NEWS in General – September 28
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GGH News
Critical Care Outreach Team now at GGH
New hire survey and free coffee for everyone!
Introducing our new Coordinator of Volunteer Services
National Health Care Supply Chain Week coming
October is Pressure Injury Education Month
Healthy Workplace Month – starts soon!
Crucial Conversation Clinics
5 Choices workshop – still time to register
Education Assistance Fund
Chair Massages – they’re back!! (for your back 🙂 )
Other News
Hope and Healing after Stress-Induced Trauma – Reflections for Healthcare Workers
A message of “thanks” from a PFAC member
Thanksgiving Day Races 2022
GGH News
Critical Care Outreach Team now at GGH
because Critical Care is a need, not a place
Available as of next Monday, the Critical Care Outreach Team (CCOT) is a dedicated team of critical care nurses that provide floor inpatients and staff with direct access to the skills and expertise of critical care clinicians.
Think of it as a rapid response team on steroids!
CCOT team members work collaboratively with hospital inpatient units to identify, assess, and respond to the needs of patients who are at risk for clinical deterioration. CCOT also ensures consistency and continuity of care through follow-up consults and monitoring.
The CCOT will intervene to facilitate improvement and ongoing management of our patients and will also facilitate timely admission to a critical care unit bed (i.e. Step Down Unit, Intensive Care Unit) if required. CCOT brings the ICU to you!
ACCESS to Critical Care expertise + increased SUPPORT for staff = IMPROVED patient safety & outcomes.
New hire survey and free coffee for everyone!
Since this past March, every new hire has been asked to complete a survey after their ninetieth day of working to gather feedback regarding our onboarding program.
The survey questions are focused on:
- The recruitment process;
- Hospital orientation (the first week of orientation);
- Training; and
- Working with their team(s) and Manager
A lot has been learned from the feedback. We’ve discovered what is working well and what needs improvement. Now, much work is underway to make improvements while at the same time continuing to support that which is working well.
As we enter the Thanksgiving season, HR wants to thank all the great staff at GGH. It was reassuring to find out the majority of our new hires are feeling welcomed and supported by their coworkers and colleagues.
As HR’s way of saying “thank you!” there will be a free beverage (coffee, tea, and or hot chocolate) and cookie for all staff the week of October 3 – 7 as per the schedule below.
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
| All employees whose first name starts with the letter A – C | All employees whose first name starts with the letter D – I | All employees whose first name starts with the letter J – K | All employees whose first name starts with the letter L – O | All employees whose first name starts with the letter P – Z |
Thank you again to all those were surveyed who are helping make Guelph General Hospital a great place to work.
Friday is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day
This day honours the children who were taken from their homes and placed in residential schools around Canada as part of the residential schools program. The federal government has recently established September 30 as a day for Canadians. Public servants, in particular, to reflect and express commitment to reconciliation and to ensure that the tragic history and ongoing legacy of residential schools are never forgotten.
Employees on GGH’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee have worked with Katrina Graham, the Indigenous Patient Navigator program lead at our hospital to develop a week of learning, reflection and action. There are posters, and information for huddles, including:
- Wear an Orange shirt on September 30, and share in supporting Every Child Matters and the Truth and Reconciliation calls to action. Learn more about Orange shirt day, the legacy of residential schools, and the healing work for reconciliation https://youtu.be/EuW4WbekhxY
- Share titles of books, podcasts and learning activities you have participated in to support our teams. Each entry will be part of a prize draw for an Indigenous Box that supports indigenous small businesses. Enter here or share your ideas at the Bistro next week.
Learning Activities
- Review the materials at the information area outside the Bistro
- Enroll in the Sanya’as Health Care-specific training for indigenous cultural safety. Send an email to joliver@gghorg.ca to get started.
- Review the materials on the LMS – in your Equity, Diversity and Inclusion foundations module.
Do you have ideas or suggestions about what you’d like to see recognized? You can share your ideas to this anonymous link, or send an email to the inclusion@gghorg.ca committee directly.
Introducing our new Coordinator of Volunteer Services
Britt Vandriel is our new Coordinator of Volunteer Services at GGH. She joins our team from Niagara Region Public Health she was its Volunteer Program Coordinator. Previous to that, she was a Recreationist in a long-term care setting.
“I am very excited to start this new journey where we will be working to rejuvenate the Volunteer Program and work toward not only recruiting new volunteers, but also by bringing previous volunteers back to the hospital. These past two years have been tumultuous for everyone and working to restore the volunteer program is a task that will take time, but one we are optimistic about.”
“Please do not hesitate to reach out for any comments, questions or concerns or stop by my office (Room 1075 of the IPAC hallway) to say hello :). I am looking forward to meeting many of you in the coming months.”
National Health Care Supply Chain Week coming
Submitted by Jeff Carter, Director Materials Management (photo below far right)
Each year, the first week of October is dedicated to celebrating health care supply chain professionals for their outstanding contributions to health care and the overall success of the supply chain. National Health Care Supply Chain Week provides an opportunity to recognize the integral role supply chain professionals play in supporting and delivering high-quality patient care throughout the healthcare field.
Working together was and is crucial during the COVID-19 crisis. Every department within the Hospital is vital to keeping operations running smoothly. Two departments that work behind the scenes are Materials Management and Biomedical Engineering.
Although they may not be involved in physically caring for patients, the Materials Management and Biomedical team have been working day in and day out to ensure GGH has an adequate supply of healthcare supplies and equipment to safely care for patients and team members.
I feel extremely fortunate to be able to work alongside such a dedicated and committed group of colleagues.
Everyone on the Materials Management and Biomedical team has gone above and beyond to continuously source supplies, and keep our equipment up and running in the most challenging of times.
Please join me in saying – “Thank you, Materials Management Team, for everything you do to keep our patients, colleagues and community safe and for choosing to be a part of GGH Materials Management and Biomedical Services Team!”
October is Pressure Injury Education Month
PRESSURE INJURY EDUCATION OPPORTUNIES in October
- Pressure Injury Prevention & Treatment ELEARN on LMS (mandatory for all RN’s/RPN’s/PSW’s)
- Teaching Thursdays – Cathy’s Wound Care Kart
- PRIZES: Fun quiz to fill out on each unit for chance to win free Tim’s card
- Algorithms for choosing pressure surface at nursing station
- Dressing decision tree according to PI Staging
Healthy Workplace Month – starts soon!
October is Healthy Workplace Month across Canada and we have some great wellness events planned for you! Please keep an eye out around the hospital starting on Monday for the calendar of events to learn how you can take part. To peak your interest, chair massages will be back as well as healthy snacks, and educational webinars. Stay tuned!
Crucial Conversation Clinics
Our first clinic saw a focus on seeking understanding rather than agreement, and Michelle Stiebelman is the winner of this first draw of participants. Michelle and a co-worker can keep talking as they enjoy their Bistro lunch for two prize.
The next skill we are focusing on is Setting Clear Expectations, with a draw for a prize on October 5.
Participating is pretty easy:
- Watch the video
- Practice the skill
- Enter your name into a draw for a prize – https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/crucialclinic
5 Choices workshop – still time to register
Work with other GGH staff to learn more about the 5 choices we can make to help us achieve our goals. This is an informal and highly interactive workshop. It’s recommended for those managing multiple tasks and priorities. Sign up today!
October 6 – 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (location moved to Bariatric Floor 1 training room)
Education Assistance Fund
Employees from across the hospital use our EAF every year, helping to keep our knowledge up to date and to develop skills needed as we develop and grow our careers. Learn more about how you can use this program online at Home |Administrative | Org. Development | Main Page |Education Assistance Fund
Chair Massages – they’re back!! (for your back 🙂 )
We are very excited to announce that Onsite Chair Massage will be back at GGH to offer staff and professional staff a bit of a treat as a way to thank you for all the awesome work you do. We have switched up the days and times in an attempt to reach as many people as possible, and have had to get a bit creative due to room availability. Please take note of the times and locations when you sign up for your massage.
- October 4 & 18
1100-1600 – Sleep Lab (beside the Gift Shop on Level 1) - October 13 & 27
1500-2000 – Room 5016 (in the hall that goes to the ICU)
As per other times we have offered massages, please only sign up once to allow as many people to access the service as possible, and if you need to cancel, please do as soon as possible to open up your spot for others. To sign up and manage your appointments, please click here. Enjoy and thank you!
Other News
Hope and Healing after Stress-Induced Trauma – Reflections for Healthcare Workers
Virtual Keynote with Lt. General Roméo Dalllaire – October 27 at 1300-1430
Health care professionals at every career stage are suffering with occupational stress that has physical, ethical and moral dimensions, in an environment of extenuating and difficult circumstances. On October 27, 2022 at 1300 please join us for a virtual 90-minute keynote address with Lt. General Roméo Dallaire, who will share his story and the knowledge he has acquired to offer attendees hope, connection, and a path to recovery. After his presentation, participants will also have the opportunity to ask General Dallaire questions. Please click here to register.
If you are unable to attend, the session will be recorded and posted on our Health & Wellness e-Learning page for 30 days following the event. If you are interested to learn more about General Dallaire, please click here to read his story. This event is brought to you by Cambridge Memorial Hospital, Grand River Hospital, Guelph General Hospital and North Wellington Healthcare.
A message of “thanks” from a PFAC member
My name is Colleen Harper and I’m on the GGH Patient and Family Advisory Council. I am coming to you today not in that role but as a client and a resident of Guelph. I cannot begin to thank you for all the incredible sacrifices that each and every one of you have had to make throughout the Pandemic. I thank you for your hard work. Working long intense hours and not having enough time to even turn around and breathe. Your Passion and your compassion for all the patients and families. The worst part is having to watch people pass away from the virus and you can do nothing to help. And you carry that with you every day. I personally feel the words thank you does not truly express my gratitude to each and every one of you. Not just the nurses and doctors. The office staff, the COVID screeners, the cleaners and every other area in the hospital. You have all sacrificed so much. And yes you all have put your lives in danger to help people. You have not gotten the gratitude you deserve. I want each and every one of you to know that I see what you have done. I’ve seen the sadness in your eyes and it breaks my heart. You all have done amazing work. I apologize for all clients that have been harsh and rude and even physical. None of you deserve that, not at all. You all deserve dignity and respect at the highest level. Thank you so much. My thoughts and prayers are with each one of you.
Thanksgiving Day Races 2022
A Guelph tradition since 1894
Monday, October 10 at Exhibition Park
The Thanksgiving Day Race usually attracts more than 500 race participants as well as almost a hundred volunteers and cheerleaders. It’s an event for all ages with entire families participating across the many events. Running ability at the event is diverse, ranging from some of Guelph’s most elite runners all the way through to the novice.
Event details
- Registration options:
- Nicolas Lambden Memorial Mile,
- 3k walk/run,
- 5k (Adult, Senior, Youth),
- 1k for kids in grades 1 to 3 only,
- 3 in 1 (mile, 5k and 3k)
- *100m kids dash is free and registration occurs on race day.
- There is a family discount of 10% when you register three or more family members at the same time. The discount will be applied at checkout.
- For more information and to register for a race, please click here.
These races are inflation free. Same prices as ten years ago. Pledge dollars will support The Foundation of Guelph General Hospital to continue to bring lifesaving equipment to our community.