January 2019

Aren’t those teenagers at the JGH awfully young to be medical trainees? Actually, they’re high schoolers in the Auxiliary’s Hospital Opportunity Program for Students. Here’s what some notable HOPS “graduates” have been doing lately.

In January 1968, the JGH made medical history as the first hospital in the world to use an external, artificial heart-assist pump to resuscitate a patient who was dying of an acute heart attack.

Volunteers from the JGH Auxiliary are spending a few minutes each day reading storybooks to babies in Neonatal Intensive Care. Is there any point in reading to an infant who can’t possibly understand what’s being said? Surprisingly, the answer is Yes.

Coming in 2019: an online program for JGH patients with scleroderma, a rare autoimmune disease characterized by hardening of connective tissues. Included are instructional videos and advice on developing a personalized exercise routine and setting realistic goals.

At a special ceremony in the 1950s, students in the JGH School of Nursing were given a small lamp reminiscent of the one held by Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing.

Nervous about possible risks during overnight surgery? Don’t be. A study conducted at the JGH concluded that patients who undergo emergency surgery during overnight hours are at no greater risk of mortality than those who are operated upon during the day.

Lucie Tremblay has assumed her new position as Director of Nursing for CIUSSS West-Central Montreal.

In January 1998, a massive ice storm paralyzed Montreal and disrupted the supply of electricity for days. The JGH welcomed all who needed help and provided them with cots.

Dental research is playing an increasingly significant role in the Lady Davis Institute, especially in an exploration of pain in and around the joint on either side of the jaw bone—second only to back disorders as a source of chronic pain.

Need information about mental health and related community services? Check out the JGH’s new Resource Centre in the lobby of the Institute of Community and Family Psychiatry. Computer terminals, a library and friendly volunteers will help you find what you need.