de Souza Institute Congratulates Exceptional Northumberland Nurse
Northumberland County, Ontario – Northumberland Hills Hospital (NHH) Registered Nurse Kimberly Baxter is the first nurse in Northumberland County and in the Central East Local Health Integration Network (Central East LHIN) to receive the prestigious de Souza Nurse Designation. Kimberly joins a distinguished group of just 20 nurses in all of Ontario to obtain this designation.
The de Souza Institute is an innovative learning centre dedicated to cancer care excellence and since 2008 has provided ongoing educational support and professional development to more than 9,000 clinicians. In order to obtain the de Souza Nurse Designation candidates must complete extensive course work as well as a 75 hour clinical fellowship. Kimberly first enrolled in March 2010 and over a five year period she completed 12 courses that combined accounted for over 200 learning hours.
“Being the first de Souza Nurse at Northumberland Hills Hospital and in the Central East LHIN is a remarkable accomplishment that showcases Kimberly’s capacity to lead and motivate others,” said Dr. Mary Jane Esplen, Executive Director of de Souza Institute. “Her de Souza training has strengthened her determination to always put patients first and provide truly person centred care.”
“Navigating your way through the cancer care system can be overwhelming. Nurses not only play a valuable role in administering treatment, but we are also looked upon to share valuable information with patients,” said nurse Kimberly Baxter. “de Souza helped me understand the importance of knowing how and when to present essential information to patients, so that they are better able to make informed decisions at every stage of their cancer journey.”
The demand for nurses with specialized skills in cancer care is continuing to grow. According to the Canadian Cancer Society, 2 in 5 Canadians will develop cancer within their lifetime.
The health care team in NHH’s Cobourg Lions and Lioness Cancer and Supportive Care Clinic provides care for cancer patients living in the surrounding communities in partnership with the Durham Regional Cancer Centre (DRCC) at Lakeridge Health, the Central East Regional Cancer Program and Cancer Care Ontario. Services offered at NHH include the delivery of chemotherapy, biotherapy and supportive treatments, as well as education, palliative care, symptom and pain management.
“We are proud of the cancer services we provide at NHH for our community. Kimberly is an example of an exceptional cancer and supportive care nurse who has embraced the complexities of oncology nursing to improve the experience for her patients,” said Helen Brenner, Vice President, Patient Services and Chief Nursing Executive at NHH. “She has worked tirelessly over the past five years to obtain the advanced education, knowledge, and clinical expertise required for this rare designation and applies that specialized knowledge for the benefit of Northumberland cancer patients and their families each and every day. We congratulate her on her achievement and thank her for all she brings to help us achieve our hospital’s mission of Exceptional patient care. Every day”.
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About Northumberland Hills Hospital:
Located approximately 100 kilometres east of Toronto, NHH delivers a broad range of acute, post-acute, outpatient and diagnostic services. Acute services include emergency and intensive care, medical/surgical care, obstetrical care and palliative care. Post-acute specialty services (PASS) include restorative care and rehabilitation. Mental health care, chemotherapy, dialysis and 16 other ambulatory care clinics are offered on an outpatient basis through partnerships with regional centres and nearby specialists. NHH offers a full range of diagnostic services, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) and mammography. The hospital serves the catchment area of west
Northumberland County. A mixed urban and rural population of approximately 60,000 residents, west Northumberland comprises the Town of Cobourg, the Municipality of Port Hope and the townships of Hamilton, Cramahe and Alnwick/Haldimand. NHH employs approximately 600 people and relies on the additional support provided by physicians and volunteers. NHH is an active member of the Central East Local Health Integration Network. For more information, please visit www.nhh.ca or follow us on Twitter @NorHillsHosp.
About de Souza Institute:
Established in 2008, de Souza Institute, in partnership with University Health Network, Cancer Care Ontario and funded by Ontario’s Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, provides ongoing educational support, professional development and career counseling to nurses caring for cancer patients and families.
de Souza Institute is providing cancer care excellence by: delivering innovative continuing education and mentorship programs; helping nurses to achieve national specialty certification; funding graduate scholarships to develop tomorrow’s leaders, and supporting in self-care and career development. To learn more about de Souza Institute visit www.desouzainstitute.com
Contact Information:
de Souza Institute
Deyan Kostovski
416-417-8566
deyan.kostovski@desouzainstitute.com
Northumberland Hills Hospital
Jennifer Gillard
905-372-1267
jgillard@nhh.ca