are finalized,
a full schedule will be posted at hopeandcope.ca.
JGH News
9

Open-door policy
Herzl CRIU Walk-in Centre welcomes patients
who lack a family doctor but want to avoid the ER
Sunday morning, and the whole family is together. Eddie Shahini and his wife, Franca,
are reading. Nearby, 7-year-old Vanessa and 5-year-old Andrew are playing quietly with
hand-held video games. A picture of domestic tranquility? It would be if this were an
average Sunday. But it’s not.
It’s early January and winter has landed with full force. Vanessa
has come down with a fever and Andrew’s cough won’t go away.
They need help—now. Which is why they and their parents are
waiting patiently in the bright, airy lounge of the Herzl CRIU Walkin
Centre, an innovative, community-based satellite of the Jewish
General Hospital, just up the block from the main hospital building.
Normally, Eddie and Franca would have two options. They could
keep the kids at home and hope for an appointment with their doctor
later in the week. (The risky down-side: a bad medical situation
might get much worse.) Or they could seek immediate help in
a hospital Emergency room. (The extremely fatiguing down-side:
they’d probably face a marathon wait at the height of flu season.)
Luckily, they have a third choice: the Herzl CRIU Walk-in Centre,
available 365 days a year to anyone without an appointment or a
prior phone call. Just drop in—which is what the Shahinis did.
Today, as on most days on the fifth floor at 5858 Côte-des-
Neiges, a line-up forms early, snaking around the corner and down
the hall by the time the Centre’s doors are opened. Scarves are unwound
and salty slush scraped off boots, amid hushed conversations
in French and English, as well as cell phone conversations in
Spanish, Polish and Chinese.
After registering and settling into their seats in the lounge, the
patients-to-be find what diversion they can. This being a Sunday,
some watch a gospel music show on the Walk-in Centre’s large flatscreen
television (kid-friendly DVD movies will be shown later.)
A couple of children are fascinated by the bubbles rising in the
water cooler as they fill their paper cones. Older fingers flip through
paperbacks and magazines, while younger ones tap on tiny screens.
Many people, many colours, many ages, all seeking the same thing:
relief—some from eye infections, others from back sprains, this
one from a bout of unexplained dizziness, that one from the sharp
twinges of pregnancy.
Mr. Shahini knows the routine because he brought his kids to the
Centre a week earlier. Vanessa was given antibiotics for a sore throat,
but now she’s running a fever. The ear infection that had been bothering
Andrew is gone, but his week-old cough hasn’t cleared up.
“We’re one sick family,” says Mr. Shahini. “I’m on antibiotics, too,
for strep throat. But it’s winter. What can you do?”
What you can’t do, he says, is run the ER gauntlet. “Even a couple
of hours here is better than who-knows-how-long in an ER. We’re
very happy with the way the kids were treated the last time they
were here. And it’s not like they were rushed in and out in two minutes.
There’s a real human connection. If the staff need to take their
time with you, that’s what they do.”
Even though waiting times in the Walk-in Centre are generally
10 spriNG 2011
Care for all.
Nurse Rosette Castor performs a preliminary assessment of Rolando
Rimando’s stomach discomfort.
shorter—sometimes much shorter—than in the ER, waits of three
hours or more are not unheard of during busy periods, such as cold
and flu season. But when waiting times are lengthy, patients are given
beepers so they can shop or run errands in the neighbourhood,
and be notified when their turn is coming up.
Though today’s visit means a great deal to the Shahinis, it does
raise a key question: Is such an ambitious project really worth
launching just to relieve some relatively simple aches and pains?
The answer is “Yes”, because there are far-reaching consequences
to the work of the Herzl CRIU Walk-in Centre. Perhaps most significantly,
it creates a highly desirable ripple effect in the healthcare
system by being the first to pick up on potentially serious medical
conditions in patients who can’t contact their regular doctor or have
no family doctor at all.

At the registrations desk, Coordinator Audrey Bouadana arranges for Monique
Perez to be seen by a doctor.
Since opening as a pilot project last summer, the Centre—along with a
counterpart at the Verdun Hospital—has also focused on easing the immense
pressure on the overburdened Emergency Department. By treating
fairly simple cases, the Walk-in Centre has diverted dozens of patients per
day away from the ER, which now has a greater ability to cope more quickly
and effectively with urgent cases.
As a further benefit, the Walk-in Centre deals promptly with minor ailments
which, if left untreated, could worsen into ER cases at a later date.
And when the ER does treat patients who have no family doctor, the Walkin
Centre handles their follow-up visits and tries to find a doctor for them
at the JGH’s Goldman Herzl Family Practice Centre or outside the hospital.
There are also instances where individuals with chronic diseases (for example,
hypertension or diabetes) need medical attention, but aren’t so sick
that their problems warrant an ER visit. The Walk-in Centre steps in to act
as a bridge, providing immediate care until these people can be seen by
their regular doctors. Without this assistance, they would probably have
headed straight for—and added to the strain on—the ER.
Thus, a concerted effort is being made by the Jewish General Hospital to
tackle two of Quebec’s (and Canada’s) most pressing healthcare problems:
excessive ER waiting times and shrinking access to care among those without
a family doctor.
“We are, against all odds, handling a lot of people in the Walk-in Centre,”
says Dr. Michael Malus, JGH Chief of Family Medicine. “It’s estimated that
somewhere between 30 and 40 per cent of Montrealers have no family doctor,
and we’re actively trying to do something about that. We’re also flagging
some of the ER’s ‘frequent flyers’ and treating them ourselves to take
the load off the ER. We’re the role model, the pioneer for interdisciplinary
primary care which has been shifted out of the hospital and into the community.”
So promising is this concept that the Herzl CRIU Walk-in Centre
(“CRIU” means it’s a Clinique réseau intégrée universitaire, or Integrated
University Network Clinic) may become the example upon which similar
facilities are eventually launched elsewhere in Montreal.
For this reason, its development has benefited from its close link with
the JGH, which can offer consultation and hospitalization, where necessary;
and with the CSSS de la Montagne, which can provide a wide array of
resources, such as home care. Strong support has also come from the Montreal
Regional Health and Social Services Agency, and McGill University.
For the moment, it’s too soon to compile any statistical
data about the direct effect of the Walk-in Centre on the
JGH’s ER. However, Dr. Marc Afilalo, Chief of the Emergency
Department, says he’s confident the Centre’s impact
is being felt. “This is a huge step forward,” he says, “not just
because it’s an attempt to do something concrete about ER
overcrowding, but because patients without a family doctor
can now get care that’s continuous and coordinated.”
Dr. Malus also notes that the “U” in “CRIU” is significant,
since it represents the JGH’s leadership role as teacher
of multidisciplinary health care in a university hospital setting.
This places the hospital at the forefront in training a
new wave of medical students, residents, nurses and other
professionals to work as members of closely integrated
healthcare teams.
The emphasis on teams and partnerships has prompted
the Walk-in Centre to develop a team of its own to cover
almost every situation, says Administrator Isabel Pereira.
In addition to doctors and nurses, patients can benefit
from consultations with a nutritionist, psychologist, social
worker, clinical pharmacologist, exercise specialist and foot
care specialist.
Ms. Pereira says the Walk-in Centre even offers classes
on diabetes, hypertension and healthy lifestyles, as well as
Continued … please turn the page.
Nurse Éric Harnois takes Émilie Provost-Cabana’s blood pressure.
JGH News
11

a mental health workshop on depression. In response to the obesity
epidemic among youngsters and teenagers, the psychologist and
exercise specialist can also counsel young walk-in patients about
weight loss.
Another important service involves prenatal care. “Our personnel
follow the pregnancies of women who come to us because they
don’t have anyone else who can do so,” says Head Nurse Mina Ladores.
“Even if the JGH is at capacity when these mothers need to
deliver, we can arrange to send them to other hospitals.”
To keep the Centre itself from becoming clogged, ample use is
made of nurse practitioners, adds Ms. Ladores. Special training
and certification entitle these nurses to perform certain tasks—
for instance, prescribing medication and ordering diagnostic
tests—that would normally be handled by doctors. As a result, Ms.
Ladores says, patients can be moved through the Centre at a brisker
pace, with the doctor always available to collaborate with the nurse
practitioner.
“The pace can sometimes be pretty hectic,” says Nurse Practitioner
Kelly Thorstad, “but it’s work that I love because I see it all—
people of all ages with a wide range of illnesses. Whether I’m treating
a patient with a chronic illness or someone who has no family
doctor, it feels good knowing I’m able to make a difference in the
lives of people who may have no one else to turn to.”
Dr. John Maunders examines Marie Michel Paul Charles.
12 spriNG 2011
It’s Care my for hospital!
all.
Administrator Isabel Pereira (seated) and Head Nurse Mina Ladores discuss
patient flow in the Herzl CRIU Walk-in Centre.
Come one, come all
No time is a good time to be sick, but Muriel Devemy can’t believe
her terrible luck. As a citizen of France, she’s been living and working
in Montreal for four years. Never had a serious health problem.
Never been to a hospital. Never even needed a doctor. And now,
four days before Christmas, just as she’s about to leave for a week’s
vacation in San Francisco—boom: she’s hit with some sort of eye
irritation.
Ms. Devemy, who works in communications in the film industry,
says she decided to give the Herzl CRIU Walk-in Centre a try after
she heard about it from her girlfriend, whose mother works at the
JGH. When she first arrived on a weekday evening in late December,
she was “quite stressed, because it was the first time I needed a doctor
in Canada. But everything went great. It was convenient being
able to come in after work and I’m relieved my vacation plans have
worked out.”
For Gustavo and Olma Andino, the Walk-in Centre came to the
rescue, because neither had seen their family doctor for at least 18
months and their files were closed. So when Mrs. Andino began
experiencing neck pain and a bit of dizziness on a Sunday morning
in early January, the Walk-in Centre provided the help she needed.
Here, too, word of mouth played a role, because Mr. Andino first
heard about the Centre last year from his niece who is a JGH nurse.
At that time, he needed to be checked for chest pains “and I got
good service quite quickly.”
Larisa Caragheorghii’s lunch-hour visit in late December was
actually a follow-up appointment—with no pain and plenty of
smiles. She was 10 weeks pregnant with her first child and had come
to see Nurse Practitioner Kelly Thorstad to make sure everything
was progressing properly. “I also want to ask her whether I should
be getting the flu vaccine when I’m pregnant,” said Ms. Caragheorghii,
“but otherwise, everything feels fine. It’s so comforting to
know there’s someone I can turn to.”

Légaré Street
De la Peltrie Street
Jewish General Hospital
Walk-In Centre
5858 Côte-des-Neiges, 5 th floor
Pav. H
Côte Ste-Catherine Road
Counting on the Walk-in Centre
Activities at the Herzl CRIU Walk-in Centre between
July and December 2010:
• Average visits per day: Approximately 80
• Vulnerable, doctorless patients from the CSSS de la Montagne
area who were assigned to doctors: 168
• Vulnerable, doctorless patients who were assigned to residents
or nurse practitioners at the JGH’s Goldman Herzl Family Practice
Centre: 166
• Doctorless obstetrics patients who were transferred to residents
at the Goldman Herzl Family Practice Centre: 40
• Doctorless patients, pregnant more than 16 weeks, who were
accepted into the Walk-in Centre’s low-risk prenatal clinic: 20
Warmest thanks to JGH donors
The generosity of private donors was instrumental in carrying out the
extensive renovations that created a home for the Herzl CRIU Walk-in
Centre—a testament to the importance of private funding in advancing
patient care for all. The JGH Foundation thanks all of the donors who are
enabling the hospital to achieve excellence in addressing the healthcare
needs of patients from across Montreal and throughout Quebec.
Côte-des-Neiges
At your service
The Herzl CRIU Walk-in Centre
is open 365 days a year to
anyone, without an appointment
or a prior phone call.
Located at on the fifth floor
of 5858 Côte-des-Neiges
(at the corner of de la Peltrie
Street), the Centre is open
from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
monday through Friday, and
from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
on weekends and statutory
holidays.
more information is available
at 514-340-8311.
Keep up to date with JGH News!
The world of the Jewish General Hospital
is yours to discover in JGH News.
By donating $36 or more to the
JGH Foundation, you’ll receive
JGH News by mail. Just phone
514-340-8251 or visit
www.jghfoundation.org.
This applies to all Foundation
donations, except memorial funds.
You will also receive a tax receipt
from the JGH Foundation for the
full amount of your donation.
For changes to your subscription,
please phone 514-340-8251 or e-mail
communications@jgh.mcgill.ca.
Your inside view of
“Care for all”!
NaNaMusical
Brighten your day by singing along with the
Jewish General Hospital’s NaNa Music Video at:
YouTube.com/NaNamusical
JGH News
13

Mind over matter
Coping with cancer through psychosocial support
When Elliot Shatsky first learned he had been targeted by cancer,
he fully expected to fight back on the battlefield of his body. But
in preparing to counterattack, he soon discovered that the battleground
had grown to encompass his mind. Sadness, stress, doubt, worry…
If he allowed himself to be overwhelmed by the negative emotions that his
mind generated, fighting the disease might become even tougher than he
anticipated.
What Mr. Shatsky needed was
“a place where my mind could
go—where it could sometimes
get out of the way for a while, and
let the doctors do their work.”
That refuge is what he found
with the help of self-hypnosis,
through counselling by Dr. Sylvain
Néron, a psychologist with a
speciality in oncology, and a team
member in the Louise Granofsky
Psychosocial Oncology Program
at the JGH Segal Cancer Centre.
More and more healthcare
professionals are now coming to
realize that medical treatment for
the body, though central in the
struggle against cancer, sometimes
needs to be complemented
by support for the emotions and
spirit. “Cancer affects the way patients see
themselves, think about themselves and
interact with their spouses, children, relatives
and friends,” says Dr. Zeev Rosberger,
Director of the Psychosocial Oncology
Program and Chief of the JGH Division of
Psychology.
“That’s why our program complements
the efforts of oncologists by drawing on the
expertise of social workers, psychologists,
psychiatrists, nurses, sex therapists, couple
and family therapists, and chaplains. Our
team helps to alleviate the significant levels
of stress that 35 to 40 per cent of cancer
patients experience before, during and after
their bodies have been treated.”
For Mr. Shatsky, the stress took hold in
fall 2007, when he was diagnosed with lung
cancer. Treatment began with intravenous
chemotherapy, followed by oral chemotherapy
and, in spring 2009, surgery to remove
a lung. For more than a year, everything
seemed fine, but last summer, the reappearance
of cancer was confirmed and Mr.
Shatsky was put back on intravenous chemotherapy.
14 spriNG 2011
During chemotherapy, Elliot Shatsky chats with Dr. Sylvain Néron about
coping with cancer-related stress.
These broad changes in his medical condition,
as well as day-to-day ups and downs
at all stages of his diagnosis, testing and
treatment, have led to what Mr. Shatsky
calls “the roller-coaster effect. When someone
gets in your face and tells you that you
have cancer, it utterly changes you. It’s overwhelming.
I’ve never experienced a faster
life-change than that. You begin living from
scan to scan. One bad scan and—boom!—
you’re down low. One good scan and—
zoom!—you’re up high. These emotions
can be really hard to manage.”
When help was offered through the Psychosocial
Oncology Program, Mr. Shatsky
took it and, after a couple of sessions, felt that
he and Dr. Néron had forged “a tremendous
relationship, which is why I consider him a
friend. Early on, he didn’t say, ‘Don’t worry,
everything will be okay.’ He dealt head-on
with reality, counselled me and taught me
how to ride the roller-coaster.”
Prior to surgery, Dr. Néron proposed
using hypnosis to calm Mr. Shatsky’s particularly
frazzled nerves—“and to be honest,
I thought it wasn’t working, but I was
Care for all.
To contact the Louise Granofsky
Psychosocial Oncology Program
at the JGH Segal Cancer Centre,
please phone 514-340-8222,
extension 3223, or e-mail
tgreenidge@jgh.mcgill.ca
willing to go along. He asked me
to create a safe haven in my mind,
somewhere warm and protected
where I’ve already been or would
like to be. In hindsight, I now
know the hypnosis worked so
well that, at the time, I wasn’t
even aware of the seriousness of
the surgery until it was over.
“The main thing that Dr.
Néron instilled in me is an attitude
of ‘Keep living; don’t stop.’
It pretty well sums up the caring
philosophy and the support
of everyone on the staff of this
hospital. Their warmth is contagious.”
The existence of such a program
may, at first, seem redundant
in a hospital like the JGH
which is known for compassionate care and
for treating the patient as an individual,
rather than as a collection of symptoms.
However, Dr. Rosberger explains that when
it comes to cancer, patients need more from
a hospital than a warm, positive approach;
they require help from specific types of
healthcare experts within a structured program.
For this reason, Dr. Rosberger began collaborating
in the early to mid-2000s with
Allan Ptack, Director of the JGH Department
of Social Services, to work more closely
with cancer patients. They also began
mapping out plans for what was formally
inaugurated in 2008 as the Louise Granofsky
Psychosocial Oncology Program.
Dr. Rosberger notes that patients also
derive great benefits from the wide array
of volunteer-based services that Hope &
Cope provides. However, in its solidly clinical
focus, the Psychosocial Oncology Program
functions as a “sister program” that
draws on a staff of professional counsellors.
Patients can be referred by nurses, doctors,
Continued … please turn to page 24.

REPORT
Exciting times
for the entire
JGH community
Rarely in the history of the Jewish General Hospital has there been an era when the feeling of dynamism and
excitement has been more palpable than it is today. Everywhere we look, new facilities are being opened and
new programs are being launched to provide quicker, easier access to outstanding, compassionate healthcare
for patients of all backgrounds from across Montreal and throughout Quebec.
Major accomplishments
include building a new
facility for Quebec’s first
Centre for Child Development
and Mental Health;
construction of the Herzl
CRIU Walk-in Centre; relocation
of the Department
of Obstetrics and Gynecology
to modern, renovated
facilities in Pavilion H; and
expansion of the Division
of Endocrinology’s Ambulatory
Centre. And that’s all just in the past
six months.
By the end of this year, the entire community
will be able to enjoy enhanced
access to the most advanced and comprehensive
care with the anticipated launch
of an expanded Breast Referral and Investigation
Centre, a new Skin Cancer Centre,
the Peter Brodje Lung Cancer Centre and a
Radiology Department that has been upgraded
with the latest in state-of-the-art
equipment and digital technology.
Kudos to a great team!
The Boards of Directors of the Jewish General Hospital
and the JGH Foundation greatly value the contribution
of all the people who support the hospital and its commitment
to providing excellence in patient care, research
and teaching for all Quebecers. We would like to thank
the dedicated individuals of the JGH Foundation for
their commitment, passion and tireless efforts—day in,
day out—in raising critical funds and public awareness
about the JGH. Their talent, energy and enthusiasm
have played an integral role in the tremendous success
of the Power to Heal campaign—the most ambitious
fundraising campaign in the JGH’s history—which has
not only reached, but surpassed, its $200 million goal.
Equally exciting, construction
has begun on
the hospital’s new Emergency
Department, the
first phase of the new
critical-care wing, Pavilion
K. Many other vital
initiatives are also in the
works, which will allow
Montrealers and Quebecers
to reap the full benefit
of the latest medical and
technological advances.
Among them are creation of a Molecular
Pathology Institute, major expansion
of the Information Technology Department’s
infrastructure and software applications,
and establishment of a Centre of
Excellence in Spinal Surgery.
All of these exciting projects are part
of our plan to build the hospital of the
future with the very best people, equipment,
facilities and programs. This will
enable the JGH to meet the changing
and ever-increasing healthcare needs of
Quebecers and to overcome the challenges
facing our healthcare system as a whole.
What is truly remarkable is that these
impressive advances and further initiatives,
however vital they may be, would
not have been possible and could not even
be contemplated without the inspired
partnerships we enjoy with our dedicated
medical staff and our very committed
supporters. Indeed, each accomplishment,
each step forward bears the mark of the
many people who are passionate about
supporting the JGH and the outstanding
individuals, ideas and dreams that drive
continued excellence in patient care, research
and teaching for the benefit of all
the communities we serve.
Such partnerships will again be the key
to our success in achieving our common
goal of better health and better health
care for the people of Montreal and Quebec,
now and in the future. We hope you
will join us along the way for this exciting
journey, and take a great deal of pride in
what we accomplish together.
— Myer Bick
President and CEO
JGH News
March 2011 Jewish General Hospital Foundation jghfoundation.org
15

JGH stories
During the 76 years of its
existence, the Jewish General
Hospital has touched many
people and changed many
lives. They have left a trail of
inspiring and compelling stories
that showcase the unique
qualities and spirit that make
the JGH such a special and
valued part of our community.
This section presents one of
the many incredible stories
that are featured on the JGH
Stories website (http://stories.
jghfoundation.org).
Coming soon!
2 nd issue of the JGH
Foundation special report
In June, JGH Foundation supporters
and partners can look forward to
the second issue of the JGH Foundation
Special Report. This issue will
provide you with even more unique
insights into the opportunities that
are shaping the future of health care
at the Jewish General Hospital and
across Quebec. Also featured will be
inspiring stories about our donors
and how their efforts and commitment
are helping the JGH remain at
the forefront of scientific discovery
and clinical excellence. All that, and
much more.
16 spriNG 2011
No-nonsense confidence
My story started as innocently as a lot I am sure... I had just returned
from a summer of guiding, biking, hiking and kayaking trips in Eastern
Canada. Along with the sun tans and sun burns that came with hours and
hours of fun in the sun, I developed a patch of irritated dry skin on the
bridge of my nose. Thinking nothing of it, I discarded the spot all summer
and went about my business.
Looking back, I actually had this recurring
spot of dry skin for well over a
year, but had ignored it until that summer
when the extended periods of sun
really made it act up. There was no pain,
per se, just irritation and once in a while,
bleeding.
Upon my return to Montreal, I booked
a visit with a dermatologist who, as one
who does not beat around the bush, hit
me plain and simple. “That’s cancer”, he
said. I have to be honest; at first, I didn’t
really think much of it. Even though there
is a history of cancer in my family, for
whatever reason, it didn’t affect me much
at that first instance. We discussed what
it meant (it was Basal Cell Carcinoma, he
was pretty sure, and we could handle it
promptly), and what the next steps would
be. It was only after my initial visit that it
hit me. And, boy, did it wallop me good.
Sitting in my car in the parking lot of the
medical clinic, my emotions boiled over
and I sat there, alone, crying and wondering
what was next, questioning my mortality
and wishing and hoping this didn’t
mean death. I know, this may sound
pretty severe for a non life-threatening
cancer, but I guess I was really hit by the
realization of my own mortality there and
then.
So the next few steps involved the biopsies,
bandaging, awaiting results, and
talking about it with friends and family
(lots of talking—wow did that help!). Finally,
when all was confirmed, I had my
meeting with Dr. Manish Khanna at the
JGH. He was recommended as one of only
a handful of specialists in a particular type
of skin cancer surgery called MOHS.
Care for all.
Right from the beginning, Dr. Khanna
took care of me as only an expert can. At
no time during any of the meetings with
Dr. Khanna did I feel stressed, scared or
worried about any of the upcoming procedures.
He was excited about this new
type of surgery and 100% confident in its
effectiveness. I can’t truly express what
his quiet confidence meant to me as a
cancer patient.
In my personal life dealing with the
surgery, I had moments when I felt alone.
But when I visited with Dr. Khanna and
the staff at the JGH, I felt truly important
and part of a much larger story being
enacted at the JGH. I can’t quite put
my finger on it, but there’s something
special about the team at the JGH... this
quiet confidence that somehow screams
at you every time you are there. That may
sound like an oxy-moron, but for those of
you that have been lucky enough to be
treated by this team of professionals, you
know what I mean.
At the end of the day, I am cancer free
and I owe it to the amazing team at the
JGH, namely Dr. Khanna. I have made certain
changes in my life to help reduce the
possibility of another run-in with cancer.
However, I know that if it were to happen
again, I would simply put myself back into
the good hands of the JGH. I am loving
life more than ever and looking forward
to many, many more fun-filled summers!
Thank you Dr. Khanna, and the whole
team at the JGH. You are true heroes to
me and countless others!
Read more incredible stories or share your very own story at
http://stories.jghfoundation.org
— Corey Pomkoski
March 2011 Jewish General Ho

Upcoming events for members
Governors' Circle
This spring, members of the Governors’ Circle will be invited to the
following exclusive, special events:
Spring Lecture
Private tour of new hospital facilities
may 10, 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.
“It’s not often that you have the opportunity to
find out about the latest medical and technical
advances from the very doctors and researchers
whose vision and work are shaping the future of
healthcare. The lectures are positively fascinating
and provide a tantalizing glimpse of what’s coming
down the road, from advances in robotic surgery
to personalized medicine.”
— The Honourable E. Leo Kolber
The Genetics of Aging and Other Things
You Can Blame Your Parents For
By Brent Richards, MD, M.Sc.
JGH Division of Endocrinology
may 3, 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Block Amphitheatre, Pavilion B-106,
Jewish General Hospital
Refreshments will be served at 8:30 p.m.
The lecture will be given in English, with a question period in French and English
Open to all members of the JGH Foundation Governors’ Circle
Space is limited: first come, first served.
Please RSVP without delay to Tiffany England at 514-340-8222, ext. 5467.
Open to Gold and Platinum members, JGH Foundation Governors’ Circle
Space is limited: first come, first served.
Please RSVP without delay to Tiffany England at 514-340-8222, ext. 5467.
Annual luncheon with the
Executive Director of the JGH
Featuring Hartley S. Stern, MD, FRCS(C), FACS
may 3, Noon to 1:00 p.m.
Open to Platinum members, JGH Foundation
Governors’ Circle
Space is limited: first come, first served. Please RSVP without
delay to Tiffany England at 514-340-8222, ext. 5467.
Become a member!
Today more than 4,600 members of the JGH Foundation Governors’
Circle are providing exemplary support and are playing an important
part in advancing clinical research and/or patient care at the
JGH, with the promise these endeavours hold for all patients and
their loved ones.
You, too, can make a difference by joining us today! For more
information about membership or upcoming events involving the
Governors’ Circle, please contact Larry Sidel at 514-340-8222, ext.
1922, or at lsidel@jgh.mcgill.ca.
sweet holidays
sweet holidays at the JGH
Angie Holcman of Regal Confections
More than three years ago, Regal Confections, a
Canada-wide distributor based in Montreal, was approached
by the JGH Foundation to donate chocolates
to be given away during Christmas and Chanukah
to thank hospital staff for their dedication and hard
work. Company President Joe Neufeld accepted without
any hesitation and, from then on, the distribution
of chocolates has become a regular event throughout
the JGH to the great enjoyment of the hospital’s staff
and, starting in 2009, of visitors too.
The 2010 holiday
season saw this unique
tradition reach new
heights, with even more
smiling faces. On November
17, Les Aliments
Uni Midlon Foods, a
food broker based in
Saint-Laurent, became
involved, distributing
complimentary cookies
to doctors, staff and visitors
in the Segal Cancer
Centre, Emergency, Dermatology,
Orthopedics,
Gastroenterology and
the Intensive Care Unit.
Jodie Mintz Ginsberg of
Les Aliments Uni Midlon Foods
This was followed on December 14 and 23 by the handing
out of thousands of icy square chocolates, again
generously donated by Regal Confections.
“It was incredibly heartwarming for us to see so
many smiles illuminating the faces of patients, relatives
and visitors,” said Larry Sidel, Vice-President and
Chief Operating Officer of the JGH Foundation. “We
are grateful to Regal Confections and Les Aliments Uni
Midlon Foods for their generous and unique contribution—another
demonstration of the JGH’s philosophy
of going one step further in caring for all.”
JGH News
spital Foundation jghfoundation.org 17

Events
Events
18 spriNG 2011
Community action action
Throughout the year, the JGH Foundation hosts or benefits from a wide variety of events that call upon all of us to
take action in support of initiatives that empower the Jewish General Hospital. This enables the hospital to save
lives, improve patients’ quality of life and provide the most vulnerable members of society with the care they need.
past events
Let’s be unforgettable
October 20 – Zante Restaurant
Chair: Jeff Solomon
Raised over $67,000 for the Program for
Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia (PADD)
The creation of a JGH Program for Alzheimer’s
Disease and Dementia (PADD) is vital in bringing
together the clinical, teaching, research and
educational activities involving dementia. It
also builds necessary synergy and momentum to
avert an impending epidemic. Establishing the
PADD will contribute to improving the lives of
individuals with dementia and those looking after
them in Montreal and across Quebec. Please
visit www.jghfoundation.org/sections/vpadd.
html for more information on this vital initiative.
Fall Fling
October 26 – Cavalli Restaurant
Co-Chairs: Gabrielle Bélanger and Marie-Aude
Gagnon-Rousseau
Raised over $70,000 to purchase endoscopic
equipment for the Division of Radiation
Oncology. Special thanks to Platinum sponsor
Stikeman Elliott LLP for its generous contribution
to the event’s success.
Fundraiser Dinner 2010
for Oncology
October 29 – Crowne Plaza
Organized by Joe and Lynne Gentile
and their family and friends
Raised over $11,000 for oncology patient
care at the Segal Cancer Centre
Please visit www.jgh.ca/SegalCancerCentre
for more information.
2 nd Annual Dimitrios Banousis Fund
for Pulmonary Hypertension
November 6 – Buffet Sorrento
Organized by the Dimitrios Banousis family
and friends
Raised over $18,000 for the Dimitrios Banousis
Pulmonary Hypertension Fund
Pulmonary hypertension, high blood pressure in
the lungs, is a rare disorder requiring specialized
treatment in an organized and caring environment.
The JGH Pulmonary Hypertension Clinic is
such a place, where these patients are treated by
physicians, nurses, physiotherapists and pharmacists.
The clinic is also a reference centre for pulmonary
hypertension in Quebec, internationally
recognized for offering the very latest in care
and for being at the forefront of pioneering
research. The clinic has many needs that can be
met only through private support. The Dimitrios
Banousis Pulmonary Hypertension Fund plays a
crucial role in helping purchase equipment that
allows for excellence in care.
6 th Annual Gloria’s Girls presents
It’s a Girl Thing, in honour of Chris-
Ann Nakis, owner and operator of
Bâton Rouge Restaurant Complexe
Desjardins and De la montagne
November 7 – Bâton Rouge Restaurant,
De la Montagne Street
Co-chairs: Susan Bercovitch and Maxine
Shapiro-Rosenblatt
Raised over $100,000 for the Gloria Shapiro
Endowment Fund for Ovarian Cancer Research,
which supports ovarian cancer research at the
Segal Cancer Centre. Please visit www.jgh.ca/
SegalCancerCentre for more information.
2 nd Doctors Gala
November 18 – Congregation Shaar
Hashomayim
Co-Chairs: Sarah and Allen Rubin, and
Heather and Joseph Paperman
Raised $925,000 for the Department of
Medicine Endowment Fund
Please visit www.jghfoundation.org/sections/
eventsgala.html for more information.
Sincere thanks to major sponsors HD Supply
Litemor, Merck, Pentax, Great West Life, AMD
Ritmed, Bernice and Morton Brownstein,
Janssen-Ortho, Pharmacie Frayne & Digenova
and Reitmans (Canada) Ltd.
The Department of Medicine deals with all
medical aspects of disease (except surgery) and is
the largest JGH department, with 15 divisions or
subspecialties: Allergy and Clinical Immunology,
Cardiology, Clinical Epidemiology, Dermatology,
Endocrinology and Metabolism, Gastroenterology,
Genetics, Geriatric Medicine, Hematology,
Infectious Diseases, Internal Medicine, Medical
Biochemistry, Nephrology, Pulmonary Medicine,
and Rheumatology. Its mission is to provide excellent
medical care, train medical students and
young physicians to assess and manage patients,
and advance the frontiers of knowledge about
illness and its treatment through cutting-edge
patient-oriented research. The Department of
Medicine’s Endowment Fund—created and supported
by private donations—ensures a stable
flow of funding year to year. This support helps
to secure the continued recruitment of the very
best doctors and scientists from around the
world, thereby strengthening the department’s
ability to provide world-class care, teaching and
research.
F*** Cancer Event
November 20 – Club Newtown Downtown
Organized by Julie Greenbaum and friends
Raised over $7,000 to benefit research and
treatment in ovarian, breast, colon, lymphoma
and lung cancers at the Segal Cancer Centre.
Please visit www.jgh.ca/SegalCancerCentre
for more information.
Care for all.
Rock for Hope
March 19 – Café Théâtre, 1832 Ste-Catherine
Benefiting the Segal Cancer Centre
Amount raised unavailable at press time.
Upcoming events
may 14
POP!
Complexe Dompark
Benefiting the renovation of a new JGH
residents’ lounge
Info: Tali Chemtob – 514-340-8222, ext. 5391
June 6
19th Annual JGH-Silver Star
mercedes-Benz Golf Classic,
honouring morton Brownstein
Elm Ridge Golf & Country Club
Benefiting the Program for Alzheimer’s
Disease and Dementia (PADD)
Info: Tali Chemtob – 514-340-8222, ext. 5391
June 22
14th Annual JGH Tennis Classic
Jarry Park
Co-Chairs: Pat Ifrah-Stein, George Itzkovitz
and David Souaid
Sponsorship Chair: Richard Stein
Benefiting the Skin Cancer Centre
Info: Adrianna Di Pardo, 514-340-8222
ext. 2549
It is immensely gratifying to know
that together we can accomplish
great things to help people
throughout Montreal and Quebec
for many years to come. To support
any of the events and/or initiatives
described in these pages, please
contact the JGH Foundation at 514-
340-8251. Donations can also be
made at www.jghfoundation.org.
If you are interested in organizing
a fundraising event, please contact
Mary Etzitian, Associate Coordinator,
Events, at 514-340-8222, ext.
3986.
Thank you for making a difference!
Jewish General Hospital Foundation, 3755, ch. de la Côte Ste-Catherine, A-107, Montreal (Quebec) H3T 1E2
Tel.: 514-340-8251 · Fax: 514-340-8220 · info@jghfoundation.org
March 2011 Jewish General Hospital Foundation jghfoundation.org

Cutting-edge surgery requires less cutting
As a pioneer in minimally invasive vascular surgery, Dr. Cherrie Abraham
is delighted that patients have treatment options where no hope
existed before. This has made him a sought-after surgeon not only
for JGH patients, but among Canadian and international colleagues who are
eager to learn his breakthrough techniques.
Dr. Cherrie Abraham (left and in inset) performs vascular surgery at the JGH with Dr. Christos Lioupis
(centre), the McGill Fellow in Advanced Aortic and Peripheral Endovascular Surgery, and Dr. Kayvan
Abaiian, the McGill Fellow in Vascular Surgery.
The focus of Dr. Abraham’s work is aortic
aneurysms, swellings in the wall of the
aorta, the body’s largest artery which runs
from the heart to the abdomen. If a rupture
occurs, it can cause severe pain, internal
hemorrhage and death. Previously,
some patients had nowhere to turn, because
their cases were too high-risk for conventional
open-chest surgery. However, they
have benefited from the minimally invasive
treatment known as fenestrated or
branched endovascular aneurysm repair
(complex EVAR).
“Traditional open repair of these complex
aneurysms in the chest and abdomen
are some of the most invasive operations
that surgeons perform,” says Dr. Abraham,
“If we can lower the compication rate and
get patients out of hospital sooner, we have
to continue to push the envelope with these
new techniques”.
Over the past several years, Dr. Abraham,
an attending staff physician at the JGH since
2003, has established advanced aortic endovascular
programs across Canada, acting as
team leader for the first complex cases in
Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, London,
Toronto, Hamilton, Ottawa and Montreal
(at the Royal Victoria and Hôtel-Dieu Hospitals).
“I help or perform these surgeries
in centres besides the JGH about 20 to 30
times a year,” says Dr. Abraham, who has
conducted or supervised 90 per cent of all
endovascular repairs of thoracoabdominal
aortic aneurysms in Canada.
From mid-2010 to mid-2011, about 12
to 15 complex endovascular aneurysm repairs—believed
to be the country’s highest
rate—will have been performed at the JGH
by Dr. Abraham. It also makes him a rarity
in his field, given his ability to perform
traditional as well as highly specialized endovascular
procedures. He assisted his U.S.
mentor, Dr. Timothy Chuter, in performing
Canada’s first endovascular repair of a
thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm in 2002
at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal,
and led a team from St. Michael’s Hospital
in Toronto in the first operation of its kind
in Ontario.
Dr. Abraham has also been instrumental
in adapting these techniques to repair the
Living happily
after EVAR
Instead of opening the chest or abdomen
to insert a graft (a tube-shaped piece of
fabric) to reinforce the area weakened by
an aneurysm, surgeons who perform fenestrated
or branched endovascular aneurysm
repair (complex EVAR) gain access to the
aorta via small incisions in the groin. The
graft is guided to the aorta through smaller
arteries with the help of a stent, a mesh-like
metallic tube.
This type of minimally invasive surgery
results in shorter recovery (three to four
days, rather than seven to ten for traditional
surgery); little or no post-operative ICU
care; and fewer of the risks of open-chest
surgery, such as infection, kidney failure
and stroke.
What makes a patient unsuitable for
open repair? Age, multiple medical conditions,
a “challenging” vascular anatomy
and previous surgeries. So far, since there
is only data on the short-term efficacy and
safety of complex EVAR, open surgery is
still preferable for young, fit patients.
aortic arch (located above the heart) with
a stent graft, whose “branches” allow blood
flow to be maintained in major vessels connected
to the aorta. Last October, in operating
on a JGH patient who was too high-risk
for conventional surgery, Dr. Abraham became
first in the world to perform this type
of surgery. “That was truly a remarkable
achievement,” says Dr. Lawrence Rosenberg,
JGH Chief of Surgical Services. “The patient
had no ICU stay and spent only four days
in hospital.”
Dr. Abraham has since completed two
similar cases at the JGH and one at Toronto
General Hospital, with two planned for
Vancouver. Only five surgeons worldwide
have performed the surgery, and after each
intervention they explore ways to refine
the procedure. “I train people to go out as
leaders and offer that expertise,” says Dr.
Abraham, who is Program Director at the
JGH and the MUHC for a fellowship in advanced
aortic and peripheral endovascular
surgery. “A Saudi Fellow who trained with
us last year is now the most highly specialized
in his field in the Middle East.”
JGH News
19

20 spriNG 2011
Two big events, one committed
The arithmetic works out perfectly: divide two of Quebec’s
largest fundraising events into three relatives, and you get
one dedicated family that’s determined to eradicate cancer—with
thousands of dollars left over for treatment, prevention
and research at the JGH Segal Cancer Centre.
Even so, Jeremy Shafter can’t resist tweaking the equation. “The three of
us are in a single family, of course,” he says, “but when I’m on my bicycle in
the Ride to Conquer Cancer, or when I see my mother walking in the Weekend
to End Women’s Cancers, it feels as if everyone who participates is in
one large family. No matter which team you’re on or who your teammates
are, we all feel connected to each other when we’re out there.”
Even so, the Shafters
remain something of
an anomaly, with one
family producing participants
for both events.
Mr. Shafter, 29, was the
first to take the plunge
in 2009 when he set off
for Quebec City from
Montreal in the inaugural
two-day Ride. Last
summer, he did a repeat
performance, and this
July he’ll be back for
trek number 3 in the Enbridge
Ride to Conquer
Cancer. His mother,
Joelle, donned her
sneakers last year for her first time in the
two-day, cross-Montreal walk in the Pharmaprix
Weekend to End Women’s Cancers,
a feat she plans to repeat this August. Inspired
by her mother and brother, 25-yearold
Alexandra will be at her mother’s side
this summer as a first-time Weekend walker.
The Shafters count themselves lucky that
cancer has not touched any of their relatives,
but they feel deeply about the deaths
of two close friends, plus the fact that one
friend is fighting cancer, while another is in
remission.
Joelle Shafter (centre) with her teammates at the 2010 Pharmaprix
Weekend to End Women’s Cancers.
The essentials
The 2011 Pharmaprix Weekend to End Women’s
Cancers, Aug. 27 and 28, will raise funds for
treatment, prevention and research into all types
of women’s cancers at the JGH Segal Cancer Centre.
Participants have the option of walking one
day or both, with everyone paying a $75 registration
fee. Those who sign up for the full weekend
make a commitment to raise at least $2,000,
while one-day walkers must raise at least $1,250.
Participants walk a total of 60 kilometres
through the streets of Montreal, rain or shine.
At the half way point on Saturday, they enjoy
entertainment at a camping area and sleep overnight
in tents. The walk resumes Sunday morning.
www.endcancer.ca 514-393-WALK (9255)
It’s Care my for hospital!
all.
Joelle Shafter (right) will be walking with her
daughter, Alexandra, in the Pharmaprix Weekend to
End Women’s Cancers, while her son, Jeremy, will
hit the road on his bicycle in the Enbridge Ride to
Conquer Cancer.
All meals, drinks, tents and washroom facilities
are provided.
Anyone who is unable to walk the route but
wants to get involved can be a crew member who
serves meals, assists walkers or performs other
necessary jobs. Crew members pay the $75 registration
fee, and it is encouraged but not required
that they raise $500. Opportunities are also available
for volunteers.
For more information about the Pharmaprix
Weekend to End Women’s Cancers—including
registration, joining or forming a team, fund raising
and training—please visit the website at www.
endcancer.ca or phone 514-393-WALK (9255).

family, three eager participants
Jeremy Shafter heads for Quebec City in the 2010 Ride to
Conquer Cancer.
“The Ride is extremely demanding
physically and mentally,” says Mr.
Shafter, who works in the family business
selling heating and steam supplies.
“But if I get tired while riding, I think
about those who died. Or if I pass someone
on a bike with a yellow ‘survivor’
flag, that’s what gives me strength. My
pain is nothing compared to that.”
The family effort had its beginnings
two years ago, when Mr. Shafter became
aware that the CoreXcellence team had
been organized for the Ride by Don
White, the owner of a gym where Mr.
Shafter trains. His enthusiasm was so
infectious that his mother eventually
became the team’s fund-raising manager.
In addition, Mrs. Shafter, a jeweller,
has made and donated bracelets whose
proceeds are added to the totals of any
team members who need help hitting
their fund-raising targets. In 2010,
CoreXcellence raised a total of $80,000
in the Ride, while Mrs. Shafter alone
collected $2,500 in the Weekend. As of
late January, 50 CoreXcellence members
had signed up for the 2011 Ride and
nine for the upcoming Weekend.
Nuts and bolts
The 2011 Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer
hits the road on July 9 and 10 to help
fund cancer research and care at the JGH
Segal Cancer Centre. To take part, each rider
pays a $75 registration fee and raises at
least $2,500.
After the final check-in on Saturday
morning, riders spend Saturday and Sunday
pedalling from Montreal to Quebec City,
rain or shine. At the half way point in Trois
Rivères, they gather at a camping area to
relax, enjoy entertainment and sleep overnight
in tents. Then on Sunday, the ride resumes.
Throughout the trip, all meals, drinks,
www.conquercancer.ca 1-866-996-8356
Last in the family to get actively involved
was Alexandra Shafter, who is
studying photography in San Francisco,
but visits Montreal regularly. Although
2011 will be her first year as a Weekend
walker, she notes that she was involved
in the Ride last summer as the team’s official
photographer and as a CoreXcellence
assistant on the sidelines.
“I saw the joy and happiness that it
brought them and I couldn’t resist,” says
Ms. Shafter. “I’m in shape and last November,
I completed a half-marathon in
San Francisco. But for now, the Weekend
is the event I feel most comfortable
participating in.”
Despite the difficulties in cycling to
Quebec City, Mr. Shafter is heartened by
his memories of his previous two Rides.
“The thing to keep in mind is that it’s
not a race; it’s people enjoying themselves
because of the feeling they get out
there when they realize they’re doing
something special.”
“At the same time,” adds Mrs. Shafter,
“it’s very rewarding to know your children
share your ideals and commitment
to such an important cause.”
tents, medical aid and mechanical assistance
for bikes are available.
Individuals who are unable to ride can
get involved as crew members who serve
meals, assist riders or perform other necessary
tasks. Crew members pay the $75 registration
fee, and it is encouraged but not
required that they also raise $500.
For more information about the Enbridge
Ride to Conquer Cancer—including registration,
joining or forming a team, fund raising,
training or any aspect of the event—please
visit the website at www.conquercancer.ca
or phone 1-866-996-8356.
JGH News
21

esearCH aT THe LadY davis iNsTiTUTe
22 spriNG 2011
Dr. William Foulkes
Genetics reheats cold cases
The mystery began in 1976. Adolfo Pampena was diagnosed with a rare form
of cancer, including a strange combination of symptoms and tumours in his
stomach and colon. His perplexed medical team could not determine the
cause of his disease or the risk for his descendents.
Thirty-five years later, the answers are outlined in a
study led by investigators at the JGH Lady Davis Institute
for Medical Research (LDI), the Research Institute of the
McGill University Health Centre, and the McGill Program
in Cancer Genetics at the Gerald Bronfman Centre for
Clinical Research in Oncology. Senior author of the study—
recently published in The New England Journal of Medicine—is
Dr. William Foulkes, a genetics researcher at the
LDI and the MUHC’s Research Institute.
The researchers pinpointed a culprit gene, which is
involved in regulating the separation of chromosomes.
Instability during cell division can cause chromosomes
to end up in the wrong place, leading to the development
of tumours. “My father and family were relieved that the
cancer risk for other relatives is much less than we thought,”
says Mary Pampena, Adolfo’s daughter. “We now know what
screening test to perform in the future.”
Value of robotic surgery confirmed
Robot-assisted surgery, performed with technology
such as the Jewish General Hospital’s
da Vinci Surgical System, dramatically
improves outcomes in patients with uterine, endometrial,
and cervical cancer, a JGH study has found.
With fewer post-operative complications and shorter
hospital stays, robotic procedures also cost less, concludes
the study, whose results were published in late 2010 in The
Journal of Robotic Surgery and The International Journal of
Gynecological Cancer.
“Patients’ quality of life is dramatically improved,” says
Dr. Walter Gotlieb, who led the study and is Director of
Gynecologic Oncology at the JGH Segal Cancer Centre.
“They use far less narcotic pain medication—sometimes
nothing stronger than Tylenol.”
Robotic surgery technology was developed to overcome
the limitations of minimally invasive surgery, including such
notoriously difficult procedures as laparoscopy for cancer.
“Laparoscopy is the gold standard of treatment for endometrial
cancer,” Dr. Gotlieb says, “but the learning curve is too
steep for most surgeons. At the JGH, we went from only 15
per cent of our endometrial cancer patients undergoing laparoscopy
to 95 per cent using robotic surgery. Previously, for
cervical cancer, we did not perform minimally invasive surgery
at all, whereas now all of our patients benefit from it.”
Care for all.
In another study in the Journal of the American Medical
Association, Dr. Foulkes describes solving a mystery
involving five families with a long history of nontoxic multinodular
goiter. Goiter, a thyroid disease, can lead to extreme
swelling of the neck or larynx, but its cause is often
iodine insufficiency and not genetics. While multinodular
goiter was known to be genetic, no one had ever located the
specific gene or mutation that was responsible—until now.
A team led by Dr. Foulkes and Dr. Marc Tischkowitz of
the LDI and the Program in Cancer Genetics found that the
mutation changes the protein in only one place. “A mutation
in a disease gene usually causes many problems,” says
Dr. Foulkes, “but here we have no evidence it causes anything
except goiter.” He and his colleagues also confirmed
an idea, first raised in 1974, that a genetic link exists between
multinodular goiter and an unusual type of ovarian
tumour.
Dr. Walter Gotlieb performs robot-assisted surgery.
In a letter to Dr. Joseph Portnoy, JGH Director of Professional
Services, a patient with complex endometrial cancer,
lavishly praised her “surgeon and his robot” and called the
device a “marvel”.
The da Vinci Surgical System was brought to the Jewish
General Hospital in 2006 through the generosity and initiative
of private donors.

C. difficile targeted
by promising new drug
For the first time in several decades, a new
antiobiotic has been found to be more effective
against C. difficile infection than existing
treatments, says a study co-authored by
Dr. mark miller, a clinical investigator at the Lady
Davis Institute for medical Research.
In trials conducted by Canadian
and U.S. researchers, the new antibiotic
Fidaxomicin demonstrated a
45-per-cent reduction in recurrences
of C. difficile, compared to the existing
licensed treatment, says the study
whose results were published in The
New England Journal of Medicine.
Fidaxomicin is not yet licenced, but
researchers are optimistic about its
eventual approval for patients.
C. difficile is a bacterium that usually
lives in harmony with other types
of bacteria that are normally found in
the human intestine. When a patient
is treated with antibiotics (often while
in hosptial), many normal bacteria are
eliminated. C. difficile jumps in to fill
this “vacancy” and, while multiplying,
Tops in cancer research
Over the past three years, laboratory
studies by Dr. Michael Pollak at the
JGH Lady Davis Institute for Medical
Research and the JGH Segal Cancer
Centre have shown the widely used
anti-diabetic drug Metformin can
inhibit colorectal cancer in mice. The
grant will enable the Cancer Prevention
Centre to move the research into
a clinical trial at the JGH to explore
the potential of this drug in cancer
prevention.
“This project requires an environment
with excellent interaction between
clinicians and scientists,” says
Dr. Pollak, Director of Centre. “It is
rewarding to have an international
panel of experts judge the JGH to be
the right setting to take this research
to the next level.”
Dr. Mark Miller
creates a toxin that causes diarrhea.
“There wasn’t much interest in
C. difficile for many years, because it
wasn’t considered a serious disease,”
says Dr. Miller, who is Chief of the
JGH Divisions of Infectious Diseases
and Microbiology, and Assistant Professor
of Medicine, Microbiology and
Immunology at McGill University.
“However, over the past decade, it
has mutated into something much
more serious that has caused epidemics
worldwide. Recurrent C. difficile
is very difficult to treat, and this has
spurred interest in newer and better
treatments. Anything that can reduce
the recurrence rate is a very important
milestone.”
An application for research funding by the JGH Stroll Cancer
Prevention Centre has been rated the most deserving
of support among Canada-wide proposals submitted to the
Canadian Cancer Society Research Institute.
Under investigation will be people
at higher risk, such as those with a
family history of colorectal cancer or
a medical history of polyps. The trials
will be led by a multidisciplinary
team that includes the Department of
Oncology in collaboration with the
Divisions of Endocrinology, Gastroenterology
and Colorectal Surgery,
and the Department of Pathology.
The Centre has also received grants
to investigate possible applications of
Metaformin and related compounds
in prostate and breast cancers, adds
Dr. Pollak, who holds the Alexander-
Goldfarb Chair and Professorship at
McGill University’s Departments of
Medicine and Oncology.
Enzyme may hold key
to Alzheimer’s cause
Researchers at the JGH
Lady Davis Institute for
Medical Research (LDI)
believe they may have discovered
one of the root causes of Alzheimer’s
disease. A team headed
by Dr. Andréa C. LeBlanc of
the LDI’s Bloomfield Centre for
Research in Aging, has built an
impressive case for Caspase-6, Dr. Andréa C. LeBlanc
one of several enzymes that play a role in cell death and
inflammation.
Many scientists believe the fundamental cause
of Alzheimer’s is amyloid beta—also known as
“Abeta”— a peptide that forms “senile plaques” in
the brains of Alzheimer’s sufferers. Dr. LeBlanc’s
theory, controversial among her colleagues, is that
Abeta is a consequence of the disease, not its cause.
She believes that the active enzyme Caspase-6
increases the production of Abeta in human neurons
and contributes to several other cellular defects
associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
“Our research has shown that neurons, the type
of cells mainly affected in Alzheimer’s disease brains,
activate Caspase-6 when they are stressed,” explains
Dr. LeBlanc, who is the James McGill Professor in
Neurology and Neurosurgery at McGill University.
“We have also shown that otherwise healthy neurons
degenerate when exposed to active Capase-6.”
The brains of people who have died of Alzheimer’s
disease have extremely high levels of activated Caspase-6.
However, Dr. LeBlanc found virtually none
in the brains of older people who did not have the
disease, or anyone under the age of 45. Most tantalizingly,
she also found elevated levels of the enzyme
in the brains of some older people who did not suffer
from Alzheimer’s disease, but who had signs of
memory impairment.
The JGH Foundation is conducting a major fundraising
effort to support the creation of a Program for
Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia (PADD) at the JGH.
This program is vital to accelerate research that will
lead to better diagnosis and treatment tools, hasten
a cure for a disease that has the potential to turn
into an epidemic of disastrous proportions, and improve
access to the required services and support
programs for individuals with AD and their families in
our community and across Quebec. The generosity of
donors will be crucial to making this urgently needed
program a reality, as it must be entirely funded by
private donations. For more information, please visit
jghfoundation.org/sections/vpadd.html. Donations
can be made at www.jghfoundation.org or by calling
the JGH Foundation at 514-340-8251.
JGH News
23

Mind over matter… continued from page 14.
residents or any member of staff who happens
to pick up on the fact that a patient is
under stress and needs an expert to talk to.
As Associate Director of the program,
Mr. Ptack has found that the strengths of
the Department of Social Services (with its
broad perspective on families) are a perfect
complement for the skills of the Division of
Psychology (with its attentiveness to the individual
patient). “With time, we also hope
to have social workers conducting more
evidence-based research,” he adds.
Clearly, Mr. Ptack says, cancer patients
aren’t the only ones who experience stress
Pulling together as a team
Among cancer patients, stress levels can
be heightened not only by legitimate fears,
but by myths, particularly those involving
sexual activity. That’s when sex therapist
Tobi Klein steps in to reassure patients that,
for example, having sex will not aggravate
cancer or make the disease more likely to
return after treatment has ended.
“Oncologists offer whatever support they
can, but their main concern is operating on
the organs,” says Ms. Klein, who joined the
Psychosocial Oncology team in 2009 and is
also part of the JGH Gyne-Oncology team.
“During cancer treatment, sex usually goes
by the wayside. But when the treatment is
over and thoughts of sex return, the stress
may linger. After an operation, patients
may be insecure about the way they look or
about revealing their bodies to their partners.
Also, even if they had a good sexual
relationship before cancer, they’re unsure
how to rekindle the spark. Readjustment
can take quite a while.”
In fact, stress can affect an entire family
so deeply that members of a cancer patient’s
24 spriNG 2011
during medical care, “which is why various
departments try to provide psychosocial
support wherever it’s needed. But Oncology
was the logical place for a formal interdisciplinary
program, because cancer patients
experience so much more uncertainty at
every stage of their illness. The up-days
and down-days come one after the other. A
period of stability can be followed by remission,
with any number of treatments that
are tough for patients and their families. It’s
a psychologically and emotionally draining
process.”
household are sometimes referred to as “cosufferers”,
says social worker Dr. Sharon
Bond, who has been on the Psychosocial
Oncology team for about two years.
“Perhaps there were marital problems
before the disease was diagnosed, and
now they need to be addressed in a different
context,” says Dr. Bond, Director of the
Couple and Family Therapy section of the
JGH Institute of Community and Family
Psychiatry. “Even if the relationship is good,
when cancer hits one spouse, the other is
suddenly forced to assume the role of caregiver,
and this can throw off the balance of
the relationship. And when parents suffer,
children can experience physical symptom
like stomach aches.
“More and more, we’re all coming to
understand that it takes special qualities to
step up and cope with cancer, whether as
individuals or as members of a family. The
strength may be there, but the patient still
needs real support—the kind you get in its
best form from a multidisciplinary team
like ours.”
Psychosocial support needs financial support
The Louise Granofsky Psychosocial Oncology Program was established by Mini and David Granofsky
in memory of their daughter, Louise, who died of cancer. Since the program is funded almost
entirely through private donations, the generosity of donors is the key to ensuring the future
of this vital service for a growing number of cancer patients and their loved ones throughout
Quebec.
“Living with cancer is a horrendous trial,” says patient Yvonne Gariépy. “Being able to count on a
sympathetic ear with a healthy dose of understanding and empathy helped me regain confidence
in life. To know that I can come back for more whenever I need it is greatly appreciated.”
Donations can be made at www.jghfoundation.org
or by calling the JGH Foundation at 514-340-8251.
It’s Care my for hospital!
all.
Auxiliary celebrates
75 caring years
Phyllis Karper and Linny Blauer
Get ready to sing “Happy Birthday”,
because the JGH Auxiliary is celebrating
its 75th anniversary! As we light
the candles, let’s recall that many pacesetting
programs were developed with
Auxiliary support—and were later absorbed
by or associated with the JGH—
including Hope & Cope, the Cardiac Rehab
Fund, the Stroke Rehab Program, the
Chronic Spinal Pain Support Group, the
Department of Volunteer Services and
the ER Urgence Presence Program.
Ever since The Auxiliary was founded
in January 1936 by a handful of dedicated
women led by Annie Goldbloom, it has
maintained a commitment to enhancing
the quality and effectiveness of hospital
services. Today, with a membership of
1,500, our mandate has changed only to
reflect modern attitudes and values. We
provide plastic bags for patients’ belongings
in the ER, Helping Heart Pillows
to alleviate pain in post-cardiac surgery
patients, layettes for mothers in need,
and pacifiers for premature babies in
the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Sales
of used books, collectibles, merchandise
from on-site vendors and our gourmet
Panache cookbook enable us to play an
integral role in helping the JGH to emphasize
the “care” in “health care” as well
as providing revenues.
Most recently, in our drive for innovation,
we have provided funding for
the therapeutic Dr. Clown program, the
Care Cart (morale-boosting visits to
patients) and Humour Cart. Our Menus
for the Mind Series showcases informa-

aUXiliarY news
tive lectures and inspiring movies, while
the Precious Treasures program lets
new parents celebrate a birth by buying
a teddy bear plaque for the wall of the
maternity unit. The Books-in-Motion
Cart offers books and magazines to
patients, and our Mobile Food Cart sells
light refreshments in clinics and waiting
rooms throughout the JGH.
To ensure continuity of this essential
work, we’re looking forward to our partnership
with a new group of passionate
young volunteers, known as The Auxiliary’s
“Next Generation”. Helping to keep
our future bright will be The Auxiliary’s
new Co-Presidents, Merle Klam and
Fran Yagod, and their new slate of officers,
to be installed in May at our Annual
General Meeting. Their vision will make
The Auxiliary stronger than ever—and
our patients will reap the rewards.
ON THE HORIzON
Don’t miss
these exciting events
May 2
Bridge and mahjong luncheon
11:00 a.m., Congregation Shaar
Hashomayim
May 11
Annual General Meeting
and Installation
11:30 a.m., Samuel S. Cohen Auditorium,
Pavilion A
May 26
Dessert reception and lecture
An evening with
Dr. Cleve Ziegler, JGH
Director of Gynecology,
speaking about
“Everything You
Wanted to Know, But
Were Afraid to Ask” Dr. Cleve Ziegler
Time and location to be announced.
June 2
Movie screening:
The Matchmaker
Petit souper at 6:00 p.m., movie at 7:00 p.m.
Block Amphitheatre
Proceeds to the Centre for Child
Development and Mental Health
Cheque for children
Fabulous Fall Fair
Adding holiday sparkle
Dr. Jaswant Guzder
and Rosemary Short
accept a cheque on
behalf of the Centre
for Child Development
and Mental
Health. Proceeds
came from The
Auxiliary’s Menus
for the Mind Series.
Representing The
Auxiliary are (from
left) Rhona Kramer,
Susan Raymer, Helene
Mandelcorn and Judy
Kaback.
As always, The Auxiliary’s Fall Fair and Raffle drew bargain hunters who snapped up a wide array
of items, including women’s and men’s clothing, toys and housewares. Proceeds will help purchase
specialized equipment for the Division of Neurosurgery.
From left: Fair Co-Chair
Allan Bramson, Auxiliary
Co-Presidents Linny Blauer
and Phyllis Karper, Fair Co-
Chair Sandra Gutherz, Dr.
Jeffrey Golan of the Division
of Neurosurgery, Raffle
Co-Chairs Bev Caplan and
Sandy Appel, Fair Co-Chair
Rhona Heisler, volunteer
Elaine Walfish, Auxiliary
Vice-President Phyllis Abosh
and Auxiliary Director
Nancy Rubin.
December’s holidays
were even cheerier,
thanks to The Auxiliary’s
boutique sale,
whose proceeds
benefit the Women’s
Care Centre. The
Co-Chairs were
Elisa Fremeth Frank
and Sheryl Fremeth
Frank.
JGH News
25

newsMaKers
NEW CHIEFS
Dr. michael Hier has
been named Chief of
Oto-rhino-laryngology/Head
and Neck
Surgery, after serving
as Associate Chief in
the department since
2002. Dr. Hier earned
his M.D. from McGill
University in 1990 and
Dr. Michael Hier
went on to complete
post-graduate training, including a fellowship
in Head and Neck/Plastic Reconstructive
Surgery at Rush University in Chicago.
He has been with the JGH since 1996. Dr.
Saul Frenkiel, the Chief since 1992, remains
an active member of the department.
Dr. Paul Warshawsky
is the new Chief of
Adult Critical Care,
having served as the
department’s interim
Chief since mid-2010
and as an attending
staff physician in the
Intensive Care Unit
since 2002. Dr. War- Dr. Paul Warshawsky
shawsky received his
M.D. from McGill University in 1993 and
joined the JGH in 2002, following residencies
in pulmonary medicine and critical
care at McGill, and in internal medicine at
McGill and the JGH. Dr. Denny Laporta,
who has stepped down after a decade as
Chief, continues to be active in the department.
Dr. Jeff Golan has
been appointed Chief
of Neurosurgery, having
re-established the
hospital as a training
site for neurosurgical
residents and orthopedic/spine
residents
and fellows since his
arrival at the JGH in
Dr. Jeff Golan
2009. Along with his
colleagues, Dr. Golan has also played a major
role in establishing a McGill University
teaching hospital multi-site clinical spine
service. As Chief, he will develop a clinical
and basic research spine program at the
26 spriNG 2011
JGH. Dr. Golan completed his neurosurgical
training at McGill University, as well as fellowship
training in minimally invasive and
complex spine surgery at the Medical College
of Wisconsin, and in spinal oncology at
Ohio State University. The outgoing Chief,
Dr. Gérard mohr, has been with the JGH
since 1989 and remains an active member
of the division.
Dr. Franck Bladou
has joined the JGH
as Chief of Urology,
coming to Montreal
from Marseilles,
France, where he was
Chairman of the Department
of Urology
at Sainte Marguerite
University Hospital; Dr. Franck Bladou
Chairman of the Paoli-
Calmettes Institute cancer centre; and Professor
of Urology in the School of Medicine
at the University of the Mediterranean. Dr.
Bladou has also conducted clinical studies
and extensive research into prostate cancer,
and is a member of numerous French and
international scientific societies related to
urology and onco-urology.
CONGRATULATIONS!
Dr. Carmen Loiselle,
a Senior Nurse Scientist
at the JGH Lady
Davis Institute for
Medical Research and
at the JGH Centre for
Nursing Research, has
been appointed the
inaugural holder of
the Christine & Her- Dr. Carmen Loiselle
schel Victor-Hope &
Cope Chair in Psychosocial Oncology at
McGill University. This position is awarded
to an outstanding research clinician whose
work will significantly help patients and
strengthen the relationship between the
JGH and McGill. Dr. Loiselle, who received
the JGH Award of Excellence in Medical
Research in 2009, has a particular interest
in the way cancer patients seek and benefit
from the information they are given in cancer
clinics and online.
Care for all.
The Christine & Herschel Victor-Hope &
Cope Chair in Psychosocial Oncology was
established thanks to a shared $3 million
donation from long-time JGH supporters
Christine and Herschel Victor and Hope
& Cope. This research chair, the first of its
kind in Quebec and only the third in Canada,
is an example of the strong support that
partnerships provide in cancer research,
prevention and care.
Dr. mark Wainberg,
former JGH Director
of Research and internationally
renowned
for his ongoing HIV/
AIDS research at the
JGH Lady Davis Institute
for Medical
Research, has been
chosen to receive the
Dr. Mark Wainberg
Wilder Penfield Prize
of the Prix du Québec. The prize recognizes
his outstanding contribution to advancing
HIV/AIDS medical research, care and
prevention programs. Dr. Wainberg, who
is Director of the McGill AIDS Centre and
the McGill’s HIV/AIDS Research Axis, has
previously been honoured for his work by
being named an Officer of the Order of
Canada, an Officer of the National Order
of Quebec, a Chevalier in France’s Legion
of Honour and a recipient of the Canadian
Medical Association’s Medal of Honour.
Dr. Gérard mohr,
who is currently Honourary
Chief of Neurosurgery
and who
served as JGH Chief
of the Division from
1996 to 2009, has been
named an Adjunct
Professor in the Department
of Surgery
at the University of
Montreal. Last year, Dr. Mohr was the invited
neurosurgery speaker and session moderator
at the XIth Dr. Gérard Mohr
Symposium of Interventional
Neuroradiology in Colmar, France.

Photo: Nicolas Gallenne
From left: Claudette Péloquin, President of the
the Quebec Association of Clinical Nutritionists;
Josée Bédard, Director of Corporate Affairs,
Provigo; Paule Bernier; and Michel Sanscartier,
President of the Professional Order of Quebec
Dietitians.
JGH Dietitian Paule Bernier has received
the highest distinction of the Professional
Order of Quebec Dietitians, the 2010
Suzanne Mavrikakis Career Achievement
Award. Ms. Bernier, who has been with
the JGH since her internship in 1978, was
acknowledge for her commitment to clinical
nutrition and her “deep concern for the
protection of the public which, for her, was
a leading priority through the pursuit of
scientific findings and consequently, an improvement
in the skills of clinical dietitians
and nutritionists.”
Dr. Igal A. Sebag, Fellowship Director and
Associate Director of Echocardiography at
the JGH, has received McGill University’s
David Stubington Teacher of the Year Award
for the 2009-2010 academic year. The honour
is bestowed on outstanding teachers in
McGill’s Cardiology Department.
Alan maislin, Chair of the JGH Users’
Committee, has been honoured with the
2010 RPCU Award for Personal Excellence,
in recognition of his work on behalf of patients
at the Jewish General Hospital. The
RCPU (le Regroupement provincial des comités
des usagers), a provincial organization
of users’ committees, helps to ensure that
the needs and rights of those who use Quebec’s
healthcare institutions are maintained
and upheld.
WELCOmE!
The JGH Division
of Hematology welcomes
Dr. Nathalie
Johnson, who has
also been appointed
as an Assistant Professor
at McGill University.
In her research,
Dr. Johnson investigates
biomarkers that Dr. Nathalie Johnson
are associated with
resistance to treatments for certain types of
lymphoma. She will be also be responsible
for the Clinical Flow Cytometry laboratory
in the JGH Department of Diagnostic Medicine,
as well as pursuing clinical activities
in the Bell Canada Adolescent and Young
Adult Oncology Program in the Segal Cancer
Centre. Dr. Johnson is the recipient of
a research fellowship from the Terry Fox
Foundation through an award from the
National Cancer Institute of Canada.
Dr. Olga Aleynikova has joined the JGH
Department of Pathology as an attending
staff pathologist, with an appointment to
McGill University as an Assistant Professor.
Dr. Aleynikova graduated from Dalhousie
University in 2002 and completed her pathology
training at Laval University and the
University of Montreal. In addition to clinical
activities that focus on gastrointestinal
pathology, she will coordinate quality control
activities in molecular pathology.
Dr. Sabrina Fallavollita is the newest
member of the JGH Division of Rheumatology,
where she is a clinician, clinical
researcher and teacher. Dr. Fallavollita
completed her medical training, including
a rheumatology fellowship, at McGill University.
In addition to pursuing research
interests in early inflammatory arthritis, she
will develop her skills in using ultrasound
to diagnose and assess rheumatic diseases.
Dr. Reza Forghani has joined the JGH
Department of Diagnostic Radiology to
focus on all facets of neuroradiology and
head and neck radiology, as well as general
radiology. A recipient of numerous awards,
Dr. Forghani has had papers published in
peer-reviewed journals and has authored
book chapters. He is currently involved in
several research projects, including molecular
imaging with potential applications to
multiple sclerosis and stroke.
IN mEmORIAm
The Jewish General
Hospital mourns the
loss of Dr. Amnon
Kahn, 79, who served
as Chief of Endocrinology
for 14 years
and was admired for
his personal warmth
and professional expertise
during his 47- Dr. Amnon Kahn
year career at the JGH.
Dr. Kahn, who died on Nov. 4, received his
M.D. from Queen’s University and completed
fellowships in endocrinology at the
Royal Victoria Hospital and Chicago’s
Michael Reese Hospital. He joined the JGH
in 1963 and was appointed Chief of Endocrinology
in 1975. Dr. Kahn was the father
of Dr. Susan Kahn, a JGH epidemiologist
and Associate Director for Clinical Research
at the Lady Davis Institute for Medical
Research.
The Jewish General Hospital extends its
condolences to the family of Dr. Simon
Gold, an obstetrician who won the love
and respect of his patients and colleagues
in delivering thousands of babies over the
course of more than 50 years. Dr. Gold, who
died on Dec. 28 at the age of 94, received
his M.D. from McGill University in 1940,
followed by post-graduate work at the JGH
and the Royal Victoria Hospital. He joined
the Jewish General Hospital in 1946 and retired
in 1998. Dr. Gold was also an Assistant
Professor at McGill, former President of
the Montreal Obstetrical and Gynecological
Society and the Montreal Clinical Society,
and a founding member of the Quebec
Medical Association.
JGH News
27

Ahhh, at last! Brighter mornings, warmer sunshine, idle
snow shovels. Spring is certainly invigorating, but it has
hazards all its own, such as insect bites and allergies.
To stay healthy, the JGH Patient and Family Resource Centre
has some reliable websites to put “spring” in your step. You can
start at the home pages listed below and then navigate to the
appropriate subject pages. However, your best bet is to go to
jgh.ca/pfrcspring for direct links to those subject pages.
28 spriNG 2011
To yoUr heaLTh!
Goodbye to frostbite,
hello again
to insect bites
• The U.S. National Library of Medicine at infocus.nlm.nih.
gov has some useful tips on spring cleaning, with a special
focus on safe household cleaning products and detergents.
• When we plunge into spring cleaning, we don’t usually think
about getting rid of outdated items in our medicine cabinet.
Good advice on disposing of old pharmaceuticals comes from
the American Osteopathic Association at www.osteopathic.
org.
• Gezundheit! Hay fever can really put a damper on spring.
If you need help in coping with sneezes and sniffles, turn
to the U.S. National Library of Medicine’s MedlinePlus at
www.nlm.nih.gov for useful links. Information on commonsense
gardening for allergy sufferers is also available from the
American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology at
www.aaaai.org.
• The emphasis is on keeping children safe at pediatrics.about.
com, as About explores sun safety, allergies, water safety and
avoiding insect bites.
• It’s finally time to shed unwanted weight along with those
bulky winter clothes. But do it sensibly! To find out how, visit
WebMD at www.webmd.com.
For more information on good health, or to make an appointment
with a librarian for help in finding reliable, up-to-date
information on even hard-to-research subjects, visit the Patient
and Family Resource Centre at:
jgh.ca/PFRC
It’s Care my for hospital!
all.
Stress can be a mess,
unless…
Take a deep breath. Count to ten. Walk around the
block. There are a million and one ways to relieve
stress at work or at home—and people are always eager
to share their ideas. Over time, though, we realize that
one person’s solution, isn’t necessarily another’s. So while
there may be no foolproof stress reliever, here are a couple
of worthwhile suggestions from the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
Just walk away. Removing yourself from a stressful situation
is half the battle. So what’s the other half? Finding
something enjoyable to focus on. For Dr. Philip Gordon,
JGH Chief of Colorectal Surgery, that 50 per cent is achieved
through “gardening, spending time with grandchildren or
putting together PowerPoint presentations.” Whatever your
outlet, making time to do the things you love increases endorphin
levels; this decreases stress and the symptoms related
to stress. If you end up laughing, all the better: laughing
is the body’s natural stress reliever, no matter what your age.
Become a collector. This is how you maintain and
strengthen your focus on what appeals to you. Traditionalists
love coins and stamps; non-conformists have been
known to collect everything from barbed wire to beer cans.
Rosemary Steinberg, Local Commissioner of Complaints
and Quality of Services at the JGH, credits a love of collecting
fountain pens for helping to ease the pressure. “I like
to search for them on eBay, and the pens don’t have to be
expensive. I just find the process of searching to be relaxing.
It allows me to turn off my mind for a while and genuinely
take it easy.”
Worth remembering is that people spend so much time trying
to meet the needs of others that they often forget to take
care of themselves. Setting aside a few minutes for yourself
gives your mind and body the rest that they require.
To learn more about reducing stress, visit:
www.heartandstroke.qc.ca

JGH
QUALITY
PROGRAM
In its latest hospital-wide survey of patients, the Jewish
General Hospital has maintained its consistently
high score for treating patients as individuals and not
simply as medical cases. As a result, an overwhelming
majority of respondents said they would not hesitate to
recommend the JGH.
Bilingual questionnaires were provided to 10 discharged patients
per day between April 1 and Nov. 6, 2010, and were completed by
627 of the 2,100 recipients (a statistically valid response rate). In
half of the questionnaires, more information was sought about areas
that need improvement, with less emphasis on subjects where
the hospital has a consistently good track record.
Among the findings:
QUALITY IMPROVEMENT · PATIENT SATISFACTION · SAFETY · RISK MANAGEMENT ·
respect for patients
Survey finds JGH sensitive
to personal needs
• a satisfaction rating of 93 per cent when patients were asked
about being “treated like a person and not like a case”
• a 95-per-cent rating among patients who said they are prepared
to recommend the JGH to family and friends
• ratings of 93 per cent among those who are satisfied about being
addressed “in a respectful manner (politely, not overly familiarly)”,
and 91 per cent among those who feel they were “treated
in a respectful manner, with sensitivity to my social, cultural and
religious needs.”
Paula Calestagne, Co-ordinator of the Patient Satisfaction Program,
explains that the questionnaires enable patients not only
to identify their likes and dislikes, but to state how much each issue
matters to them. Thus, even if relatively few people say that
something causes them great distress, finding a solution becomes
a greater priority.
Ms. Calestagne says there is growing satisfaction with the hospital’s
level of cleanliness, especially in the washrooms. However,
since this rating is still too low, additional efforts will be made for
improvement. She notes that since the survey asked patients to
specify the unit where they were hospitalized, it will be easier to
pinpoint the washrooms that patients found particularly unsatisfactory.
In response to patients’ dissatisfaction about not always being
able to get help from staff in eating, a special Continuous Quality
Improvement team has been created to develop and implement
solutions.
Honours for JGH
clot busters
The Jewish General
Hospital has been recognized
as a national
leader in preventing venous
thromboembolism (VTE), a
complication of hospitalization
in which a blot clot forms
in a vein and can be fatal if it breaks away and lodges elsewhere
in the body. At a ceremony at the JGH in January, the
hospital received the Venous Thromboembolism Prevention
Hospital Award from Safer Healthcare Now and Pfizer
Canada for its “significant commitment to preventing VTE
and achieving outstanding outcomes.”
The hospital’s VTE team has been involved in numerous
projects, including developing innovative strategies to
incorporate VTE into the surgical safety checklist; a month
of activities dedicated to VTE; and seeking feedback from
staff on the implementation of various proposals. The prize
includes an unrestricted educational grant to help support
additional patient safety initiatives.
Recognized for their efforts were Hetal Patel, Co-Chair
of the VTE team and a Nursing Educator in Orthopedics
(replacing Marie-Claude Germain on an interim basis);
Jessica Emed, Clinical Nurse Specialist in Medicine and
Thrombosis; Dr. Shannon Fraser, Chief of General Surgery;
and Markirit Armutlu, Quality Program Coordinator.
Eager to attend the spring series
of the JGH Mini-Med School?
Look for details on the back
cover of this issue.
In the meantime, you can view
lectures from previous series at:
jgh.ca/minimed
JGH News
29

Dynamic recruitment
helps upgrade care
Catherine Laganière first sensed there was something
special about the Jewish General Hospital
when she met last year with JGH recruiters and
realized she was involved not so much in a job interview
as a pleasant conversation.
“When I arrived, I felt nervous, because this kind of interview
can make a big difference to your career,” she recalls. “But the more
we talked, the more comfortable they made me feel. Their attitude
put me at ease and allowed me to describe myself naturally.” Which
is how Ms. Laganière became Brachytherapy Coordinator in the
Division of Radiation Oncology in spring 2010.
Mission accomplished, says Maria Monaco, who leads the
recruitment push for the JGH Department of Human Resources.
“One of the most important things we do is make the candidates
feel comfortable,” she explains. “We represent the image of the
hospital, so we want that comfort level to stay with the applicants
after they begin working here.”
Far from being just a bureaucratic strategy, this approach makes
a practical difference to care at the JGH, says Ms. Monaco. “The
bottom line is that our patients receive treatment of high quality
because some of the best young professionals are being recruited.
That’s important especially now, when there’s stiff competition to
attract the best and the brightest.”
Ms. Laganière, 26, had already spent about four years in Radiation
Oncology at Notre-Dame Hospital, when she heard about the
opening at the JGH through her professional association. She saw
the position of Brachytherapy Coordinator as a chance to use her
skills to their greatest potential—an ambition that has now been
realized. “This job is a great combination of direct contact with
patients and administration,” she says. “It’s just what I was hoping
for.”
Ms. Monaco says the JGH has been steadily upgrading its recruitment
efforts for about three years, with stronger links to regional
schools, universities and job fairs. This year she hopes the hospital
will have a presence at job fairs as far afield as Sherbrooke, Trois-
Rivières, Quebec City and the Saguenay region.
Members of her team are on the lookout for candidates in a broad
array of fields—for instance, respiratory therapy, social services,
diagnostic medicine and physiotherapy, as well as certain types of
Worth bookmarking
Thinning out your home library? Why not
donate unwanted English or French books
to the JGH Auxiliary. Through its sales of
used books in the Book Nooks (Côte-des-
Neiges lobby and Légaré entrance), The
Auxiliary raises tens of thousands of dollars
a year to buy much-needed medical equipment
for the JGH. For more information and
to find out where to drop off your books,
please phone 514-340-8216.
30 spriNG 2011
Care for all.
Catherine Laganière (right) tells Maria Monaco about her first year as
Brachytherapy Coordinator in the Division of Radiation Oncology.
support staff. Excluded are doctors and nurses whose recruitment
is handled by other JGH departments.
“The job fairs are especially important,” says recruitment officer
Kamil Luna, “because when you go farther out, you realize that
people don’t automatically think of the Jewish General Hospital for
employment. We remind them that this is a fully bilingual hospital
where there is ample opportunity to grow professionally.”
Mr. Luna and fellow recruitment officer Patrizia Capri have also
been involved in arranging for students to tour parts of the JGH.
Last year tours of the Test Centre and the main laboratory of the
Department of Diagnostic Medicine attracted about 60 students
from such insitutions as Dawson College and Collège de Rosemont,
resulting in the hiring of seven lab technologists.
Roll up your sleeve
Give from the heart at
The Auxiliary’s blood donor clinic
May 16
10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Samuel S. Cohen Auditorium
Pavilion A

The Big Picture
SPECIAL MOMENTS IN THE JGH
In the JGH Core Lab, laboratory technician Sophal Taing analyzes numerous blood samples in vials
capped by a rainbow of multi-coloured stoppers. In each issue of JGH News, the Big Picture presents
special views of the day to day life of the JGH, as captured by staff photographers.
Photo: Felipe Argaez, JGH Audio-Visual Services
JGH News
31

32 spriNG 2011
JGh Mini-Med School
returns!
May 11 to June 1
Back by popular demand:
crowd-pleasers from past series
They intrigued you before—they’ll fascinate you again. Get ready for updates
and insights into medical treatment and care in repeat performances by leading
JGH experts:
• Dr. David Zukor, Chief of Orthopedics
• Dr. Howard Chertkow, Director of the Bloomfield Centre for Research in Aging
• Dr. Walter Gotlieb, Director of Gynecologic Oncology and Colposcopy
• Dr. Cleve Ziegler, Director of Gynecology
$40 for adults, $25 for students (with ID) and seniors (60+)
Presentations are in English only and begin at 7:30 p.m. Présentations en anglais seulement.
To register, please call 514-340-8222, extension 3337, or visit jgh.ca/minimed.
For more information: minimed@jgh.mcgill.ca.
Lectures from previous series can be viewed at jgh.ca/minimed.
New address? Cancelling your subscription? Please phone the JGH Foundation at 514-340-8251.
Publications Mail Agreement #40062499
Care for all.