Radiation-oncologist Dr. Tarek Hijal is going to the United Kingdom to complete a Master’s degree in Health Economics, Policy and Management. Clinical nutritionist Jonathon di Tomasso will research nutrition therapy for cancer patients in Montreal. Head oncology nurse Karine LePage will be traveling to Paris for a Harvard seminar to hone her management skills. Although their training programs vary, these Rossy Cancer Network (RCN) health care professionals all have the same goal – to improve the quality of cancer care across the McGill-based network, which includes the McGill Faculty of Medicine, St. Mary’s Hospital Center, Jewish General Hospital (JGH) and McGill University Health (MUHC) Centre. Thanks to the RCN Educational Grants, they are one step closer to achieving this.
Dr. Hijal, Mr. di Tomasso and Ms. LePage were recently awarded the inaugural RCN Educational Grants.
“We were very pleased with the calibre of the grant proposals,” says Dr. Ari Meguerditchian, Lead of the RCN Cancer Quality and Innovation Program, which established the Educational Grants. “They were all strong applications and I congratulate all who applied.”
About the grants
The RCN Educational Grants, launched in the fall of 2013, were made available to any health care professional who expressed interest in developing knowledge in the field of cancer care quality improvement. A selection committee reviewed the proposals and chose three projects for funding.
“Many proposals were in line with our strategic goals of improving cancer care across the RCN and so it was difficult to decide between them,” says Professor Eduardo Franco, Chair of the McGill Department of Oncology and Selection Committee Member. “Our goal was to enhance and support the expertise we already have within McGill and its hospitals and we will definitely achieve this. Supporting this initial group of oncology champions is just the beginning; there will be more.”
“We have tremendous potential within our institutions,” agrees Dr. Meguerditchian. “At the RCN we want to go beyond just talking about quality, to actually improving it. With the RCN Educational Grants, we are developing capacity within our teams and investing in skills acquisition. Through this we will have the right people with the right skills to improve care.”
About the recipients
All three of the awardees will be furthering their careers with advanced training.
Dr. Hijal, who is the MUHC’s Associate Clinical Director of Radiation Oncology, will learn the basics of health care administration. Topics of his program will include quality assurance strategies, outcome measures in oncology and cost-effectiveness of health care projects. “I’m hopeful that I can apply what I learn in the UK to achieve improved cancer care at the RCN,” he says. “In particular, I’m hopeful to be able to implement network-wide practice guidelines and automated electronic medical record auditing.”
Mr. di Tomasso is a team member of the MUHC’s Cancer Rehabilitation Clinic. This multidisciplinary team includes a physician, physical and occupational therapist, a nurse, and Mr. di Tomasso, the dietician. His research, which will lead to a Master’s degree, will look at how to improve nutritional cancer care. “Currently we offer nutritional counseling to help combat the symptoms of poor appetite, weight loss, diminished function and fatigue observed in cancer patients,” says Mr. di Tomasso. “My research will involve evaluating and adjusting this program to provide the best possible care.”
Karine LePage is head nurse on the Hematology-Oncology and Internal Medicine floor at the JGH. She will be completing training at the Harvard Business School in Health Care Leadership, where resource management and budget allocation will be her main focus. She will then be responsible for transferring this knowledge to other teams within the network. “I am passionate about improving the quality of care,” she says. “Only through delivery of efficient and effective care will we achieve the goal of being exceptional.”
“We want the RCN to be a world-class comprehensive care network within McGill and its partner hospitals,” says Dr. Franco. “The knowledge that our new grant recipients will bring back is a good first step towards this goal.”