The Hospital for Sick Children

SickKids' Caring Safely team spent Patient Safety Week visiting units across the hospital to review safety data, celebrating successes – we call them "good catches" – of front-line staff and speaking to families about what aspects of patient safety matters to them most.   But we know Patient Safety Week goes well beyond this one week - it's something SickKids staff prioritize every day.   Staff are trained to ask clarifying questions, pay attention to detail, and stop in the face of uncertainty to ensure they have the right equipment and deliver the right care. These checks and balances prevent mistakes from happening, and ultimately prevent harm to patients.   Thank you to everyone at SickKids for bringing the principles of Caring Safely to life all year round!

And this year's winners of SickKids' Staff Halloween Costume Contest are….   The dialysis team for their lego characters costume – and on-stage performance!   And Pharmacy Technician Supervisor, Carla Marsden, took home the top individual prize for her portrayal of Australian Olympic breakdancer, Raygun!   (Check out our Halloween Instagram Reel for footage of the legendary performances!)   Congratulations to the winners and all staff for making Halloween truly special for patients, families and colleagues. Click through for pictures of the winners and honourable mentions. ⬇

Patients, families and staff have cast their votes and we're ready to announce this year's winners of SickKids' Pumpkin Decorating Contest…🥁   Congratulations to the Occupational Therapy team on earning official bragging rights for their "3 Little Piggies" gourds!   And congrats to the Neurophysiology team on also earning top points with their "Dragon's Breath" pumpkin!   Congratulations to all contestants – you brought the creativity and Halloween spirit to SickKids! Click through for the winners and other contestants. 👇

It's the most wonderful time of the year at SickKids: Halloween!   Every year, SickKids staff and patients strut their stuff down the Halloween catwalk. For patients, it's an opportunity to celebrate and get in spirit when they may not be able to partake in their usual neighbourhood trick-or-treat.   For staff, it’s a high-stakes competition – judged by a an esteemed panel of select patients and staff – for the coveted title of Best Staff Costume (individual and team) – and bragging rights, of course.   If the costume contest wasn't enough – there's also a pumpkin decorating contest! A very special thank you to the incredible Cheryl Hickey for joining in the fun.   Tune in tomorrow to meet the winners!

Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) is a leading cause of sudden cardiac death among young adults, but now a new robotic system could change the way physicians and scientists approach treatments for ACM and other heart conditions. Previously, scientists have faced a unique challenge when screening therapies in heart cells – the beating of the cells. Led by SickKids’ Dr. Jason T. Maynes and Drs. Yu Sun and Xinyu Liu from the University of Toronto Robotics Institute, this technology can screen multiple potential therapies in beating heart cells simultaneously for the first time. Learn more about this collaborative #SKResearch published in Science Robotics (from Science Magazine) ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gNKixTvg  

Ben was born at 24 weeks and spent the first six months of his life in neonatal intensive care units (NICU). Now 11 years old, he and his family still have a strong and lasting connection with SickKids and the staff who helped them through their most difficult days.      According to Ben's mom, Jessica, the family and wellness supports offered in the NICU – from a scrapbooking club to chats with Rita Visconti, the NICU’s former parent liaison – played a "key part" in keeping the family afloat during those first several months in hospital.     As Ben grew up and returned to SickKids for check-ups and appointments, he and Jessica always made an effort to visit Rita, who now works in another role supporting families and staff. They also attend the NICU Family Barbecue every September – it's an opportunity to reconnect with staff, families and for Ben to learn more about his "special story."    Learn more about Ben's special story and the beautiful connections that are born in the SickKids NICU ➡ https://bit.ly/3NKaPoc

Did you know that in an adult’s brain, the language centre is located in the left hemisphere, while a child’s brain uses both hemispheres? Dr. Darren Kadis explains why this “paediatric advantage” means that children often recover more easily from brain injuries and how his #SKResearch mapping the developing brain might improve outcomes for children with treatment-resistant epilepsy. Read more in this Q&A ➡️ https://bit.ly/3uQGoGO

Congratulations to SickKids' Ellis and Mital Labs on being recognized for their commitment to sustainable science!♻   Research labs are extremely resource intensive – they consume five to 10 times more energy than typical office buildings. With this in mind, the Ellis and Mital Labs decided to do their part and take significant steps to reduce their environmental footprints, by 👇 ➡ Adjusting ultra-low temperature freezers by 10 C, which reduces energy consumption by up to 40 per cent and prolongs the life of specialty freezers – all without compromising sample integrity. ➡ Recycling whenever possible and responsibly separating chemical and hazardous waste streams. ➡ Sharing lab equipment to reduce unnecessary purchases, energy consumption and waste. ➡ Turning off equipment when not in use and keeping fume hood sashes closed. ➡ Using energy and water efficient equipment, like waterless vacuums.   These changes earned the teams a My Green Lab Certification – considered the gold standard for laboratory sustainability best practices around the world. Kudos!  

For Occupational Therapy Month – and every day – we're celebrating SickKids' dedicated Occupational Therapists (OTs), who are a vital part of the health-care team! OTs assist patients and families in engaging in meaningful activities related to self-care, school, play and leisure – activities that are crucial to their daily lives. At SickKids, OTs provide a broad range of services, including assessment and intervention in areas like oral feeding, neurodevelopment, cognition, mental health, upper extremity and fine motor function, hand therapy and splinting, supportive seating, health education and promotion and discharge planning. Happy OT Month!

Are you a current or upcoming Medical Laboratory Technologist (MLT) interested in paediatric healthcare? Whether you're a seasoned MLT or just beginning your career, learn about working at SickKids in this upcoming information session. During the session, you'll:   ✅Learn about the unique and vital role of MLTs in paediatric healthcare ✅ Discover the cutting-edge technologies and research conducted at SickKids  ✅ Hear from experienced MLTs ✅ Explore career opportunities and growth prospects at SickKids Register for the virtual session here ➡  https://lnkd.in/gZ-jrBNS 📅 November 6th, 2024  🕒 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM 📍 Zoom