NEWS in General – August 24


GGH News
IPAC Champion of the month
Fall Learning Series @ GGH
Mission Nutrition finishes next week!
Onsite Psychotherapy – September is the last month of the pilot program
Pets of GGH – introducing “Oakley”
GGH News
IPAC Champion of the month
IPAC is wanting to recognize staff who go above and beyond to provide exceptional care in these extraordinary times.
Each month a member of the IPAC team will select an IPAC Champion. With their consent their picture and first name will be displayed on our Hand Hygiene Thermometers and they also receive a gift card.
This month IPAC has selected Monica, a Resource RN from 5W. Monica has been chosen because of her strong advocacy for IPAC practices, especially during recent COVID outbreaks!
Please help us congratulate Monica as the IPAC Champion for August!

Video intercom now installed at main entrance
It’s important to note our main entrance is still the 24/7 entry point for visitors and non-emergency patients. Now, switchboard has a way of securely interacting with anyone arriving between 9 p.m. and 5:30 a.m. before remotely unlocking the main door. Signs direct those arriving to use the intercom to gain admission.
As a reminder, an ID card reader has been added outside the door to allow staff to unlock it and enter. Those leaving the building after hours will simply have to press a red “Exit” button to release the doors.
Fall Learning Series @ GGH
Working together
More relevant than ever is our Crucial Conversations 1-day workshop. This program is open to all employees and focuses on strengthening your skills to speak up when it matters most. Join the workshop to learn and practice critical skills for working with patients and co-workers to help us be our best at work.
Full Day Workshops
•73 Delhi St, Guelph, 24 November 2022 @ 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM
•73 Delhi St, Guelph, 29 November 2022 @ 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Crucial Conversations Clinics
Read the News In General and check the bulletin boards for a bi-weekly crucial conversation clinic and challenge through September and October. Share how you are practicing your skills for a chance to win a prize.
Unconscious Bias
Building on our Diversity and Inclusion Fundamentals and our Diversity and Inclusion 101 webinars, all employees and leaders are welcome to participate in our next EDI Foundations series training, unconscious bias. This one-day workshop will support participants with self-awareness and strategies to help connect, recognize and engage with different perspectives and experiences. Because when we understand where our bias lie, we can unleash our full potential to help innovate, solve problems and get results.
Full Day
Two 1/2 days (attend both)
- 73 Delhi St, Guelph, 7 November 2022 @ 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM (multi-day)
- 22 November 2022, 1:00 PM – 22 November 2022, 4:30 PM
Prioritizing and Thriving
The 5 Choices workshop offers employees key skills to help manage the stress we feel in our daily work lives. We will work through the 5 Choices we can all make and support us in transforming our work and reducing our stress.

Mission Nutrition finishes next week!
Since mid-May, we have been able to enjoy delicious and nutritious subsidized meals from the Bistro for only $5 thanks to a very generous donor who wanted to give back to the hospital. It has been a lot of fun to work with the staff of The Foundation and Marek Hospitality on this initiative, and the feedback has been very positive from those who have taken part. Make sure to pop by on Monday and Wednesday next week to grab a tasty lunch before it’s too late!
Onsite Psychotherapy – September is the last month of the pilot program

Vij Richards, Reg. Psychotherapist, has been a wonderful addition to the GGH family the last four months while she has provided complimentary mental health support to our staff and professional staff. In September she will be here on the 15and 29in the Level 1 Conference room. If you would like to schedule a visit with Vij, please email her directly at VijRich26@gmail.com . September marks the end of our pilot program, which was put in place as individual onsite psychotherapy was the top option chosen in the 2021 Health & Wellness Needs Assessment by participants as a way to support their mental health. We are gathering feedback on this initiative which will guide future funding and planning of wellness initiatives. If you have visited with Vij, please check your account for an email from her which includes a link to a short Survey Monkey where you can provide your thoughts. All data shared by Survey Monkey protects your anonymity and only the summary report will be analyzed. We look forward to hearing from you!

Furkids of GGH: Meet Oakley!
This sweet face, Oakley, is a three-year-old pup owned by Tanya, who shares that he loves backcountry camping and has already visited five provincial parks! Well done, Oakley! Hopefully you have something fun planned for the last long weekend of summer 🙂
Tanya was the first person to respond to the call posted in last week’s NEWS asking for people to share their pets. If you would also like to have your pet possibly featured in an upcoming issue of the NEWS and/or in displays around the hospital, please email the following to HealthAndWellness@gghorg.ca:
- Your full name (for keeping track of the pets – only your first name will be published/used)
- Your department (if applicable)
- One photo of your pet(s) – meaning, if you have three pets, please capture them together in one photo (which is easier said than done, but we all know how much of your phone’s “Photo” folder is filled with your pets!)
- Your pet(s) names (their full name if they have one – e.g. Lauren’s dog is Tillie from Texas!) and/or nickname
- The funniest thing your pet does, or your favourite thing about your pet
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