Department of Medicine Weekly Roundup - January 18

• New DDD for Hematology
• Changes to Patient Relations  Intake Process and Contact information – Centralizing Services Across Unity
• Enhancements coming to MyChart on Feb. 21: Please inform your teams
• CRA Benefits and Credits Webinar - Series
• Message from Kevin Goldthorp, President and Chief Executive Officer at St. Michael’s Foundation: Senior Leadership announcements
• TES Viewing: January 15 - 29, 2024
• Important Announcement: Changes to Fellowship Remuneration Effective January 1, 2025
• Medical Humanities Education Matching Funding Grant - Call for Proposals Spring 2024

Congratulations to Michelle Sholzberg, who will become the University Division Director for Hematology as of July 1, 2024!  The DDD mandate is “to bring the division together while at the same time ensuring that all sites remain strong and are the best they can be. The DDD is expected to have a high-level view of the Division in the broader context of the University, country and world. This enables the DDD to identify and facilitate opportunities to enhance city- wide collaboration and integration and to raise the profile and impact of the division nationally and internationally.”  Having witnessed Michelle excel in her role as Division Head over the past 4.5 years, the University is very fortunate to gain Michelle in this leadership role. We wish her every success!

Effective Jan. 15, the Patient Relations team will be centralizing their services across Unity Health. This means that all patient relations specialists will support intake and resolution of feedback across all three sites. This will help to optimize Patient Relations coverage across the network.

Patient Relations at all three sites will now use a single phone number and email address: 416-864-5215 and [email protected].  For those sending letters by post, site-specific mailing addresses will continue to be used.

• This change will not have any impact on the Patient Relations process and the team will continue to be available from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, to help clinical teams troubleshoot challenging situations. Note: The Patient Relations formalized a hybrid model of work in April 2023, this means that the team is onsite three days per week and working remotely other days.

What this means for you:

• If you are trying to reach Patient Relations, please use the new contact information: 416-864-5215 and [email protected].
• Please update any contact information you provide to patients and families.
• The Patient Relations team will continue to support scheduled in-person meetings, as needed.
• As always, every effort should be made to resolve concerns in the area where they arise.
• If a concern can’t be resolved in the area, please provide Patient Relations phone or email contact information to patients, families and/or visitors. The team will respond to calls and emails promptly. (Note: We ask that you not direct patients and/or visitors to go in person to the Patient Relations offices, as they are not in the office every day).
• You may be working with new people. The Patient Relations team includes:
  • Ana Tran
  • Nicole Yuen
  • Sam Edgar
  • Yaser Ibrahim
  • Sandy Pacheco
  • Kaitlen McKenny

For questions, please contact Sally-Ann Johnson, manager, Patient Experience.

Message from Irfan Dhalla, VP of Clinical Programs, Quality, Equity and Medical Affairs; Thomas Parker, EVP of Clinical Programs and Chief Medical Officer; Sonya Canzian, EVP of Clinical Programs, People and Chief Nursing and Health Professions Officer; and Trevor Jamieson, Chief Medical Informatics Officer

Unity Health is committed to providing patients with better access to their health information. Effective Feb. 21, Unity Health will be introducing enhancements to the existing MyChart portal to provide patients with access to the following results, which were previously excluded from the portal:

• At St. Joseph’s – patients will now have access to laboratory and imaging results for microbiology, cytology and pathology
• At St. Michael’s – patients will now have access to laboratory and imaging results for microbiology, cytology and pathology AND vascular and cardiology results

Please note that these enhancements were initiated nearly a year ago, with support from Unity Health’s Patient and Family Council, Executive Committee and Medical Advisory Committee, to improve the patient experience. These enhancements do not impact the new MyChart patient portal that will be launching with our Epic EPR system later this year.

As these changes go live, you may receive calls or questions from patients about their results. Patients may also now come to appointments having reviewed the results above in advance. To help with this transition, please inform relevant team members of these changes. A separate email will be sent to physicians and nurse practitioners but we kindly ask for your assistance, recognizing that some may miss those emails.

If patients have questions, clinicians should let them know that there is no obligation to review their results ahead of an appointment. Patients can also be reminded that results should be discussed with the ordering physician or NP before deciding what to do next. A similar message will be posted on the landing page of patients’ MyChart portal as of Feb. 21.

We understand that these enhancements may generate questions or concerns around call volumes. Please note that these enhancements were made following careful consideration, including a review of similar changes at other hospitals, which did not show a significant increase in call volumes to clinics or clinicians. Research indicates that patients who are invested in and review their results ahead of time tend to be more prepared for their appointments, leading to better discussions about their care. If you have any questions about these changes, please reach out to [email protected] or [email protected]. Thank you for your assistance and cooperation.

We would like to notify you that the Patient and Family Learning Centre (PFLC) will broadcast a few benefits and credits webinar presented by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). The webinars are free and open to all!

Please feel free to notify your patients and their families. If any patients would like to view the webinar from the PFLC, please email [email protected] and provide their name and the program they plan to attend.

Webinar schedule

• Individuals with modest income
  Date and Time: January 24, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• Adults 65 years and older
  Date and Time: February 14, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• Indigenous peoples
  Date and Time: February 28, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• Newcomers to Canada
  Date and Time: March 20, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Jasdeep Grewal M.Ed, H.Bac. of H.Science, H.Bac. of H.C. Mngt

Pronouns: he, him, his

Patient Education Specialist
Education Portfolio – Unity Health Toronto
St. Michael’s Hospital | Peter Gilgan Tower, First Floor, Room 1-702 | 416.360.4000 ext 42522

[email protected] | [email protected]  | Online Health Library (website)

I am excited to welcome in 2024 by announcing new senior leadership staffing roles at St. Michael’s Foundation. Please join me in welcoming the following team members to their new roles or who are new to the Foundation.

Kara Spence, has been appointed Vice President, Principal, Major, and Planned Gifts. She brings a wealth of experience in fundraising across diverse sectors. At St. Michael's Foundation since 2021, she heads the $40M MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions campaign, raising $11M in funds in its first year. Her prior roles include VP, Advancement at CIFAR and key positions at the University of Toronto, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and the National Ballet of Canada. Kara will lead the frontline fundraising team to strategically enhance our work, strengthen major gifts cohesion, and ensure integration with our hospitals’ teams.

On Kara’s team, Justyna Jonca’s title changes to Associate Vice President, Transformational and Principal Gifts. Justyna will spearhead the revenue channel work, focusing on program development for $5M + gifts. Ashley Downey's role changes to Associate Vice President, Major and Leadership Gifts. Ashley will lead initiatives for gifts ranging up to $4,999,999, with a focus to grow this important revenue work.

Joyce Ho, the new Vice President of Brand Strategy and Marketing, has played a pivotal role in advancing the Foundation's marketing strategies since joining as a consultant in 2020. Her efforts have enhanced mass fundraising, demonstrated by the launch of a grateful patients' program and recent digital fundraising efforts have successfully raised over $1M in the past three months. Joyce's previous engagements with not-for-profit clients like the Rick Hansen Foundation and Covenant House highlight her skill in aligning marketing strategies with organizational goals. In her new role, Joyce will lead the marketing and communications, direct and digital marketing, events, and community giving teams.

Joining Joyce’s team as Associate Vice President of Direct and Digital Marketing, Paul Klein brings over twenty years of experience in the charitable sector. His tenure at Special Olympics Canada saw the creation of an Integrated Direct Marketing Program, benefiting 12 chapters nationwide. This initiative played a crucial role in fostering sustainable fundraising and supporting athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Paul will be responsible for leveraging mass market approaches like direct mail, phone, in-person engagement, email, social media, and other strategies to foster consistent monthly and yearly contributions.

Finally, Lindsay Dutton, Vice President, Donor Experience and Chief of Staff, will oversee culture, HR, strategy, IT, analytics, and donor relations and stewardship functions. She joins us from SickKids Foundation, most recently serving as Director of Stewardship and Donor Relations, where she has been an integral part of the $1.7 billion No Limits Campaign, and led the work there on creating an Unmatched Donor Experience with behaviour-based stewardship. Her experience as Executive Director at The Leacock Foundation, Operations Director at Centennial College, and various roles at Sunnybrook Foundation, equip her with the expertise to lead these critical areas effectively.

As we welcome these talented individuals to their new roles, we look forward to the innovation and expertise they bring to our team.

Dear Faculty,

Within POWER, Department of Medicine teachers can view their teaching effectiveness scores (TESs) at quarterly intervals for the current academic session and at any time for past academic sessions.

A minimum of three completed teaching evaluations are required before teachers can view their TES reports. 

The current academic session will be open for viewing on Monday, January 15, 2024 until Monday, January 29, 2024.

Appeals:

If there are any concerns or apparent anomalies with your records, I encourage you to submit an appeal form to initiate the investigation and appeals process. The appeals process requires very little effort on the part of the faculty member, and will help to ensure any unjust evaluations are removed from your TES record. As all of you are aware, TESs play a significant role in the faculty promotions process – making an investigation worth your while.

Important note – please ensure TES appeals are submitted within two weeks of the TES viewing period closing.

Thank you,
Arno 

Arno K. Kumagai, M.D.
Vice Chair for Education
Department of Medicine

Dear Colleagues, 

On behalf of the Fellowship Education Advisory Committee (FEAC) I am writing to remind you of changes to the fellowship remuneration structure at the University of Toronto, effective January 1, 2025. These changes are part of our ongoing commitment to enhancing the fellowship experience and ensuring transparency, consistency, and equity across all programs.

Background:

In alignment with our strategic goals, clinical fellows' remuneration will undergo an adjustment. The minimum compensation will be at the PGY3 level. This decision reflects a re-evaluation of the 2011 FEAC recommendation, which anchored the recommended minimum fellow compensation to the PGY1 level. The adjustment aims to address evolving roles, responsibilities, and living costs in Toronto.

Summary of Changes:

Minimum Compensation Adjustment: The minimum compensation for clinical fellows will now reflect the shift to a PGY3 level, ensuring fair compensation.

Review Process for Part-Time Contracts: All part-time contracts will undergo a review process, requiring approval from the Vice Chair, Education, or their delegate. As a part of this review, it's essential to provide a rationale for the part-time arrangement, attached is a templated letter designed for Vice Chairs to approve all part-time fellowships.

For details on the rationale for the new compensation baseline mandate, please see the attached Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendations (SBAR) document.

To assist programs in understanding and implementing these changes, we have prepared a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document, which aims to address common queries to provide clarity on the upcoming expectations.

We appreciate your cooperation and understanding during this transition. If you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to Veronica Marrone, Project Manager, Fellowships, at [email protected]. 

Thank you for your continued dedication to fostering excellence in our fellowship programs.

Best regards,

John

Dear Colleagues,

Postgraduate Medical Education continues to offer the Medical Humanities Education Matching Funding Grant in the amount of $5,000 per project proposal, distributed on a semi-annual basis. 

I am writing to announce the call for the Spring 2024 submissions. The submission deadline is Friday, March 22, 2024 with grants awarded to the successful applicants in June. 

The integration of humanities in medical education curricula has the potential to improve observation skills, self-reflection, and enhance learner competencies in the CanMEDS roles. Projects and proposals may reflect a variety of curricular designs which identify how medical humanities will be integrated into curricula and further enhance CanMEDS competencies.

Each proposal will require a matching funding commitment from the submitting department/division, i.e., if the project budget is $4,500 – a letter from the department chair committing to $2,250 is required. Funding will be provided for a one-year period, and applicants must agree to submit a project report at end of the period.

PGME will transfer the awarded funds to the successful applicant’s Academic Department in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine. Business Managers will provide Financial Information Services (FIS) account numbers to facilitate this transfer within four weeks of application approval or the funding offer will be withdrawn. The Academic Department will be responsible for the disbursement of funds to the successful applicant.

Attached is further background on the purpose of the grant as well as a template for the application. Please distribute widely.

We look forward to receiving applications for the Medical Humanities Education Grant by Friday, March 22, 2024.

Please submit your package by email to Arlene McKinley at [email protected]

Sincerely,