Recognizing Excellence in Critical Care and Organ Donation
2025-10-18
October 20th to 26th is Canadian Intensive Care Week. In
recognition of this, I would like to shine a light on our critical care team
who provides compassionate, exceptional care to our sickest patients, and how this
teamwork and compassion has once again earned Cornwall Community Hospital (CCH)
provincial recognition.
CCH was recently honoured by Ontario Health (Trillium Gift of
Life Network) for our ongoing commitment to organ and tissue donation. In 2024-2025,
our hospital supported one organ donor, resulting in two organs donated and two
lives saved, along with 12 tissue donors whose gifts will enhance the lives of
many others.
These efforts earned CCH three provincial awards:
· Provincial
Conversion Rate Award for achieving a 100% conversion rate, successfully
converting eligible donors to actual donors and surpassing the provincial
target.
· Provincial
Eligible Approach Rate Award for achieving a 100% eligible approach rate,
ensuring that every eligible family is approached for donation, exceeding the
provincial average for the fifth consecutive year.
· Award
of Excellence for maintaining high performance in organ and tissue donation for
four or more consecutive years.
These awards recognize the care our staff and physicians provide
to patients and families during some of life’s most difficult moments, and the
generosity of donors who make the gift of life possible. Each act of donation
helps to improve and save lives across Ontario, and we are proud to support
this life-changing work with care and respect.
While these awards reflect the collaboration of many across
our hospital, the Critical Care Unit (CCU) plays a central role in organ and
tissue donation, as most organ donors are cared for in critical care settings.
CCU staff are responsible for identifying patients who may be
eligible for donation, initiating timely notification to Ontario Health
(Trillium Gift of Life Network), and maintaining the medical stability of
potential donors to preserve organ function.
They also support families during difficult end-of-life
discussions and work alongside donor coordinators to facilitate consent and the
donation process. In many ways, the CCU is where the possibility of saving
other lives through donation begins.
According to Michael Paglia, Director of Acute Medicine and
Critical Care Services at CCH, “Our Critical Care team demonstrates compassion
not only in caring for our patients, but also in supporting families through
the donation process. Their work ensures that even in moments of loss, there is
hope and new life for others.”
The CCU at CCH is staffed by a dedicated team of specially
trained healthcare professionals who provide 24/7 critical care, including
advanced monitoring, life-saving treatments, and ventilator support.
Leading this team are intensivists (physicians with expertise
in intensive care) who work alongside nurses, physiotherapists, dietitians,
pharmacists, respiratory therapists, and others, to deliver comprehensive,
multidisciplinary care.
It is not uncommon for the unit to operate at full capacity.
On average, the CCU treats over 550 patients annually. To expand critical care
capacity, CCH opened a Critical Care Step-Down Unit earlier this year, a
dedicated space for patients who are less critically ill but still require
specialized monitoring and support. This expansion increases our ability to
manage surges in high-acuity cases within the main CCU.
CCH is proud to serve our community as the region’s provider
of critical care services and as a partner in the life-changing work of organ
and tissue donation. These recognitions reflect the dedication of our staff and
the generosity of local families who, in their most difficult moments, have
decided to give the gift of life through organ and tissue donation.
One organ donor can save up to eight lives and enhance the
lives of up to 75 others through tissue donation. Right now, more than 1,600
people in Ontario are waiting for a life-saving organ transplant. Every three
days, someone will die waiting for an organ transplant, and thousands need
tissue donations. Talk to your family about your donation decision and visit www.BeADonor.ca to register or learn more.