2024 Quality Award Winner
Central West Ontario Health Team Cervical Screening Model
Organization: WellFort Community Health Services
Team: Kimberley Floyd, Devi Raghunauth, Faten Hassaan, Marsha Brown, Monica Balkaran, Jose Garcia, Suulaf Al Mofti, Evette Kyei
About: With one of the lowest cervical screening rates in the province, the population served by the Central West Ontario Health Team is culturally diverse with a high unattachment rate to comprehensive primary care. As part of the Central West Ontario Health Team’s Quality Improvement Plan, two strong community centres have partnered together to improve cervical screening rates. These partners organized improvements focusing on internal primary care and including a whole community population health model.
Working as a collaborative with shared goals, data reporting and targets of improvement at both the primary care and whole population health level, this unified team improved cervical screening rates in local communities by an average of 12% and in the most under screened neighbourhood by 24%. This work influenced the overall population health improvement in cervical screening by 3% across the entire Ontario Health Team within one year. The approach of offering improved health literacy, trust in the community and a model that brought care to the community allowed for this significant success. Additionally, two primary care organizations operated as one primary care network to support the population overall.
2024 Innovation Award Winner
Radiation Schedule Automation and Optimization
Organization: The Ottawa Hospital
Team: Melissa Diffey, Suzanne Comino, Kerri-Lyn Errington, Katherin Kroeger, Alyson McMillian, Anna Doherty, Nicholas Kerr, Miller MacPherson
About: Timely access to treatment is an important aspect of quality cancer care. Radiation therapy access can be delayed by the complexity of scheduling multiple treatment appointments with varying requirements across many different treatment platforms. In 2023, The Ottawa Hospital partnered with a startup company to pilot a novel optimization software that can automate and optimize the radiotherapy scheduling process. The pilot ran from May to August 2023. For the software build, The Ottawa Hospital team provided optimization parameters related to plans of care, technical capabilities of treatment platforms, available staff and other operational constraints.
For each new patient, the platform proposed the optimum pattern of treatments and sent an updated schedule automatically to the oncology information system . Process measures included the time spent booking an individual appointment and the time from appointment request to finalization in the oncology information system. Each of these were reduced by approximately 60%. Compliance with Ontario Health wait times was used as the primary outcome measure. The percentage of patients meeting the benchmark increased to 93.4%, compared to 74.7% the previous year. These improvements have been sustained and work is underway to spread the innovation to medical and hematological oncology.
2024 Equity Award Winners
Restore-Me After Breast Cancer Clinic
Organization: Mississauga Halton Central West Regional Cancer Program
Team: Dr. Alexandra Ginty, Sandy Garraway, Dr Scott Berry, Roxanne MacAskill, Deana Drozdowsky, Gulrukh Ladha
About: Financial and geographic equity to access high-quality restorative care is essential to mental and physical return to life after cancer. The Restore-me after breast cancer Clinic (Restore-me Clinic) at Halton Healthcare is the first service to offer patients 3D nipple-areola complex (NAC) tattooing on their reconstructed breasts that is:
- world-trained
- physician-funded
- high-quality
Deformities after breast cancer treatments and reconstruction can affect survivors’ confidence, sexuality and wellbeing. Medical tattoo procedures have been shown to enhance body self-image and benefit mental health.
Lack of funded access to high quality NAC tattooing creates significant health disparities as many patients cannot financially afford this final stage of restoration in private clinics nor seek follow-up outside of the hospital setting. OHIP covers this service if the areola tattoo is performed by a physician.
Referrals are growing exponentially, with 50% of referrals patient-initiated, illustrating patient advocacy. Growing interest from physicians across Canada with a desire for training, supports this initiative’s reproducibility and sustainability.
2024 Indigenous Health Winner
Cultural Safety Training
Organization: Central East Indigenous Cancer Program
Team: Kathy MacLeod-Beaver, Carter Sehn, Tina Cole, Jennifer Johnson, The Lakeridge Health Indigenous Expert Committee, Nora Sawyer, Phyllis Williams, Dawn-Marie Kelly, Jennifer Harrison, Jill Thompson, Mary Kelly, Mallory Kelly, Chante Muzzell, Hunter Johnson, Brianna Kelly, Janice Kelly, Sally Rivers and the Dnaagdawenmag Binnoojiiyag Child & Family Services Cultural Services Team, Shannon Bourke, Dr. Joel Broomfield
About: The Central East Regional Indigenous Cancer Program supports the goal of reducing inequities in care and access to services for Indigenous Peoples by building regional capacity to improve the health system overall and support the experience of Indigenous Peoples.
The program was awarded two grants to support the development and implementation of cultural safety training offered to health care providers. The Cultural Safety Training initiative aims to address the racism and prejudice that exists within the health system in Canada, and to respond to inequitable health outcomes experienced by Indigenous individuals and communities. Various local, provincial and national reports have found that anti-Indigenous racism is pervasive within all Canadian institutions, including hospitals.
The project responds to recent and key recommendations found in the national and provincial reports and applies a community-based approach centred on the lived experiences, knowledge and histories of local Indigenous communities. Central to this project is the formation of a committee of Elders and Knowledge Keepers, with diverse representation of Indigenous community members. The committee will continue to lead the project, ensuring our regional response will be centred on the needs and perspectives of Indigenous communities.
Full List of 2024 Nominations
For more details on any of these initiatives, please email the Quality and Innovation Awards team.
Quality nominations
- Pre-Surgical Smoking Cessation Initiative in Division of Thoracic Surgery – University Health Network
- Improving Timeliness and Access to Specialist Care for Patients with Lung Cancer in the SE Lung DAP – Kingston Health Sciences Centre
- Increasing PSO Services to Meet Needs – Grand River Regional Cancer Centre
- aRAT Clinic – Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre
- Surface Contamination Monitoring Program: Hudson Regional Cancer Centre Safe Handling of Hazardous Drugs – Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre
- Suspicion of Cancer Diagnostic Assessment Program – Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre
- A Collaborative Partnership to Develop a Sustainable Satellite Model of Care for Systemic Therapy – Headwaters Healthcare Centre
- University Health Network's AGILE Project – University Health Network Centre
- Central East Regional Cancer Program Website – Central East Regional Cancer Program
- CMH Surgical Wait Time Targets – Cambridge Memorial Hospital
- Waterloo Wellington Endoscopy Quality Improvement and Performance Committee – Waterloo Wellington Regional Cancer Program
- Bring Your Own Reusable Bag for Surgery – University Health Network
- STOP the POP: Preventing Postoperative Pneumonia – University Health Network
- Improving DPYD Genotyping Prior to Initiation of Fluoropyrimidine-Based Chemotherapy at a Community-Based Hospital – Trillium Health Partners
- Iron Gut – Mount Sinai Hospital
- Organizational Assessment & Adoption of Goals of Care Discussion Documentation in Medical Oncologists: The UHN Experience – The Princess Margaret Hospital
- Increasing Access to Timely Cancer Surgery – London Health Sciences Centre
- DYPD Genotype Testing: TOH Implementation Experience – The Ottawa Hospital
- Verspeeten Family Cancer Centre Systemic and Radiation Therapy Wait Time Improvements – London Health Sciences Centre
- Princess Margaret Bone Marrow Biopsy and Aspiration Program Evaluation – Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
- Cancer Care PFA-Leader Dyad Model – The Ottawa Hospital
- The Caregiver Clinic – Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
- Central West OHT Cervical Screening Model – WellFort Community Health Services, Rexdale CHC
- TOH Ambulatory Transformation Project: Cancer Pilot Clinics – The Ottawa Hospital
- Leveraging EPIC EMR and Virtual Care Changes to Improve Delivery of Smoking Cessation – Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
- Radiation Oncology Patient Tracker – Niagara Health
Innovation nominations
- RT Emergency Treatment Preparedness System – Grand River Regional Cancer Centre
- Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Program – Stronach Regional Cancer Centre
- Improving the Delivery of Cancer Screening for Inpatients with Severe Mental Illness – Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
- Enabling Innovative Approaches to Breast Screening: A Pilot Project addressing the Primary Care Provider Designate Requirement – Mississauga Halton Central West Regional Cancer Program
- Thermo-Ablation with Radiofrequency Medical Technologies to Treat Thyroid Nodules – University Health Network Centre
- Odette Cancer Centre Virtual Care Program – Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
- OBSP Image Transfer Process – Central East Regional Cancer Program
- Cervical Screening Toolbar – Central East Regional Cancer Program
- PhenoTips implements Pre-Visit Patient Questionnaire – PhenoTips
- Waterloo Wellington High-Grade Colposcopy Central Referral Program – Waterloo Wellington Regional Cancer Program
- Artworks for Cancer: Transforming Clinical Areas into Healing Spaces Through the Use of Art in Surgical Oncology – Toronto General Hospital
- BRA Day: A hybrid event to increase access to information about post-mastectomy breast reconstruction – Women's College Hospital
- MOLLI and MOZART: Harmonizing Technology to Improve Breast Cancer Patient Experience, System Efficiency and Disease Outcomes – University Health Network
- Radiation Schedule Automation and Optimization – The Ottawa Hospital
- Champlain Super Screener – The Ottawa Hospital
- Poppy: Robotic Process Automation to Improve Primary Care Clinical Workflow Efficiency and Population Health Management – eHealth Centre of Excellence, East Toronto Health Partners
- Digital Triage – Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
- KardiaMobile at TOHCC – The Ottawa Hospital
- Breast Health Centre Clinic Schedule KPI Dashboard – The Ottawa Hospital
Equity nominations
- Student STOP Program for Tobacco Intervention – Health Sciences North
- Restore-Me After Breast Cancer Clinic – Mississauga Halton Central West Regional Cancer Program
- EmpowerHer: Breast and Cervical Health Seminar – Central East Regional Cancer Program
- 2SLGBTQIA+ Equity and Inclusion Initiative – Introductory Staff Training – Grand River Regional Cancer Centre
- Increasing Cancer Screening in Priority Populations – Waterloo Wellington Regional Cancer Program
Indigenous health nomination
- Cultural Safety Training – Central East Indigenous Cancer Program
2023 Winners
Year: 2023
Award Type: Quality
Organization/Department: Juravinski Cancer Center
Initiative: Serious Illness Care Program
Team: Dr. Oren Levine, Sandy Andreychuk, Karen Madden, Adrienne Sultana, Georgia Georgiou, Kristi MacKenzie, Somya Gupta, Cindy Asaro, Ruth Locis, Jennifer Lounsbury, Michele Cardoso
About: The Serious Illness Care Program is a clinically validated and multifaceted intervention that promotes earlier discussion of values and goals with patients suffering from advanced illness. This program provides training, tools and infrastructural changes to support high-quality goals of care conversations early in the disease trajectory with patients and families experiencing advanced cancer. The Juravinski Cancer Center has successfully integrated this program into their new electronic medical record, ensuring serious illness care documentation is simple, accessible and effective. This program will be re-introduced into breast, lung and brain tumor disease site teams and expanded to gynecologic oncology and hematology.
Year: 2023
Award Type: Innovation
Organization/Department: Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre
Initiative: Radiation Therapy Remote Treatment Planning
Team: Isaac Tavares, Patrick Rapley, Diane Brett, Melanie Zappitelli, Margaret Anthes, Mellissa Linke, David McConnell, Peter McGhee, Helen Norton, Joanna Vestby, Stacey Cervini, Cheryl Cummins-Holder
About: The Radiation Therapy Remote Treatment Planning initiative was implemented to improve ready-to-treat and treatment wait times while sustaining care close to home in the North West Region. The local team developed a sustainable infrastructure plan that would enable secure remote treatment planning. The initiative had two main components - qualified treatment planners to perform work remotely and the development of workflow, training and infrastructure. The initiative has been sustained for over a year and has been presented to the Ontario Health - Cancer Care Ontario Provincial Leadership Council and at the Regional Director’s table.
Year: 2023
Award Type: Equity
Organization/Department: Mississauga Halton Central West Regional Cancer Program
Initiative: Improving Cancer Screening for Equity-Deserving Populations in MHCW
Team: Jenifer Horvat, Jane Anyalechi, Caroline Bravo, Priyanka Nasta, Sean Weylie, Roxanne MacAskill, David Girard, Gulrukh Ladha
About: This project began in 2021 with a root cause analysis and extensive community outreach to identify effective ways to engage equity-deserving populations in preventative screening programs. The objective was to improve screening rates while focusing on equity deserving populations with messaging that meets the unique language and cultural needs of many who have historically been under or never screened. Community Ambassadors engaged directly at the community level to break down barriers such as language, cultural beliefs and stigmas, and in some cases assist with access where patients are unattached to a primary care provider. This initiative evolved into a collaboration with various community partners, including local health centres, cultural groups and community organizations, to create robust equity-based, culturally relevant approaches to eliminate barriers and increase the reach of cancer screening. The effectiveness of this initiative has demonstrated that using co-design methodology captures the community needs and focuses efforts where they are most needed thus increasing the quality of the services provided.
Year: 2023
Award Type: Indigenous Health
Organization/Department: Toronto Central Regional Indigenous Cancer Program
Initiative: Indigenous Ceremony Bundle Guidance Document
Team: Leonard Benoit, Muriel Lopez Silva, Joanna Vautour, Suman Dhanju
About: Indigenous peoples’ ceremonial practices are a critical aspect of healing and well-being. However, these unique needs are not being met in culturally safe environments. The Indigenous Cancer Program (ICP) met with the nine regional site partners to discuss the responsibility to support Indigenous Peoples’ Rights to spiritual care practices in healthcare settings and their readiness to accept a sacred hand drum for patients and family use. In September 2022, the ICP gifted more sacred items: a rattle, a copper cup, and plant medicines. These sacred items together are referred to as ‘The Indigenous Ceremony Bundle’ (the Bundle). The ICP is currently working on a strategic plan to engage in education and awareness across the region to ensure that this support is available for Indigenous patients and their families on their cancer journey. ICP has developed a toolkit that will provide ongoing support to ensure that the care sites are set up to succeed in their efforts.
2021 Winners
Year: 2021
Award Type: Quality
Organization/Department: Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre, Oncology Symptom Management Clinic
Team: Martha Cope, Ben McIsaac
About: Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre is improving access to palliative services for people with a palliative cancer diagnosis in the North Simcoe Muskoka region.
In partnership with the Hospice Simcoe with a full-time palliative registered nurse and with the support of 10 community-based practitioners, the Oncology Symptom Management Clinic provides physical and psychological care close to home, virtually, and in the patients’ homes when required. It efficiently and effectively responds to fill gaps in palliative care, reducing emergency department visits, decreasing urgent pain management calls to the oncology triage line, avoiding admissions and managing care from home.
Year: 2021
Award Type: Innovation
Organization/Department: St. Michael’s Hospital, Older Adults Surgery and Oncology Program (OSOP) PRIME Initiative
Team: Dr. Tyler Chesney, Dr. Marisa Louridas, Danielle Zvezdonkin, Dr. Camilla Wong
About: St. Michael’s Hospital is overcoming surgical care gaps in older adults undergoing cancer surgery by integrating geriatric expertise into perioperative care.
The Older Adults Surgery and Oncology Program uses an innovative strategy, called PRIME, for comprehensive geriatric surgical oncology care. PRIME (Proactive, Realigned, Informed, Multidisciplinary, Empowered) integrates multifaceted elements of perioperative care adapted to the needs of older adults.
Before PRIME, the management of older adults undergoing cancer surgery was reactive and did not address the complexity of their health and surgical cancer care. This approach strategically integrates multiple stakeholders and disciplines to personalize care for older adults.
Year: 2021
Award Type: COVID-19 Innovation
Organization/Department: Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Virtual Nurse-Led COVID-19 Assessment and Care Coordination Clinic
Team: Michelle Mackay, Simonne Simon, Dr. Lesley Moody, Kelsey Houston, Dr. Rotstein Coleman, Dr. John Waldron, Dr. Richard Tsang
About: Princess Margaret Cancer Centre is providing proactive symptom management and care coordination for COVID-19-positive cancer patients using a standard assessment triage tool and assignment.
Before the clinic, ambulatory cancer patients were required to self-identify COVID-19 or cancer symptoms and self-report the symptoms to various public health or hospital telephone triage lines. This resulted in fragmented care for patients, who did not necessarily receive symptom management support specific to cancer patients with COVID-19. The Virtual Nurse-Led COVID-19 Assessment and Care Coordination Clinic uses a standard assessment algorithm to provide patients with proactive support for symptom management and care coordination from a specialized oncology nurse and a designated oncologist.
By closely monitoring the high-risk population and minimizing the traffic and exposure for other patients and healthcare workers, the clinic is ensuring safe, timely and accurate care for COVID-19 positive cancer patients.
2020 Winners
Year: 2020
Award Type: Quality
Organization/Department: Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Immune and Molecular Therapy Bolstering and Supporting Patient Adverse Event (IMBRASE) Program
Team: Dr. Marcus Butler, Dr. Sam Saibil, Nancy Gregorio, Michelle Mackay, Lesley Moody, Dr. Luisa Bonilla, Dr. Anna Spreafico, Dr. David Hogg, Simonne Simon, Alyssa Macadeo, Diana Grey, Dr. Keith Stewart.
About: Princess Margaret Cancer Centre is improving the quality of care for people with cancer by proactively monitoring melanoma patients.
IMBRASE is a symptom assessment protocol and management algorithm for people with advanced or metastatic melanoma who are receiving immunotherapy drug treatment. The program follows the patients proactively and manages their care in a tailored manner, determined by patient characteristics and risk levels.
Before the IMBRASE program, the strategy for monitoring melanoma patients was reactive, where patients would speak with different nurses throughout their care, and receive multiple assessments and advice on managing their symptoms and side effects.
The program has led to fewer emergency department visits for high-risk patients. It has improved patient safety, responsiveness, access to care and timely intervention.
Year: 2020
Award Type: Quality
Organization/Department: The Ottawa Hospital, Palliative Care Nurse Specialist in the Emergency Department
Team: Katie Nichol, Sara Olivier, Lisa Galitzine, Dr. Lisa Fischer, Dennis Garvin.
About: The Ottawa Hospital is improving the quality of care for people with cancer and palliative care needs by integrating palliative care resources into the emergency department to involve palliative care earlier in the patient’s care.
A palliative care nurse specialist is available for consultation Monday to Friday at the emergency department. The nurse specialist supports discharges to appropriate community settings, increases coordination between the emergency department staff and community resources, and provides mentorship and education.
The project has led to improvements to patient care as patients are transferred to hospice or palliative care directly from either the emergency department or home within a few days. It has also enhanced the relationship between the emergency department and palliative care teams, optimized community resources and aligned care with patient preferences.
Year: 2020
Award Type: Innovation
Organization/Department: Kingston Health Sciences Centre, Outpatient High Dose Methotrexate
Team: Dr. Tara Baetz, Rachel Sheldon, Rya Ibit, Leslie Young, Sarah Chambers, Tricia Carasco, Kardi Kennedy, Renee Hartzell.
About: The Cancer Centre of Southeastern Ontario at Kingston Health Sciences Centre is improving care for adults on a high dose methotrexate treatment regimen by using an outpatient model of care.
This complex systemic treatment regimen is typically an inpatient procedure, administered monthly for several cycles. Because of its complexity, the treatment has historically been feasible only in an inpatient care setting, even though patients are otherwise quite well and independent. Using the outpatient model of care for appropriate patients both improves care, and meets the needs of patients and families in the Southeast region.
This model of care depends on active patient engagement and self-management. It has resulted in providing care closer to home, improving the patient experience, reducing the bed burden in the inpatient oncology care unit and saving health system resources.
2019 Winners
Year: 2019
Award Type: Quality
Organization/Department: Lakeridge Health, R.S. McLaughlin Durham Regional Cancer Centre, BETTER (Building Emotional Therapies Through Education and Relationships) Clinic
Team: Jane Dimitriou-Currie, Connie Bell, Christine Boissoin, Julie Caswell, Debbie Devitt, Sheri Horsburgh, Ilana Kopolovic, Yousef Kwamie, Darrilyn Lessels, Sarde Matti, Anthony Naassan
About: R.S. McLaughlin Durham Regional Cancer Centre (DRCC) is improving the quality of care for people with cancer through the Building Emotional Therapies Through Education and Relationships (BETTER) clinic.
The BETTER clinic is a bi-weekly outpatient clinic, within an ambulatory clinic, that provides people with cancer timely access to psychiatric services. In addition to providing high-quality care to address people’s psychosocial needs, the BETTER clinic also supports physicians and nursing teams by providing appropriate resources for people experiencing anxiety and depression.
Before the BETTER clinic, the average wait time for people to receive psychiatry services at DRCC was about 6 to 9 months. Since the clinic opened, wait times were initially reduced to 4 weeks from assessment to consultation, and are now just 2 weeks from referral to consultation.
Year: 2019
Award Type: Innovation
Organization/Department: University Health Network, Implementing Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) at UHN
Team: SarahRose Black, Celina Dara, R.J. Edralin, Paul Ellis, Leanza Francesco, Ann Heesters, Benjamin Kaasa, Patricia Murphy-Kane, Jessica Lam, Madeline Li, Karen Martin, Gerald O’Leary, Gary Rodin, Ruby Shanker, Derek Tsang and the UHN MAiD Teams
About: UHN was one of the first healthcare organizations in Canada to establish an organized MAiD program after Bill C-14 was passed, decriminalizing medical assistance in dying.
While developing the program, UHN conducted extensive consultations with healthcare professionals across the organization, including physicians, nurses, pharmacists, patient educators and translators.
Since being implemented, the MAiD process at UHN has become known as one of the most rigorous in Canada. This is because it requires 3 independent medical opinions to determine a person’s eligibility, separate from the opinion of the primary care provider.
The MAiD program at UHN was created with the idea that people, with their clinical teams, are partners in their care. While the MAiD legislation describes the role of physicians, nurses and pharmacists, UHN has brought a multidisciplinary team of health professions into the process to ensure the highest quality of care.
2018 Winners
Year: 2018
Award Type: Quality
Organization/Department: Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, The Interprofessional Malignant Bowel Management Program
Team: Stephanie Lheureux, Amit Oza, Yeh Chen Lee, Nazlin Jivraj, Terri Stuart-McEwan, Catherine O’Brien, Tanya Chawla, Eran Shlomovitz, Jenny Lau, Stephane Laframboise, Sarah E. Ferguson, Jennifer Croke, Johane P. Allard, Preeti Dhar, Valerie Bowering, Katherine Karakasis, Pamela Savage, Lisa Tinker, Sarah Buchanan, Pamela Ng, Neesha Dhani, Marcus Butler
About: The Princess Margaret Cancer Centre has significantly reduced the length of stay for gynecologic cancer patients with malignant bowel obstruction. They transitioned to a model of care where people with the condition, or at risk of it, are managed as outpatients by a multidisciplinary team of doctors and nurses.
The Interprofessional Malignant Bowel Management Program was introduced at the centre to identify people with or at risk of malignant bowel obstruction. This condition is a common complication in women with gynecologic cancers that can lead to serious illness or, in severe cases, death. The program triages patients according to their diagnosis or risk level, and then manages their care using a standardized approach.
As part of the program, the team created clinical guidelines to ensure standardized care for patients both in the hospital and at home. The team also created treatment algorithms for patients at risk of developing malignant bowel obstruction. In addition, multidisciplinary case conferences helped to ensure treatment consistency between healthcare teams. Resources for patients were also developed to help manage their symptoms.
Year: 2018
Award Type: Innovation
Organization/Department: Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre, Simcoe Muskoka Regional Cancer Program, Suspicion of Cancer Diagnostic Assessment Program
Team: Dr. Jim Shaver, Dr. Mukta Krishnan, Krista Tuck, Desiree Scriver
About: The Simcoe Muskoka Regional Cancer Program has created an innovative new cancer diagnostic program.
The Suspicion of Cancer Diagnostic Assessment Program detects cancer in its earliest stages. It encourages primary care and emergency department physicians to refer patients with a suspected cancer to a specialized clinic to be further assessed. The clinic rules out cancer or makes a diagnosis, and patients who are diagnosed are then referred to the appropriate surgeon or oncologist at the cancer centre.
The program was created to reduce the high number of patients who were being inappropriately referred to the cancer centre without a confirmed diagnosis. As an outpatient clinic, the program reduces the amount of hospital admissions and resources spent on incorrect referrals.