Joseph Brant Hospital Awarded for Championing Organ and Tissue Donation

Joseph Brant Hospital Awarded for Championing Organ and Tissue Donation

Hospital Anesthesia Assistant Presented with Hidden Hero Award

Burlington, ON – Joseph Brant Hospital was recognized by Trillium Gift of Life Network, Ontario’s organ and tissue donation and transplantation agency, for its outstanding efforts to integrate organ and tissue donation into quality end-of-life care in 2018/19.

Joseph Brant Hospital was presented with the Provincial Conversion Rate Award for meeting or exceeding the target conversion rate of 63 per cent set by Trillium Gift of Life Network. The conversion rate is the percentage of potential organ donors (patients who die in a hospital setting and are deemed medically suitable for donation) who went on to become actual donors.
"It is due to the strong dedication and commitment of our front line staff to our patients and families, who find themselves confronting one of the most difficult times of their lives, that we have achieved this award. To be able to afford patients the opportunity to give a Gift of Life, meets the very highest standards of quality end of life care we all strive to provide" says Dr. Dwight Prodger, Chief of Critical Care Medicine at Joseph Brant Hospital.

Joseph Brant Hospital is one of 30 hospitals and four community partners to be awarded a 2018/19 Trillium Gift of Life Network Achievement Award.

“Joseph Brant Hospital is an outstanding example of how applying leading donation practices can save lives,” says Ronnie Gavsie, President and CEO, Trillium Gift of Life Network. “The award is a reflection of the culture of donation established at Joseph Brant Hospital, and a reminder of the work that we still need to do in other communities across Ontario. We will not be complacent.”

Today, more than 1,600 people in Ontario are on the waitlist for a lifesaving organ transplant, and every three days someone will die without one. While the majority of Canadians support donation only 34 per cent of Ontarians have formally registered their consent for organ and tissue donation.

Some people believe that their age or medical condition prevents them from being a donor. In actuality, age does not preclude someone from becoming a donor, and each potential donor is assessed at the time of death for medical suitability. Others may not have registered under the misguided assumption that doctors won’t work hard to save a life if that patient is a registered donor, but in fact, the priority is always to save a life. Donation is only considered after all lifesaving efforts are exhausted, there is no chance of recovery, and the family accepts the diagnosis of death.

Burlington trails the province with a registration rate of 40 per cent, ranking 129 out of 170 communities in Ontario. Visit BeADonor.ca to register or find out more.

Hidden Hero Award

The Hidden Hero award is presented by Joseph Brant Hospital with the support of TGLN to a deserving team member. The Hidden Hero award was originally designed to identify those who are not necessarily on the frontline of organ and tissue donation, but who go above and beyond to ensure a culture of organ and tissue donation within the hospital.

Ryan Toth, Anesthesia Assistant at Joseph Brant Hospital entered the healthcare field from a broad and varied background, including a previous career working with children and youth.
In 2018, while Ryan was working in the Operating Room, he responded to an emergency call from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). A potential organ donor needed a bronchoscopy within the hour and all capable clinicians were attending to other patient crises. The donation was at risk.

Without hesitation, Ryan offered his assistance and the donation was able to proceed successfully.

“Ryan is always looking for ways to improve patient care and the patient experience, both in his interactions with individual patients, and in examining the way we do things in the Operating Room” shares Dr. Deshpande, Chief of Anesthesia, Joseph Brant Hospital.

“After providing care, he frequently asks himself and others ‘Could we have done things better?’. He is committed to continuous improvement, and he is always looking for opportunities to help others. His efforts to go out of his way to make the organ donation a success are entirely consistent with his work ethic and his nature”.