New Enhanced Recovery After Surgery unit (ERAS) opening at the Montreal General Hospital
The McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) is proud to announce that a brand-new unit dedicated to Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) is opening at the Montreal General Hospital (MGH) on the newly renovated 16th floor.
A minimum of six beds will open in October, focused on improving care for patients having surgery, with more beds to open in the future. This unit will also improve access to beds for OR and ER patients, leading to better patient flow and fewer surgery cancelations.
“The MUHC is known internationally for our leadership in developing ERAS pathways, which promote excellent, safe and efficient surgical care. Opening this unit is the next step after years of work and research,” says Dr. Liane Feldman, Surgeon-in-Chief at the MUHC.
Indeed, the ERAS unit is the culmination of 15 years of hard work: in 2008, Dr. Feldman and her team began mapping out clear guidelines for smooth and speedy recoveries, which are now used for more than 30 types of operations performed at the MUHC. Every pathway consists of over 20 best practices and a different pathway is required for every surgery. Research performed at the MUHC has shown that this approach reduces complications and hospital stays.
“The ERAS pathway takes into account everything that takes place before, during and after surgery, from nutrition guidelines to pain management to exercise milestones,” explains Dr. Feldman. “Staff on the unit will follow these established pathways for the optimal benefit of the patient.”
“When Dr. Feldman was creating these pathways, she included team members from every discipline including physiotherapy, pharmacy, anaesthesia and nursing,” says Oliver Cachero, clinical-administrative coordinator of the MUHC Surgical Mission. “Consultants brought their expertise to the table, and now, we have a rich repertoire of pathways to guide our new ERAS team.”
Julie Houle, project manager, highlights the incredible contribution that various departments have had in dreaming this unit into reality: “Nearly every department of the MGH has contributed to this achievement. I thank everyone for their enthusiasm and their involvement!”
What will it be like to work on the ERAS unit?
"We are building on the success of our ERAS pathways with a groundbreaking unit. This will be an exciting work environment and we invite people to submit their candidacy if they’re interested,” says Oliver.
The next hiring period is between October 27 to November 11, 2023. For details, please contact [email protected]
The ERAS program would not be where it is today without the generous support of the Montreal General Hospital Foundation and its donors.