Technical skills are clearly part of a successful surgery, but what about ‘soft skills’ like leadership, communications and teamwork? The OR Black Box®, installed last summer at The Ottawa Hospital General Campus, is helping researchers collect important data that could help improve care not only in Ottawa, but around the world.

Everyone who volunteers at The Ottawa Hospital has a reason. For Brian Oliver, that reason was to pay tribute to the people who helped him and his wife, Elaine Oliver. In celebration of National Volunteer Week (April 7to 13), meet Brian, who has a warm smile and a sharing spirit.

Iuliana Popescu came to Canada from Romania in 2002, and began working in the Human Resources Department at The Ottawa Hospital five years later. No matter where her travels took her, she always felt a sense of belonging here. The Ottawa Hospital was recently recognized for helping new Canadians like Iuliana find meaningful employment.

Nina Kautuq’s body is still healing from the 2015 tent fire that claimed the lives of her husband and three of her four children. But her emotional healing finally began in February, when she met the nurses and doctor who cared for her dying children.

Some dogs can do so much more than fetch a bone; some can help others in need. Nellie is a 11-year-old Collie, and a volunteer at The Ottawa Hospital. With some help from her handler, Claire Laroche, Nellie frequently visits The Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre, hoping to help lift patients’ spirits.

Chances are you’ve never thought about all the behind-the-scenes planning that goes in to improving a patient’s experience at The Ottawa Hospital. To celebrate International Women’s Day, meet Joanne Read and Karen Stockton – two accomplished leaders who plan every element of the patient experience, down to the last detail.

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease often come to the Emergency Department gasping for breath. Now, a made-in-Ottawa tool can be used by doctors around the world to help choose the best care for these patients.

The comfort cart program founded by Vince Westwick, a former hospital board member, in the Emergency Department at The Ottawa Hospital’s Civic Campus continues to help people after his death.

Paula Tiszai worries constantly about her 85-year-old mother’s medications. Over the years, she has seen her mother suffer deliriums, behavioural issues, problems eating, falls and more – simply because she was on inappropriate drugs. Paula believes MedSafer could help.

Patients travelling far from home for cancer treatment can feel isolated, but The Ottawa Hospital and Ottawa Senators are working together to help lift patients’ spirits and give them an experience they will never forget.

They’re embarking on a mission to Haiti armed with donated medical supplies and equipment, skills to share, and the knowledge that they’ll face conditions they’ve never seen before, far outside their comfort zones.

Pharmacists and members of the public can quickly check the safety and compatibility of HIV and hepatitis C drugs with other commonly prescribed medications, thanks to a new app that Ottawa Hospital Pharmacist Pierre Giguère helped develop.