Medical Continued - St. Catharines General Hospital Foundation

Special Thanks to Our
to Our
Presenting
Presenting
Sponsors
Sponsors
Agfa HealthCare is extremely proud to sponsor the Niagara Health System Spring 2005 Campaign.
As a long time partner, Agfa has assisted Niagara Health System deliver x-ray films and information
to support the high quality care your patients have come to expect. In the near future, Agfa will be
working very closely with Niagara Health System to design, install and implement a leading edge
Picture Archive and Communications System (PACS). This regional solution will allow the partner
Hospitals to seamlessly store x-ray images and information digitally and distribute this information
throughout the network on display stations for review by caregivers. The benefits of the system will
allow these caregivers to easily and securely review images and patient information, regardless of
location. The improved access to images, reports and information will provide quicker exam results
and increased efficiencies. Agfa believes strongly in the vision of the Niagara Health System and is
excited to participate in this Campaign. For additional information, please refer to
www.agfa.com/healthcare.
Medtronic of Canada Ltd. is proud of its association with The St.Catharines General Hospital to
provide products, therapies, and services that enhance or extend the lives of people in the community.
Medtronic's mission is to contribute to human welfare by the application of biomedical engineering
in the research, design, manufacture and sale of products that alleviate pain, restore health and
extend life. To find out more about our technology used to treat conditions such as heart disease,
diabetes, spinal, urological, gastric and neurological disorders, ear, nose, throat and vascular illnesses,
please visit www.medtronic.com.

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our
our stories
“Lacking the necessary tools causes a huge snowball effect.”
“We need to embrace technology if we’re going to keep up with
patients needs.”“My nursing student can’t learn when we’re
busy looking for equipment.”
“Our monitors seem to be wearing out.”
“I couldn’t tell you how old these family overnight cots are.”
“It all comes down to money.”
In a perfect world, everything we need would be at our fingertips.
But sadly, this isn’t always the case in our hospitals. At the St.
Catharines General Hospital, 167,104 patients for the 2003/2004
fiscal year walked through our doors (including Newborns,
Inpatient & Outpatient Surgical cases, ER and Outpatient
visits). Our health care professionals are making Niagara a better
place to live utilizing best practices and advanced care
techniques. Keeping up with the health care needs of our
community isn’t easy. Having the right tools available at the
right time is essential to their success and our well being.
It remains a fact that the Ministry of Health and Long-Term
Care does not provide funding for capital equipment needs. So,
the generosity of the people who live in Niagara is our only
hope of continuing to provide compassionate care. Our dedicated
professionals may have cared for your friends, parents, siblings, and
children. Someday, they may be caring for you too. Let’s hope they have
what they need to provide you with the treatment and care you’ll need.
We asked our nurses and allied health care workers for their views on health
care provision. What we discovered was surprising and expected: they do
the toughest job in the world, but handle us with gentle kindness when
we’re in their care. They’re human too – sometimes frustrations show. But,
they are pillars of strength when we need it most.
Take some time to read about their stories of life, death, celebration, and
sorrow. Not just the stories of their patients, but their own. The people in
this booklet possess an instinctive knowledge that they’re needed in their
work. The drive that comes from within isn’t something they question – that
is who they are and what they do.
We’re proud of our health care professionals, and we want you to be proud
of them, too. Please help them care for us the best way they know how by
helping to fund important equipment costs for the St. Catharines General
site of the Niagara Health System.
Your gift does make a difference.
Sincerely,
Sandra Wilkes, Executive Director
The St. Catharines General Hospital Foundation

Palliative
Palliative
Cathy Schwenker
Some of us believe children choose their mothers long before they’re
conceived. If that’s true, Katie Schwenker was one smart kid.
Katie was only six when she died from a rare childhood cancer seven years
ago. At four, she was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a cancer of the
nervous system. Mom, Cathy, and dad, Paul, “entered a nightmare.” Cathy
had been a nurse for almost 20 years when she learned of her daughter’s
terminal illness, but being a mother to a child with cancer opened her eyes
wider than she ever imagined.
“Before Katie got sick, I thought I was a good nurse, but today I’m a better
nurse on a floor where I’m needed most.” Cathy feels her little girl’s
presence strongly, and believes without a doubt that Katie guided her in her
new role as a palliative care nurse. “I really feel her sending me a clear
message that I’m supposed to work with the terminally ill.”
Cathy embodies a spirit of compassion with her patients in the OMU (oncology
medical unit), which also cares for a more general palliative care population.
“End-of-life care is an important specialty,” she explains. “Pain control is the
number one priority in making those last months or days as comfortable as
possible.”
PHOTO: Sonia Shennan & Cathy Schwenker
She says when people are hurting emotionally and physically, it doesn’t help
to see your nurse fiddling with equipment to make it work. “Equipment
shouldn’t even be noticeable to the patient. They’re already worried about
how everyone around them is dealing with their illness. The last thing they

should be concerned about is whether or not they’re getting
enough pain medication through their IV.” “Katie used to say
to me, ‘don’t be my nurse, be my mother,’” she laughs, admitting
that was tough. “Paul and I have been blessed with the best
kids in the world.” Their seasonal family business, a market on
their grape farm, keeps them closely knit. “My ten year old,
Haley, works the cash, and my 15 year old, John, is a huge help.”
Her littlest, five year old Carley, diligently holds the responsibility
of eating as much ice cream as possible.
A uniquely strong and positive woman, Cathy knows Katie’s
death wasn’t in vain. “In her short life, she made such a difference.
She sends me peace and warmth that I feel on the inside.”
People ask Sonia Shennan why she does it. “I build
friendships with some great people,” she replies. Her job as a
Registered Practical Nurse on St. Catharines General Hospital
palliative/oncology unit can be draining to say the least. While
the rewards may seem elusive to some, she reaps them with
every patient and family she comes into contact with. “We
even swap recipes,” she laughs.
The kids will admit, sometimes mom gets a little grumpy after
a long day at work. “But my daughter, Krystin, will tell me she’s
proud of me, and I know she and her little brother,
Cameron, understand how much energy goes into my job.” A single mother,
Sonia’s been working hard for a year and a half toward earning her RN
certification. She has another year-and-a-half to go.
She says people open up to her easily. “There’s a more intimate contact on
our unit,” she explains, “and it’s important for patients to be able to voice
concerns and fears regarding their future and their family. We don’t see just
an elderly population; in palliative/oncology we have a vast group of people
of all ages needing end-of-life care. It can really hit home,” says Sonia.
Recently, she cared for a co-worker during her last four days of life. That
assignment was difficult at first, “but it was important to me to do my best
to help keep her as comfortable as possible.” Caring for women of her own
age requires strength, too. When she sees contemporaries with children
and lives like hers, it awakens her compassion.
“We try to make the family comfortable too,” she says. “I couldn’t tell you
how old some of the overnight cots we use for family members must be.”
Newer cots, electric beds with new mattresses to prevent pressure sores for
patients, and blanket warmers would go a long way in providing quality
end-of-life care.
Between Super-momming and sympathetic nursing, Sonia says her children
and her studies are a good distraction when things are tough. “But,” explains
Sonia, “I truly love what I do.”
Our region is home to the largest retirement population in
the Province of Ontario and increasingly is a destination
of choice for retirees looking to relocate.

Operating Room
Joanne Harapiak
Every day, Joanne Harapiak and a team of operating room personnel
become the eyes, ears, and voice of their patients.
A registered practical nurse since ’86, Joanne says she always knew she
wanted to be a nurse. A native of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, from a large
family (her grandmother had eighteen children), Joanne came to Ontario in
search of work and began working on the medical and surgical units. She
then transferred to a job preparing surgical instrumentation for the operating
room. Seeing and handling the expensive hardware caught her attention
and she pursued further education to become an RPN/OR technician.
Joanne was fascinated by the array of tools, from the absolutely large to the
practically microscopic. “You’d think we were building a house,” she laughs,
“and you couldn’t begin to imagine the incredible numbers of everything
needed.” Anticipating a potential sudden change in plans during surgery
means having even more instruments nearby. “You need to focus in
emergency situations in order to tune into the surgeon’s needs – and be
ready to jump.” She explains it took her a long time to find her comfort
zone, but now she’s confident and constantly gaining knowledge in the field.
PHOTO: Joanne Harapiak & Jan Melville
As an operating room nurse, Joanne has learned some unique intuitive
skills, including picking up on the anxiety of the patient. “On a medical unit,
you’re usually one-on-one with the patient. But here, you meet them, and
soon they’re under anaesthetic. So you need to take the time before hand to
connect with them and give them reassurance.” She says it’s surprising to
see how much better the experience is for each patient when the effort is

made to introduce their healthcare team and say “we’ll take
great care of you.”“In the OR,” says Joanne, “our primary
concern is patient safety. It is a big responsibility caring for
someone during surgery, plus we need more and more surgical
equipment every day. The equipment suffers wear-and-tear
just like anything else and with each new procedure we do, the
need for new instruments and equipment is a growing concern.”
She loves being part of a fast-moving, hardworking team. She
says “we really work well together to provide the safest and
best patient care possible in Niagara.” Joanne lives in St.
Catharines with her husband David and their six year old son,
Liam.
Jan Melville
“Roll with the punches. Laugh. Stay well-grounded at home.”
That’s Jan Melville’s custom-tailored stress management
program when it comes to achieving balance as an operating
room nurse at the St. Catharines General Hospital.
“I like the dynamics of the job, the people, the continuous
change….you never know what’s coming.” While Jan, a
registered nurse with peri-operative certification and a diploma
from the Mack School of Nursing back in ’73, admits “a routine
pace is nice once in awhile,” you can tell she’s the kind of lady
who thrives in a fast-paced environment. “When you work in
the OR, it’s important to realize your patients are feeling
vulnerable prior to surgery. They’re very aware that their
wellbeing is in your hands, and they need your reassurance as a health care
professional.”
Three years ago, the St. Catharines General took on all Hotel Dieu’s general
surgery. The impact on Jan and her colleagues in OR can seem overwhelming.
“We realized we didn’t have enough elective time for our doctors to do
surgeries from both sites. Besides time constraints, equipment was and is, a
growing issue.” Searching for equipment delays the patient’s recovery and
puts staff behind.
And who gets caught in the crossfire, explaining to patients that what’s
needed isn’t available? Nurses, of course. Arrangements have been made:
kids stay with a sitter, employers provide time off work, family is enrolled to
help out. Having to say “sorry, you’ll have to wait for your surgery,” is
disappointing to the patient and frustrating for medical staff.
“To be efficient we need the proper tools. Beds, laparoscopic equipment,
and all kinds of instrumentation are a problem.” Jan often refers, with
gratitude, to the decontamination room staff, those behind-the-scenes
workers who clean and supply the OR with those tools as fast as possible.
Jan knows more surgery is on the way, adding to a hefty workload. “As a
nurse, you have to ask yourself, ‘what then?’” Right now, Jan and her
colleagues do their best with the tools available, but the need is increasing.
Jan has a healthy sense of humour which she cites as her strongest personal
weapon against work-related pressure.
“You need to keep your wits about you,” she says. “That way, there are no
surprises and you’re able to second guess any potential challenges.”

Medical Assistant
Tiffany Jadwiszczak is an energetic young woman. Good thing,
because she needs to be on her toes, ready to perform a brand new juggling
act every day.
Tiffany got her medical terminology certificate and began working at the St.
Catharines General Hospital in 2003 as a registration clerk in the emergency
room. The following year, she moved up to the surgical unit. The quick pace
of the ER was good preparation for what lay ahead. “My job is big on
multi-tasking,” she says. “I’m constantly up-and-down from my desk and my
senses need to be attuned to what’s happening around me.”
She processes physician’s orders for their patients both pre and post
surgery. Electrocardiograms, x-rays, and CT scans on the technical end of
patient care, and dietary, physiotherapy, and home-care planning on the
more personal end of the scale. “I’m lucky to work as part of a highly-skilled
team. Most of my time is spent working along side the charge nurse, and
together we keep all the other departments informed on behalf of our unit.”
While Tiffany acknowledges she thrives under pressure, she doesn’t enjoy
the inconvenience of searching for appropriate job tools for herself and her
colleagues. “Patient situations all come with their own dynamics, and sometimes
your job involves addressing unique needs – calling in a Reverend in a
life-threatening circumstance or finding counseling for the family. Their
emotional health needs proper care, too.” She’d love to cross begging,
borrowing, and stealing hospital equipment off her job description.
PHOTO: Tiffany Jadwiszczak
But her job, like almost every other multidisciplinary team member, is
running a race against time. “When we lack enough of any piece of equipment,
it causes a huge snowball effect. But the bottom line is, I love my job!”

Specials
Specials
Jean Diggins has an odd wish list. A new digital fluoroscopy machine,
automatic blood pressure cuffs, and newer, lightweight lead aprons.
When you’ve been a nurse for this long (Jean graduated in 1978) you quickly learn
how important it is for the medical profession to remain on the cutting edge of
advances in health care technology. “I work in the special procedures/breast
screening unit at the St. Catharines General,” she explains, adding that most of her
work consists of procedures like angiograms and angioplasties which diagnose and
clear life-threatening blockages for patients with peripheral vascular disease.
“We know it can be scary, so we always do a lot of talking with the patient, answering
questions and providing support.” She believes patients pick up on your confidence
as a nurse. The comfort level Jean enjoys in her job helps ease anxious nerves and
the concerns of friends and family. She says it’s critical to explain the procedure in
detail, because the more the patient understands, the better the overall experience
for all involved.
The St. Catharines General Hospital is the only health institution in Niagara providing
special procedures to the community. As an attractive location for retirement,
Niagara brings an aging population. Jean says she’s seeing an increase in vascular
procedures through that unit. That means that any technological needs of the
special procedures/breast screening unit must include the newest, fastest, and best
equipment. Precious time is lost – with significant impact on the patient’s outcome
– when the machine depended upon doesn’t work properly, or isn’t available.
PHOTO: Jean Diggins
Like many nurses, health care is a vocation woven heavily throughout her family.
“My kids will be 13 and 15 this year,” she says, “and they’re talking about becoming
doctors.” She says she’s fully prepared to support them if they do pursue the medical
profession. If they’re anything like mom, they’ll play an important role in the future
health of the people of Niagara.

Special Care/Paediatrics
Helene Wiinholt decided in grade six she’d be a nurse, period.
That little girl spent the next 15 years in anticipation of what she always
knew she was meant to do. In 1974, she finally realized her dream and began
her nursing career.
She gets to care for little bundles of joy every day. “I love ‘em. I always feel
the appreciation of new moms and dads,” she says. Her ward, the Special
Care Nursery at SCGH, takes care of babies “who aren’t one hundred
percent,” she explains. “Preemies, generally unwell, unstable at birth – the
healthy babies are with the best caregiver suited to them – their mom. To
me, every single one is precious.”
Helene is one of eight full-time nurses. “Like any workplace, it isn’t always
perfect, but we get along well together. We know we need to depend on
each other to provide the best care.” Unfortunately, the technical needs of
their unit aren’t always met. “Our monitors are wearing out. We spend far
too much time trying to get them to work. If the machine isn’t working right,
you’re nursing the machine not the baby, and it sets you back when you
could be comforting another child, or helping a new mother learn to breastfeed.”
PHOTO: Beth Farr & Helene Wiinholt
A true nurturer at heart, Helene has chosen her life path wisely. “I always
joke, ‘to think I get paid to do this!’ I get to hold these tiny little babies -
they’re perfect.” But the job is frustrating when time is spent searching for
proper tools that should be at her fingertips - “like the radiant warmers
(open beds with a heat source at the top) we put all new admissions in,” she
says. “Once a baby is stabilized, it’s moved to an isolette, but those radiant
warmers are sometimes in short supply when admissions are high.”

She’s enjoyed friendships with families over the years, too.
“I’ve watched some of the babies grow, and I’ve seen loss.” She
continues a special relationship with a family who lost one
child, but Helene was fortunate to share the birth of the
couple’s next two children. “I’ve learned grief and love through
my relationship with the family, and I feel lucky to have been
able to support them through the difficult times.”
Beth Farr
“I see my job as making the tough times a little more bearable,”
says registered practical nurse, Beth Farr, who works in the
Paediatrics Unit at the St. Catharines General Hospital.
She was happily working on a medical unit when the opportunity
was presented to join the Paediatric Unit. “I felt really out of
my element in paediatrics at first,” she says, “but I get so many
rewards from the kids. It’s great when you hear them call you
‘their’ nurse or give you a hug.” She says if she can’t completely
alleviate their fears, she knows she can at least be there to listen
or provide support to them and to their parents. “Bedside manner,
kids and parents; professional care – it’s all one package.”
Beth, who graduated in 1969 and left nursing between ’75 and
’84, remembers one family that had a permanent impact on
her. “The little girl had spina bifida,” she explains, “and we
nurses always babied her. But her stepmom and father treated
her just like anyone else – including punishment for poor behaviour if
necessary. It took strength for them to raise her that way, but in the long
run it made her stronger.” Beth believes families who experience the illness
of a child develop a greater closeness and an indestructible support unit.
“Their network is so strong and they built it all on their own.”
Knowing the ordeal families experience when a child is hospitalized, Beth
tries to complete all tasks in as few visits to the child’s room as possible.
“Unfortunately, when equipment is in short supply, I waste time walking
around, searching for it. I should be able to do a head-to-toe assessment in
one visit,” says Beth. If the child falls asleep, I have to wake him/her up to
complete the assessment.” Beth knows it can reflect badly on her and her
profession, while making moms and dads more anxious.
“I love my work,” she laughs. “but the list of needs is only growing – from
cardiac monitors to sleep-chairs for parents. We could be so much more
effective with the right equipment.”
Hospital buildings across Niagara are old and out-dated.

Medical
Medical
Chris Watterson has been a nurse on the same ward for 26 years.
She’s just one shining example of hundreds of men and women who’ve made
the St. Catharines General Hospital the lucky recipient of their dedication to
nursing.
Fifty nurses work on C3E, a combined medical unit caring for a wide population;
stroke survivors, people with diabetes, palliative care. Everyone
knows everything about everybody here,” she laughs. “Children, family,
sometimes our troubles…we’re a pretty tight group.”
Most of us know at least one nurse in our circle of friends and family. But
do we really understand what nurses face on a day-to-day basis as we leave
our cherished loved ones in their hands? What drives a nurse to excel when
the possibility of sorrow and loss looms?
“I learn so much from patients and families,” explains Chris, who’s been the
unit charge nurse for the past 15 years. “If there’s one thing I could help
others appreciate, it would be that while nurses share your concern for
quality of care, we have a professional understanding of patient needs,
including solitude, rest, or medication.”
PHOTO: Julie Hunter, Chris Watterson & Jennifer Newhouse
Too frequently, Chris takes precious time out to look for IV poles, monitors
and blood pressure equipment. “Every minute we spend away from the
patient impacts his/her health,” Chris says. “Automatic beds that rise and
lower easily, with IV poles attached, would make a world of difference to
everyone – to nurses, because we don’t have to take time away from pressing
tasks to adjust the bed; to the patient, because he/she rests better; and

to the family, because they can operate the controls easily.”
She’s seen the helpless expressions on the faces of family who
want to do something – anything – to help. Making the patient
comfortable without ringing the nurse makes visits much easier.
Chris remembers hundreds of special experiences, but one in
particular stands out. Years ago, she cared for a terminally ill
patient for a great length of time. She became close to the family
through the ordeal of watching their loved one suffer and she
continues a rewarding relationship with them today.
“Observing how families pull together during tough times is so
inspiring,” she says.
So is watching a nurse like Chris Watterson do her job with the
compassion and care the St. Catharines General is known for.
Jennifer Newhouse
You’de better catch Jennifer Newhouse on the fly, because
that’s the only way to reach her unless you’re a patient on her
ward.
At 33, Jennifer, a busy mom working as a registered practical
nurse on the medical ward at the St. Catharines General
Hospital since graduating in 1994, says she and her colleagues
“see it all on this unit – psychiatric patients, pregnant women,
children, the elderly” – and this description only skims the
surface of the population.
“I can enjoy a good, productive day when I’m able to do my job properly.”
But if Jennifer doesn’t have the right equipment (and very often it’s the little
things that she spends valuable time looking for) she is unable to perform to
the best of her professional ability; a frustration for a dynamic woman like
Jennifer.
“Even things like thermometers and pillows are in short supply,” she
explains. She’s often busy searching for the proverbial needle-in-ahaystack
when what she really wants to do is provide compassionate care to
her patients, while concerned family and friends do what they can to
provide physical comfort for their loved ones.
Initially, Jennifer had very different career ambitions. “I was set on pursuing
the sciences – chemistry and forensics – and I used nursing as the first step
toward my goal.” But she says she got sidetracked eleven years ago when
she began working for the St. Catharines General Hospital, where she’s been
ever since. “I still have ambitions to go back to school, but right now, nursing
is what works best for me.”
It doesn’t take long to realize Jennifer’s a get-to-the-point kind of person.
One could easily imagine her being a strong advocate for her patients, offering
strength and an honest approach to patient care when it’s needed most.
“For me, the biggest reward is seeing our patients go home. Then, I know I’ve
done my job.”
Niagara residents’ rate of dialysis 30% higher than provincial average.

Medical Continued
Julie Hunter
It’s always the little things that make the biggest difference.
Medical unit RN, Julie Hunter, will attest to that. “Helping an
elderly person bathe, brushing a patient’s hair, helping with
oral care….for me, that’s a good day at work.” Unfortunately,
it’s a rare occasion for her and a luxury for the patients on the
medical unit where she works. While her initial plan was to
teach (“I love kids,” she says repeatedly), she followed in her
mother’s footsteps and pursued nursing as a compromise, hoping
to find employment on a pediatric unit. Her previous
experience in long-term care is important to her in her present
position. “We see all kinds of patients here and the patient
turnover can be quick.”
Ideally, Julie would spend more time with her patients, listening
to their concerns and simply providing companionship. But the
administrative responsibilities keep her hopping all day long.
“The workload is heavy and equipment is in short supply.” She
says simple items like manual blood pressure cuffs,
stethoscopes, and new medical carts would make the day so
much more productive. “I have a nursing student working with me
right now,” she says, “and the amount of time we spend looking for equipment
gets in the way of her training!”
A mom with two small girls at home, Julie emphasizes the importance of
children in her life. She thinks back to an experience with a little boy who
had cerebral palsy. “I cared for him at home for more than a year. That boy
and his family became special to me,” she says. Another reward for Julie
involved seeing a single mother give birth to a baby boy, possibly heading
into a life of uncertainty. Now, she sees them around town from time to
time, both thriving and happy.
A thank you card or gift from a patient….a little boy with special needs or a
new baby entering the world….those are the “little things” that make nursing at
St. Catharines General Hospital worthwhile for Julie Hunter.
Niagara’s socio-economic status clearly demonstrates that
we are a population at risk of poor health status.

Emergency Room
Jeff Farquharson calls himself a “weekend worker.” Talk about an
understatement.
Jeff is referring to his job as a registered nurse in the emergency room at the
St. Catharines General Hospital. But if you take a look at a week in the life
of Jeff, you’ll see he’s a dedicated professional caregiver every single day.
With his hands full on weekdays with his daughters, 18 months and four
years old, his wife is able to work full time as a high school teacher while Jeff
works Friday to Sunday every single week. “It’s an arrangement that works
really well for us right now,” he says.
Days at work are like snowflakes. “No two days are ever the same,” Jeff
explains, “and we’re incredibly busy. Services recently transferred to St.
Catharines General from the Hotel Dieu have resulted in an increased number
of patients, many of whom are very sick people with severe needs.” For Jeff,
it means tighter timelines and juggling of regular duties while continuing to
provide compassion and comfort at the bedside. “We don’t see an end in
sight just yet,” he says.
“Recently, we were given the gift of some superior equipment, but there’s
still an enormous need. I’d like to see new mattresses for one,” Jeff says.
“Wheelchairs have parts missing, stretchers are often in short supply, and IV
pumps are a never-ending need.” Jeff says while he likes his job, it’s tough
to provide the highest quality of care when the tools aren’t available.
PHOTO: Jeff Farquharson
“I think my strength is connecting with people. My colleagues will come to
me for help with special patient situations, because I’m pretty personable,”
explains Jeff. “Whenever I can help save a life as part of the team, I’m
inspired.”

IntensiveCareUnit
People say Garry Navin-Barker has “a way” with patients.
He’s often sought after by colleagues to handle situations where the patient
could benefit from his unique personal approach. Laughter comes easily to
him, and when you hear it you can’t help but laugh yourself. “I think I’m a
positive person,” he says. “I see being personable as an integral part of the
job.” Of his twenty years in nursing exclusively for the St. Catharines
General, he says “it doesn’t seem possible I’ve been here that long! I love my job.”
Garry knows he can’t afford to be frustrated while on duty - it carries
through to patient care. “When that happens, you don’t get to know the
person. I make it a practice to make simple conversation and ask ‘how long
have you lived here? Got any kids?’ That type of approach helps the nurse
and the patient, one hundred percent.”
His work in the ICU involves caring for critically-ill patients hooked up to a
myriad of tubes, monitors, and other apparatus. Looking past the equipment
to the person behind it helps Garry connect with patient and family. “It’s
hard for people to see their loved ones like that. If they’ve been in a coma
or ill for a long time, they might not look like they used to.” His sense of
humour has helped ease many heavy hearts, whether it’s the person receiving
care or someone who cares about them.
PHOTO: Maryke Durrant & Garry Navin-Barker
He wishes there were more glucose monitors, IV pressure lines with
pressure bags and cables to help him do his job more efficiently. “I can’t say
I’ve never had a day when I’ve become outwardly frustrated. Sometimes it
has to show.” But his naturally positive attitude gives the impression that
any bad mood Garry has will not last long. Still, not having adequate
supplies or tools is a daily dilemma.

“I had the opportunity to take employment elsewhere last
year, but at the St. Catharines General Hospital, I enjoy
twenty-year friendships,” he laughs. This fall, he’ll travel to
Europe with twelve friends, some of them colleagues.
We’ll all be in hospital someday. Wouldn’t a nurse like Garry
Navin-Barker be a perfect prescription for what ails you?
Maryke Durrant
“How do we achieve life-work balance? We are good to – and
with – each other. I’m very sincere about that,” says Maryke
Durrant, a CCRN (critical care registered nurse) in the intensive
care and progressive care units at St. Catharines General. “I’m
proud of our team and its strength. You go where your help is
required by your colleagues and pull together.”
Maryke is one of two charge nurses on her unit. She says the
field of healthcare in ICU has “broadened and deepened. The
nurse’s role in intensive care is larger than ever, with medications
constantly changing and remaining abreast of best practices”
she explains. “We all take workshops and courses on our own
time. All our nurses are incredibly dedicated.”
Maryke says when you’re on an ICU team, you have more
control over the patient’s care than in other areas of the hospital.
“The nurses are very involved with the physicians and the rest
of the team.” Strides in ICU research have impacted the jobs of healthcare
professionals in a way that’s made people like Maryke busier than ever
before. “For example, we know now and more than in the past, that it
benefits the patient when we ventilate them earlier,” she says. That, and
similar evidence, translates into more regular duties to be done in the same
12-hour shift.
But when emotions are running high in a unit where the patients are
critically ill, it’s important to keep tabs on any messages you might be
inadvertently giving to the patient or visitors. “If a monitor goes down and
you can’t assess the cardiac rhythm, the family can feel your stress.” If
you’ve ever had a loved one in hospital and heard a mere beep, you
understand how such a tiny noise can wreak havoc with your nerves. “We
try to be professional, and not give the impression that the situation is a bad
one.” Ideally, Maryke and her staff would like to have enough of the best
monitors to eradicate the problem.
She can’t say enough about her team. “I really have to express my gratitude
for the dedication of staff. The whole multidisciplinary team approach –
physio, social workers, dieticians, and of course nurses and doctors – that’s
what makes it work as well as it does. It all results in very well-rounded
care.”
Cancer and heart disease are the leading causes of death for residents
of Niagara with age-adjusted mortality due to heart disease
19% higher than provincial average.

Laboratory
Laboratory
SharonMcMillan’s passion is blood.
Don’t be spooked – she’s just one of those people who really enjoys her job.
“There’s nothing more rewarding in the midst of a trauma – accident,
surgery, or whatever the situation – than to know you’ve made a difference,”
she says. “There’s no margin for error. You either get it right or it’s
wrong.”
To say Sharon’s job as a medical laboratory technologist (MLT) for the past
33 years is important is just a tad understated. “In transfusion medicine,
we’re regulated beyond any other department. There’s a huge lack of
knowledge of what we do and the role we play,” she says, explaining 70
percent of the average patient’s chart consists of laboratory results. “Our
unit is very heavily depended upon, and if we couldn’t provide service in a
timely fashion, the impact on the patient could be deadly.” She says a good
day includes having time to think about what you’re doing and give it your
best. “The bad ones,” she says, “are when it’s so busy the day is a blur. I go
on auto-pilot and after I get home, I think, ‘how did I get through the day’?
In transfusion medicine, a “centrifuge,” those machines that spin tubes of
blood to separate its components, gets an inconceivable amount of daily
use. Sharon says new, state-of-the-art centrifuges are a critical need in her
lab. “New advances in centrifuge technology use a gel system for antibody
screening,” she explains. “It eliminates subjectivity and offers a much more
standardized approach.” It’s this calibre of capital equipment that makes the
difference in the patient’s experience while in hospital.
PHOTO: Sharon McMillan
“If the technology isn’t working right,” Sharon says, “it’s easy to be embarrassed.
We all want to do a good job, and the skills of our multidisciplinary teams at
the St. Catharines General are exemplary. But it all comes down to money.”

iopsies), and biochemistry (serum, blood, urine, and all other body fluids
including spinal fluid). It sounds cold and clinical, but Patricia’s work ethic
involves the same compassionate care SCGH health professionals are known
for. Alleviating feelings of helplessness by keeping patients informed, and
embodying the “do unto others” philosophy is Patricia’s style.
Continually upgrading equipment, a necessity in order to treat patients in a
timely and thorough manner, means continuing education for Patricia and
her colleagues. “Sometimes we travel a fair distance to get the best training
possible. Two of our staff will visit the U.S. in the near future to learn how
to operate some of our newer tools.” She loves the fact that there’s no
opportunity for boredom. “Every day presents new challenges” she says.
PHOTO: Patricia Lumyoung
Patricia Lumyoung never forgets what it’s like to be a
patient.
She’s a registered general medical lab technologist at the St.
Catharines General Hospital. Her specialization includes
phlebotomy and hematology (blood work), transfusion
medicine, microbiology, histology (tissue samples from
Words like flame photometry and atomic absorption have been replaced
over time with more progressive equipment names like “fusion” and
“enhanced chemilluminescence immuno-technology” (ECI). Regular
upgrades are a reality, and so are rising capital costs. Higher testing
capabilities for measurement and diagnosis get more patients through the
laboratory more efficiently. “Without lab work completed as per the
doctor’s orders, no treatment can be administered,” explains Patricia “We
need to communicate clearly and move quickly.”
“Our whole society has become all about speed,” notes Patricia.
“Healthcare’s certainly no exception. We need to embrace the future of
technology if we’re going to be able to keep up with the needs of our
patients and our community.”
Niagara residents are over-reliant on local hospitals
due to inadequate access to primary care.

LaboratoryContinued
JuanitaCuizon
It’s obvious you can’t get blood from a stone. But you’d be amazed how much blood
can be taken from a single human being.
Juanita Cuizon is a medical laboratory assistant in the core lab at the St. Catharines
General. “Sometimes after taking the fourth or fifth sample people ask ‘why do you
need so much blood?’ If they’re already nervous about needles, it helps to keep up
friendly conversation and they appreciate the distraction.” She graduated in 1974
back home in the Philippines, and in ’86 arrived in Canada wide-eyed and anxious
to start fresh.
Juanita’s young daughter, thirteen year old Carmelle is interested in becoming a
doctor. If she follows that path she’ll be one of many in Juanita’s family who have
entered the medical field.
Juanita’s job is two-pronged. “One part of the job involves taking samples on the
units as ordered by the physicians. The other part is ‘benchwork’ – sorting blood to
send to other laboratories for further testing.” While she doesn’t work closely with
physicians, her role is integral to the course of treatment for each patient.
For Juanita’s department to excel, she says “we need to maintain the equipment we
have. Repairs are costly and can’t always be done in a timely fashion.” Replacing
machines can be even more expensive. “Recently, one of our centrifuges broke
down. We simply can’t work without it, so while we scramble to get the problem
fixed, we fall behind.”
PHOTO: Juanita Cuizon
“It’s all about the patient,” explains Juanita. “We’re always looking for ways to
refine the testing process – less discomfort, fewer repeat tests – they need their
rest. Sometimes, I really feel for them.”

Capital Equipment Wish List 2005/2006
List
Cardiac Monitored Care
1) Intravenous Infusion Pumps (12 @ $4,000) . . . . . . . . . . .$48,000
Operating Room
2) 70 degree Cystocopes (2 @ $3,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$6,000
3) Electric Operating Room Radiolucent X-Ray Table . . . . .$65,000
4) Infusion Pumps for I.V. Anaesthetics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$4,000
5) Paediatric Fish Mouth Esophagoscopes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000
6) Tourniquet System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$15,500
7) Complete Set of Telescopes for Nasal & Paranasal Diagnosis . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$40,000
8) Epidural Pump (4 @ $5,800) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$23,200
9) TVT Introducer and Catheter Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$3,000
10) Digital Mobile C-Arm Vascular Imaging . . . . . . . . . . . . .$100,000
11) Dental Fracture Set (3 @ $5,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$15,000
12) Fluoroscopic Image Intensifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$200,000
13) Adult Flexible Bronchoscope & Biopsy Forcep. . . . . . . . .$30,000
14) Arthroscopic Knee Set (3 @ $20,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$60,000
15) Dental Drill (2 @ $5,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$10,000
16) Endoscopic Bi-Polar Suction Cautery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$10,000
17) Facelift Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$8,000
18) Padded Stirrups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$2,000
19) Endovascular Surgical Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$75,000
20) Hemoglobin Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$2,000
21) Thermal/Microwave Ablation System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$18,000
22) Laparoscopic Instrumentation (3 @ $150,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$450,000
Recovery Room
23) Pump for I.V. Anaesthetics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$4,000
24) Gomco Suctions (2 @ 2,500) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000
25) Monitors (3 @ $20,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$60,000
26) Pain Pumps (4 @ $5,800) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$23,200
27) Portable Nerve Stimulator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$2,000
Mental Health
28) Spot Vital Sign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,200
Day Stay Surgery
29) Abbott Pump (2 @ $4,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$8,000
30) Automatic Blood Pressure Cuff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,200
31) High and Low Stretchers (2 @ $6,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$12,000

Capital Wish List 2005/2006
List
Endoscopy
32) Automatic Blood Pressure Cuff (2 @ $5,200) . . . . . . . . . . .$10,400
33) Paediatric Gastroscope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$40,000
34) Video Colonoscope (3 @ $36,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$108,000
35) Video Gastroscope (2 @ $33,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$66,000
36) Dual Access Video Scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$43,000
√Intensive Care Unit
37) Intravenous Infusion Pump (12 @ $4,000) . . . . . . . . . . . .$48,000
38) Automatic BP Machine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,200
Special Care Nursery
39) Air Shields Isolette (6 @ $30,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$180,000
40) Hill-Rom Radiant Warmer (2 @ $20,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . .$40,000
41) Sigma I.V. Pump (9 @ $4,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$36,000
42) SpaceLab Cardiorespiratory SP01 & BP Monitor (2 @ $20,000) . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$40,000
Labour /Delivery/Peri-Natal
43) Anaesthetic Machine (2 @ $115,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$230,000
44) Birthing Bed (4 @ $25,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$100,000
45) Electric Thermometer (19 @ $500) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$9,500
46) Glide Scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$7,800
47) Fetal Monitor (4 @ $15,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$60,000
48) I.V. Pump (4 @ $3,500) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$14,000
49) I.V. Pump (10 @ $4,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$40,000
Paediatrics
50) I.V. Pump (10 @ $4,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$40,000
51) SpaceLab Cardiorespiratory Monitor (2 @ $20,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$40,000
52) Resuscitation System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$2,500
Emergency Room
53) Air Puff Tonometer (4 @ $1,500) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$6,000
54) Double I.V. Infusion Pump (2 @ $4,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$8,000
55) Double I.V. Infusion Pump with Poles (4 @ $4,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$16,000
56) Glidescope Video Intubation System (2 @ $7,800) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$15,600
57) I.V. Infusion Pump (6 @ $4,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$24,000
58) Mechanical PT Lift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$4,500
59) Single I.V. Infusion Pump with Poles (6 @ $4,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$24,000
60) Stretcher (8 @ $6,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$48,000
Laboratory
61) Blood Fridge with Monitor for the OR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$10,000
62) Centrifuge for Cytology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$20,000
63) Cytospin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$12,000
64) Freezer for Main Lab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$20,000
65) Immunohematology System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$100,600

66) Microscope for Hematology Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$10,000
67) UPS for Coagulation Analyzer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$6,000
68) Plasma Thawing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$10,000
69) Pathologists Microscope (2 @ $20,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$40,000
Diagnostic Imaging
70) Digital Gastric Room . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$700,000
71) Portable Fluoro for OR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$110,000
72) Portable X-Ray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$55,000
73) Stretcher (5 @ $6,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$30,000
74) Digital Fluoro Room . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$850,000
Nuclear Medicine
75) Dose Calibrator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$6,000
76) Stretcher with Hydraulics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$6,000
Cardiology
77) Echocardiography Machine with Probes/Transducers . .$300,000
78) Echo-Stretcher (3 @ $15,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$45,000
79) Electrocardiography Machine, Cart, Cable/Electrodes etc. $15,000
80) Event Recorder, Cables & Monitor Recorder & Cables . . .$17,000
81) Medical Grade VCR and Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$16,000
82) Regional ECG Management System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$400,000
83) Echo Unit, TEE probe, Digital Workstation . . . . . . . . . . .$300,000
Respiratory
84) Bipap Machine (2 @ $20,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$40,000
85) Defibrillator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$2,000
86) Infant Ventilator, Blender, Heated Humidifier, Circuit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$2,000
87) Portable Ventilator, Stand, Circuit, Batteries, Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$300,000
88) Pulmonary Function System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$60,000
89) Oximeter and Printer with Appropriate Probe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$2,000
Physiotherapy/Occupational Therapy
90) Ultrasound Machine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000
91) Wheelchair (12 @ $2,500) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$30,000
92) Space Saver Staircase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$2,000
Medical/Palliative/Oncology
93) IV Infusion Pump (20 @ $ 4,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$80,000
94) Stretcher with up/down capabilities (2 @ $7,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$14,000
95) BP Machine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000
96) Automatic Blood Pressure Cuff (4 @ $5,200) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$20,800
97) External Pacemaker Analyzer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,600
98) Electric Bed (5 @ $6,000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$30,000

The St. Catharines General Hospital
Foundation is a non-profit fund raising
organization that supports the St. Catharines
General site of the Niagara Health System, in
its efforts to secure innovative health care
equipment, state-of-the-art technology and
modern facilities. Special thanks to Ashley
Harris, Aleigh Jensen, Stephen Dominick
Studio, Spiral Graphics and to all who have
participated.
THE ST. CATHARINES
GENERAL HOSPITAL FOUNDATION
Inquiries please call 905-323-FUND (3863)
The St. Catharines General Hospital Foundation
142 Queenston Street
St. Catharines, Ontario L2R 7C6
Website: www.scghfoundation.com • Email: info@scghfoundation.com