William Osler Health System
2100 Bovaird Dr East L6R 3J7 Brampton, ON, Canada

"You’re someone they can trust so you build a stronger rapport." Throughout the pandemic, Lyda has ensured the connection between her patients in the Emergency Department and their loved ones remains strong. Her story: http://bit.ly/3s2PYzD

As I walk the corridors of Brampton Civic Hospital, and drive the streets of Brampton, I see the invaluable role Black people play in our society, in concert with other cultures. Black History Month should not just be a month of celebration and recognition, but a provocation of awareness that we still have a significant way to go on the journey of promoting health equality and social inclusion. With the ongoing pandemic, we are living in unique times, and to me as a physicia...n of African descent, how we shape history will go a long way to tell the future narrative. Osler being applauded as one of Canada’s best diversity employers 8 years in a row, is a great achievement. Next steps must include spearheading the micro-issues of diversity and inclusion across the board. Osler is ahead of the game not just for the pride and recognition that comes with it, but for the leadership involved. I am proud to be a member of Osler, I am proud to be Black. - Dr. Charles Ohene-Darkoh, Psychiatrist During Black History Month, we are recognizing inspiring members of the Osler team and hearing about what this month means to them.

This year has been very challenging, for everybody. Our family and the relationship we have has really kept us all afloat. While I’ve been working pretty much around the clock, Rajiv and my daughters have really pitched in and done everything around the house. Our girls really impressed us and just took the lead and cooked meals, did laundry, all without us really even asking. Because they are both at home right now, whenever we all get the chance to have dinner together, we... take it. We hope to do this more going forward, even after the pandemic. In addition to these challenging times, Rajiv and I actually both lost a parent this year. As a way to remember our parents, we decided to make a gift to name the waiting area in Etobicoke General’s ICU. Family is so important to us. As for Valentine’s Day, we don’t really celebrate because our anniversary is just a week afterwards. We'd usually take a trip, just the two of us, but this year, we'll probably just order some sushi and keep it low key. We're used to low key now and it's all good." (2/2) - Dr. Mahin Baqi, Infection Control and Infectious Diseases Specialist, with Dr. Gupta and their daughters. Happy Valentine's Day

It’s kind of a cool story. We met while we were taking a CPR course at a hospital we had both been assigned to in Toronto. At the time I was working in the Intensive Care Unit and Mahin was in Internal Medicine. I needed to find a way to get her attention, so once I called down to her unit and invited her to come up and give us her opinion on a particular case. I was hoping this could lead to us grabbing a coffee together. The best part was, I mean, I'm in the ICU. I shouldn...'t be getting a medical consult, so she probably thought, wow, this guy's not very smart. Fast forward and we’ve now been married 26 years and are both working at Etobicoke General. (1/2) - Dr. Rajiv Gupta, Urologist, Etobicoke General, with Dr. Mahin Baqi, Infection Control and Infectious Diseases Specialist. Throughout the pandemic, Dr. Baqi has been instrumental in Osler’s COVID-19 response and Dr. Gupta, who continues to see patients, temporarily closed his practice to take on a volunteer role during the first wave to help manage high volumes in the ICU. Stay tuned for more of their story.

We sure are feeling the love! 1300+ hearts with messages for our #HealthCareHeroes are now displayed across our hospitals. Thank you to all who shared their kind words, and a special thanks to our Spiritual Health Therapy team for spreading the across our hospital sites.

Mark your calendars for our upcoming Telephone Town Hall Join our senior leaders, including Dr. Naveed Mohammad, President & CEO, to learn more about our COVID-19 response, redevelopment priorities and updates to our programs and services. December 2... 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Register to join us:

Our first-ever Virtual Gala Benefit Concert is now live!

UPDATE: our #Brampton COVID-19 Testing Centre at South Fletcher’s will REOPEN tomorrow, Wednesday November 18. If you have an appointment tomorrow, please come for your scheduled time. For those looking to book an appointment, please visit: williamoslerhs.ca/coronavirus

Hey Registered Nurses Our community needs your compassion and dedication more than ever. Explore our current job opportunities and apply today to join our team: bit.ly/32TTfaj

Your donation can help us help patients like Tony. Consider donating to #OslerConcert to help us purchase life-saving equipment for our hospitals: bit.ly/3kIMYUV

We are committed to providing compassionate care while also protecting everyone who comes through our doors. Please note that our Visitor Policy has changed. For more information: https://www.williamoslerhs.ca//coronavirus-/visitor-policy

UPDATE: the Brampton COVID-19 Testing Centre at South Fletcher’s Sportsplex will be closed tomorrow, Tuesday, November 17, as repairs continue. Those with appointments will be contacted directly to rebook. We appreciate your patience while we work to resume testing as soon as possible.

When people ask me what we do on the Clinical and Health Informatics teams, I say we’re IT’s clinical lens. We transform health care by designing, implementing, and evaluating information and communication systems to improve patient care. We’re a small team but we have great impact. We work closely with the IT department to provide a clinical perspective on all of our corporate projects. We also work with various health care professionals within the organization to manage an...d process information within electronic health records. We work to increase accuracy and completion of documentation and on designing applications in a way where they are easy and efficient for health professionals to use. When the pandemic hit, we worked quickly with a group of project managers to get virtual care up and running for our outpatient clinics. We’re also working on a virtual care in other areas of the hospital. The Clinical Informatics team also trains new clinical hires on our clinical documentation applications. What makes me most proud of what I do is having an important role in so many different quality improvement projects in our organization that impact our patients and the care they receive. - Lynn Healey, Manager of Health Informatics Happy Digital Health Week! Thanks to Osler team members like Lynn, our hospital systems and operations can run smoothly and efficiently.

In October we celebrate our Library Technicians and their exceptional contribution to patient care. Since the pandemic began, our small but mighty team has been incredibly resourceful in providing relevant COVID-19 resources to our staff, physicians and the broader community.

On Wednesday October 21, join Canadian Cancer Society & Women's College Hospital for BRA Day. This year's virtual event will bring leading breast reconstruction experts together to share their insights and answer your questions. Register today:

Just a reminder our clinic is open this weekend for walk-ins for those who meet criteria and those who have symptoms and want to see a doctor.

The stress and worries related to COVID-19 that I hear from clients are relatable to many of us right now. This has added a new level of common humanity with our clients. With COVID-19, we’re not just seeing anxiety and depression, we’re also seeing a shift in people’s sleep routines. We’ve just completed the first session for our CBT for Sleep Disturbances Group and it definitely started at a good time as boundaries of work and home have become blurred. We are also currentl...y running a Mindfulness Group where participants learn new ways of thinking and becoming more present, strategies in meditation and more. All of our programs and interventions are evidence based. Our groups are usually in person and site-specific, but with the pandemic, we’ve gone virtual which provides patients with more opportunities to find a time that works for them. We’ve observed that these groups really add another layer to the core skills they’ve learned in other Cognitive Behaviour Therapy groups. People are learning to be more self-compassionate and kinder to themselves and are realizing, they are not alone. We’re in this together! - Wendy & Abigail, Mental Health Therapists

"Without them, I wouldn’t be here today. Meet Shirley Weiss and read her inspiring story:

"I work with youth who have a drug and/or alcohol addition. We work together to determine how they can minimize harm while also enhancing their skills and knowledge to live safer and healthier lives. We do this through individual and group counselling, case management and psychoeducation. The clients I work with are actively involved in their treatment planning and are able to make informed decisions about their use, goals and treatment. Many people who use substances experie...nce additional challenges with their mental health. Substance use and mental illness are independent problems that interact and impact one other and it is now considered best practice to treat both concerns at the same time or concurrently. Especially during the pandemic, I’ve learned quickly that supporting individuals’ mental health and well-being through times like these has no road map. I’ve had to adapt and adjust to make services even more accessible than they have been in the past, while also ensuring the services being provided in new ways (like virtual care) are effective and worthwhile. I'm passionate about the work I do, and having the opportunity to be an agent of change in my community keeps me going. I’m so inspired by the resiliency I see in the youth population I work with." - Caitlin Shelly, Youth Addictions Counsellor, Withdrawal Management Centre During Mental Illness Awareness Week we are recognizing some of our exceptional health care providers who make a huge difference in the lives of those with mental illness.

The September edition of Inside Osler features the life-saving power of virtual care, our most up-to-date COVID-19 info and how the incredible generosity of our community has made a difference. Read all about it: https://bit.ly/36xMY6H

PLEASE NOTE: On Wednesday, October 7, the Brampton Drive-Thru COVID-19 Testing Centre will close for one day for cold weather preparations. There will be no appointments on that day. We appreciate your patience as we do all we can to ensure the safety and well-being of patients and staff. Anyone who arrives in-person on Wednesday to book an appointment will be scheduled for the following day. We aim to share more with you about automated booking options in the near future.

Today is the official opening of the rTMS Clinic at Brampton Civic! rTMS is a safe, non-invasive treatment for moderate to advanced depression, with fewer side effects than other treatments. We are thrilled to provide this state-of-the-art service in our own community.... William Osler Health System Foundation Bell Let's Talk

REMINDER: Our COVID-19, Cold and Flu at Peel Memorial continues to be open for walk-ins. If you meet the COVID-19 testing criteria or have flu-like symptoms and want to see a doctor, you can get tested at the COVID-19, Cold and Flu Clinic. More: www.williamoslerhs.ca/coronavirus

Starting tomorrow, October 4, in alignment with the Ontario Government's direction, we will provide appointment-only testing at our COVID-19 Testing Centres in Brampton & Etobicoke. Those who are eligible for testing can visit an Osler Testing Centre to make an appointment. We will transition to an automated booking system in the days ahead. For more information: www.williamoslerhs.ca/coronavirus

Are you smiling behind your mask? Masks and face coverings can make communicating difficult, especially for those with hearing loss, communication or language barriers. Luckily, our Speech Language Pathologists have some helpful tips.

BIG NEWS! Sarah McLachlan will be performing at this year's virtual #OslerConcert! Learn more about how you can register to join us and support our #HealthCareHeroes:

Starting today, the hours of our COVID-19, Cold and Flu Clinic have changed. Visit the Clinic if you think you have COVID-19, cold or flu-like symptoms, would like to see a doctor & get tested. NEW HOURS:... 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. 20 Lynch St., Brampton 7 days a week See more