George Campbell was a not a physician — but he had the largest practice in town caring for everyone! His speciality was fundraising. George spearheaded campaigns that raised over $40 million to provide the best hospital facilities with state-of-the-art technology. Recently, George was admitted to the BGH where he was born — this time in one of the …

Traditionally, the nursing profession has appealed to women. Of the 440,000 regulated nurses in Canada only 9% are males. However, since 2015 the number of men becoming nurses has grown 15%. Martin Ruaux studied architecture, before changing careers to become a nurse. Today, he is Vice President of Clinical Programs & Chief Nursing Officer at the B…

Today, we take a behind the scenes look at the Brant Community Healthcare System preparations for Covid-19. Two physician leaders — on the front line of Covid-19 — talk candidly about the early planning stages, dealing with continually changing information, and their confidence in their ability to handle Covid-19. Working against the clock, multipl…

Paul Emerson and Peter Quinlan come from different backgrounds. Paul was the Chief Administrative Officer at the Grand River Conservation Authority for many years, before leading the County of Brant as CAO. Peter was a secondary school teacher before he became a lawyer/Partner at Waterous Holden Amey Hitchon. Today, both gentlemen contribute their …

Liz McNamara is living her dream: she is a Registered Nurse working in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Brantford General Hospital. Liz knows how ill Covid-19 patients can become, fast; and the stress working in the ICU can have on herself and her family. These days driving home from work the 31-year old mother of three young children finds herself…

Working tirelessly — in only 4 weeks! — staff and physicians at the Brantford General Hospital pivoted the organization to respond to patients who present with COVID-19 and other emergencies. 14 negative pressure rooms, including an operating room, are ready. An off-site COVID-19 patient assessment centre is staffed 7-days a week. Separate hospital…

If you have spent time convalescing in a hospital you know how boring it can be — and how much you look forward to visitors to help pass the time. But imagine if ‘Doug The Great’ appeared at your bedside pulling an endless stream of coloured silk from his hat! Or, ‘Parker’ a golden retriever knelt beside your bed and gently nuzzled your hand. Patie…

Stats Canada reports the jobless rate among nurses is extremely low — 0.9% last year! With job opportunities so plentiful — 50% of all vacancies at the Brant Community Healthcare System are for Registered Nurses — it means nurses often have many jobs to select from. Learn about the strategies to ensure there are enough nurses to care for you when y…

Nuclear medicine tests accurately diagnose a variety of ailments such as heart disease, gastrointestinal problems, various forms of cancers, and other abnormalities. Patients are injected a small dose of a slightly radioactive material, or sometimes given an egg salad sandwich sprinkled with radioisotopes. The Brant Community Healthcare System nucl…

By Gary Chalk

By Gary Chalk

By Gary Chalk

By Gary Chalk

Dr. David McNeil was hired one year ago as President & CEO of the Brant Community Healthcare System. What did he learn about the Brantford General and Willett Hospitals in 2019? Soon, a new strategic plan -- almost a year in the making -- will be launched, and the master plan that outlines the future for the Brant Community Healthcare System will b…

Maisie, a healthy baby girl was born in March at Brantford General Hospital — her parents Steve and Lily were thrilled! 11 days later, Steve drove Lily to the Emergency Department — where she collapsed and was lifeless. However, she was revived by the heroic efforts of BGH emergency staff. Lily, Steve, and baby Maisie are celebrating their 1st Chri…

Episode #2: WHY AM I WAITING IN THE ER? You’ve been awake all-night coughing, with aches. Is it the flu? Or worse, pneumonia? Finally, you listen to your spouse and go to the ER. Dr. Andrea Unger, Chief or Emergency Medicine at the Brantford General Hospital leads almost 50 specially trained Emergency Department physicians who care for 58,000 patie…

Episode #1: All Things Flu with Dr. Tom Szakacs. Flu season is upon us. Should you get the flu shot this year, or not? How effective will the vaccine be this year? Dr. Tom Szakacs an infectious disease specialist at the Brant Community Healthcare System has the answers. If you are concerned about you or your family’s health this winter — Dr. Szakac…

Hospital Insider: The Podcast is a behind the scenes look and tells the stories of the physicians, nurses, patients, donors and volunteers who support and make up the Brant Community Healthcare System.By Gary Chalk