News

Welcome to the Heart Institute. The new Central Registration Desk will be located conveniently in the bright and spacious new main lobby which means One Stop for patients when they arrive. Renovations to the original Heart Institute building will see multiple levels undergoing significant change. The installation of escalators will make a big difference for both patients and their families when they visit Heart…

Traditional cardiovascular revascularization trials have long been designed by clinicians to examine outcomes that are predominantly of interest to clinicians. These trials are sometimes referred to as “tombstone trials” within the medical community for their tendency to focus on death or other adverse cardiac events after heart surgery or other therapies. While so-called tombstone trials are extremely important for informing physicians about a patient’s…

Engaging patients is critical to our understanding of the issues that are most important for those living day-to-day with a specific condition. We are seeking appropriate volunteers to serve as Patient Partners in Research, to work alongside our Researchers and staff. You may be an ideal Patient Partner candidate and we encourage you to apply if you have experience living with a cardiac condition. Engaging patients…

PATIENT ALUMNI ASSOCIATION The Heart Institute’s Patient Alumni Association continues in its new direction set last year in which all patients are now made automatic members of the Association upon discharge from the hospital. This new approach triggered the need for a refocused strategic plan, a new communication strategy, amended by-laws and a renewed governance structure. THE PATIENT ALUMNI ASSOCIATION NOW FOCUSES ON: •…

The Patient Alumni Association and the new Cardiac Prehabilitation program have recently been recognized as leading practice organizations by the Health Standards Organization. The Ottawa Heart Institute Patient Alumni Association was started in 1985 by Mary Clinckett, the former Head of Physiotherapy at the Heart Institute. She recognized a need to enable patients to stay involved with the Institute, to be kept informed about heart disease, treatment and prevention, and…

  Seeking patient/caregiver/family involvement! Introduction: The President of the UOHI Patient Alumni would like to put together a focus group of patients (former and current), family, and caregivers to support his participation in the Quality of Care Committee. The patient voice is central to the work of the Alumni. The Patient Alumni President, is an important member of the QoCC. As President, he represents…

Overview This annual activities report is the culmination of over 2 years of efforts from the team to refocus the Alumni. In late fall of 2015, Dr. Mesana and the Alumni agreed to a new 5-year cooperation agreement between the UOHI, the Foundation and the Alumni. The agreement allowed discharged patients to become automatic members of the Patient Alumni. To that effect, the Alumni…

Patient Engagement Framework Although patient-centered care and patient engagement are long-standing UOHI values, before 2018, a formal framework had not yet been outlined. The below was developed in partnership between the Patient Alumni and the Patient Partnership Council and Patient Engagement in Research Advisor Council Co-Chairs. A patient-friendly version of the UOHI Patient Engagement Framework was developed in February and reviewed by the UOHI…

The University of Ottawa Heart Institute (UOHI) has a rich history of patient engagement that has spanned decades. The Ottawa Heart Institute Patient Alumni Inc. was started by Mary Clinckett, the former Head of Physiotherapy at the Heart Institute. She recognized a need for patients to be able to continue to be involved with the Institute, to be kept informed about heart disease, treatment…

What is Patient Engagement? Patient Engagement means that patients and health care providers share ideas and discussions about how to improve care. ?Patient? could be the person who is getting the care or their family member or other caring person. Care that puts the patient first is called ?patient centered.? Our goal here at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute (UOHI) is to continue…