Following two strokes caused by diabetes and high blood pressure, Guillermo Rodas learned about the new Centre for Complex Diabetes Care (CCDC) at The Scarborough Hospital.

Though skeptical at first, the severity of his illness compelled Guillermo to insist on a referral. Since his first appointment, he has been delighted with the interprofessional care provided by the team.

"When you have a chronic disease, having support to deal with emotional, social and economic issues is vital to minimize the tension and uncertainty that exists," explained Guillermo. "For the first time, I felt I was being heard by a team of experts in the field of diabetes, and I believe they spent the necessary time with me for a proper medical examination to get an accurate diagnosis for future treatment."

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The exceptional work of our paediatric physicians and staff ensure that our young patients receive high quality care in an effort to keep our 30-day readmission rates one of the lowest in the province.

"We have an experienced and dedicated paediatric care team composed of paediatric nurses and child life specialists who spend a lot of time educating our families so they will be able to care for their child once they are discharged home," says Dr. Peter Azzopardi, Chief of Paediatrics at The Scarborough Hospital. "They discuss medical treatments, but more importantly review signs and symptoms that would signal a need for rapid re-evaluation. They also review the basics like diet, fever control and what to expect on your first days home. Secondly, many of our discharged children return to the hospital for re-evaluation within one or two days."

Dr. Azzopardi adds that many patients return for follow-up one or two days after discharge to the hospital's Paediatric Day Clinics that run every day of the year at both sites. The clinics are located right on the inpatient floors and the families often reconnect with a caregiver they met during hospitalization.

This level of continuity of care was pioneered at The Scarborough Hospital, and demonstrates its commitment to ensure that children leaving the hospital will continue to remain 'under our care' with a shared responsibility to make their transition home as smooth and as safe as possible.

"As a busy paediatric department, we are dedicated to keep children at home if at all possible," says Dr. Azzopardi. "When they must be admitted, we want to keep the separation from home short and set plans in place to ensure that they will remain home after discharge."  

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The Scarborough Hospital's team of Registered Dietitians play a key role in patient care, and are uniquely trained to advise you on food, healthy eating and nutrition. We will profile some of TSH's RDs throughout the month of March, which is Nutrition Month.

Heidi Murphy is a Registered Dietitian working in the home dialysis program, Chronic Kidney Disease at the General campus.

"It's very challenging to educate patients with kidney disease on how best to maintain a proper diet. There are many factors in determining what each patient's diet requires to ensure their kidneys are working at their best, while allowing the patient to enjoy their food and maintain a good quality of life," Heidi explains. "And with our diverse community, we also educate and instruct on how to incorporate cultural foods that are safe for their diet."