Minutes of the Monthly Meeting held on March 10, 2014, at Committee Room No 2, Queens Park
Present:
Thomas S. Saras
Maria Voutsinas
Tatyana Fursenko
Daniela Spirlak
Sharmine Perera
Anil Perera
Gerald Paul
Tharmasri Rajah Thirunavukkaram
Khan Khoda
Mohammad-Bagher Samimi
Muluget Zergaber
Michael Siravand
Sandeep Prabhakar
Rakhee Prabhakar
Mohammad Tajdolati
Teshome Worldeamanuel
Paulared whye
Ahmad Rostaalingham
Asad Zarriumed
Ranjii Wicks
Patrick Long
Nishantha Don
Isa Melo
Jonathan Annobil
Neel Nanda
Correio Da Manha
Kevin Wang
Pobeda Pisckaceva
Janusz Memczyk
Susana Donan
Sultan Ali Shunbuli
Marek J. Goldyn
Moorthy Sellathurai
Raffi Der Boghossian
Ahmad Sha Hotaki
Maricell Delgado Parkenas
Srimal Abeyewardene
Nad Blair
Adu Raudkavi
John Saraidaris
Dumitru Poposcu
Suleyman Guven
Mehmet Onayli
Suhan Ali Shunbill
Ned Blair
Nagamany Legendrinligan
Mohammad-Bagher Samini
Ahilakuwaran Multhukymaracamey
Hermie Garcia
Mila A. Garcia
Agenda
1. Welcome Remarks by the chair.
2. Minutes of the previous meeting
3. Report of the President.
4. Presentation by Heather Hurst –President and CEO – Humber River Hospital Foundation
5. New Business
6. Adjournment
Welcome Remarks by the Chair:
Mr. Thomas Saras chaired the meeting and declared the meeting open. Dr Tajdolati moved a motion to approve the agenda. Maria Saras- Voutsinas seconded it. The motion was carried
Minutes of the previous meeting:
Dr. Tajdolati moved a motion to approve the minutes of the previous monthly meeting held on February 10, 2014. Ranjit Wicks seconded it. The motion was carried.
President’s Report/Discussions:
• Volunteer Recognition Night will take place on Friday March 14 at the Cypriot Community Centre. Members interested in attending the event were required to give their names at the end of the meeting. This dinner is organized by NEPMCC to recognize the hard work of volunteers during the educational seminar in December 2013.
• President Thomas Saras urged members to pay their annual membership fee to those members who have not yet paid their annual membership fee to renew their membership with the organization. NEPMCC has a lot of projects waiting in 2014 for the benefit of ethnic media industry and all projects have cost associated with them. Many members have benefited being a part of NEPMCC and paying membership fees in a timely manner is a duty of all members.
• The annual ethnic press exhibition for freedom of press will take place on the week of Monday May 5, 2014 at the rotunda of City Hall. President urged members to submit their three best copies of their publication for display during the exhibition. The opening ceremony of the week long exhibition will take place on Monday May 5 2014 and will be attended by dignitaries from all levels of government.
Motion: Ranjit Wicks moved a motion to authorize the office of the President to meet the expenses of the event as and when required by NEPMCC. Dr Tajdolati seconded it. Michael Shiravand abstained and all other members agreed to the motion. The motion was carried.
• Nomination for NEPMCC annual award 2014 is already open and will end on June 1 2013.
• President Thomas Saras acknowledged the honour given by Lt. Governor in hosting the NEPMCC awards ceremony every year
Presentation by Heather Hurst –President and CEO – Humber River Hospital Foundation
Heather Hurst along with her team from Humber River Hospital Foundation made an elaborate presentation on the New Humber River Hospital opening in 2015.
Humber River Hospital Foundation supports the patient care provided at Humber River Hospital – one of the largest hospitals in the GTA and soon to be home to North America’s first fully digital hospital.
Through the generous and forward thinking donors, the Foundation is able to invest in the latest and most sophisticated medical equipment and improvements to people care for the patients of Humber River. The Humber River Hospital is governed by an energetic volunteer board of directors who guide the activities and offer their expert advice. Each project that they embark upon always has volunteer input and guidance.
The Foundation’s current focus is on raising funds for the new Humber River Hospital. The $225 million fundraising campaign is the largest in this hospital’s history and will be put towards building and equipping the new hospital, set to open in 2015.
Humber River Hospital has a bold vision for the future of hospital care in North America: the organization is creating a new model where barriers to patient and family engagement are minimized; where they are encouraged and supported in participating in decision-making; and where technology is used throughout as an enabler of exceptional care delivery.
Patient centered care considers the cultural traditions, personal preferences and values, and y family situation. This ‘patient care reinvented’ approach will be made possible by the new Humber River Hospital – North America’s first fully digital hospital. The latest technology will be used as a catalyst to introduce a revolutionary vision of comfort, care and healing to patients and families, one that will reach far beyond the hospital and enhance the wellbeing of the entire local community. It will use the finest available technology in a comprehensive approach that enables complete integration and interoperability across the entire organization.
Some of the highlights of the New Humber River Hospital include:
• Increased capacity on opening from 549 to 656 beds, including 48 critical care beds to meet the needs of the growing surrounding community;
• Expanded emergency services to accommodate over 114,000 visits per year, complemented by an urgent care centre at the Finch Street Site that will provide care to another 30,000 visits per year;
• Expanded ambulatory services, including more capacity for cancer care; orthopedics; and geriatrics;
• Patient-centered care with 80% single patient rooms providing amenities for family members and helping prevent the spread of infections;
• Modern diagnostics equipment for detailed, accurate patient diagnosis and treatment; and
• Portals of care for easy access and less walking within the building
The new Humber River Hospital will revolutionize healthcare in Canada, but in order to do that the presenters urged the need of financial help to meet its mission and vision.
The team from Humber River Hospital Foundation then opened the floor for questions and discussions:
Dr Khan Khoda, Rakhee Prabhakar, Dr. Tajdolati, Jonathan Annobil, Isa Melo, Tatyana Fursenko, Michael Shiravand and many other members participated in the roundtable discussion.
President Thomas Saras thanked Heather Hurst and her team for the presentation and advised all members of NEPMCC present during the meeting to run an editorial in their respective publications to create much needed awareness and funding for the super hospital.
New Business:
Isa Melo informed the members of NEPMCC of the “Ladies Night Out” Fundraiser in support of the Hakuna Matata Foundation which aims to donate new and used bikes for orphan children aged 5-12 years in Africa. Isa Melo urged members to spread awareness of this campaign to help the needy children in Africa.
A moment of silence was observed for Ali Mustafa a Toronto based freelance journalist who was killed in during a Syrian government attack on a rebel-held area of Allepo in Syria. Ali Mustafa had been covering events in Syria to provide a first-hand account for North Americans, something many journalists are not able or willing to do. Members observed a moment of silence to pay tribute to the departed journalist.
Adjournment: Srimal Abeyawardene moved a motion to adjourn the meeting, Sandeep Prabhakar seconded it. The motion was carried. The Chair President Thomas Saras adjourned the meeting at 9:30 pm. The next monthly meeting would take place on April 14, 2014 at Queens Park.