Becoming a healthcare professional signals a commitment to lifelong learning. Most St. Joe’s clinicians are also educators — practicum supervisors, attending physicians, nurse educators, professional practice leads or professors — many of us have an education component to our role. For Dr. Azim Gangji, increasing engagement among clinician educators at St. Joe’s is a personal mission.
“Since St. Joe’s is an academic health sciences centre at the core of an integrated health system, it’s our collective duty as healthcare professionals to ensure learning remains at the centre of our practice,” says Dr. Gangji, vice president of education and chair of the Department of Education & Learning at St. Joe’s.
That’s why Dr. Gangji and the Department of Education & Learning are infusing education into various aspects of care and service at St. Joe’s. Major local advancements include, developing the Centre For Education and Innovation, establishing Learning Pillar Week in highlighting education and research and most recently developing the St. Joe’s Education Research Centre which has a focus on studying health professions education research. Globally, Dr. Gangji is establishing education networks in Nunavut and as Chair of St. Joe’s International Outreach Program’s Academic Advisory Committee, St. Joe’s commitment to education is having a far-reaching impact.
St. Joe’s Department of Education & Learning and The Research Institute of St. Joe’s Hamilton have joined forces for the last two years to host Learning Pillar Week. It’s the first event series of its kind to bring together learners, researchers, healthcare workers, and industry partners to celebrate scholarship and research in a Hamilton hospital.
“Learning Pillar Week is one way we demonstrate our commitment to providing outstanding educational experiences for our learners, highlighting our learners and the world’s best healthcare providers, and teachers and improving the patient’s overall experience,” said Dr. Gangji.
Learning Pillar Week events offer opportunities for healthcare workers to hone their skills to become a more effective supervisor or preceptor, and for researchers to display their productivity and become stronger investigators. Many events speakers are part of the St. Joe’s community, but experts from McMaster University and Mohawk College also participate.
“St. Joe’s is home to world-leading leading bench-to-bedside researchers who often wear many hats; clinicians, professors and scientists,” said Dr. Lehana Thabane, vice president of research at St. Joe’s and scientific director of The Research Institute of St. Joe’s Hamilton.
“This interdisciplinary approach allows us to integrate life-changing research within our clinical services, transforming patient outcomes and serving our community,” said Dr. Thabane, who co-chairs Learning Pillar Week with Dr. Gangji.
In addition to Learning Pillar Week, St. Joe’s healthcare workers also have the opportunity to hone their skills as educators at the St. Joe’s Education Research Centre. Established in the summer of 2023 with Dr. Anita Acai as the lead, the Centre supports ongoing education, professional development, and provides opportunities to examine health care education practice using a research lens.
A leading education-scientist with appointments at St. Joe’s and McMaster, Dr. Acai’s research explores competency-based medical education, learner-centered pedagogies, and the scholarship of teaching and learning.
In housing, the world’s best healthcare providers and teachers, transform patient outcomes within our community and beyond. St. Joseph’s Health System’s established a partnership with the Government of Nunavut and its Department of Health more than 10 years ago. The successes of this collaboration include: teaching, learning and sharing best practices, including in the areas of Quality, Mental Health and Addictions, Pharmacy and most recently with the Department of Education & Learning, who shared policies and procedure best practices.
In addition to teaching in the Canadian North, St. Joseph’s Health System also brings in learners from Uganda, Guyana, Philippines, Northern and East Africa, and Malaysia, among many other countries through the International Outreach Program. Led by Dr. Gangji and Michael Nixon, the Program is improving health care in developing countries by providing advanced specialty training for their doctors in Canada. What’s unique about St. Joe’s training is that our international physicians are licensed to practice while in Canada, allowing them to practice their skills and develop competencies, instead of relying on physician observation.
With a rich variety of teaching and education initiatives that are having an impact within the St. Joe’s community and beyond, it’s no surprise that St. Joe’s Department of Education and Learning successfully completed the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada’s Post Graduate Medical Education Accreditation and the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada Undergraduate Medical Education Accreditations in the spring of 2023.
“To all the healthcare workers who continue to prioritize learning, and take pride in being an educator, thank-you for your tireless efforts and commitment. You are helping St. Joe’s deliver on its mission of living the legacy, compassionate care, faith and discovery,” said Dr. Gangji.