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A palliative care nurse who brings dignity to troublesome moments for sufferers and households. An administrative assistant who is available in on days off to go to with sufferers. A challenge engineer whose concepts and improvements are creating safer areas for the individuals we serve. A clerical coordinator who brings pleasure to his colleagues by humour and group constructing. A affected person household associate whose willpower to enhance the expertise of all those that work, go to and keep at Unity Well being is aware of no bounds.
These are the winners of the 2023 Our Shared Values Awards at St. Michael’s Hospital who’ve been acknowledged for going above and past to embody Unity Well being’s values of human dignity, compassion, excellence, group and inclusivity.
Listed below are a few of their tales within the phrases of those that nominated them.
Slawomir ZulawnikRN on the Palliative Care Group
Winner of the Human Dignity Award for a person or group who affirms that each individual has sacred worth and is price of respect.
My late mom obtained finish of life care from Slav in your Palliative Care Unit.
After years of caring for an growing old father or mother, the ultimate chapter would play out in a palliative care unit room the place I might be relinquishing my caregiving duties to strangers.
Slav was probably the most constant presence in our lives throughout that point and he would at all times avail himself to reply questions. He grew to become our most dependable and reassuring level of contact for our household. The affected person is the first focus in palliative however my brother and I additionally felt that we have been cared for throughout our mom’s keep.
Slav was extra than simply our mother’s nurse; he needed to stand in for us once we couldn’t be there. … There was by no means a time once we felt that she was uncared for. Her hair was at all times combed and her pores and skin was at all times clear. I had left an MP3 participant along with her favorite music. Slav assured me that he would take care of this for mother too. Maybe these particulars might seem insignificant however they point out that she was being cared for.
Thanks Slav for by no means making us really feel that our mom was simply one other affected person coming by the palliative unit.
Sofia Silva, Administration Assistant of Office Well being, Security, and Wellness
Winners of the Compassion Award for a person or group that permits well being and therapeutic by understanding every individual’s wants and by offering care with kindness and sensitivity.
While you come to go to Office Well being, Security, and Wellness, Sofia is the primary individual you’ll meet; and oh how fortunate you might be.
Empathizing with everybody from the brand new hires who’re confused about ‘subsequent steps,’ to the annoyed workers at work whereas unwell, Sofia supplies a catered expertise by taking the time to know every individual’s distinctive wants and values, serving to them to get the proper care from the proper individuals, and explaining info in a approach that transcends any language barrier.
When purchasers present up minutes earlier than closing requesting a masks becoming take a look at Sofia doesn’t merely say “come again tomorrow,” however somewhat empathized that some workers can’t make it to her workplace earlier or are in an pressing want of the take a look at. With open arms and a smile she stays again to assist these people.
Throughout her time as an EVS employee within the Oncology Division, Sofia visited a affected person each day for a month (together with her days off) to try to alleviate the misery the affected person felt about being moved from oncology to palliative. Sofia knew that the affected person favored the ice chips from oncology, so she would convey them to visits. … Famous in her will, Sofia was requested to attend the affected person’s funeral. It was a shock for a lot of the household to be taught that Sofia was not the affected person’s nurse, however the one cleansing her room in Oncology. To me and lots of others, it is a story that completely exemplifies the worth of compassion.
Allison Jacobs, Venture Engineer on the Redevelopment Group
Winners of the Excellence Award for a person or group who strives to attain the very best care and high quality by innovation and steady enchancment
Allison Jacobs has been the challenge lead for the Emergency Division for quite a lot of years and she or he continues to amaze me in her pursuit of excellence and innovation.
She researches greatest practices in design, listens to workers’s tales and issues, and places collectively concepts on find out how to stability a welcoming setting, workers and affected person security, and effectivity. Together with her robust engagement with the group, Allison can be certain that she is bringing ahead the very best concepts.
The design of the Emergency Division, notably the method undertaken to design the area, is receiving recognition all through the province, and Allison has been a key contributor to this work of partaking architects, workers, safety consultants, company well being consultants, and sufferers in our design.
Allison put collectively an incredible presentation for a convention we hosted on Office Violence, which was open to attendees from throughout Canada. She shared her engineering experience with a scientific viewers, offering glorious perception into the issues that emergency departments want to consider in relation to designing new emergency departments that prioritize the security of sufferers and workers.
Allison really represents our mission to attempt for excellence.
Dean Roberts, Clerical Coordinator of Ladies’s Well being
Winner of the Group Award for a person or group that embraces range, belief, pleasure and teamwork to satisfy human potential
Dean exemplifies group spirit. At huddles he ensures everybody feels welcome and relaxed, bringing enjoyable updates and jokes. When discussing scientific points Dean engages in an open and sincere dialogue, respecting variations, and serving to create an answer that works for everybody. Dean is out there to assist out at a moments discover even with seemingly small issues like laptop points.
Dean holds a bi-weekly draw – half of the funds go to the winner and the remaining is used for group constructing together with karaoke nights, pizza lunches, and even a Toronto Harbor cruise! At these occasions, Dean at all times has actions and video games that assist individuals join with one another. Ladies’s Well being is one division on three flooring. We didn’t beforehand know one another however Dean has managed to convey all three flooring collectively! Draw funds are additionally used for colleague assist like sending flowers to somebody who’s on bereavement go away.
Dean additionally brings Unity Well being’s values to affected person care. Not too long ago a affected person got here in late and as a result of Medical doctors busy schedule he couldn’t see her. The affected person was VERY upset. … Dean made her really feel necessary and by no means as soon as made her really feel dangerous for being late. He centered on her. When she left she was calm and grateful.
Dean’s vitality is contagious and you may’t assist feeling pleased round him!
Janet Rodriguez, Affected person and Household Accomplice.
Winner of the Inclusivity Award for a person or group that fosters an inclusive, welcoming setting the place everyone seems to be handled equitably and with out judgment.
Despite the fact that Janet resides along with her personal well being and mobility challenges, she is beneficiant along with her time and dedicates it to serving to different individuals. As a fellow Unity Well being Affected person and Household Accomplice I’ve skilled this primary hand.
I’ve a tough time studying and understanding. I wished to raised perceive the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. Janet gave up her free time on a Saturday morning to clarify all of it in a approach that I may perceive. That is what Janet does.
Janet is just not afraid to politely and respectfully problem different individuals’s beliefs and level out who’s being disregarded and the way we will be extra inclusive. She makes use of her in depth information of accessibility and fairness to assist train others.
I used to be just lately in a gathering the place Janet was educating about fairness. I observed there was a participant who appeared misplaced. Midway by the presentation although, you may see that Janet received by to him, and a giant smile unfold throughout his face. That is the magic of Janet. She helps us perceive fairness and problem our personal assumptions, and she or he does it with kindness and persistence.
