Leaders in Patient Care Excellence

Providing the highest quality care and experience to patients and their families at GGH is a complex challenge.

It takes a team of dedicated, exceptional people working together to meet the needs of the community we serve. This feature is meant to provide a glimpse of the fantastic GGH team who are helping to lead the way to patient care excellence.

It’s the art of the possible thanks to a visionary GGH team

At times, the pandemic forced Ontario hospitals to severely cut back the number of elective surgeries performed in order to free up hospital beds and staff to care for patients suffering from COVID-19. These slowdowns created long wait times and waitlists for our community. Cataracts are the most common cause of vision loss in people… Continue Reading It’s the art of the possible thanks to a visionary GGH team

Parents of Newborns Provided with Early Discharge Option Courtesy of Hospital Midwives

COVID-19 has prompted a re-examination of every process at Guelph General Hospital, including in our Rotary Club of Guelph Family Birthing Unit. The pandemic created the urgency to get new moms and babies discharged quickly to avoid potential exposure and to free up nursing capacities. This spurred the creation of our new Early Discharge Program,… Continue Reading Parents of Newborns Provided with Early Discharge Option Courtesy of Hospital Midwives

Dr. Lala and team

GGH Doctors lead through teamwork

Dr. Lala and Dr. Raso, Guelph General’s Critical Care physician leads, were trying to schedule staffing for the ICU, as well as the new critical care beds in Step-Down and in the Post Anesthetic Care Unit. Normally, the Hospital runs 10 critical care beds, but expanded to 16 to care for the influx of critically ill patients during the pandemic. There was simply no way the regular medical staff could cover all of those patients for all the available shifts. Continue Reading GGH Doctors lead through teamwork

Dr Ganapathy

Dr. Anusoumya Ganapathy, ICU Intensivist, and Organ and Tissue Donation Champion

At Guelph General Hospital our physician champion for organ and tissue donation through the Trillium Gift of Life Network is Dr. Anusoumya Ganapathy. She is an Intensivist, one of our critical care specialists, in our Intensive Care Unit (ICU). In 2013, Dr. Ganapathy stepped forward to join our internal Trillium Gift of Life Committee. She… Continue Reading Dr. Anusoumya Ganapathy, ICU Intensivist, and Organ and Tissue Donation Champion

Finance, Payroll and Scheduling work tirelessly to support 1530 staff members

Meet the teams in Finance, Payroll and Scheduling whose work touches every staff person and every facet of operations throughout the hospital. The term ‘essential worker’ makes us think of doctors, nurses, grocery store clerks and delivery drivers but behind all of this are the people who track the shifts, track the expenses, pay the… Continue Reading Finance, Payroll and Scheduling work tirelessly to support 1530 staff members

Materials Management tackle PPE hurdles

The news reports were alarming in late March about a global shortage of Personal Protective Equipment, or PPE. The masks, face shields, gloves and gowns that medical professionals would need to keep themselves safe from COVID-19 were suddenly required all over the world at an unprecedented volume. How could Guelph General Hospital ensure that our… Continue Reading Materials Management tackle PPE hurdles

IPAC professionals on constant high alert for outbreaks of disease at all times

When news of a novel corona virus, a virus not identified in people before, began to circulate within the medical community it caught the attention of our Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) staff. These specialized healthcare workers are on constant alert for any outbreaks of infection within the Hospital. Their vigilant surveillance is usually centred… Continue Reading IPAC professionals on constant high alert for outbreaks of disease at all times

#BehindtheMask of the Medical Device Reprocessing Department

We are going very #behindthemask here to a group of healthcare heroes who you rarely get a chance to learn about, the 22-member team of our Medical Device Reprocessing Department. These essential workers clean, disinfect, sterilize, package and manage the tracking on every reusable piece of medical equipment at the Hospital, from small nurse’s scissors… Continue Reading #BehindtheMask of the Medical Device Reprocessing Department

Ambulatory Care adjust for expected surge of COVID+ patients

Our Ambulatory Care department sees patients who are coming in for elective medical and surgical procedures, fracture follow-up, wound care and cancer treatments. On an average month before COVID the department would typically see about 2,700 patients. As elective programs and services across the province were cancelled in mid-March, staff teamed up with referring doctor’s… Continue Reading Ambulatory Care adjust for expected surge of COVID+ patients

The Rehab team stepped up!

Our Rehab team consists of Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, a Speech Language Therapist as well as Therapy Assistants. The vital services they provide had to be maintained during the pandemic. The Rehab therapists and assistants worked hard to adapt their treatments to the changing reality at the Hospital. Despite being anxious about this new unknown virus,… Continue Reading The Rehab team stepped up!

Employee Health Services maintain a healthy work environment despite challenges

Safety first. This saying guides the work of our Employee Health Services (EHS) team of five professionals. They have the overall responsibility to ensure a safe and healthy work environment here at the Hospital for our 1,500 staff and 300 physicians and midwives. EHS helps employees in a myriad of ways, including assisting staff who… Continue Reading Employee Health Services maintain a healthy work environment despite challenges

The Original COVID-19 Assessment Centre

On March 17th, the original COVID-19 Assessment Centre opened at 65 Delhi Street. This Centre was quickly pulled together, in only a few weeks, through a new partnership between leadership at Guelph General Hospital, the Guelph Family Health Team, Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health and The City of Guelph Guelph-Wellington Paramedic Service. The partners identified their strengths… Continue Reading The Original COVID-19 Assessment Centre

GGH Lab team works diligently to process COVID-19 test reports

What happens to those COVID-19 swabs? Here at the Hospital they are handled by the Laboratory. These dedicated professionals are helping the wider community combat the virus by getting those much-needed results. Swabs from in-patients and those coming from the COVID-19 Assessment Centre are processed through our Lab at Guelph General Hospital. Due to limited… Continue Reading GGH Lab team works diligently to process COVID-19 test reports

Critical Nurse Educators come in large aiding with COVID-19 efforts

We all know that the best decisions are the ones based on accurate information and solid research. At GGH, our team of Clinical Nurse Educators work to support our clinical staff by pulling together the best sources of knowledge for evidence-based decision making in order to properly respond to the emerging threat of COVID-19. As… Continue Reading Critical Nurse Educators come in large aiding with COVID-19 efforts

HR rapidly hires to strengthen hospital team during pandemic

This team of eight contributes to the care you receive if you come to the Hospital. Without Human Resources hiring the right people – who embody our core values of compassion, respect, accountability and teamwork – the high-quality care you expect would not be delivered. The pandemic presented a huge challenge to HR who modeled… Continue Reading HR rapidly hires to strengthen hospital team during pandemic

Hospital level four, east wing declared area to treat COVID-19 inpatients

On March 26 Public Health declared an outbreak on 4 East. Staff in the unit quickly stepped up to the plate. They were able to adapt quickly to continuously changing policies on how to manage this patient population. They placed suspect and positive patients in isolation with droplet contact protocol precautions so any patient contact… Continue Reading Hospital level four, east wing declared area to treat COVID-19 inpatients

Environmental Services are the unseen heroes in the fight against the spread of COVID-19.

The first line of defense against the spread of infection is our Environmental Services team. Staff and patient safety depends on their knowledge of varied disinfection and cleaning techniques they employ in a relentless methodical way, every single day across the Hospital. When a COVID-19 outbreak was declared on 4 East in late March, calls… Continue Reading Environmental Services are the unseen heroes in the fight against the spread of COVID-19.

No patient ever missed a dose thanks to the GGH pharmacy team

COVID-19 caused tremendous concern in our Pharmacy. This team of 43 staff is responsible for delivering all medications required by our patients. Guelph General Hospital is hyper-focused on patient safety. For Pharmacy, it is simply not an option to have patients miss any doses. Quickly the Pharmacy group began to reorganize to make sure that… Continue Reading No patient ever missed a dose thanks to the GGH pharmacy team

Social Workers give creative and compassionate care during pandemic challenges

Our Social Workers are a key part of our patient-care team. In the early days of the pandemic they worked quickly to understand how to continue their important work in light of new rules and guidelines. Social Workers at GGH provide support to patients and their caregivers in many ways, none of which can stop… Continue Reading Social Workers give creative and compassionate care during pandemic challenges

The Emergency Department prepares for a marathon, not a sprint during COVID-19 pandemic

When images of overwhelmed Emergency Departments began to appear on the news our ED team began to worry about the predicted surge of COVID-19 cases here at the Guelph General Hospital. What happened next was the largest overhaul of processes, procedures, and protocols ever undertaken. The ED space was reviewed with the lens of trying… Continue Reading The Emergency Department prepares for a marathon, not a sprint during COVID-19 pandemic

Foundation team tackles COVID-19 efforts

By mid-March it became apparent that COVID-19 needed to become priority number ONE at our Foundation. Our 8 person team promptly put together the COVID-19 Critical Response Fund to ensure we could respond to all emerging needs of the pandemic. Funds raised went to help purchase equipment and supplies needed to meet patient demand and… Continue Reading Foundation team tackles COVID-19 efforts

Launch of new “Virtual Visiting Program” thanks to Fusion Homes

Current visitor restrictions while necessary are challenging for patients and their family members. To help reduce the sense of isolation, the Guelph General Hospital has launched a new “Virtual Visiting Program”! Using tablets and platforms such as Zoom, patients are connecting to their support network. Special thanks goes to Fusion Homes for the generous donation… Continue Reading Launch of new “Virtual Visiting Program” thanks to Fusion Homes

Hospitalist team finds a “new normal” as they continue to save lives and deliver care

Hospitalists oversee the care of all admitted medical patients at the hospital, outside of the ICU. They have been working to stay on top of the rapidly emerging research on the COVID-19 virus. The group shares information each morning over Zoom calls which is imperative to good communication during a virus outbreak. In the early… Continue Reading Hospitalist team finds a “new normal” as they continue to save lives and deliver care

Marek Food Services

Marek Hospitality finds alternative and safe ways to keep visitors and staff well fed during COVID-19

For 10 years, Guelph General Hospital has partnered with Marek Hospitality to provide food services for staff and visitors. Marek operates two Tim Horton’s locations and The Bistro hot meal service featuring primarily local food from the region. The pandemic has resulted in fewer hospital staff onsite as many surgeries and appointments were cancelled. That… Continue Reading Marek Hospitality finds alternative and safe ways to keep visitors and staff well fed during COVID-19

ICU Team Huddle

A collaborative effort prepares GGH’s Intensive Care Unit for COVID-19

As the severity of the COVID-19 virus became apparent, our Bob Ireland Family Intensive Care Unit began to prepare. The team including doctors, nurses, administrative staff and respiratory therapists worked internally within Guelph General Hospital to expand the number of patient beds. ICU staff also prepared for enhanced infection control precautions for procedures like intubation.… Continue Reading A collaborative effort prepares GGH’s Intensive Care Unit for COVID-19

GGH redeploys staff and resources to create a temporary medical unit in response to COVID-19

In March, elective surgeries and procedures were cancelled in all Ontario hospitals. In just five days, our staff transformed Day Surgery and the Post Anesthetic Care Unit (PACU, but more commonly known as Recovery) into a new inpatient unit referred to as 3 East and PACU/ICU B. Five days to move around beds, furniture, supplies… Continue Reading GGH redeploys staff and resources to create a temporary medical unit in response to COVID-19

Caregivers and staff adapt quickly to meet the Hospital’s need for COVID-19 Screeners

As soon as patients and visitors arrive they are now greeted by our Screeners. These staff members are key to keeping us safe during COVID-19 but this is not their regular ‘day job’. Staff have been redeployed from a number of areas throughout the hospital, including the Sleep Lab, Diagnostic Imaging, Ultrasound, Bariatrics, Medical Device… Continue Reading Caregivers and staff adapt quickly to meet the Hospital’s need for COVID-19 Screeners

GGH Home Care Coordination

Working With Community Health Partners To Successfully Reduce Hospital Readmissions by Patients with Heart Failure

By building strong partnerships, our Hospital is able to improve patient care. There are some health conditions that often result in numerous visits to an Emergency Department. Heart failure is one of them. When the Hospital looked at how to improve the care for these patients it knew it couldn’t do it alone. Any plan… Continue Reading Working With Community Health Partners To Successfully Reduce Hospital Readmissions by Patients with Heart Failure

GGH is a leader when it comes to saving money by using “strength in numbers”

GGH utilizes group-purchaser, Medbuy/Mohawk, more than any other hospital in Ontario Guelph General Hospital (GGH) is a dynamic, acute care facility providing a wide range of services to the 200,000 residents of Guelph and Wellington Country. Each service has unique supply needs while the organization as a whole consumes a wide variety of products as… Continue Reading GGH is a leader when it comes to saving money by using “strength in numbers”

Dr. Dean Raso, Chief of Internal Medicine, brings 3 Wishes Project to our Hospital

When Dr. Dean Raso came across articles about the 3 Wishes Project he recognized right away it could help contribute to the Hospital’s mission to provide the highest quality care and experience to patients and their families. The Project was created to improve end-of-life care experiences for patients, families and clinicians. It encourages specific wishes… Continue Reading Dr. Dean Raso, Chief of Internal Medicine, brings 3 Wishes Project to our Hospital

Guelph General Hospital provided leadership with regional Surge Plan update

Dr. Ian Digby, Chief of Emergency Medicine advocated for a number of years for a Waterloo Wellington Local Health Integration Network (WWLHIN)-wide surge plan. This year, he and GGH’s Michelle Bott, led the needed update. The surge plan prepares for the anticipated increase in demand for healthcare service that happens this time of the year.… Continue Reading Guelph General Hospital provided leadership with regional Surge Plan update

Dr. Mueller and Angel Netto

Hospital using globally-recognized program to support quality care in its Family Birthing Unit

Providing the best care for mothers and newborns has always been the top priority for Guelph General Hospital’s (GGH) Family Birthing Unit (FBU). With its recent recommitment to the quality-improvement program, MOREOB , expectant moms coming to the hospital can be even more confident of the care they’ll receive. The Hospital’s  Chief of Obstetrics &… Continue Reading Hospital using globally-recognized program to support quality care in its Family Birthing Unit

Brad Milton OR Attendant

Brad Milton – OR Attendant

Brad Milton’s goal is to show up for every shift with his “A-game.” The OR is a busy department and Brad works together with eight other attendants that he describes as “a close and tight-knit team.” Together they help ensure that the patient flow through the OR is as smooth and seamless as can be,… Continue Reading Brad Milton – OR Attendant

Busy ED team at GGH

Patient Care Excellence is Hospital-wide

In 2006, the Province of Ontario released its Places to Grow Act. In it, Guelph was named as one of the areas where the rate of population growth would exceed the provincial average. According to Statistics Canada, the Guelph census area is one of seven Census Metropolitan Areas in Canada to experience accelerated growth between… Continue Reading Patient Care Excellence is Hospital-wide

Diane Dyer Guelph General Hospital

Diane Dyer, Emergency Department Attendant

Leadership in patient care excellence is found throughout Guelph General Hospital and across all staff roles. Continue Reading Diane Dyer, Emergency Department Attendant

Members of the Patient Experience Initiative working group at GGH

Leading the Patient Experience Initiative at GGH

Whether or not you realize it, if you have visited Guelph General Hospital over the last two years you have benefitted from the Patient Experience Initiative. A dedicated working group of six staff meet weekly to examine how to improve the experience patients and their families have through any and all interactions with the Hospital. Continue Reading Leading the Patient Experience Initiative at GGH

GGH Crisis Prevention & Management Program Development Team

Crisis Prevention and Management Program Development Team

“We want all patients to have a good experience and to seek help whenever it is needed. Increasing our awareness and skills for intervening positively during a crisis will improve care across the Hospital.” Continue Reading Crisis Prevention and Management Program Development Team