2016/17 was marked by a palpable energy and renewed passion which propelled the organization forward to reach new heights of performance. With a collective focus on being better every day, across all areas of the IWK our teams made exceptional progress against our strategic priorities.
The past year has been a momentous one for the IWK Pharmacy. A new collaborative practice agreement in the IWK Emergency Department (ED) means a clinical pharmacy specialist has been able to follow up on laboratory investigations ordered on ED patients, freeing up emergency doctors from the task. On a national stage, IWK Pharmacist Nadine Grimm was awarded with the Isabel E. Stauffer meritorious service award.
The Board of Directors hears stories directly from patients and family members about their health care experiences as well as from staff, physicians and volunteers about how they practice the principles of patient and family centred care in a video shown at an October Board workshop. The video conveys patient and staff perspectives of the four key principles of patient-centred care (dignity and respect, information sharing, participation and collaboration).
As the IWK’s first physician-in-chief and Director of Research, Dr. Richard B. Goldbloom transformed children’s health care in Atlantic Canada. As someone whose contribution to medicine led to extraordinary improvements in human health, Dr. Goldbloom was recognized as a role model for Canadians, and inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame.
In a commitment to nutrition and promotion of a positive food environment, the IWK is one of the first health centres in the region to stop the sale of sweetened beverages and juices on its premises. A hydration station is installed offering free fruit and herb-infused water to patients, staff and visitors.
Lean Improvement work gets underway to guide work around strategic plan priorities. Lean Improvement uses science and discipline to achieve improvement in a standard way that provides everyone with an opportunity to contribute. Four service areas were identified to participate: Mental Health and Addictions, Dentistry, Orthopaedics and Gastroenterology in Children’s Health, Staff Scheduling and Perioperative in Women’s Health.
Dr. Andrew Lynk is appointed as Chief of Pediatrics at the IWK Health Centre. Dr. Lynk graduated from Dalhousie Medical School with Distinction in 1982 and has been recognized for academic excellence, including the Gordon B. Wiswell Prize for highest distinction in Pediatrics. He did post-graduate training in Vancouver, the Balliol College and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine as a Rhodes Scholar, the IWK Health Centre and the Hospital for Sick Children.
Dr. McGrath, Integrated Vice President, Research and Innovation at IWK Health Centre in Halifax and Nova Scotia Health Authority receives Health Care CAN’s very first Legacy of Leadership award. The prestigious award recognizes exceptional individuals who have made long-lasting and outstanding contributions to advancing Canada’s health system and have demonstrated significant and sustained commitment toward the enhancement of the health of Canadians.
Dr. Patricia Lingley-Pottie and Dr. Patrick McGrath, creators of the Strongest Families Institute, are winners of the second annual Governor General’s Innovation Award. Strongest Families Institute delivers evidence-based mental health programs to children, youth and families through a unique distance-delivery system. Using proprietary software technology, trained coaches are able to connect with users by phone or via the Internet allowing families greater flexibility when accessing mental health services.
An online tool is being tested in hopes of helping children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), their families and health care providers feel more comfortable when it comes time for surgery. Developed by Dr. Jill Chorney and her team, Building Alliances for Autism Needs in Clinical Encounters: Surgery Edition (BALANCE) teaches health care providers about ASD and ways they can effectively tailor care to meet the individual needs of each child and family.
An innovative collaboration between the IWK Health Centre, IWK Foundation and Cineplex brings the joy of movies to IWK patients and their families. The Cineplex O.E. Smith Theatre will be available free of charge to IWK patients and families, enabling them to experience the joy and entertainment provided by movies and other special events programming during their stay at the IWK. This theatre will also act as an educational and teaching space and will provide an ideal setting for music therapy and other creative expression and performance.
Babies Delivered
Emergency Visits
Approximate staff, volunteers and learners involved in research initiatives
Acute inpatient admissions
Surgeries (both inpatient and outpatient)
Outpatient Clinic Visits
The IWK Foundation Breakthroughs in Care campaign celebrates reaching its goal with a total of $51.2 million raised. The campaign helps re-design and create new space at the IWK in the areas of mental health, women’s health, rehabilitation services and intensive care, as well as to fund cutting-edge research.
As the fundraising partner of the IWK Health Centre, the IWK Foundation and its donors are champions of excellence in women’s and children’s health. Maritimers have helped build the IWK and through their continued generosity it has evolved as a world-class facility for our region’s women, children, youth and families. Last year, donors contributed $14.8 million to the IWK’s most urgent care priorities.
We are proud of the work we do and of each other. Our teams include employees, researchers, learners and contractors, working in conjunction with physicians, scientific and affiliated staff. With over 3,000 staff and 316 physicians, our strong team supports patients and family needs in four provinces, through multiple sites as we extend our reach into our communities.
The IWK Auxiliary was established in 1946 and is celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2017. The Auxiliary has been a vital support system for the IWK Health Centre, providing volunteer services and financial support. The IWK Auxiliary’s presence is evident everywhere throughout the IWK Health Centre; in the gifts it has provided and the projects it has helped create and fund. Since its inception, the IWK Auxiliary has given over $8.6 million to the IWK Health Centre.
Through Volunteer Resources, more than 800 community members offer their time and passion to a variety of programs throughout the IWK. Our volunteers partner with paid staff in implementing the mission and vision of the Health Centre while playing a key role in our efforts to passionately pursue a healthy future for women, children, youth and families.
