Living each day to its fullest

Sharon received an innovative quality of life procedure

perfected by Seven Oaks General Hospital’s Dr. Sean Armstrong.

This procedure makes the days much more comfortable for

patients suffering with liver disease, heart failure and certain

types of cancer that cause the patients to retain fluid in their

abdomens, called ascites.

Continued on next page...

Report to Community

Thanks to you and your generous support, cancer patients, like Sharon Rempel and other people living with aggressive cancers, have an option that keeps them away from clinics and hospital rooms.

1

SPRING 2019

2 Report to Community SPRING 2019

As a member of our community we want to keep you informed about some of the exciting things that are happening at Seven Oaks General Hospital.

Our role as the Foundation is to build awareness about the hospital and raise funds to improve our facility and services to better meet your needs.

You’ll see in this report that Seven Oaks has a unique focus on preventing chronic disease, whether that is at Wellness Institute or in the medical research our Foundation supports at the new Seven Oaks Hospital Chronic Disease Innovation Centre, both of which are well integrated with patient care. You should also know that Seven Oaks serves communities well beyond the northwest corner of the city which is now one of the fastest growing areas in Winnipeg.

The Foundation and the hospital are grateful for the support you have provided, which has improved health services and the comfort of patients in the hospital. We invite your questions and feedback on this Report to the Community or any of our work by contacting the Foundation at 204-632-3552 or emailing info@sogh.mb.ca

According to Sharon, having this procedure was no small

thing. “It’s made a huge difference.”

This innovation began in 2009 when the Seven Oaks

Kidney Doctor, Sean Armstrong, modified a technique

called interventional nephrology peritoneal dialysis

catheter insertion which is commonly used for dialysis

patients. The technique begins with a catheter being

inserted into the patient’s abdomen at the hospital.

After it is in place, the patient and their family are taught

how to safely use the catheter to drain the fluid that has

accumulated in the abdomen; this means they can avoid

weekly or semi-weekly trips to the hospital for treatment.

These patients must cope every day with the discomfort of

excess fluid (many with greater than 8 L) in their abdomen

which also makes it difficult to eat, sleep, breathe or

walk. Traditionally, these patients travel to a hospital or

clinic one or two times per week for a process called a

paracentesis, which uses a hollow needle to withdraw

several litres of accumulated fluid. In instances where

patients must visit an emergency room for this procedure,

their wait time can be more than eight to 12 hours as

they are not deemed urgent.

Sharon is a cancer patient in Niverville who, when she

first developed malignant ascites, travelled to Winnipeg

weekly to have the fluid removed. Then one day her

physician, aware of the bedside catheter procedure

offered by Seven Oaks, suggested she might be a

candidate for it.

She agreed to try it and her husband Gerry was trained

in the technique by Louise McBeth, a Seven Oaks

peritoneal nurse. Since then Gerry has been successfully

performing the procedure even when travelling (which

she is able to do now), with the support of the Seven

Oaks team when needed.

“It’s been a very good thing,” explains Sharon. A main

benefit is the ability to drain the fluid as needed. When

she traveled weekly to Winnipeg for the procedure, she

would have up to seven litres of fluid removed at one

time. So in the days leading up to her appointment day,

the volume of fluid would leave her suffering.

“Now I don’t need to wait until I am so bloated I can

hardly breathe,” she says. “I used to feel bad three days

after the procedure, but still had to wait out the week.

Now I can be more comfortable more of the time.”

Being able to help people like Sharon, who are dealing

with suffering is what drives researchers like Dr. Sean

Armstrong to seek out better healthcare solutions for

those in need. He is now in demand internationally, and

travels the world to train physicians in this technique.

Dr. Armstrong has done more than 80 of these

procedures in Winnipeg.

It is because of your support we can provide the innovative

environment that leads to excellence in care, like the work

of Dr. Sean Armstrong and Louise McBeth.

3Report to Community SPRING 2019

Hospital wards are unfamiliar, over-stimulating places,

which can increase patient confusion and leave them

restless, frustrated, and anxious. They may call out, pull at

their intravenous lines, wander, or demonstrate physically

and verbally aggressive behavior.

This year, Seven Oaks hopes to bring some extra comfort

to these patients through the use of Therapeutic Activity

Kits. The kits – proven successful at other hospitals – are

designed to provide meaningful activity for those showing

signs of distress during their hospital stay. They contain a

variety of items designed to calm patients, distract them

from their pain, and give them an opportunity to reminisce

about happier times.

The items, usually quite simple in nature, can be very

effective. The Seven Oaks kits may contain, for example, a

deck of cards, easy word and trivia games, colouring pages,

a tea cup and tea bags, stuffed animals, and therapy dolls.

Kits may also contain items provided by a patient’s family,

such as photos, music, and stories from the past.

The process for using a kit begins with hospital staff

identifying patients who are exhibiting responsive behaviors.

“Then a family member or friend of the patient will be asked

to fill out a ‘getting to know me’ form,” explains Maem

Slater-Enns, Seven Oaks’ Recreational Therapist. “The form

summarizes the patient’s social history, personality traits,

specific routines, habits, and individual needs and interests.

We can then determine the most appropriate item or activity

from the kit to use with them.”

Family members will also be encouraged to take an

item to share with and engage their loved one. “The

goal is to find an activity that engages the patient in

a meaningful way with their family members or staff,

provides a sense of purpose, and reduces anxiety and

restlessness,” says Slater-Enns.

Seven Oaks hospital staff are looking forward to using

the kits to help patients in all areas of the hospital as

needed, including those in transitional care beds and in

other areas that do not have a recreational therapist on

site. Depending on the patients’ needs the kits can cost

between $25 - $100. This gift can provide opportunities

for connection that brings fulfillment and meaningful

moments to a patient’s day.

For patients with dementia, a hospital stay can be very challenging.

With your support we can provide extra comfort to patients with Dementia

4 Report to Community SPRING 2019

2018 “Give to Live” Gala sets fundraising recordWhat a night it was! Four hundred guests attended our 2018 Seven Oaks General Hospital Gala in October, helping us raise more than $196,000 for research and programming to help improve the quality of life for people here in our community and around the world.

The gala is our signature event, a celebration of our

community’s tremendous support for our hospital. The

Fairmont Winnipeg hosted the evening, which saw guests

enjoy outstanding gastronomic fare and fine wine, coupled

with inspiring stories of the outstanding, world-class work

taking place at Seven Oaks Hospital.

The night began with a reception featuring an inspired

grazing table sponsored by De Nardi. Also popular

throughout the evening was a scotch tasting lounge,

generously sponsored by the Garcea Group of Companies.

5Report to Community SPRING 2019

Gregg Maidment of Adesa Auctions led our most successful

auction to date, raising more than $196,000 to support the

incredible work of the hospital and research team. Two hotly

contested auction prizes were dinner for 4 at 529 Wellington

with Winnipeg Jets centre Mark Scheifele that included

game tickets and signed Jerseys, and a one-year lease

on a luxurious Porsche Macan.

After dinner, a soft-spoken kidney disease patient addressed

the crowd in a moment that underscored how the work at

Seven Oaks is dramatically improving patient lives. Jeremy

Starr of Sagkeeng First Nation, blind since 2016, explained

how he is able to operate a dialysis machine in his home,

thanks to life-changing technology and a caring Seven Oaks

peritoneal nurse. Jeremy is one of the first people in the

country to perform this dialysis on himself – which saves

him a three-hour round trip to Winnipeg several times

a week, and as he put it, “gives me my life back.”

Jeremy’s story is part of our larger vision to treat, prevent,

and delay dialysis and kidney disease in our northern

communities, where residents are at higher risk for chronic

diseases, and where we are also making great strides in

prevention and health education.

As part of the auction, the Gala raised more than $25,000

to purchase remote monitoring devices that will allow

patients with kidney disease to be monitored in their own

homes. This device helps healthcare providers to manage a

patient’s condition on a daily basis, providing enhanced care

for the patient and fewer emergency room visits.

We also recognised a group of outstanding physicians who have

been with the hospital for 30 years: Dr. Marantz, Dr. Chimilar,

Dr. Cleghorn, Dr. Hameed and Dr. Taraska Dr. Bernier.

We would love to see you at this year’s Gala. Book your calendars

now for Friday, November 15 at the Fairmont.

6 Report to Community SPRING 2019

Skip the diets: Helping people lose weight sustainablyCanadians pay billions of dollars each year for diet programs, diet books and diet pills. Fad diet books make all the bestseller lists, celebrities promote celebrity solutions, and we all know someone struggling to survive on the latest cleanse.

Despite this emphasis on weight loss, the global obesity

epidemic is growing. That’s because weight loss that

focuses either only on exercise or the severe restriction of

calories doesn’t address the underlying emotional barriers

and learned behaviours that prevent success.

That’s where the Wellness Institute has stepped in, with an

evidence-based, personalized program – Wellness Weight

Loss – that helps clients to understand these barriers,

gradually change their habits and set and achieve realistic

goals for safe, sustainable weight loss to give clients their

best chance of success.. The program is mainly targeted to

people who need to lose weight for their health.

According to Program Manager Ashley Derlago, clients who

“are more focused on losing weight for their health and

to feel better tend to be more successful and actually lose

more weight than those who are extremely focused on the

amount of weight they lose each week.”

Wellness Weight Loss is highly individualized – with a meal

plan prescribed by registered dietitians that is modified

based on allergies, preferences and family considerations,

and a fitness and wellness regime prescribed by an exercise

professional who considers individual capabilities, but also

work, family, and other demands. A meal-planning app

provides recipes, portions sizes, substitution ideas and

tracking. Similarly, a fitness app lays out an individualized

exercise program set up by a Wellness exercise professional.

Participants meet with a Clinical Psychology Associate,

who helps support clients to change behaviours and

recognize underlying emotional or other barriers. Along

with other program staff, they coach them to stay focused

on their goals and their new lifestyle.

Mike Chateauneuf, 45 was sponsored by his employer to

attend the Wellness Weight Loss Clinic. He attributes his

original unhealthy weight gain to PTSD acquired on the job

that led to unhealthy eating choices.

Mike found that he was motivated by the fitness part of the

program because attention was paid to modify his workout

and keep it fresh each session. He continues with workouts

that were provided by the Wellness team based on the

equipment and activities available at his gym and that he

can undertake at the lake in summer.

This year, a research study will evaluate the effectiveness

of the program, determine if it is adhering to evidence-

based principles, and measure the health outcomes of

participants. The study will also test the introduction of

a whole foods meal replacement product, developed as a

support for participants who need something convenient

to eat while on the go.

The evaluation will be overseen by Principal Investigator

and University of Manitoba Assistant Professor Dr. Dylan

Mackay and coordinated at the Wellness Institute by PhD

Nutrition Researcher Dr. Rebecca Mollard.

7Report to Community SPRING 2019

The individualized approach to supporting weight loss that

has attracted the interest of researchers is a big part of Mike

Chateauneuf’s success. Altogether he shed 36 pounds in

the program last winter and spring, and he doesn’t describe

himself as being on a diet.

His eating has changed a great deal in terms of choices,

portions and by learning to cook some simple dishes that

are “pretty good and easy to make and the kids like them

too, so that’s a bonus.”

That spells success for Manager Ashley Derlago and her

Wellness team. “All of our staff really care about the clients

and want them to do well … we make relationships and

we’re kind of sad to see them go even though that’s the

goal – to make them independent.”

When nephrologist Dr. Clara Bohm formally joined the

Chronic Disease Innovation Centre team in January, she

walked into friendly and familiar territory.

For more than 10 years, Clara has collaborated closely

with our Centre and Wellness Institute teams. So when a

position at Seven Oaks opened late last year, it made sense

for her to physically make the move.

Clara joins us from Winnipeg’s Health Sciences Centre,

where she divided her time between clinical research

projects and her clinical practice, which saw her attending

to HSC dialysis patients as a member of HSC’s nephrology

team. She is an Assistant Professor in the Department of

Internal Medicine at the University of Manitoba, and is also

the Medical Lead of the Manitoba Renal Program Exercise

and Wellness Program. This ongoing program was one of

the first in Canada to formally incorporate exercise and

physical activity programming into clinical care for people

with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Clara is excited to be on site at Seven Oaks. “I’m enjoying

the day-to-day discussions and brainstorming with other

researchers and staff, which can spark insights and lead

to really exciting projects,” she says. She is also enjoying

meeting the friendly clinical staff and her work with

patients in the hospital.

Clara is a national leader in clinical exercise programming

for individuals with CKD and is well-published in the field.

She is known for her studies that examine the relationship

between exercise and CKD, and then applying these findings

in real life to improve the health outcomes of patients.

She and her team are in the early stages of a two-

year study looking to determine if exercise decreases

the number and severity of symptoms of people on

hemodialysis. The study involves 150 patients from St.

Boniface Hospital, HSC and Seven Oaks, half of whom will

complete an exercise program that includes home-based

strength exercise and cycling in hemodialysis. The team will

Her research into the effect of exercise during dialysis is working to improve patient quality of life.

Meet Dr. Clara Bohm, our “new” CDIC member

Your donation will make a difference. Your gift to the Foundation will build on public funding by supporting enhancements and patient care that otherwise would not be possible. To donate, call 204-632-3552, visit sogh.ca/foundation or complete the enclosed card. Thank you for your support.

then study how this activity affects common hemodialysis

symptoms, such as fatigue and cramping, as compared to

usual care.

She is also leading a multi-centre study, with researchers

in Calgary and Edmonton, which looks at the effect of

exercise on a patient’s blood pressure during hemodialysis.

“We have hemodialysis patients exercise on a stationary

bike during their treatment,” she says. It was previously

thought that exercising during the second half of a dialysis

treatment caused blood pressure to drop too low, leading

to uncomfortable symptoms. “Our preliminary analysis

suggests that this is not true,” she says.

Clara is also passionate about improving the way we care

for individuals with CKD. As co-lead of the multi-year

Can-SOLVE CKD Triple I project – funded by the Canadian

Institutes of Health Research – she is involved in determining

how best to improve the hemodialysis experience for

patients. This includes studying how to improve the

information patients receive, the interactions they have

with medical staff, and the individualization of their care.

Clara lives in Winnipeg with her husband, who is an

orthopedic surgeon, and their three active children.

She is an avid distance runner and loves the outdoors,

regardless of the season.

Helping you to connect with your community hospital:

Chronic Disease Innovation Centre

sogh.ca | @sevenoakswpg

wellnessinstitute.ca | @WellnessSOGH

changinghealthcaredelivery.ca | @SevenOaksCDIC

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