Friday, April 25, 2008

Northwestern Ontario once again celebrated excellence in patient care as cancer care providers from Dryden and Fort Frances were honoured with Human Touch Awards at Cancer Care Ontario’s annual general meeting in Toronto.

The Human Touch Awards honour front-line cancer care professionals from across the province for providing exceptional and compassionate care to cancer patients.

“Congratulations to Darlene Furlong and her Chemotherapy Team in Dryden, and to Diane McManaman in Fort Frances on winning this prestigious provincial award. This is yet another shining example of the success of our Regional Cancer Program, and more importantly a reflection of the contribution that our regional partners make every day to the patients of Northwestern Ontario,” says Michael Power, VP Regional Cancer Services and Diagnostics, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre.

Dryden and Fort Frances are two of 13 regional hospital sites in Regional Cancer Care’s program network that provide cancer care services like chemotherapy closer to home for Northwestern Ontario patients.

All part-time or full-time health care professionals and providers who provide direct patient care at either a regional cancer centre or as part of the Regional Cancer Program including home care, palliative care, public health, community hospitals and primary care are eligible for the award.

The Winners – Cancer Care Ontario’s Second Annual Human Touch Awards

Chemotherapy Unit, Dryden Regional Health Centre

According to patients and their families, the chemotherapy unit at the Dryden Regional Health Centre is comprised of “a group of angels.” The bond that develops between the team and patients is described as that of an extended family.

“The most amazing features of this team are the laughter and smiles, along with the tears, that are witnessed when one walks through the doors of the unit. It is no wonder that patients and their families have difficulty cutting the apron strings when their treatments are finished or a loved one has passed away,” says Darlene Furlong, Senior Vice President, Patient Care Services/Program Development, Dryden Regional Health Centre.

The team from Dryden includes Darlene Furlong; Jennifer Nesbitt, Andrea Minor, and Cathy West (Nurses); Dr. Karen Mazurski and Dr. Patti Loutitt (Family Physicians); Mary Ann Bailey (Social Worker), Sandy O'Driscoll and Bonnie Paterson (Pharmacy Support); Marlene Morgan (Patient Navigator) and Brenda McGogy (Still Me Coordinator).

“On behalf of the Dryden Regional Health Centre Chemotherapy Unit Team, I would like to express our excitement and appreciation to Cancer Care Ontario for recognizing our team as one of the recipients in the 2nd Annual Human Touch Awards,” Furlong says. “This month we reached a milestone, celebrating 10 years of providing cancer care services to patients and families in our community and district who are living with the disease. The care and compassion provided by this dedicated team is also supported by our wonderful volunteers, as well as affiliated agencies and services throughout our organization.”

Diane McManaman, Chemotherapy Nurse, Riverside Healthcare Facilities

Diane is described as a truly remarkable individual who takes the utmost pride in her job, providing patients of the Rainy River District with compassionate and safe patient care. She has a wealth of knowledge and exudes comfort and confidence.

She works hard to make sure that her patients are empowered with the information they need to confidently make informed choices about their treatment. She actively follows her patients and their families throughout the treatment course, whether it is hospitalization, home care or palliation. Diane is a firm believer that the patient always comes first, and that care close to home is essential.

As a true testimonial to Diane, her colleagues say: “If we could have hand picked our Chemotherapy nurse, we could not have made a better choice.”

“I am both pleasantly surprised and honoured to be the recipient of the Human Touch Award. I am grateful for the thoughts expressed by team members and patients. It's very rewarding to be a part of our Regional Cancer Program to bring care close to home,” McManaman says.

“I was absolutely thrilled with the news that Diane had won the Human Touch Award. Diane is an excellent nurse, and we feel so very blessed to have her as part of our Chemotherapy Team at Riverside. There is no one more deserving in our eyes than Diane!” says Glenna Morand, Nurse Manager, Chemotherapy Unit, Riverside Healthcare.