Tag Archives: Canada

Cross-Border Collaboration Summit

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One of Henry Ford’s best-known quotes is the following: “Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success.”

Those words still hold true today.

His quote speaks to the importance of building relationships and identifying opportunities for collaboration; not just within our System but by working with other organizations within health care, our city and beyond.

Cross-Border Summit

The Cross-Border Summit was held in the Henry Ford Innovation Institute.

Working together is where you find success – and opportunity.

Such an opportunity arose with the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at Western University in Ontario, Canada.

I have been working to develop collaborative opportunities in clinical care, education, research and innovation with our colleagues “south of the border,” down Canada way.

In prior blogs, I have written about the great work being done to provide support for certain clinical situations with hospitals and providers in Essex County.

After conversations with hospitals, educators, and private and governmental officials, we all felt there were many additional areas of work to consider, leveraging the resources and talents we have collectively.

In parallel with the work we had been doing, the remarkable dean of the Schulich School of Medicine, Dr. Michael Strong, and his leadership team took this concept one step further and extended their outreaching global initiatives to cross border work with Detroit.

This led to Henry Ford. Continue reading →

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Doc in the “W-E”

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Oh Canada! Especially Windsor-Essex County

“Doc in the D” has been reaching out to our friends and neighbors south of the river to create relationships in education, patient care, employment, research and perhaps other trade. Every trip has been rewarded with friendship, ideas and opportunities for mutual benefits.

It is all part of my conviction of the vast regional benefits in making medicine and education (“Meds and Eds”) links between Detroit and Southeastern Michigan and Southwest Ontario in an industry other than automotive.

We have developed great friends like David Musyj, the superb CEO of Windsor Regional Hospital, and others who share with us the concept of an “international gateway for health care” that spans the Detroit River. (Note that I’m not referring to it as a border.)

As I have frequently said, a river is not that great of a divide and there is nowhere else in North America, or perhaps the world, that offers the breadth of possibilities.

Many of you know about our Henry Ford Canadian workers, many in pivotal positions at Henry Ford Hospital.

You’re probably also aware that we provide acute care services, in particular for cardiac conditions, when needed by our Canadian partners.

Some may remember the story of Jaime McDermott (above), the Leamington Flyer assistant coach who crossed the river last year for life-saving surgery for an ascending aortic aneurism at Henry Ford Hospital.

Others have used our centers of excellence services for second opinions and peace of mind.  Continue reading →

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Border-to-Border Teamwork Gets Patient Back on the Ice

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Earlier this year, I shared a story about Jaime McDermott, the Leamington Flyer assistant coach who crossed the border for life-saving surgery for an ascending aortic aneurism at Henry Ford Hospital.

And I’m not just bringing up this story again because it’s an opportunity to talk about hockey while we await the return of our players to Hockeytown.

Mr. McDermott returned this week to Leamington District Memorial Hospital, to celebrate his incredible recovery and thank the staff there and the staff at Henry Ford Hospital – the two teams that worked together to ensure he would remain a vibrant husband, father, coach, and member of the Leamington community.

This story stands as great example of our relationship with the Canadian health care system. Henry Ford Hospital is ready to provide the best of care to the sickest of patients when alternatives cannot be provided from Canadian resources.

Following Mr. McDermott’s recovery, I sent a letter to Terry Shields, the acting-CEO of Leamington District Memorial Hospital.

In it, I wrote about what we often refer to as the “Miracles on the Boulevard.” These miracles are the product of many individuals, from first responders, to emergency personnel, to transporters, to customs agents, to the treating surgeons, physicians, and nurses.

The story behind the diagnosis, treatment, and eventual dramatic recovery is a tribute to all of these individuals, who, if there was delay or misstep in any part of the process, would not have created the opportunity for Mr. McDermott to be celebrated today. Continue reading →

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The Stanley Cup of Patient Care

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I spend a fair amount of time going “South of the Border,” talking to hospital and academic leaders, physicians and others about Henry Ford Hospital – the great doctors, nurses and programs of the Flagship.  

We are very respectful of the Canadian health care system and the great care it provides. When alternatives cannot be provided from Canadian resources, Henry Ford Hospital is there to provide the best of care to the sickest of patients.

As such, we provide clinical support for this extraordinary patient care, at the request of the doctors and providers in Windsor and Essex County, whenever it is needed. 

Most notable of this clinical support is the work that we have done in cardiovascular disease, especially in acute myocardial infarction.

No amount of my discussions of the value of our partnerships compares to this story, especially the video of a true “Miracle on the Boulevard.”

To our cardiovascular surgical team, the surgeons, the anethesiologists, the nurses, and the technicians: This story is better than winning the Stanley Cup.  Continue reading →

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