Your Health Matters Fall 2022: Constructing a Crown Jewel

ROYAL COLUMBIAN HOSPITAL FOUNDATION MAGAZINE

Your Health Matters FALL/WINTER 2022 EDITION

IN THIS ISSUE

+ CONSTRUCTING A CROWN JEWEL The challenges and rewards of building a hospital

+ REDUCING THE FOOTPRINT Anesthesiologists hope to inspire other hospitals to reduce environmental impact

+ GIVING IN LOSS Family mourns loved one by giving back in gratitude

+ YOUR IMPACT The latest examples of how donor dollars have helped

THIS MAGAZINE BROUGHT TO YOU WITH GENEROUS SUPPORT FROM

ROYAL COLUMBIAN HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | YOUR HEALTH MATTERS

FOSTERING RESEARCH

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dvancing research is one of Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation’s priorities. With donor support, we have increased funding in recent years to help grow the community of hospital-based researchers who are tackling an array of medical and healthcare questions.

Under the guidance of a committee of members with academic, research, and clinical achievements, the Foundation has supported numerous research and quality improvement projects, funded professorships, opened workspace for researchers, and become affiliated with a clinical research centre.

Reading through this latest edition of Your Health Matters, you will find three stories that showcase recent research projects undertaken at the hospital. Each is an example of the drive within Royal Columbian to improve patient care.

Elsewhere in the magazine, you will learn about an environmentally friendly initiative led by the hospital’s

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anesthesiologists, who hope to encourage their colleagues across the county to reduce their own carbon footprint.

Very much front and centre at the hospital, of course, is the ongoing construction of the new Acute Care Tower, a transformative addition to Royal Columbian scheduled for completion in 2025. Our cover story introduces us to the company building the tower, and how it’s not the first time they have helped expand our health campus.

Our annual Report to Donors showcases some of the equipment donors have helped to purchase recently for the hospital. A Q&A with Dr. Jennifer Dolden demonstrates the latest donor contributions to breast health.

In addition, we share the moving story of a family who gave back to the hospital amid the grief of losing a loved one.

Redevelopment, research, and reasons for giving: we hope as always you enjoy reading the latest stories from Royal Columbian. •

Cameron Belsher

Jeff Norris

Chair, Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation

President & CEO, Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation

YOUR HEALTH MATTERS | ROYAL COLUMBIAN HOSPITAL FOUNDATION

CONTENTS

Your Health Matters

VOLUME 8 • ISSUE 2

ROYAL COLUMBIAN HOSPITAL FOUNDATION

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Jeff Norris EDITOR/WRITER Jason Howe CONTRIBUTING WRITER Carrie Stefanson CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER Jerald Walliser LAYOUT & DESIGN Jodeen Hodgson COVER DESIGN Paula Heal PUBLISHED BY New Westminster Record

6 ROYAL COLUMBIAN HOSPITAL FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chair Cameron Belsher Vice Chair Norm Taylor Treasurer Catherine Ruby Secretary Jennifer Podmore Russell President and CEO Jeff Norris Directors Hema Bhatt, Dr.Sukh Brar, John Clinton, Tom Corsie, Diana Miles, Farid Rohani, Lynn Radbourne, Dr.William Siu, Han Shu, Emily Taylor, Rana Vig, Fred Withers

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Greetings

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Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation Chair Cameron Belsher and Foundation President and CEO Jeff Norris 4

Inspired giving

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Giving in loss 18

Constructing a crown jewel 19

Your impact The latest examples of how donor dollars have helped

Brainwave of the future Hospital-based study looks into device’s neurological potential

The challenges and rewards of building a hospital 10

Putting a lid on hospital noise A pilot project reduces noise in the emergency department

Family mourns loved one by giving back in gratitude 8

Easing agitation Critical care team explores how technology can help manage patient delirium

Reducing the footprint Anesthesiologists hope to inspire other hospitals to reduce environmental impact

We welcome your comments on Your Health Matters magazine.

Please email info@rchfoundation.com or write to us c/o Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation, 330 East Columbia St, New Westminster, B.C. V3L 3W7.

Established in 1978, Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation raises millions of dollars annually to purchase medical equipment, fund innovative programs, and support training and research. To donate, please visit rchfoundation.com or call 604-520-4438.

A Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation special feature on future giving 16

Behind-the-scenes briefs

Your Legacy Matters

Breast health Q&A with Dr. Jennifer Dolden

ROYAL COLUMBIAN HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | YOUR HEALTH MATTERS

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INSPIRED GIVING Queen’s Park Healthcare Foundation and Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation have announced the two registered charities have amalgamated under the name of Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation. A Queen’s Park fund has been set up at Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation for donations to Queen’s Park Care Centre and William Rudd House.

In 2016, Starlight Casino was one of the first donors to support the new Mental Health and Substance Use Wellness Centre at Royal Columbian. They recently confirmed an additional commitment of $55,000 for a total contribution of $100,000.

Tom and Sherry Ramsay (seen in this photo with their sons) are giving in support of cardiac services in the new Acute Care Tower under construction. They made their gift in memory of Tom’s parents, Doug Sr. and Leone Ramsay, who founded the business they own today – Meridian RV.

Dr. Arun Garg and his wife Lori have teamed up with four other families to contribute a combined $550K to our South Asian Health Fund and support research into neurological diseases and mental health disorders.

For the latest Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation news, follow us:

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by subscribing to our monthly e-newsletter at rchfoundation.com

YOUR HEALTH MATTERS | ROYAL COLUMBIAN HOSPITAL FOUNDATION

On Facebook @RoyalColumbian

On Twitter @RoyalColumbian

On Instagram @RoyalColumbian

Anesthesiologists Drs. Paula Meyler, Cedric Ho, and Alex Suen display desflurane vaporizers before they were sent back to the manufacturer as part of an environmentally friendly effort at Royal Columbian and Eagle Ridge Hospitals.

REDUCING THE FOOTPRINT ANESTHESIOLOGISTS HOPE TO INSPIRE OTHER HOSPITALS TO REDUCE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

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ou are not alone if the COVID-19 pandemic has made you think more broadly about the world in which we live. Royal Columbian Hospital’s anesthesiologists have been reflecting on what they can do to combat another of the 21st century’s greatest health threats: climate change.

“Within our department, we are trying to adopt more environmentally sustainable practices,” says anesthesiologist Dr. Cedric Ho, who is also head of Royal Columbian’s Medical Staff Association. “COVID has emphasized how interconnected we are around the world. Individual actions in one part of one city can affect what happens in the next city or even the rest of the country.”

Canada’s healthcare system is responsible for an estimated 4.6% of the country’s total greenhouse gas emissions. Hospital operating rooms have a disproportionate environmental footprint because of the use of anesthetic gases, which

have an outsized greenhouse gas effect. “We typically use one of two agents in the majority of our general anesthesia cases,” explains Dr. Ho. “One big difference between the two is their carbon dioxide equivalent.”

DESFLURANE-FREE For some years now, anesthesiologists have been moving away from desflurane, which is a longer-lasting and more potent greenhouse gas than other similar gases. One study calculated that desflurane has about 24 to 26 times the global warming potential of the most common alternative.

“It’s difficult to argue that one or the other offers a superior anesthetic,” says Dr. Ho. “The choice between those agents is mostly personal preference, but if I use desflurane for a two-hour operation, it’s like I’ve driven the patient to Kamloops in a big SUV. If I do this for every patient all year, it’s like driving around the world ten times.”

So the hospital’s anesthesiologists have decided to make Royal Columbian as well as Eagle Ridge Hospital desflurane-free zones.

“We hope that what we are doing at this hospital will inspire other hospitals to do the same,” says Dr. Ho. “Desflurane is delivered through a vaporizer. Since we have resolved to stop using this drug in our two hospitals, the hospital is no longer buying desflurane and we are returning all of these vaporizers to the manufacturer.”

The anesthesiologists believe Royal Columbian is the biggest hospital in Canada to take this step and hope to inspire others to do the same.

They are also actively exploring other ways to further reduce their environmental footprint.

“We believe there are lots of opportunities to reduce waste and to improve the environmental sustainability of what’s a really necessary part of our lives,” says Dr. Ho. •

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GIVING IN LOSS FAMILY MOURNS LOVED ONE BY GIVING BACK IN GRATITUDE

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arbhajan Singh Athwal’s children admire their father’s commitment to his friends, family, and his faith. But when the 65-year-old family patriarch passed away from COVID-19 in March 2021, the number of stories others shared of his generosity and kindness surprised even his family. And amid the intense grief, the family knew they wanted to give back to honour his memory and thank the healthcare team at Royal Columbian Hospital.

“If you talked to any of our father’s friends, they will say he was their best friend,” says daughter Bininder. “He had a passion for building and helping people.”

In early February 2021, weeks before COVID-19 vaccines became widely available, Harbhajan and three other members of the Surrey family tested positive for the infectious disease.

“The symptoms were so mild, we didn’t think it was COVID until we got confirmation,” recalls his wife Manjit.

“It started as a runny nose and cough.

The cough we didn’t think too much about, because every winter he would always get coughs.”

Soon, Harbhajan’s chest became increasingly congested, he had difficulty sleeping and had trouble moving around the house.

“Getting up was getting difficult,” says son Jagveer. “His breathing was getting difficult.”

When Harbhajan requested medical help, he was brought to the hospital in Surrey. Hours later, he was moved to the Intensive Care Unit.

ECMO As Harbhajan’s condition continued to worsen over a period of weeks and his medical options diminished, doctors 6

started discussions about calling in a specialized group from Royal Columbian Hospital.

Its mobile ECMO team, the only one of its kind in the province, is tasked with retrieving patients whose heart and/or lungs are failing.

ECMO, short for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, is a life support machine used when other Harbhajan Singh Athwal and wife Manjit. options have been exhausted.

“During the pandemic, ECMO has been used so we can rest the patient’s the doctors and the nurses in that lungs with minimal support from the ward,” says daughter Kiren. “We knew ventilator,” explains Dr. Craig Fava, the nurses were busy. We were calling a critical care physician who is part the ICU every day, and they made the of Royal Columbian’s mobile ECMO time to set those iPads up for us.” team. “It is not a curative therapy. It is SAYING GOODBYE a supportive therapy.”

“The ECMO machine itself is not Despite the interventions, Harbhajan’s something that you want to see your condition continued to deteriorate. family attached to,” says Bininder.

Two weeks after being transferred “But when you are in that moment, to Royal Columbian, his family and it’s your last hope, you’ll take it.” was told he would not survive. The As Harbhajan arrived at Royal hospital made accommodations for Columbian’s Intensive Care Unit, Harbhajan’s loved ones to come to connected to numerous tubes and Royal Columbian. machines, the family recalls being told “The doctor was very supportive of he was considered the sickest patient who wanted to go in that room. I knew in BC. I wanted to go,” says Bininder.

With visitor restrictions in place, Bininder and Jagveer dressed up in the family relied on regular phone PPE and entered their dad’s room, calls with the medical teams as well while other family members stayed on as video calls where the family could the other side of the glass windows, pray at Harbhajan’s bedside. where each said goodbye by video.

“I appreciated all the support from Harbhajan passed away March 18,

YOUR HEALTH MATTERS | ROYAL COLUMBIAN HOSPITAL FOUNDATION

Family photos of Harbhajan Singh Athwal.

just over five weeks after first testing positive for COVID-19.

A couple of months later, the Athwals reached out to Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation looking to help purchase a ventilator for the hospital, with generous contributions from friends and family.

“It’s incredibly touching for me and for all of us as a group,” says Dr. Fava.

“Often, we don’t hear how the families feel as they grieve. We don’t do our work for the appreciation, but it’s nice to hear.”

“Dad didn’t make it, but maybe somebody else’s family member will,” says Bininder. “The doctors and nurses provided us with so much comfort by answering our questions. We didn’t know how else to say thank you but to give back.” •

Royal Columbian’s mobile ECMO team, the only one of its kind in the province, is tasked with retrieving from other hospitals patients whose heart and/or lungs are failing.

ROYAL COLUMBIAN HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | YOUR HEALTH MATTERS

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REDEVELOPMENT FEATURE

EllisDon Senior Vice President - Project Director Michael Kazda has overseen a few hospital construction projects during his career, including the Acute Care Tower under construction at Royal Columbian Hospital.

CONSTRUCTING A CROWN JEWEL | THE CHALLENGES AND REWARDS OF BUILDING A HOSPITAL

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uilding bridges was Michael Kazda’s first career choice coming out of engineering school. But his path over the years has instead led him to a field that he considers more challenging but equally gratifying: the construction of hospitals. He’s overseen a few so far across the country, including the multi-storey Acute Care Tower currently being built at Royal Columbian Hospital.

“Healthcare is a very rewarding thing to build because you know that what you’re building is very meaningful to the community,” says the Senior Vice President - Project Director at EllisDon Corporation, which was awarded the

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contract for the second and third phases of Royal Columbian’s $1.49 billion redevelopment. “Healthcare is also, I believe, the most complicated piece of construction that you’ll ever build. I don’t think people realize the years and years of planning that the health authority puts in.”

TAKING SHAPE For the last year and a half since demolition of the former Sherbrooke Centre building took place, hundreds of construction workers have been assembling daily to methodically build the new tower, scheduled to be finished in 2025. The structure of the new building has started taking shape,

YOUR HEALTH MATTERS | ROYAL COLUMBIAN HOSPITAL FOUNDATION

and at peak construction as many as 1,200 workers will be on site.

“I think of it as this giant organism that you’re trying to move towards the finish line,” says Michael. “If you can get everybody pushing that giant organism in the same direction, you’re going to get a hospital that everybody’s going to be happy with.”

The new tower will become the most prominent part of the hospital.

At more than 70,000 square metres above grade with 350 parking spaces below, the tower will include an interventional super floor with operating rooms and interventional radiology and cardiology suites, a new Emergency Department with its own

Artist rendering of the Acute Care Tower.

One of the first milestones of the Acute Care Tower construction was the successful transfer of the hospital’s tank farm for oxygen, nitrous oxide, and medical air reserves.

imaging unit, new larger maternity, pediatric, and neonatal intensive care units, and multiple floors for acute and critical care patients. A helipad will be built on top.

With almost double the current footprint, redevelopment will significantly increase the current capacity of Royal Columbian by approximately 50% to 675 beds and will provide highly sophisticated critical care technologies and treatments. Coupled with the Mental Health and Substance Use Wellness Centre that opened in the summer of 2020 as part of the first phase of redevelopment, the Acute Care Tower will allow our physicians and health care team to treat 11,300 more patients each year.

MILESTONES Part of the challenge of building such a significant addition to Royal

Columbian is ensuring the hospital continues to function properly amid a construction zone. That stands out as a highlight so far for Michael. An interim support building was opened in September 2021 for hospital support services including laundry and maintenance. There was also the transfer of the tank farm for oxygen, nitrous oxide, and medical air reserves.

“We found the only available piece of green boulevard that we could on the campus and relocated the tank farm successfully, during COVID, without interrupting the gas supply to the hospital,” Michael notes. “That was a key activity that we did at the beginning that worked out quite well.”

It is not the first time EllisDon has overseen construction at Royal Columbian. The company was awarded the contract in the late 1980s to build the Columbia Tower, where many of the inpatient units are located along with medical imaging.

“It’s interesting how things come full circle,” Michael notes. “Our project director for instance worked for Fraser Health 25 years ago.

EllisDon, who was building (at RCH) at that time, is back here.”

PHILANTHROPY Along with building the physical structure, EllisDon is also keen on team building. The company is looking for ways to engage their employees on a deeper level as well as reaching out to the hospital community and beyond.

“During COVID, we have really seen what healthcare workers have been going through, in terms of the hours and the PPE they had to wear and the risk that they put themselves through,” says Michael. “When you make our team more aware, they understand the importance of supporting the foundation and supporting the hospital.”

EllisDon has partnered with Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation so far on initiatives to show encouragement and support for caregivers, including sponsoring special holiday season giveaways and a large appreciation event for the hospital family.

“People feel good when they do good for others in the world,” says Michael.

“And if people are happier, then they’ll do a better job.” It is part of EllisDon’s approach to building a first class facility for Royal Columbian and its communities. •

ROYAL COLUMBIAN HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | YOUR HEALTH MATTERS

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REPORT TO DONORS: YOUR GIFT IS CRITICAL TO THE CARE WE PROVIDE WITH THE HELP OF DONORS LIKE YOU IN 2021-22, ROYAL COLUMBIAN HOSPITAL FOUNDATION HAS BEEN ABLE TO PURCHASE EQUIPMENT FOR A NUMBER OF HOSPITAL DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING.

Royal Columbian Hospital neurointerventional radiologist Dr. William Siu demonstrates the benefits of the angiography suite upgrades.

STROKE CARE

CANCER REMOVAL

Patients now have better access to faster, safer and more effective treatments for acute strokes with the opening of a new angiography suite at Royal Columbian Hospital.

The suite includes new imaging equipment that allows interventional radiology teams to better understand what is happening in a patient’s arteries, veins, and organs following a stroke or due to other injury or illness. The benefits include higher resolution and image quality, more flexibility, and a significant reduction in radiation exposure to both patients and staff during procedures.

In addition to acute stroke care, the new angiography suite will be used for a wide range of emergency procedures to stop internal bleeding, remove clots from lungs, open narrowed blood vessels, and treat cancers.

An estimated one in eight Canadian women will develop breast cancer during their lifetime. To confirm more

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quickly that a breast lesion has been surgically removed by the surgeon at Royal Columbian Hospital, the Foundation has funded the purchase of a specimen radiography unit to be located right in the operating room.

This will allow the surgeon to receive confirmation almost immediately and avoid the need to transport the removed tissue to another location in the hospital for testing. It also supports the introduction of new and donor-funded technology that uses tiny metal radioactive “seeds” about the size of a grain of rice that help guide the surgeon to precisely locate the tumour.

YOUTH PEER SUPPORT The Youth Peer Support Worker Program offers peer support to young people receiving mental health and substance use services in the Fraser Health region. With funding secured by the Foundation, the program has

Dr. Michelle Goecke with the donorfunded specimen radiography unit.

Zaky HUGs helps support and comfort premature newborns as they receive care in the neonatal intensive care unit.

recruited youth with lived experience of mental health issues to serve as Youth Peer Support Workers. These youth receive specialized training on how to promote mental health programs to peers and then work with Fraser Health as Youth Peer Support Workers.

The training has been offered through two different streams: a first-time Indigenous-specific program and a mainstream program.

To date, two initial cohorts have been launched, with 22 youth in total receiving training, exceeding the goal for participant recruitment for these cohorts.

HANDS-ON CARE As a top neonatal intensive care unit, Royal Columbian Hospital cares for hundreds of premature babies each year. While these newborns continue to grow in an incubator, Zaky HUGs provide support and comfort, functioning as a substitute when a parent is not available to offer hands-on attention. It enables correct posture that supports proper musculoskeletal development.

Pediatrics Patient Care Coordinator Amanda Doucette demonstrates a portable ultrasound that helps insert IVs more easily in their young patients.

Foundation has funded a tool that gives surgeons access to the spine with less trauma than the traditional approach. The Minimal Exposure Tubular Retractor helps minimize damage to muscle tissue during this minimally invasive surgery. Patients can be discharged back home earlier and return to work and their daily activities sooner.

IV ASSISTANCE To help in cases where an IV needs to be put in the arm of an infant, the Foundation has funded the purchase of a high-resolution portable ultrasound.

The IVIZ ultrasound system helps to identify the appropriate vascular access for intravenous catheter insertion on infants and children. The equipment can easily be held in the palm of a hand and helps to minimize the chance of multiple insertions for long duration intravenous antibiotics and fluid.

WELLNESS BACKPACKS Envisioned by the clinical team in our Mental Health and Substance Use Wellness Centre, the primary objective of the wellness backpacks is to build trust and rapport with individuals served by the hospital who are homeless or displaced– and who may need further support with their mental health or substance use challenges.

The backpacks allow them access to basic needs while they wait for further supports.

With generous support from the TELUS Vancouver Community Board and the City of New Westminster, the clinical team has produced more than 300 backpacks. Each includes essentials like washcloths, band-aids, mittens; other items like snacks and stress balls that are geared towards those who are struggling with addiction; and pandemic-related items like hand sanitizer, masks and gloves. •

SPINAL SURGERY Lumbar disc herniations and spinal stenosis are commonly encountered and frequently disabling conditions seen by neurosurgeons at Royal Columbian Hospital, which is the neurosurgery centre for the entire health region. With donors’ help, the

Care packages have been assembled to help further relationships with individuals who may need support with mental health or substance use challenges.

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FALL 2022

Dorothy in her weaving studio

A Heart Full of Gratitude

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orothy Wirth has had her fair share of adventures.

Camping in Australia, riding a motorcycle across Canada, and scuba diving in the Caribbean have all been highlights for this world traveller.

But in October 2020, she took a trip she didn’t plan – to Royal Columbian Hospital for open heart surgery.

At the height of the pandemic, Dorothy came to RCH to get a stent (a tiny tube inserted into a blocked artery to keep it open and restore blood flow) inserted in our cardiac catheterization lab. It was supposed to be a routine procedure. Unfortunately, a stent wasn’t going to do the job.

Dorothy needed emergency triple bypass surgery.

Because of COVID-19 restrictions, she knew she couldn’t have her husband, Jim, by her side through

her ordeal. “I was scared stiff,” she says. She remembers a porter named Blake, a charming and friendly young man who assisted her and allayed her fears. “That kind moment when I was so afraid. It meant a lot to me,” says Dorothy.

Dorothy continued to be impressed with the level of care and compassion she experienced during her time at Royal Columbian. “I can’t tell you how amazing all of the people were,” she says. “I couldn’t have been in a better place.” Dorothy reflects, “Hundreds of people looked after me. Nobody owed me that. It was a gift.”

Dorothy still keeps in touch with the roommate she had during her recovery. “We call ourselves Scar Sisters,” she says. They continue to support and encourage each other more than a year-and-a-half after

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their surgeries.

An expert weaver, Dorothy belongs to a group that sells their work once a year in November. After her surgery, she decided she would give her proceeds to RCHF. Recently, it was time for Dorothy to update her Will. She chose to leave a gift in her Will to Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation in gratitude for the care she received. She says, “When we have the opportunity to support our system, it’s very important that we do so others can benefit.” •

Have a story to share? Please reach out to:

Catherine Cornish Director, Leadership and Legacy Giving 604 970 5931 catherine.cornish@fraserhealth.ca

Beat Your Tax Bill

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any people don’t realize that when they pass, their estate will be heavily taxed according to the current value of their assets. This is often the largest tax bill we ever incur.

When you leave a gift to a charity in your Will, your estate will receive a tax receipt it can use to claim a charitable tax credit. This credit can be almost half the amount of your donation!

A charitable tax credit can go a long way towards paying down this hefty tax bill, and will ensure more of your hard-earned assets go to your loved ones and a cause you care about, instead of your estate’s tax bill.

Here’s an example of how this might look.

Melissa, a widow, leaves a gift of $10,000 to Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation and the remainder of her estate (the residue) equally to her two

children, Scott and Sophie. Her estate is worth $200,000.

When Melissa passes, her estate will receive a charitable tax receipt for $10,000 that will reduce the income tax owed by her estate.

Assuming a tax rate of 45%, this charitable tax receipt will reduce the tax Melissa’s estate has to pay by $4,500.

If Melissa had not given this gift, the estate would have had to pay $4,500 in tax on this amount and only $5,500 would have gone to Scott and Sophie, or $2,250 each.

With this gift, Melissa gets to have a $10,000 impact on patient care at Royal Columbian, and Scott and

The Power of Your Gift

Sophie’s share of the residue from her $200,000 estate is reduced by just $5,500, or 2%.

Talk to your financial advisor to see how a charitable gift can help both your loved ones and a cause you love. •

| Spotlight on Cancer Care

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f you or a loved one has been affected by cancer, it’s a cause that is close to your heart. Donors passionate about cancer care can choose to designate their future gift to cancer care at Royal Columbian.

Our hospital is a leader in advanced procedures for cancer diagnosis and treatment, supported by Foundationfunded equipment and technology.

Rose Donovan thought her headaches and nausea were just stress. A shocking ultrasound showed a golf ballsized mass on her pancreas.

She was stunned.

RCH Hepato-PancreaticoBiliary surgeon Dr. Shawn MacKenzie removed the tumour with a successful, complex surgical procedure.

Rose is now cancer free.

Precision Makes Perfect

Patients with liver, gall bladder, bile duct or pancreatic cancer are benefitting from a specialized ultrasound for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic (HPB) surgeries funded by the Foundation. Surgeons perform HPB surgery to remove primary and metastatic tumours and lesions.

With HPB surgery, the goal is to remove as much of the cancer as possible while ensuring the organ remains functional. Surgeons must be meticulous in order to avoid damaging

You hear that cancer word and it’s like, “Oh my God! What does this mean?”

ROSE DONOVAN

healthy parts of the organ and cutting off blood supply to the remaining part of the organ, which can be fatal. The Flex Focus ultrasound provides clear, definitive images for safer and more effective procedures.

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The Power of Your Gift

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Freezing Cancer Out

Royal Columbian Hospital is also a leader in ablation, a minimally invasive, non-surgical procedure to kill malignant lung, liver, kidney, bone, and soft tissue tumors. With ablation, special probes are used to “burn” or “freeze” cancers without the usual surgery. Computed Tomography (CT), Ultrasound (US) or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is used to guide and position the needle probe into the tumor.

“Burning” refers to increasing the temperature of the tumor to such a level that cancer cells die. This is achieved by radio frequency probes, referring to the type of energy used to increase the temperature. “Freezing” refers to cryoablation which decreases the temperature to -40 C (-40 F) which also kills cancer cells.

When nephrologist Dr. Maha Alchalabi was diagnosed with kidney cancer at 54, she knew she wasn’t a candidate for surgery or chemotherapy. The size of her tumour and existing medical complications ruled it out.

Thankfully, she was able to receive cryoablation treatments at Royal Columbian with a Foundationfunded cryoablation machine. Years later, there are no signs of cancer.

Enhancing Chemotherapy Treatment

In 2019, the Foundation helped to fund the relocation and refurbishment of space for chemotherapy treatment at Royal Columbian. Prior to the move, patients received chemotherapy treatment in our Medical Daycare Clinic, located in the basement of the hospital. Now patients benefit

from a brighter, more soothing space dedicated solely to chemotherapy.

Patients with chronic malignant hematological disorders (including blood cancers) receive chemotherapy

Cathy MacDonald underwent treatment in Royal Columbian’s Medical Daycare Clinic for almost 11 months after being diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a blood cancer that forms in plasma cells. Treatment involved a cocktail of drugs, some taken intravenously and others in the form of pills. After nearly a year of visits, she is currently in remission.

at RCH. Treatment often consists of giving several drugs together in a set regimen. Because each medication destroys tumor cells in different ways, a combination of drugs may make the cells more vulnerable to treatment.

These investments in cancer care would not be possible without the support of donors like you. •

Gifts of Registered Retirement Plans and Tax Free Savings Accounts | Fast, Easy and Private

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egistered retirement plans and tax free savings accounts can be excellent ways to make an impactful future gift to Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation.

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Registered Retirement Plans

Many people do not realize that upon passing, the total value of your registered retirement accounts must be reported as income. This income

YOUR HEALTH MATTERS | ROYAL COLUMBIAN HOSPITAL FOUNDATION

is fully taxable, unless the funds can be rolled over to a surviving spouse or dependent child. The charitable tax credit your estate will receive from CONTINUED ON PAGE 15

The Power of Your Gift CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14

your gift can significantly offset your estate’s tax burden.

There are other advantages as well.

Gifts of RRSPs and RRIFs are more difficult to contest than a gift in a Will. Under BC law, a spouse or child of a will-maker who has passed away can challenge the Will in court if they feel it doesn’t “make adequate provision for the proper maintenance and support” for them. This is called a Wills Variation Claim. Gifts of RRSPs and RRIFs do not fall under this legislation so no claim can be made.

These gifts are also more private – your Will becomes publicly available after you pass if it goes through probate. Probate is the process that verifies a Will is real under BC laws.

Whether a Will needs to be probated or not depends on the agencies and financial institutions that hold assets within an estate. In BC, probate will be required if you own land in your own name.

Tax Free Savings Accounts

Just as with RRSPs and RRIFs, it is also possible to name Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation a

Dr. Carolyn Shiau

beneficiary of your Tax Free Savings Account (TFSA). Doing so has the same tax-saving benefits.

For any of these gift types, you may designate Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation as a 100% beneficiary or a partial beneficiary. These gifts are easy to make. Simply obtain a

beneficiary designation form from your provider and complete the form with our legal name, address, and Charitable Business Number. You don’t need to involve a lawyer.

Speak with your financial advisor to see if these gift vehicles are right for you.

*This document does not constitute legal or financial advice. We recommend that before making a decision on a significant gift to Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation, you seek independent professional advice to ensure your gift is structured in accordance with your personal circumstance and that the related tax implications have been thoroughly considered. Thank you for considering a gift to Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation!

Considering a legacy gift to Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation?

Let’s chat.

Visit rchfoundation.com/legacy for more information.

CATHERINE CORNISH, CFRE Director, Leadership & Legacy Giving 604 970 5931 catherine.cornish@fraserhealth.ca ASH HUNKIN Development Officer, Legacy Giving 236 632 2088 ashley.hunkin@fraserhealth.ca ROYAL COLUMBIAN HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | YOUR HEALTH MATTERS

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EASING AGITATION CRITICAL CARE TEAM EXPLORES HOW TECHNOLOGY CAN HELP MANAGE PATIENT DELIRIUM

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went berserk more or less,” recalls Colin Lewis about his time in Royal Columbian Hospital’s Cardiac Surgery Intensive Care Unit (CSICU) following a cardiac arrest. “I was going to throw my CPAP machine at them.

I’m not usually like that at all.”

Agitation, confusion, and even hallucinations are all symptoms of a mental disturbance known as delirium, common among hospitalized patients. As many as 80% of critical care patients will show signs of delirium, which could last hours or even weeks. Some patients become withdrawn and less responsive, while others get restless and emotionally volatile.

“It can be very distressing for people because they see their loved one emerging from what might be a critical illness but acting differently,” notes Royal Columbian Hospital critical care physician Dr. Steve Reynolds. “To control delirium, we often are forced to give medications.

And at worst, we actually have to tie people down so that they don’t hurt themselves, pull out IVs, or hurt the nurses or other medical staff.”

Factors thought to be associated with delirium include older age, severity of illness, lack of sunlight, disrupted sleep, and use of medications. Those are elements familiar to intensive care units.

MULTIMEDIA TECHNOLOGY Dr. Reynolds and CSICU nurse Michelle Nicholas, who is currently pursuing a PhD, are part of a research effort looking at innovative digital technologies such as MindfulGarden to manage delirium. Funded with help from donors to Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation, the goal is to reduce reliance on medications and restraints.

“It appeals to me as a clinician because it’s a distraction technique,” 16

The ICU team trialed an interactive multimedia screen with moving images of blooming flowers and floating butterflies to manage delirium in patients.

says Dr. Reynolds.

“I really like the fact that we’re trying to use an intervention that has very low downside.”

For the trial, the team used an interactive multimedia screen with moving images of blooming flowers and floating butterflies. Sensors identify the patient’s agitation or anxiety levels and change the images on the screen accordingly.

“We’re pretty excited to say that we showed a significant reduction in patient agitation,” says Dr. Reynolds.

“We also showed a significant reduction in antipsychotics.”

As a next step, Royal Columbian’s research group is in talks with other centres on a larger study.

“We want to see if it has really profound impacts on the patient’s

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Dr. Steve Reynolds

stay, gets them out of ICU and hospital sooner, and makes their stay safer,” says Dr. Reynolds. •

A recent project to reduce noise in the ER exceeded the goal of reducing overhead calls by 25 per cent

PUTTING A LID ON HOSPITAL NOISE | A PILOT PROJECT REDUCES NOISE IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

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f you work at or visit a hospital you have probably heard the overhead paging system calling staff. While paging is helpful to mobilize people quickly in critical situations, it can also become background noise for the majority of people working and visiting.

To help solve this problem, Dr. Jonathan Braunstein, an emergency physician at Royal Columbian Hospital, had an idea and a goal: reduce the overhead calls in the emergency department at Royal Columbian Hospital by 25 per cent in just four months.

“We knew from previous studies that noise has a negative impact on clinicians and can impair sleep for patients,” Dr. Braunstein says.

“What we didn’t know – and what we set out to do – was find out how to reduce departmental noise and which techniques work best.”

With funding through Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation, Dr. Braunstein worked with his emergency department colleague Dr. Doug Brown, and Abigail Holder, a clinical resource nurse. The team was involved in an earlier pilot project that used encrypted messaging to allow health care providers to communicate with patients through video and messaging without having to go into their room.

This helped improve communication while limiting exposure to patients and reducing the need to don and doff protective gear.

FEWER OVERHEAD CALLS For this project, the research team collected baseline data on the number of overhead calls. They found that the most commonly called staff are housekeepers, followed by nurses, care aids and physicians.

Then, they developed ways to

minimize overhead calls for each group by moving to a secure messaging app with targeted communication channels.

“Even though we faced some technological challenges, we were able to not only meet, but exceed our goal of reducing overhead calls by 25 per cent,” Dr. Braunstein says.

“We also improved communication between our various staff groups, which was a gap we hadn’t previously identified.”

Next steps include supporting and encouraging physicians and other staff to continue using secure messaging in clinical practice and to reduce interruptions and overhead calls.

“This project verified that we are able to adapt and use new tools to improve communication within our hospitals, which is better for staff and patients,” Dr. Braunstein says. •

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BRAINWAVE OF THE FUTURE HOSPITAL-BASED STUDY LOOKS INTO DEVICE’S NEUROLOGICAL POTENTIAL

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o get a good read on a patient’s blood pressure, pulse, temperature, and oxygen saturation levels, healthcare professionals rely on a vital-signs monitor. But what if they want to measure brain function?

That’s the focus of a study being rolled out at Royal Columbian Hospital, using technology researchers hope will unlock answers to help clinicians diagnose and treat a range of patients.

“We have a concentration of patients at Royal Columbian with psychiatric, neurosurgical, and neurological conditions of different age groups, which is fairly unique,” says Royal Columbian Hospital neurologist Dr. George Medvedev.

“Because of the concentration of expertise and the complexity of patients that we see, this hospital is well-positioned for assessing new and potentially very useful diagnostic tools for cognitive brain function.”

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NEUROCATCH Brain activity can be measured by electroencephalography (EEG), using electrodes that are placed on the head. To evaluate cognitive functions, advanced equipment and specialized expertise are needed. As a result, such techniques resided more often in research labs than in hospitals. That is now changing with a device known as NeuroCatch.

“The novelty is that with the help of advanced computer technology, we are able to standardize the procedures,” explains Dr. Medvedev.

“Now, you can package the EEG device into a computer chip and put it inside a small box that makes this sophisticated technique very accessible and can be migrated into a real clinical practice.”

NeuroCatch emerged from Fraser Health research on brain vital signs led by neuroscientist Dr. Ryan D’Arcy together with Fraser Health Senior Clinical Scientist Dr. Xiaowei Song.

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NeuroCatch is currently being used in North American centres such as the Mayo Clinic. The technology has been donated to Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation by HealthTech Connex.

The study seeks to better understand how NeuroCatch can help improve care for patients. Those with brain injuries, dementias, epilepsies, and mental health challenges will be among the patients asked to take part in the trial. The device conducts a six-minute scan to measure and report immediately on the brain function by displaying information on three different cognitive brain responses, also known as event-related potentials (ERPs).

“By applying it in multiple clinical scenarios, with diverse patient populations, we’ll learn how the information that NeuroCatch provides correlates with established protocol parameters, and what additional information we gain by using this tool in our patients,” says Dr. Medvedev. •

BREAST HEALTH Dr. Jennifer Dolden is Clinical Lead for the Breast Imaging Department and has been with the group of radiologists at Royal Columbian and Eagle Ridge Hospitals for 17 years.

She completed a Fellowship in Breast Imaging at Mount Sinai and Princess Margaret Hospitals in Toronto in 2006, bringing the first MRI breast biopsies to Fraser Health.

Foundation: What role does Royal Columbian have in treating breast cancers?

JD: Breast cancer affects one in eight women and is the most common cause of cancer for all women. As a tertiary referral centre, Royal Columbian’s Breast Imaging Department is considered a Centre of Excellence in both the Fraser Health region and the province. It provides breast imaging and breast biopsies using ultrasound, mammography and MRI. Our Pathology Department diagnoses breast cancer and helps the surgery and oncology teams determine appropriate therapies. Our breast cancer surgeons remove cancerous masses.

Foundation: In the breast imaging department, donors have helped fund technology upgrades in recent years. What is Digital Breast Tomosynthesis?

JD: The department performed close to 5,000 mammograms this past year. The hospital became the first in Fraser Health to use Digital Breast Tomosynthesis to detect breast cancer. This mammography upgrade helps improve breast cancer detection rates and reduce the number of false positives. It allows the radiologist to look at a series of images rather than the current routine mammogram technique of only two images per breast.

Foundation: With donor support, Royal Columbian became the first in BC in 2020 to use tiny metal radioactive “seeds” to pinpoint certain breast cancers. What makes the Radioactive Seed Localization program important for patients?

JD: The seeds are about the size of a grain of rice and are implanted into tumours that can’t be seen or felt. These seeds guide the surgeon to precisely locate the tumours for removal.

The seed provides more comfort for the patient, who previously would have had a wire inserted into the breast prior to the surgery. The seeds also allow us to better manage patient and OR schedules, by being placed days before surgery, not the day of surgery.

Foundation: Donors have also recently funded a specimen radiography unit for the operating room. What does that allow us to do for breast cancer patients?

JD: This unit helps confirm more quickly that a breast lesion has been surgically removed. It allow the surgeons to receive that confirmation almost immediately and avoid the need to transport the removed tissue to another location in the hospital for imaging, allowing for a more efficient use of time in the operating room. The new specimen imaging unit helps us easily see the radioactive seeds that we have implanted into the tumour. • ROYAL COLUMBIAN HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | YOUR HEALTH MATTERS

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Caring from Hospital to Home Getting a loved one home from the hospital isn’t just about arranging transportation. Choosing the right post-hospital care is essential for a full recovery. Our Talent is caring, for you and the person you love.

Call today to book your FREE Caring Consult™!

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