Profile: General Surgeon Dr. Nancy Down
                          Leading excellence in breast cancer care

Dr. Nancy Down, Medical Director of the Breast Integrated Care Collaborative and Division Head of General Surgery at North York General Hospital.
Dr. Nancy Down, Medical Director of the Breast Integrated Care Collaborative and Division Head of General Surgery, has been instrumental in building one of the best breast cancer programs in Ontario.

Under her leadership, many quality initiatives and processes have been put into place to provide patients with high-level, patient-centred care. 
  

Answering the call: MCIT nurses in action 

MCIT Registered Nurses Lisa Pritchard and Roberto Iasci
To better provide for our community's mental health needs, North York General Hospital has partnered with the Toronto Police Service in the Mobile Crisis Intervention Team (MCIT) program since 2014.

MCIT Registered Nurses  Lisa Pritchard and Roberto Iasci were recognized by the Toronto police chief for two very different reasons.

Say bye bye to dry eye

Itchy and irritated or gritty eyes, as well as stinging and burning are common symptoms of dry eye.
Itchy and irritated or gritty eyes, as well as stinging and burning, are common symptoms of dry eye. There may be discharge, pain and redness in the eye or a feeling of heavy eyelids and even blurred vision. 

Dr. Michael Henry, former Chief of Ophthalmology, describes the causes of dry eye, how to ease symptoms and more. 

When a sore throat is something more serious

 Your painful sore throat could be a cold, strep throat, or tonsillitis.
Do you ever wonder if your painful sore throat is from a cold, strep throat or tonsillitis?

Otolaryngologist Dr. Manish Shah answers common questions.


The signs and symptoms of an allergy

Allergic reactions cause symptoms in four main body systems - the skin, the gut, the heart, and the lungs.
Allergic reactions cause symptoms in four main body systems: the skin, the gut, the heart, and the lungs.

"Vomiting and/or stomach cramps, hives, shortness of breath, wheezing, cough, trouble swallowing, tongue swelling, dizziness or feeling lightheaded could all be symptoms of an allergic reaction," says Dr. Braden O'Neill, a Physician with our Department of Family and Community Medicine. 

Physiotherapy can help reduce dependency on painkillers 

Physiotherapists can help patients relearn better posture and exercises that can help manage pain.
Canadians have the second highest use of prescription opioids in the world. Owen Wong sees first-hand a growing number of patients using opioids for managing persistent pain. As a Physiotherapist at the North York General Assessment and Wellness Centre, he not only provides treatment that helps people in pain, he also tries to reduce or eliminate their need for prescription painkillers.  

NYGH's 50th anniversary
NYGH is dedicated March 15, 1968.

Dedication of hospital 
On March 15, 1968, Ontario Premier John Robarts dedicated North York General Hospital. The first patient was admitted on May 12 and three days later NYGH officially opened with 50 beds. By November, 580 beds were operational. 

Find out more about North York General's 50th anniversary in our special web section.
The Pulse is a publication of the Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department at North York General Hospital Learn more  or subscribe .