(April 24, 2020) – We know that living and working through COVID-19 is tough, but that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate the wonderful things that are happening at our sites – and for our people – along the way.

Each week, we’re sharing a list of 10 great things that happened over the previous week. Have a story you’d like to share? Send it to communications@unityhealth.to.

  1. Dr. Nadine Laraya was named today’s ‘Front-Line Hero’ by CBC News

Dr. Nadine Laraya is a Family Physician, Community Liaison with St. Joseph’s and was CBC News’ ‘Front-line Hero’ on Monday. Dr. Edward Weiss, Dr. Laraya’s colleague, says “she’s been instrumental in ensuring all medical professionals in the community have the latest COVID-19 developments.” Watch the video on Twitter.

  1. Unity Health Toronto receives large PPE shipment from China

Unity Health Toronto received a massive shipment of PPE from China, including respirator masks, medical masks, protective gowns, latex gloves and goggles. Read the back story behind this generous donation.

  1. How a warm meal is making a difference for staff and physicians

Health care workers are being called upon like never before, but our staff are still finding ways to support one another. At St. Joseph’s, take-home specials in the cafeteria’s are making a big difference for staff and physicians.

  1. St. Michael’s Emergency Department staff fundraise for the homeless and under-housed

Jasmine Errett and Tamiko Bown-Kai, Registered Nurses in the St. Michael’s Emergency Department, recently decided to start a fundraiser to give back to the homeless and under-housed in our community. This decision was made in response to the generosity directed at health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jasmine and Tamiko initiated the fundraiser on April 21 and in under 24 hours, they surpassed their target of $10,000.

  1. Emergency and Medicine program at St. Michael’s shares a list of things that bring them joy during COVID-19

Staff and physicians in the Emergency and Medicine program at St. Michael’s shared a list of songs, books, websites, shows and movies bringing them joy during COVID-19.

  1. Enabling virtual visits for our inpatients

To help our patients connect with their loved ones at home, we’re offering iPods and iPads that can be borrowed for video calls. This process was promoted on our website and through social media and the request process was made easily accessible.

  1. St. Michael’s Hospital opens dialysis centre in Thorncliffe Park via toronto.com

Last week, St. Michael’s Kidney Care Centre in Thorncliffe Park opened its doors. This new facility has 21 dialysis stations for patients, six more for hemodialysis training, transition and support and general kidney care clinics. Read the full story for more information on the centre.

  1. Two floors of the Peter Gilgan Patient Care Tower open for COVID-19 critical care

Thanks to the hard work of our teams, the accelerated opening of two floors of the Peter Gilgan Patient Care Tower was completed last week. With the opening of the fourth and seventh floors, St. Michael’s has 33 new beds dedicated to COVID-19 positive critical care patients.

  1. Unity Health Toronto staff are shown love across the city

Toronto Police, Toronto Paramedic Services and Toronto Fire Services visited our three sites and made a lot of noise to salute our relentless health care workers. Watch the visits at St. Joseph’s, St. Michael’s and Providence.

  1. Unity Health staff and physicians greeted with donated and IPAC-friendly treats

On April 23, staff and physicians at St. Michael’s were greeted with chocolates, granola bars and protein bars as part of the COVID-19 People Support Plan. This plan, which was implemented earlier this month at Providence and St. Joseph’s, was organized to thank our staff during this stressful time. Check out the photos here.