Sharing our vision of healthcare with colleagues from Argentina

As a renowned academic health care centre with a reputation for medical leadership, we receive numerous requests from organizations across the world to visit our facilities.  In early August, the McGill University Health Centre welcomed a delegation of executives from FEMEBA/FEMECON/FABA and Medicos Municipales group, leaders in the transformative process of healthcare management in Argentina. With the goal of visiting a high complexity hospital and acquiring in-depth knowledge of the Canadian healthcare system, the Public Affairs Department organized a visit tailored to their specific interests for this delegation of eight distinguished physicians and healthcare leaders.

On a sunny Wednesday afternoon, the delegation was welcomed at the Emergency Department of the Montreal General Hospital (MGH) by Tara Grenier, Injury Prevention Coordinator.  A tour of the Trauma Centre included a visit to the Trauma Resuscitation Bay, CT Scan Area and Intensive Care Unit. 

Key staff members took time out of their busy day to meet with the group and provide an overview of their roles in the MGH, ultra-specialized tertiary trauma centre.   Our guests had many questions for trauma manager Nancy Tze and trauma surgeon Dr. Andrew Beckett regarding the management, staffing and general working condition of the trauma team.

Tara Grenier spoke about the innovative Young Road Safety and Injury Prevention Ambassador Program, which aims to address risky behavior in young people. Since this program was launched in November 2014 by Grenier in collaboration with the SAAQ and the Longueuil Agglomeration Police Service (SPAL), over 275 high school seniors have come through the program, and then shared their experience with their peers.

During a simulation in the ICU unit, Dr. Dan Decklebaum explained how the MGH Trauma Care Continuum and Quebec’s integrated trauma system were able to minimize response times in order to reduce morbidity and mortality rates in trauma victims. Since 1993, the survival rate of trauma victims has risen from less than 50% to more than 95% in Quebec.

The group also had many questions for Wendy Sherry, nurse specialist, who described the procedures in place to speak with patients’ families about organ and tissue donation. 

The visit at the MGH concluded with a brief introduction to the ER psychiatry unit and discussion of some of the MUHC and governmental programs in place to address issues of addictions and mental illnesses.

The following day, the delegation visited the Glen site.  They met with Dr. Ewa Sidorowicz, Associate Director General of Medical Affairs and Professional Services to learn about the MUHC facilities and our role in the healthcare network transformation.

After a tour of the Emergency Department with nurse manager Johanne Fiset and Dr. Jean-Marc Troquet, the delegation met with nurse manager Patrice Senecal for an in-depth look at the operating rooms. With the latest cutting-edge technology, our hybrid ORs contain high-resolution medical imaging devices which allow for more technical surgeries guided by high-resolution and 3D imaging.

A trip to see the pharmacy robot in action with Pharmacist-in-chief André Bonnici and his team was a real hit! The Robot-Rx goes a long way toward improving efficiency, speed and safety when dispensing medication to patients.

The last stop of this tour was a visit with Anna Pizzi, Manager of the Central Laboratory, who was happy to show the group around and answer all of their questions.  With some of the most advanced pieces of equipment in North America, the automated lab processes an average of 5,000 blood and urine specimens a day from across the province, with turnaround times of as low as 30 minutes.

Our delegation thanks the MUHC for this unforgettable experience and the incredible learnings that they will take back home with them.