NEWS in General – June 8
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GGH News
Our new Vision, Mission, Values and Strategic Directions
Special Care Nursery demolition update
Pride month recognition continues
Virtual Job Fair for RNs and RPNs
What’s On Your Mind? answers posted
COVID-19 News
Masking requirement to continue
Other News
Mindwell for Healthcare Workers
Onsite Psychotherapy
The Tour de Guelph is almost here!!
Together, our community cared for Ross McKinnell
GGH News
Our new Vision, Mission, Values and Strategic Directions
In her recent CEO Report, Marianne Walker outlined our new Mission, Vision, Values along with new Strategic Directions which were approved by our Board of Directors. Developed after an extensive consultation process, these high level statements are designed to shape what we do and how we go about doing it. But what does it all mean?
Mission: Exemplary and equitable care for and with our community
Our new Mission statement describes what we do, who we do it for, and how we go about doing it. “Exemplary” reflects our desire to consistently achieve the safest and highest quality care that is exemplary across accreditation standards. “Equitable,” to deliver individualized care based on need where no one is disadvantaged from achieving optimum health. “For and with” acknowledges our community not only receives our provided care but is an active partner.
Our Vision: Together, a healthier community for everyone
Our new Vision statement focuses on the future our organization wants to build. We imagine a future where the hospital working together with our community partners, improves the overall health of everyone in our community. It also reflects the hospital does not work in isolation from our community partners and aims to create a healthier community for everyone, including our team and the community we serve.
In next week’s newsletter we’ll explore the meanings of our five new Values. These are a set of basic beliefs about what really matters and guides our decisions, actions, and behaviours every day. As a reminder, the Values are; Compassionate, Inclusive, Respectful, Collaborative and Inspired. In addition, our five new Strategic Directions which will guide decision making for the next five years will be discussed in more detail.
Strategic Directions 2022-2027
- Welcome patients and care partners as team members
- Invest in our Team
- Use technology to enhance safety, quality and efficiency
- Design and plan for the future
- Collaborate to provide integrated patient care
Stay tuned!
Special Care Nursery demolition update
Looking at the photos above you’d be hard pressed to figure out the Special Care Nursery was in this space for over 20 years. Eventually, the area will be completely opened up and made ready for a new and improved version. The site supervisor keeps us updated with the progress. His latest message, “This week we were able to complete our Fire Alarm shutdown to remove non essential fire alarm devices in the construction area. Our Demolition Contractor has also been continuing with the Demolition Phase including the removal of drywall from partition walls and the terrazzo topping in the OR area. All acoustic tile ceilings have been removed. The Mechanical and Electrical Contractors have been able to cut, cap and make safe mechanical and electrical items for removal. Over the next two weeks we will be continuing with the Demolition Phase including the removals of drywall, mech./elec. piping/wiring/ducts, steel stud framing and flooring materials.”
Pride month recognition continues
You can share your PRIDE by sending a photo of you or your team showing your PRIDE, or a testimonial about what PRIDE means to you to inculsion@gghorg.ca
Testimonial submitted by Alycia Unwin, Social Worker and member of our equity, diversity and inclusion committee
I was excited to join the EDI committee and be involved with the Pride inclusion sub-committee, as I’ve done this type of work in my previous job. I believe that the staff at GGH genuinely want to ensure a safe, inclusive environment for our community and ourselves, so we need to provide the knowledge, awareness and skills to allow them to do this. Hopefully, these events, information and groups like developing a Book Club will help foster a safer environment for our patients and our staff.
There’s a wide availability of health data demonstrating that LGBTQ2S+ individuals have overall poorer mental and physical health outcomes than hetero/cisgender individuals. One of these reasons is overt or covert discrimination in healthcare, leading them not to access unless in emergent situations. Being a Queer person entering the healthcare system can feel scary. When we enter a hospital, we know that general health screening questions or even demographics gathering is going to “Out” us. It can feel dangerous if we are not sure whether the person taking the information is a safe person to be receiving this information.
“Wearing the PRIDE pin also signals to patients, their families and team members that we are safe people to disclose to and for them to be themselves.”
The type of work we do here is necessary, it matters, but the way we do it also matters. It matters to staff, patients and our larger community. There are simple things we can do, like changing our language to be more inclusive are starting points. For example, “Do you have a partner” rather than “Do you have a husband/wife”, and normalizing asking pronouns/names, etc.) Wearing the PRIDE pin also signals to patients, their families and team members that we are safe people to disclose to and for them to be themselves. Employees also have access to foundational training in the LMS. There is also more systemic changes that we can do to help enhance our patient care and employee experience.
I also want to contribute to more extensive conversations taking place as we don’t work in a bubble and are not separate from societal changes and discussions underway. I understand that making a change can be scary. I have privilege in not only my cis/whiteness but also in my hetero-presenting life. This means I have the privilege of selecting when and to whom I can be my authentic self. I am incredibly fortunate to work with a team who takes active steps in allyship that I get to work alongside. I also recognize that I do not speak for the entirety of the LGBTQ2S+ community. I am just one person in an incredibly diverse group of people. I’m also learning which is also why I’m excited to engage in this work with this committee.
Learn more about PRIDE at GGH and inclusion on the LMS at Courses |Additional GGH Courses|Organizational Development |EDI fundamentals and the Equity, Diversity and Inculsion site of the intranet.
Virtual Job Fair for RNs and RPNs
We are hosting a virtual job fair on June 14 from 09:30 to 16:30. The goal is to rapidly recruit for current RN and RPN vacancies.
You will see promotion about this event in our local papers and social media platforms. Please like and share with your friends and families.
If you know any great RNs and RPNs and think they would be a great addition to our staff here at GGH, you can direct them to our web site to self schedule themselves to join the virtual job fair.
What’s On Your Mind? answers posted
This time around there’s two questions and four comments – RPNs not getting Nurses Week gifts and discounted tickets for events. Please remember, “What’s on Your Mind?” is hosted on our Intranet and only viewable within the organization.
COVID-19 News
Masking requirement to continue
The provincial mandate requiring masks be worn in high risk settings ends this Saturday. Locally, hospitals will continue to require masks be worn by everyone coming into the building.
“The science tells us how COVID is spread and that has not changed,” says Marianne Walker, President and CEO of Guelph General Hospital and Waterloo Wellington hospital regional lead, COVID-19 response. “We care for the most vulnerable patients and masking is one way we can keep them safe.”
“Maintaining safety measures at our hospitals helps protect patients and staff. They also reduce the opportunity for outbreaks to occur in hospital settings which can affect our ability to provide and ramp up our services.”
Other News
Mindwell for Healthcare Workers
This course, brought to you by Wellness Together Canada, is free of charge for all healthcare worker and provides helpful tools and techniques to decrease stress, improve relationships and enhance overall well-being. The content has been created by healthcare workers for healthcare workers and is delivered in four short weekly modules which you can do on your own time. Once registered, there is the option to also join a Live Lab on Wednesdays at 7pm EST to build a sense of community with other attendees. Registration is open now and the content and labs will be available until September 15. Click here to enroll and here to learn more information about the program.
Onsite Psychotherapy with Vij Richards, Reg. Psychotherapist
Just a reminder that Vij Richards will be at GGH tomorrow, June 9, located in the Level 1 Conference Room, in behind Switchboard. Email Vij to set up an appointment or to learn if these services could be helpful for you: VijRich26@gmail.com. If tomorrow doesn’t work, Vij’s schedule is as follows for the remainder of the pilot program is June 23, July 14 & 23, August 4 & 25, September 15 & 29.
Her schedule will be posted on the Level 1 Conference Room door each time she is here, displaying any available timeslots for that day. If you are interested, you can reserve a spot with an “X”.
The Tour de Guelph is almost here!!
Tour de Guelph, presented by Label Design Ltd. welcomes riders back to a group ride cycling event on Sunday, June 26. Riders who prefer to ride anytime on their own can do so between Friday, June 10, to Sunday, June 26.
Tour de Guelph supports Guelph General Hospital and other local charities through the Rotary Clubs of Guelph South and Guelph Trillium.
In its eight years, the event has raised over $722,000 for our community and has grown into one of Guelph-Wellington’s largest community sporting events.
Would you like to register to ride? Go to www.tourdeguelph.ca.
Together, our community cared for Ross McKinnell
Ross McKinnell is a champion cyclist whose fundraising for GGH has earned him a spot in the Tour de Guelph’s Hall of Fame.
In November of 2020, Ross felt twinges in his chest, very reminiscent of a heart issue he had back in 2006. Ross was rushed to GGH for an ECG and medication, then transferred to St. Mary’s for an angiogram and surgery to replace a stent.
Ross was transferred back to GGH for an additional 48 hours of care due to unusually high blood pressure. He recalls one nurse who took a lot of time in the middle of the night to ask questions about his family, his love of cycling, and his adventures competing across North America and Europe, including his pride in representing Canada at the 1958 Commonwealth Games. Ross says that the conversation helped to take his mind off the possibility of a stroke and is grateful for her compassion. “She sat down with me and asked questions about my life, took time with me. The conversation was calming and helped to lower my BP.”
Ross has been a patient at GGH four times and says he always received excellent care. Ross jokes that the funds he has raised through Tour probably just covers his four stays.
“For me, the hospital is a godsend. It is close, and they really look after me. It offers exceptional care. The nurses are very caring…, especially this last time. In the ED, they must deal with so many different circumstances and need to have a lot of patience.”
Ross is very much aware that most of the equipment that helped save his life is only available at GGH because of donations and local fundraising efforts by his fellow citizens. The IV pump, ECG machine, CT scanner, and vital signs monitor are all fully funded by the community. And that is why in June of 2021, just about six months after his surgery, Ross rode again in Tour de Guelph! He cycled with his daughter, Joan, covered an incredible 25 kilometres and raised $10,780!
Ross’s seven-year fundraising total is $29,738 and, combined with all members of the McKinnell Team, his family has raised over $36,000!
Now in his mid-80s, Ross has decided to retire from riding in Tour, but his daughter has decided to take the lead of the McKinnell team. Ross and Joan hope to bring their fundraising total to over $40,000 after the 2022 Tour.