Please see below for the following updates:

• Reminder to make alternate travel arrangements in case of TTC strike
• Internal guidance for land acknowledgments at Unity Health
• Jacqueline Chen is the new Senior Clinical Program Director for the Primary & Community Care Program
• Unity Health launching new ShopIT system in July
• Planned SMH VPN Downtime - June 18 (9-10pm EST)
• Nominations for the St. Michael’s Our Shared Values Awards are open now
• Faculty Announcement | PGME Faculty Lead, Admissions & Transition
• Join us on June 14^th, 4:00pm – 6:00pm  -  Interview w/ Dr. Kirsten Patrick, Editor-in-Chief of CMAJ & Networking Reception
• Join us for the SMH DoM - 36th Annual Higgins Day - Resident Research Event
• UT DOM Annual Day

 

 We recognize that many people rely on public transportation in order to travel to and from work. Please be aware of the potential for a Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) strike as early as 12:01 a.m. on Friday June 7, 2024 if the parties are unable to reach a collective agreement. The TTC will continue to operate until 2 a.m. on Friday if the strike begins.

If it were to occur, a strike will likely result in a full shutdown of Toronto’s bus, streetcar and subway network. It is not expected that this job action will impact Metrolinx, including GO Transit service, the UP Express or Wheel Trans services. You can access regular updates directly from the TTC on the updates page of the TTC website here. Regular traffic updates can be found on the CP24 website.

Land acknowledgments have become increasingly familiar since the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 2015. But as they’ve become more familiar, they’ve also sometimes become performative in their application, depending on the context.

To support Unity Health staff, physicians, learners and leaders with meaningful land acknowledgments, the Office of Indigenous Wellness, Reconciliation and Partnerships (OWIRP) has developed a new internand aal guidance document. This document is intended to help staff consider the history, purpose and creation of land acknowledgments, to deliver meaningful statements that center on personal reflection.

The guide also includes a new corporate land acknowledgement for Unity Health, however, delivery of this acknowledgment should be accompanied by a personal reflection on the speaker’s relationship to the land they’re on, Indigenous peoples and a broader understanding of reconciliation as it relates to health. Land acknowledgments are deeply personal statements and should be treated as such.

The internal guidance document can be found on the new Office of Indigenous Wellness, Reconciliation and Partnerships page on UnityNet. Please note that this document was created for internal use only and should not be shared or distributed without permission.

If you have any questions, please email Roberta Pike, Director of Indigenous Wellness, Reconciliation and Partnerships at Unity Health.

We are pleased to announce that Jacqueline Chen has been appointed as the new Senior Clinical Program Director of the Primary & Community Care Program, Unity Health Toronto, effective June 17, 2024.

A dedicated and accomplished health services leader, Jacqueline is a recipient of the Ella Ferris Culture of Leading Award, the Mission and Values Inclusivity Award and she is well-known for her commitment to excellence in equity, diversity and inclusion. She brings nearly 30 years of nursing and management experience to Unity Health. Most recently, Jacqueline was the Clinical Leader Manager within the St. Michael’s Hospital Academic Family Health Team where she provided leadership and operational management to a large group of interprofessional staff, and ensured excellence in patient care, as well as achievement of unit, program, and corporate objectives.

In addition to her role at Unity Health, Jacqueline brings valuable experience in board governance. As the President and Chair of a non-profit organization, Joint Coalition for Addressing Needs (JCAN), Jacqueline has successfully led strategic initiatives and governed the organization to achieve its mission. Furthermore, her involvement on the Board of Directors of the Inner City Family Health Team allowed her to contribute to strategic direction and governance. Jacqueline will report to Jonathan Fetros, Vice President of Clinical Programs. A transition plan for Jacqueline’s role in Academic Family Health team will be announced shortly.

Please join us in congratulating Jacqueline on her new appointment and wishing Linda Jackson all the best as she leaves Unity Health at the end of June.

Next month, Unity Health is launching a new ShopIT system that will allow staff, physicians and leaders to quickly and easily order IT products, services and applications. The new system, which will be accessible through Unity Health’s self-serve IT portal, is meant to streamline and consolidate the ordering process across all three sites. Once it launches, the new system will replace the existing ShopIT system at St. Michael’s and the HelpDesk and SARF forms at St. Joseph’s and Providence. Please stay tuned for updates, including how-to guides, in Leadership Links in the coming weeks.

More information on the new system will also be posted on the IT support page on UnityNet.

A planned critical upgrade to the SMH firewall, which will require an SMH network downtime on Tuesday, June 18^th from 9-10pm EST.

This downtime will mainly impact users requiring remote access, as there will be no access to our network and systems through the SMH VPN or Citrix. Those working onsite should still be able to access the internal systems and resources as per usual – with no interruption. Remote users will only be able to log via the SJHC VPN network (see instructions attached).

The nomination period for the St. Michael’s Our Shared Values Awards is now open until June 28. The awards will be presented as part of St. Michael’s Feast Day, an event recognizing the many ways that Unity Health staff, physicians, learners, volunteers and patient and family partners live our mission and values every day.

If you know an individual or team that fosters an inclusive, welcoming environment you can nominate them using the digital nomination form.

• Read this FAQ about the awards
• Learn more about last year’s recipients in this story
• Check out the OSV scoring tool for more information on how nominations are reviewed and evaluated

Please note that anyone from across Unity Health can nominate a St. Michael’s colleague or team.

If you have any questions, please contact Vanessa Nicholas-Schmidt or Donna Romano, Managers, Mission and Values.

 

 

The following is sent on behalf of Dr. Meredith Giuliani, Associate Dean, Postgraduate Medical Education, Temerty Faculty of Medicine.

Dear Colleagues,

I am delighted to share the below announcement of two new PGME Faculty Leads:

Faculty Lead, Admissions & Transitions

Dr. David Chan is appointed to the role of Faculty Lead, Admissions & Transitions, PGME effective July 1, 2024. The PGME Faculty Lead, Admissions & Transitions is responsible for strategic oversight and direction of best practices in applications, admissions, selection and transitions in PGME, including promotion of and support for Temerty Medicine’s commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. The Faculty Lead is responsible for advising current and prospective learners and faculty on admissions processes, assessment supports (e.g., PEAPs), community resources, etc. They will ensure the development of resources, practices and processes to support the transition of new entrants to PG training programs, with a focus on the needs of newcomers to Canadian medical education.

Dr. David Chan is an Associate Professor and Clinician-Educator in the Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto and a Staff Neurologist at St. Michael’s Hospital. He was the Director of two MD Program courses and has been the Residency Program Director for Adult Neurology since 2019. He is also a member of the PGME Internal Review Committee and a graduate of the New and Evolving Academic Leaders (NEAL) program at the Centre for Faculty Development.

In recognition of his educational contributions, Dr. Chan has received the Department of Medicine William Goldie Award in Education, MD Program W.T. Aikins Award for Excellence in Course/Program Development and Coordination, PGME Award for Excellence in Teaching Performance, Mentorship and Advocacy, the American Academy of Neurology A.B. Baker Teacher Recognition Award, and the Canadian Association for Medical Education Certificate of Merit.

 

 

Editor-in-Chief of the CMAJ, Dr. Kirsten Patrick will be visiting us on Friday, June 14^th.

1:1 Drop-In Sessions are available for individuals.  Please use the google link below to sign-up.

Limited Space is available.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1s-FjZ7jsmimJlZBz0G7qFHmarC4-u3CP0f0WWQFH0eY/edit#gid=0

We would also like to remind everyone to join us on Friday, June 14^th, 2024 from 4:00pm – 6:00pm.

“A conversation with the Editor-in-Chief of the CMAJ, Dr. Kirsten Patrick -  Living your values as an editor”

Dr. Patrick will be interviewed by Dr. Seema Marwaha and Dr. Malika Sharma will facilitate discussion.

4:00pm – 5:00pm – Interview with Dr. Kirsten Patrick

5:00pm – 6:00pm – Networking Reception

Location:  2nd Floor Li Ka Shing, Rooms 240 & 241

 

Sharon Straus, Physician-in-Chief, cordially invites you to St. Michael’s Hospital Department of Medicine 36th Annual Higgins Day - Resident Research Presentation Event.

 

Monday, June 17th 2024

12:00pm – 4:00pm

*Zoom Hybrid Option Available*

https://ca01web.zoom.us/j/65040490616?pwd=SUErSEVUZytoVjM2Q2ZTRTJBc0FIZz09

In Person Location:

Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael’s Hospital

209 Victoria Street, 1st Floor, Room: 136

Toronto, Ontario

Keynote Speaker:

Gillian Booth MD MSc FRCPC FCAHS

Canada Research Chair in Policy Solutions for Diabetes Prevention and Management. Clinician Scientist, MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions,

Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Unity Health Toronto

“From data science to interventions: The best part of the research was the friends we made along the way.”

Luncheon:  12:00 – 12:30 pm

Welcome: 12:30 pm

Keynote Talk: 12:35 – 12:55 pm

Resident Research Presentations:  1:00 – 3:25 pm

Annual Awards Announcement: 3:30 pm