A bi-weekly update for Baycrest staff, families, clients and volunteers
November 5, 2014 — VOL. 10 NO. 18
Baycrest Global Solutions signs first
major deal
B
Volunteer
receives
Ontario Senior
Achievement
Award
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Apotex 4 aims
to defend title
in this year’s
staff influenza
vaccination rate
competition
2
Provincial cabinet
ministers tour
Baycrest
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Baycrest is an academic
health sciences centre
fully affiliated with the
University of Toronto
aycrest’s commercial arm Baycrest
Global Solutions (BGS) has finalized a
contract that will see our experts consult
on the development of seniors residences
and geriatric care facilities in China.
The deal, valued at nearly $1 million,
marks the beginning of a five-year
partnership with Star Capital, a Chinese
investment company that will build eight
new seniors residences and a hospital
specializing in geriatric care.
Baycrest will send experts to China
for training and consultation, host
senior leaders of Star Capital for
training programs in Toronto, provide
videoconference lectures, and help
organize an annual forum in China.
Baycrest and Star Capital will also begin
discussing a longer-term contract.
“Sharing Baycrest’s expertise to
maximize the age-related cognitive and
mental health of older adults in our
community and around the globe is
one of our key strategic goals,” said Dr.
Bill Reichman, Baycrest president and
CEO. “This contract marks a significant
milestone for BGS in gaining a foothold
in the world’s second-largest economy
where the healthcare sector and its related
industries, including seniors’ supportive
housing and geriatric care services, are
www.baycrest.org
Innovations in aging
Baycrest president and CEO Dr. Bill Reichman,
pictured here next to Premier Kathleen Wynne,
travelled to China at the end of October as part of
Ontario’s trade mission.
poised for considerable growth in the
years to come.”
Dr. Reichman travelled to China to
sign the contract, as part of Ontario’s
trade mission to China. The delegation
included Ontario Premier Kathleen
Wynne, representatives of her government
and Chinese and Canadian industry
representatives who gathered for a bilateral contract signing and celebration of
Chinese-Canadian business partnerships.
During the trip, Dr. Reichman also
renewed Baycrest’s agreement with Peking
Union Medical College (PUMC) in
Beijing. Baycrest has provided educational
observerships to medical and nursing
students from PUMC each year since
2012. The new agreement will extend the
relationship through 2015.
Baycrest Matters is published every second Wednesday by the Marketing and Communications Department. Send your
feedback or submissions to Steph Parrott, editor, at [email protected] or call 416-785-2500 ext. 5724. All
submissions will be edited for style, grammar, readability and length. The deadline for submissions is two Wednesdays
prior to the publication date.
Baycrest Matters
A bi-weekly update for Baycrest staff, families, clients and volunteers
November 5, 2014 — VOL. 10 NO. 18
Volunteer receives Ontario Senior Achievement Award
B
aycrest volunteer Evelyn Burns-Weinrib has
become a fixture at the W.A. Café where she
volunteers every day. On October 30, she was
awarded a Senior Achievement Award in recognition
of her volunteerism and her work as an advocate
for seniors. The awards are presented each year by
Ontario’s lieutenant governor and are the highest
provincial honour for Ontarians over the age of 65.
Burns-Weinrib, 81, is a retired teacher who now
spends six days a week at Baycrest, logging more
than 33,000 volunteer hours over the past 13 years.
In addition to serving customers at the W.A. Café,
she facilitates a discussion group for residents in the
Apotex Centre, Jewish Home for the Aged; spends
three afternoons a week with patients on the Shirley
and Philip Granovsky Palliative Care Unit; helps out
in the libraries and with weekly Sabbath services; and
crochets items for patients who have cancer both at
Baycrest and at Princess Margaret Hospital.
Evelyn Burns-Weirib
was back at the
cash register in the
WA Café on October
31 after receiving
an Ontario Senior
Achievement Award
in a ceremony at
Queen’s Park on
October 30.
suicide three years ago, she began courageously and
candidly sharing her story to help others. BurnsWeinrib also helped to fund the creation of a website
focused on seniors’ mental health, a project led by
Dr. Robert Madan, chief of Psychiatry. The site is
now online at www.baycrest.org/mentalhealth and
Evelyn took on the role of spokesperson to help
promote the site in the media.
“This award represents what Baycrest has meant to
me,” says Burns-Weinrib, “It’s a symbol of Baycrest
and I working together.”
Burns-Weinrib is also a vocal advocate for a cause
that’s deeply personal: seniors’ mental health. After
struggling with severe depression and attempting
Apotex 4 aims to defend title in this year’s staff vaccination
rate competition
If you haven’t had the flu shot yet, now is the perfect time.
Baycrest’s annual staff influenza vaccination rate competition is
underway and this year, teams have the opportunity to win three
different ways in. Either the early bird, grudge match or overall
vaccination rate competitions. A pizza lunch is up for grabs in the
early bird competition for the team with the top vaccination rate by
November 15. In the grudge matches each team is paired with another
team. In each pairing, the team with the highest vaccination rate will
win “flu champ” badge stickers. The coveted Flu Champion trophy
will be awarded once again this year in the overall vaccination rate
competition. Of the Apotex unit teams, hospital unit teams, Food and
Nutrition Services team and Environmental Services team, the team
with the highest staff vaccination rate will with the trophy to display
for the year.
Kim Li, RPN on Apotex 4, last
year’s Flu Champion, is not
ready to give the trophy back
to Nadia Boroja, manager,
Occupational Health and
Safety. “We’ll be keeping the
trophy,” says Joe Ferreira,
unit clerk, Apotex 4.
Check the intranet for info about the flu, and the influenza vaccination
as well as the teams, competition updates and the Flu Buggy and flu
shot clinic schedule.
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Baycrest Matters
A bi-weekly update for Baycrest staff, families, clients and volunteers
November 5, 2014 — VOL. 10 NO. 18
Provincial cabinet ministers tour Baycrest
Two separate visits in October brought officials
from the provincial government to Baycrest.
Dipika Damerla, associate minister of health
and long-term care, took a tour of the Apotex
Centre, Jewish Home for the Aged and met staff
and residents on October 14. On October 15, Reza
Moridi, minister of research and innovation and
minister of training, colleges and universities
learned about Baycrest’s research, innovation
and commercialization projects.
Art show celebrates talent of Baycrest client
O
n October 22, The Samuel Lunenfeld Mountainview
Club hosted an art show and reception for day
centre member, Stanley Kane, who creates paintings as
an expression of his mood. “He often paints for two to
six hours each day – we have more than 200 paintings
at home!” says his wife, Judith. He advised those who
want to start painting to follow his technique. “I set
up the easel, grab a pencil, close my eyes and just start
doodling. Then I use the paint colours I have on hand!”
Though Stanley is an emerging artist, the well-attended
art show is evidence of his increasing following. As one
fan put it, Stanley’s art is “astounding!”
Candidates on the campaign trail visit Baycrest
The Joseph E. and Minnie Wagman Centre was abuzz with activity ahead of October’s
municipal elections as candidates stopped in to campaign to politically engaged seniors
from the Terraces of Baycrest Retirement Residence, the Apotex Centre, Jewish Home
for the Aged and the Joseph E. and Minnie Wagman Centre. Each mayoral candidate gave
a short presentation, followed by questions and a meet-and-greet session. City council
candidates for Ward 15 were also invited to an all-candidates meeting. Pictured here, John
Tory, now mayor-elect drew a big crowd on October 6.
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Baycrest Matters
A bi-weekly update for Baycrest staff, families, clients and volunteers
November 5, 2014 — VOL. 10 NO. 18
Staff announcements
A warm welcome to Tonya Mahar, Baycrest’s new manager of Library Services. Tonya holds a master of
information studies from the University of Toronto and brings to the role several years of library management
experience in healthcare, most recently as the manager of the Health Information Resource Centre with The
Scarborough Hospital, where she created a new consumer health and community information center and was
involved in the adoption and implementation of a Learning Management System.
Hosting an event?
The Jacob Family Theatre at the Abe Posluns
Auditorium is the perfect venue for:
• Community and family gatherings
• Concerts and film screenings
• Conferences and seminars
For more information visit www.baycrest.org/theatre
or contact Daniela Teti at 416-785-2500 ext. 2645
or at [email protected]
The people around us: A staff feature
Fern Melnick
Meet one of the friendly faces of
Baycrest, Fern Melnick, cashier in
Financial Services at the foundation.
In 1984, she began working in a little
bungalow on Baycrest Avenue for
Baycrest’s Men’s Service Group. Over
the years, as Baycrest has evolved,
so has her role. She joined Financial
Services in 1994 and has enjoyed it
ever since. “I love my team, we have
such a sense of camaraderie,” says
Fern. She is responsible for processing
donations in many forms, including
over the phone. “Some donors call me
directly to make their donations. It’s
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nice to chat with the same families
year after year, who contribute so
much to Baycrest.”
In her spare time, Fern loves travelling
and going to the theatre. She recently
started a walking group so she can
stay active and spend more time with
friends.
Where to find her: Say hello to Fern
in the Foundation’s Financial Services
department or while she’s out for her
daily lunchtime walk.
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