[Timmins], ON – Timmins and District 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.
Timmins and District Hospital was presented with the Hospital Achievement-Provincial Conversion Rate Award for exceeding the target of a 58% conversion rate set by Trillium Gift of Life Network. Organ donation is a complex process and the conversion rate reflects how well the TGLN and TADH work together to save lives.
“On behalf of myself and the Board of Directors I’d like to acknowledge the exceptional work Kim Bazinet, our Manager of ER/ICU and her teams in strengthening the Trillium Gift of Life program in our community”, said Blaise MacNeil, President and CEO, Timmins and District Hospital. “Their commitment and diligence has directly resulted in improving the rate of donations to the program. Our Hospital is very appreciative of this recognition by TGLN “.
TADH is one of 29 hospitals and partners to be awarded a 2017/18 Trillium Gift of Life Network Hospital Award and is proud to be receiving this ward for the second year in a row.
“Through my experience over the years as a nurse in the emergency room and intensive care unit I saw first-hand how organ and tissue donation enhanced and save lives”, said Kim Bazinet, Manager of ER/ICU, Timmins and District Hospital. “Now through my role as the TADH lead with Trillium Gift of Life Network I understand the significance of this program and am proud of the work we’ve done in improving the conversion rate in our community”. “We are proud to acknowledge the important contributions of our hospital partners because the success of organ and tissue donation in Ontario relies on their hard work and dedication,” says Ronnie Gavsie President and CEO, Trillium Gift of Life Network. “This award reflects the continued commitment of Timmins and District Hospital to implement donation best practices and offer families the opportunity to make a lifesaving choice.”
Today, more than 1,500 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 33 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 first priority is always to save a life. Donation is only considered after all life-saving efforts are exhausted, there is no chance of recovery, and the family accepts the diagnosis of death.
Timmins and District Hospital exceeds the province with a registration rate of 52 per cent, ranking 16th out of 170 communities in Ontario. Visit https://beadonor.ca/community/timmins-region to register or find out more.
The Timmins and District Hospital (TADH) is a level C, fully accredited community, referral and teaching hospital serving the residents of the City of Timmins and Cochrane District as well as the adjoining areas of the Temiskaming, Sudbury and Algoma districts. The hospital offers a full range of medical, surgical, critical care, maternity, newborn, pediatric, mental health and diagnostic imaging services.
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For more information please contact:
Quinn Thomson
Timmins and District Hospital
705-267-6331
qthomson@tadh.com
For more information on organ and tissue donation in Ontario, or to learn more about Trillium Gift of Life Network’s Hospital Awards, please contact Jennifer Long at jlong@giftoflife.on.ca or 416-619-2327.
