CIUSSS News

Operating Room Nurse Katherine Byford (centre) at her 50th anniversary celebration, joined by (left) Anne Ross, Head Nurse of the OR, and Sonia Boccardi, Clinical Administrative Coordinator of the OR.

A half-century devoted to nursing

JGH nurse honoured with cake and accolades from managers and colleagues Happy 50th anniversary, Katherine Byford! The Operating Room Nurse at the Jewish General…

Wearing the distinctive turquoise jacket of volunteers, Helen Fleischauer and Stavros Simonian are joined at the main entrance of the JGH by Marko Obradovic, the CIUSSS’s Chief of Volunteer Services, and Nancy El Mallah, Coordinator of Volunteer Services for the JGH.

As pandemic eases, volunteers eagerly return to JGH and other CIUSSS sites

For Stavros Simonian, being a doctor means making an extra effort to help patients, regardless of his own personal circumstances. So after earning his…

Annie Léger, a midwife with CIUSSS West-Central Montreal, measures the blood pressure of a pregnant asylum seeker at the Tupper Street YMCA in downtown Montreal, a shelter for refugee claimants.

A new land, a helping hand: How our CIUSSS helps pregnant asylum seekers

Maria crossed the border into Canada afraid, exhausted—and pregnant. She’d been travelling for months from her native Colombia and had never received any medical…

Winners in the Outstanding Service category accept their Awards of Excellence at the CIUSSS Public Information Meeting on November 2. They are, second from left, Nathalie Maher, Josephine Johnson and Maya Cerda, accepting on behalf of Sarita Israel. Presenting the awards are CIUSSS Board President Alan Maislin (left), Human Resources Director Beverly Kravitz and Assistant Executive Director Dan Gabay.

Hats off to our CIUSSS’s first Awards of Excellence honourees

We each have unique experiences at CIUSSS West-Central Montreal, but we all share a focus on improvement and the pursuit of excellence. The first-ever…

Lucie Tremblay (left) and Céline Gélinas at the Jewish General Hospital.

Lucie Tremblay and Céline Gélinas named Fellows of the Canadian Academy of Nursing

One of the top honours in Canadian nursing has been bestowed upon Lucie Tremblay and Céline Gélinas, with their induction on October 14 as…

Housekeeper Laurence Latendresse Jobin (centre) receives an award from Supervisor Michael Boateng (left) and Anthony Turi, JGH Chief of Housekeeping.

JGH housekeeper recognized for courage and leadership during pandemic

“I was afraid. But if somebody had to get COVID, better that it be me than someone else.” Many employees of our CIUSSS quietly…

Photo by Michel Huneault from the McCord Stewart Museum exhibit INCIPIT – COVID-19. The caption reads: “Freda leaves the isolation floor after recovering from COVID-19, Maimonides Geriatric Centre, Montreal, June 22, 2020.”

A picture of human triumph in the midst of COVID-19

At the heart of the photo, a woman advances on a walker, a wide smile on her face. She’s surrounded by healthcare workers from…

Vision-Rehabilitation Therapist Sara Brennan (left) with 5-year-old Malik (in red jacket at left) and other children at the Lethbridge-Layton-Mackay Rehabilitation Centre’s mock classroom in August. They are accompanied by Occupation Therapy students.

Ready, set, go! Children with vision loss get help to prepare for school

Innovative new “mock classroom” teaches learning skills, brings together children with visual impairments For five-year-old Malik, summer was an exciting time of discovery. He…

Introducing the Connected Health Record for CIUSSS West-Central Montreal

Project will create a single uniform health record accessible at all CIUSSS sites To improve the quality of health care and social services, and…

Frantz Saintellemy, Chancellor of the Université de Montréal (left), congratulates Guillaume Fontaine at the convocation where he received his doctoral degree on August 26.

JGH Nurse Scientist honoured with Governor General’s Gold Medal

Guillaume Fontaine, a Nurse Scientist at the Jewish General Hospital’s Centre for Nursing Research, has been recognized with one of Canada’s most prestigious academic…

Orderlies Jerome Gemino, Petronella Cadaugan (centre) and Anita Joseph discuss the use of one of the new, therapeutic bathtubs at Donald Berman Maimonides Geriatric Centre. A “sky ceiling,” which creates the impression of seeing outdoors, overlooks the newly upgraded shower and bathing rooms.

Turning bath time into spa time

An ambitious upgrade at Donald Berman Maimonides Geriatric Centre is turning routine bath time into relaxing spa time for residents. Thanks to ongoing renovations…

Celebrating a career devoted to seniors, research and lifelong learning

Cindy Starnino discovered her professional passion at the tender age of 20. Fresh out of CEGEP, she was hired for a position in social…

Andrew Swidzinski, holding a driving joystick to steer, prepares to take the Lethbridge-Layton-Mackay Rehabilitation Centre’s training van on the road with Occupational Therapist Minh-Thy Truong.

Drivers with disabilities hit the road thanks to game-changing driving system

Campaign at Lethbridge-Layton-Mackay succeeds in green-lighting high-tech Joysteer Andrew Swidzinski recently did something he could have only dreamed about a few years ago: He…

Lucie Tremblay, Director of Nursing and Director of Vaccination

Lucie Tremblay to pursue spirit of collaboration as new Associate CEO: “If you want to go far, go together”

Takes over this fall from Francine Dupuis, a “role model” and “inspiration” Lucie Tremblay still vividly recalls the scene at Donald Berman Maimonides Geriatric…

Christine Morin, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) Officer for CIUSSS West-Central Montreal

CIUSSS launches initiative to foster “healthy, diverse, equitable and inclusive” workplace

New DEIB Officer seeks staff input to build on and further develop environment where “each person feels welcome and recognized” Meet Christine Morin, the…

Renata Benc, Clinical Nurse Consultant in Oncology in the CIUSSS West-Central Montreal.

Nursing consultant with “heart of gold” wins Award of Excellence for role in cancer care

Renata Benc becomes second JGH recipient in a row to win top award from Quebec Association of Oncology Nurses To understand Renata Benc’s commitment…

Health and Social Services Minister Christian Dubé (front, centre) tours the satellite Command Centre in the JGH Emergency Department. Providing him with an overview are CIUSSS President and CEO Dr. Lawrence Rosenberg (left) and Dr. Marc Afilalo, Chief of Emergency Medicine. Among those on the tour is Erin Cook (rear, left), Associate Director of Quality, Transformation, Evaluation, Performance and Ethics.

After visit to JGH, Health Minister praises innovations as “examples to follow”

Trend-setting Command Centre in Emergency Department described as “work of art” Health and Social Services Minister Christian Dubé visited the Jewish General Hospital for…

Marie-Christine Gras with her Caisse Desjardins du Réseau de la santé prize in her office at the CLSC Métro.

Manager honoured for launching nursing clinic that cares for patients without family doctors

Marie-Christine Gras praised for project that treats those on waiting lists while expanding role of nurses Marie-Christine Gras had a vision that was based…

In the youth lounge at the Lethbridge-Layton-Mackay Rehabilitation Centre’s Mackay site, Philippe Harrison (centre), a Special Care Counsellor with the TranXition program of our CIUSSS, speaks with program participants Marina Tsimiklis and David Dessureault.

For youth with disabilities, a helping hand toward adulthood

Unique program by our CIUSSS takes teens and young adults into the community to learn life skills David Dessureault used to get so nervous…

Dr. Matthew Oughton, an Attending Physician in the Jewish General Hospital’s Division of Infectious Diseases.

Want to boost your protection against COVID-19? Get a booster

Staff of our CIUSSS have made big strides to make sure they’re adequately vaccinated against COVID-19. But if you’ve only received two doses, you’re…