Learning calendar launched online

As a teaching institution, there’s a lot of learning going on at Kingston General Hospital. However, for many years it has been difficult to find out about those opportunities unless you were specifically invited. But thanks to KGH’s new Interprofessional Education Calendar, launched last week, those sessions are open and easy to find for anyone interested.

Events on the calendar focus on broad topics that may be of interest to a number of people, rather than on specific teaching sessions for small groups. Most of the events are free to attend and most sessions are open to our staff, credentialed staff, learners, volunteers and patient experience advisors. To view the learning calendar, click here.

“This addresses what was a source of frustration for our learners, or other people who were interested in attending educational sessions,” says Dr. Lewis Tomalty, Chief of Service Clinical Microbiology at KGH who helped get the calendar project started. “In the past, you would have to spend a lot of time searching to find out what’s happening and what events you could attend. Now, it’s all available quickly at your fingertips.”

The calendar is the result of a partnership between KGH and the Faculty of Health Sciences at Queen’s University. While most of the events are hosted here at KGH, a number are run by Queen’s, as well as our other partners such as Hotel Dieu Hospital, Providence Care and St. Lawrence College.

“Health care professionals have a responsibility to continue their learning and education and this calendar is a good way to help them do that. It will allow our staff and learners to not only be engaged in their own area of expertise, but learn from those in other professions,” says Tomalty.

For example, the calendar this week, includes a number of free learning sessions across a wide range of disciplines such as Nephrology, Infectious Diseases, Critical Care, Pediatrics and Psychiatry. There are also a few special events that require registration and include a fee, such as the Renal Program Supper Club, the 1st Annual Department of Medicine Day and 10th Annual Rosen Symposium at the Donald Gordon Centre.

“Interprofessional Education is an important piece of our hospital strategy. We want KGH to be recognized as a centre for excellence in this field,” says Cynthia Phillips, Manager of Interprofessional Collaborative Practice & Education. “By providing these opportunities, we are able to learn with, from and about each other and in the end, provide better care for our patients.”

If you have a learning event that you would like added to the calendar, or if you would like more information, you can contact Cynthia Phillips by e-mail. Information should include event name or title, topic or objectives, location, link to further information and whether registration is required or rounds are accredited.