olunteer Voice - North York General Hospital

Volunteer Voice
SPRING 2014
A MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT
AND THE AWARD WINNER IS...
“Warm welcome Volunteers!”
Sandy Walker, President
Volunteer Services Board
At Festivus, February 26, 2014, the Stand Out Award for a
Volunteer was Carolyn McGowan. She volunteers in
Emergency and at SHC. We are so very proud of her as we
are of all of our Volunteers.
Volunteers do make a “World of Difference”!! They play a key role in the delivery of compassionate care
to patients, their families/visitors and staff at NYGH. This is seen consistently throughout NYGH as Volunteers offer their assistance, whether it be a smile, an encouraging word, walking them to their appointment,
calling a taxi, helping them to a wheelchair, and walking them to their cars. Volunteers excel in all!
The Board of Volunteers were presented in December 2013 with Certificates of Distinction for 45
years of Volunteering at NYGH. These plaques are now displayed on the wall near the Volunteer Office.
The Annual Meeting and Recognition Dinner will be held May 8, 2014 at Spirale’s Banquet Hall.
Tickets will be available in the volunteer lounge from April 6th to the12th during Volunteer Week.
We encourage all Volunteers at our three sites, Branson Ambulatory, Seniors’ Health Centre and North York
General to attend this evening of recognition, spend some time with friends and have a delicious dinner.
Awards are presented to those Volunteers with 5 years to over 45 years of service. Do not miss this night!
On January 31, 2014, a cheque was presented to NYGH
Foundation for $275,000!! We are now over $2M towards
our pledge of $3M in support of the Volunteer Services
Centre for Medical Imaging. Well done everyone!
We continue to welcome new volunteers that bring a
wealth of experience to NYGH. They are introduced
to our hospital at the Recruitment-Orientation sessions
in which Barry Jamieson Chairs a committee of
dedicated men and women. He’s looking for
additional members, so if you are interested, let him know
via the office. Maxine will take your name and phone number and pass it on to Barry.
A very warm welcome to our new Volunteer Services Manager, Sheri Loosemore. Sheri is very
warm, friendly and approachable, so drop by and introduce yourself.
We are grateful for your consistency and dedication. “Caring, Leads to Giving your Time”. Thank
you fellow Volunteers for all your support and contributions in making NYG the best in Patient Excellence!
FROM THE DESK OF SHERI LOOSEMORE
“Greetings to our North York
General Hospital Volunteers”
Sheri Loosemore
Manager
Volunteer Services
February 18th was another snowy morning in the GTA. The road conditions were terrible. I am sure
people who drove by me that morning were wondering why I appeared to be so happy to be stuck in
traffic. What they didn’t know, was that I wasn’t smiling at the weather – I was smiling because it was my
first day in Volunteer Services and I was on my way to meet the team!
I was smiling because I felt lucky; lucky to have the opportunity to marry my passion for volunteerism
with my work. A passion that was instilled by my parents - they taught me at an early age the importance of contributing to my community. This led me to many rewarding and interesting volunteer experiences; I have sat on a gamut of committees and boards, I have organized a variety of special events
and I have served as a volunteer firefighter (I drove the pumper truck!). I can’t wait for the many new
volunteer experiences yet to come!
My career of building and enhancing volunteer capacity spans more than 17 years. I have led volunteer
and fundraising programs for non-profit organizations, national charities and the public sector. I hold
my professional designation in both volunteer engagement and fund development. I am thrilled that
in my new role I can contribute my expertise in volunteer engagement, while working with such a dedicated and diverse volunteer team who are constantly demonstrating their own passion by putting
NYGH’s patients and their families first.
I have already had the pleasure of meeting some of you and you have all made me feel so welcomed for that I am very appreciative. The team members I have yet to meet so remember that I am the
‘newbie’. Please stop by and say hello when you see me!
VOLUNTEER SERVICES BOARD 2013-2014
Past President:
President:
1st Vice-President (Interim) ;
Vice-President Equal Standing:
Recording Secretary:
Corresponding Secretary:
Treasurer/Finance:
Branson:
Constitution:
Gift Shop:
Information Desk Services:
In-Patient Services:
Membership:
Nominating:
Out-Patient Services:
Olga Dellidonne
Sandy Walker
Phyllis Sacks
Joy D’Andrade
Janet Scrafield
Debbie Kuutan
Olga Dellidonne
Carmelita Stewart
Carol Uchida
Barbara Liddiard
Sheila Baker
Stephen Stein
Sonya Power
Margaret Heyland
Beverley McLeod
Margaret Carrington
Members At Large:
Seniors' Health Centre:
Projects:
Annual Dinner:
Archives:
Art:
Hospital Enhancement:
Recruitment
Spiritual & Religious Care:
Manager, Volunteer Services
Coordinator:
Coordinator:
Administrative Assistant:
Volunteer Voice:
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Janet Trevail
Liliane Verbeek
June Marshall
Barbara Macleod
Barbara Liddiard
***
Christine Smith
***
Barry Jamieson
Mary Walker
Sheri Loosemore
James Dimitropoulos
Carolann Stevenson
Maxine Nyanteh
Barry Jamieson
CELEBRATING 45 YEARS OF VOLUNTEERING AT NORTH YORK GENERAL HOSPITAL
Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper
Gov. Gen. David Johnston Premiere Kathleen Wynne
Ont. Minister Michael Coteau
Mayor Rob Ford
Volunteer Services is celebrating 45 years of service at North York General Hospital. To commemorate this milestone, plaques have been received from David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, Prime Minister Stephen
Harper, Ontario Premiere Kathleen Wynne, MPP Michael Coteau, and Mayor Rob Ford.
45 years ago, before the hospital opened, a group of women gathered to discuss forming a Volunteer organization to help support the hospital. First membership numbered almost 1500 and they conducted tours for the
general public. A Gift Shop was opened in 1968 and the first customer to ring in a sale was the Premiere of
Ontario, John Robarts.
Since then, Volunteers have served in more than 40 areas of the hospital and have raised more than seven million dollars.
The plaques are proudly displayed just around the corner from the Volunteer Office so be very proud of our orgaPhyllis Sacks, Past President (43 year Volunteer)
nization. VOLUNTEERS DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
GIFT SHOP TALK WITH BARBARA LIDDIARD
Barbara Liddiard
Gift Shop Chair
Volunteer Services
Have you visited the Gift Shop recently? Our Team Canada t-shirts, toques,
watches and baby wear flew off the wall during the Sochi Olympics.
Congratulations to all our Canadian Olympiads... we’re so proud of you!
We now carry messenger bags in lovely colours and you can always buy a
beautiful matching scarf to complete your ensemble. And what about a
lovely bracelet? Don’t forget to check out our lingerie section.
Do you know someone who is expecting a baby or do you have a baby
shower to go to in the near future? In addition to the beautiful baby clothes we carry, we now have fabulous
“Diaper Cakes” which are all the rage at baby showers today. Our baby blankets are wonderfully soft and
cozy. We recently had a new father who came in to buy one for his new baby but also bought two new ones
for his older children because they loved them so much and theirs were wearing out after eight years.
We also have a new range of hand and kitchen soaps, bath and shower gels which make fabulous hostess
gifts along with our lovely napkins.
Have you seen our new “Get Well Soon” bears? We have boy and girl bears which are really cute. The girl
is holding a kitten and has kitten slippers on her feet and the boy is holding a puppy with puppy slippers
on his feet.
Check out the wall behind our cash desk for various wall plaques and artwork. Need a new frame?... we’re
sure to have one to suit.
Our toy section should not be missed. There are lots of interesting and inexpensive items from which to
choose to brighten a little ones day.
Don't forget to take advantage of the 15% discount offered to all Volunteers on most items in our wonderful
Shop. The usual exceptions apply, i.e. TTC tokens/tickets, stamps, phone cards, lottery tickets, books,
magazines, flowers, greeting cards, candies and cookies.
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FROM THE DESK OF SANDRA SMITH
“Annual Stand out Awards”
Sandra Smith M.A.,CHE
Vice President, People Services &
Organizational Development Chief
Human Resources Officer
North York General
Once again we are pleased to present our second (2nd) Annual Stand Out Awards. A year has passed since our
first annual Stand Out awards were given out to one staff, physician and volunteer. It’s an opportunity to review
some of the STAND OUT stories that occurred throughout the year.
The annual selection of the award winners is based on actions that most closely demonstrate the organization’s
values and positively impacted the experience of a patient or family member, staff, physician or Volunteer and
support and align with the Hospital’s overall strategy.
Core Values:
Respect, Excellence, Integrity and Compassion
Strategic Direction:
Excellence in Integrated Patient Centered Care:
•Builds on our culture of quality, safety and patient-centered care
•Optimizes patient flow and access to care for patients in the most appropriate setting
•Strengthens integration with primary care and other community providers
•Designs and implement Integrated Care Programs
•Plans and create patient-centered care environments
Builds on our Academic Foundation:
•Enriches and expands our education endeavors to improve health
•Fosters and support growth in research, innovation and scholarly activities in focused areas.
Our winners were announced at our Festivus celebration on February 26th at the General site by our
President/CEO, Tim Rutledge and myself.
The winners are:
Volunteer: Carolyn McGowan (Volunteers in both the Emergency Department and Seniors’ Health Centre)
Physician: Dr. Hassan Deif (Radiologist – Medical Imaging)
Staff: Two recipients this year:Joe Luisi (Building Analyst – Building Services Team)
Ann Shook (Clinical Coordinator – Emergency Department
Please join me in congratulating all of our winners.
FROM THE DESK OF REV. JOAN SILCOX-SMITH
“Reaching into the Future”
Rev.Joan Silcox-Smith
Spiritual & Religious Care
North York General
Many of us have been fixated to our televisions and radios to hear the latest news of the 2014 Olympics in Sochi.
It is exciting to say the least. It is so encouraging to watch all the athletes giving it their all and sharing their goals
and motivations with the world. It is heartening to see the kindnesses shared through thoughtful gestures like
the speed skater who gave up his spot in the final for his team mate who went on to win a medal.
All of this is to say that it has been my pleasure to be part of the Volunteer Services team for the last 4 months.
It has been encouraging to see how the team pulls together for a common goal, and heartening to see the kindnesses offered to volunteers and prospective volunteers each and every day. It has also been a special moment
to be part of a greater team of volunteers who contribute to the care and compassion of others from our North
York community. Our patient and family centred care is the goal that each of reach for every day. When we all do
that, we all win.
I am happy now to pass the baton onto your new Manager, Sheri Looseman, and wish her all the very best as she
takes the leadership for such a wonderful group of people.
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FROM THE DESK OF JAMES DIMITROPOULOS AND CAROLANN STEVENSON
“Things you need to know...”
Carolann Stevenson
Coordinator
James Dimitropoulos
Coordinator
Volunteer Services
Volunteer Services
• Professional Administrators of Volunteer Resources – Ontario (PAVR-O) Survey
Thank you for participating in the PAVR-O survey, the results are expected in March 2014. This survey is administered by PAVR-O and we are one of 59 health centres/sites completing this survey and comparing our results.
Over 17,600 volunteers were invited to participate.
• National Volunteer Week (April 6 -12, 2014)
is a time to recognize, celebrate and thank our volunteers at North York General Hospital.
• Did you know that our volunteers helped to contribute over 92,515 hours of service to our organization in 2013.
This is an astounding achievement, one of the many things we celebrate during National Volunteer Week.
• Celebrations and educational activities will be offered throughout the week across the three sites.
• The 2013 Volunteer Stand Out Recognition Award was presented to Ms. Carolyn McGowan at the annual
Festivus lunch at the General site on Wednesday, February 26th, 2014. Carolyn volunteers in the Emergency
Department at the General site, and also at the Seniors’ Health Centre.
• As a friendly reminder please ensure that you continue to sign in and out on the VSys One System. The information that we retrieve from the system assists us in numerous ways, i.e. membership information, hours
recorded by each volunteer etc. User Guide for the system is posted in the volunteer lounges’ at all three sites.
Until next time... James and Carolann
NYGH VOLUNTEER SERVICES / PROJECTS
“ALEX’S MITTEN TREE”... TRULY A SUCCESS STORY!
On behalf of all the children that received generous donations from Alex’s
Mitten Tree, we wish to express our thanks to Volunteers, Staff and friends
alike,. You reached out to give a little back to the community to those who
really need the help. This project is in memory of Alex Hornibrook, the man
who organized this drive in 2008. He wanted to give to the less fortunate, and
so in early 2010 a committee of dedicated Volunteers was organized to carry on
the work of what Alex lovingly called his “pet project”. We are proud to announce that this year’s drive set a
new record for the number of articles donated!
The final count for Christmas 2013 was 1,334 articles of clothing. . The total number of items that have been
collected and distributed since 2008 has climbed to 5,774 items.
Deliveries were made to various charities by our small group of “Santa’s Helpers” in mid December. They
included “New Circles”, an organization that looks after families in need, the Health Bus, and St. John Anglican Church.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Alan Empringham, Chair, Mitten Tree Committee /Projects
1,334
SPRING WILL SOON BE HERE...
and Mary Walker, our resident gardener, is looking for help in maintaining the beautiful NELIA LA ROSA
VOLUNTEER MEMORIAL GARDEN. If you love to putter in the garden, this would be a great opportunity to
work with Mary in this relaxing past-time. It doesn’t require a lot of your time and the self satisfaction of
seeing the garden bloom into a glorious array of colour will be most rewarding.If you would like to spend
some time helping Mary and her friends, you can get in contact with her through the Volunteer Office.
Leave your name & phone number and she will get in touch with you.
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FROM THE DESK OF DR. TIM RUTLEDGE
“Through the eyes of the patient”
Dr. Tim Rutledge, MD, CCFP (EM), FSCP
President and C.E.O.
North York General
Every day we interact with patients and visitors experiencing the best and worst of times – from the birth of a
child to the loss of a loved one. And in the small amount of time it takes to step back and see those experiences through their eyes, there is so much for us to learn about what they truly want and need from us.
It is our job to work with each and every patient to help improve their health and it is also our responsibility to
show them we care. Showing compassion and understanding is a significant part of our focus on providing our
community with patient- and family-centred care. Whether at the bedside, at the information desk or simply
walking down the halls there are opportunities to demonstrate this at every turn.
This is where the role of our North York General Volunteers has proven invaluable.
By providing a helping hand, a smile, directions or advice our volunteers help to make a visit to the hospital a
more positive experience for each patient and family member.
I encourage you to visit our internal website, eric, to learn more about Patient- and Family-Centred Care and
to become a Certified Champion. By incorporating this philosophy into our everyday lives, we are putting the
patients first in everything we do.
Your continued generosity and support of the hospital’s various programs and your pledge to the Medical
Imaging department is deeply appreciated. On January 31, 2014 the North York General Foundation was
presented with a cheque for $275,000 from the Volunteers. These funds will directly and positively impact
patients and staff.
On behalf of the staff and physicians at North York General, I would like to thank each and every one of you
for your dedication to the patients, visitors, staff and physicians at North York General. While we will celebrate
your tremendous achievements during National Volunteer Week, please know that our gratitude extends
throughout the entire year.
FROM THE DESK OF TERRY PURSELL
Terry Pursell
President and C.E.O.
North York General Foundation
I am delighted to thank Volunteer Services for your recent pledge payment of $275,000 which has brought
your giving total to more than $2M against your $3M pledge to the Volunteer Services Centre for Medical
Imaging.
Your philanthropic investment and your invaluable gifts of time and compassion continue to support North
York General’s efforts to provide exceptional patient- and family-centred care. As a volunteer, you understand
the power of a smile, the value of offering to show patients where to find a clinic before they even ask—or the
calming effect of friendly conversation.
One of the great pleasures of my work is hearing the inspirational stories that come to the Foundation through
our Say Thanks Program. This Program enables patients and their families to honour someone who has made
a meaningful impact on their experience at NYGH, by making a donation. Many of these stories revolve
around you, our incredible volunteers.
Every honouree receives a card and lapel pin, and I’m pleased to share that newly designed pins will be
launched in March. Each pin illustrates “Thank You” in one of the 11 languages most commonly spoken at our
Hospital. I offer the pins represented above as a symbol of my deep appreciation for all you do to make a
world of difference at North York General.
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FROM THE DESK OF BARB MACLEOD
DON’T FORGET TO MARK
YOUR CALENDAR FOR THE
ANNUAL MEETING AND
RECOGNITION DINNER
TO BE HELD AT
SPIRALE BANQUET AND
CONVENTION CENTRE
888 DON MILLS ROAD
ON
Barb Macleod
Chair, Projects Committee
Volunteer Services
I would like to take this opportunity to say a very
special “Thank You” to all of our Volunteers and
friends who helped make this year’s Alex’s
Mitten Tree campaign our most successful ever.
As well, it was the best year ever for our Christmas Holiday Sale. We raised a total of $1,823. so
all in all, it was a great 2013 and look forward to
an even better 2014. We can’t do this without
the support of Volunteers and friends, so make
a note of our upcoming events in the first part
of 2014.
• Book Sales will be February 19 and June 5.
• Garage Sale will be April 9
We will be having a “Bake Sale” along with the
Garage Sale so please watch for further information regarding your assistance in providing
contributions to the bake table. We always get
such wonderful baked goods from our Volunteers and friends. If you would like to help with
donating something for the bake table, you can
contact Ann Sequei at 905-474-1647 and let her
know you can help out. All money raised by the
Book Sales and Garage Sales go towards our 3
million dollar commitment to the Volunteer
Services Centre for Medical Imaging.
We are also looking for 2 or 3 people to join our
Projects Committee. We need someone with
some accounting background to help assist our
Treasurer and also someone that would like to
help out as co-chair of the Garage and Holiday
Sales. In our February meeting we were very
pleased to welcome Louise Germaine to the
Projects Committee. She will co-chair the Vendors Market along with Olga Dellidonne. We
meet once a month to plan our events and you
will find it most interesting. If you or someone
you know would like to be a part of a group of
very energetic Volunteers raising money for our
hospital, leave a note with your name and
phone number with Maxine at the Volunteer
Office and I will contact you. We need Volunteers to help out at the sales events as well and
would appreciate any assistance.
Thank you for your support in 2013 and wish you
all a very happy and healthy New Year.
THURSDAY, MAY 8,
2014
I am looking forward to seeing
everyone again at the Annual
Recognition Dinner. Watch
your mail - the invitations
for this
fabulous event will be sent out
towards the end of March.
Barbara Liddiard
Annual Recognition Dinner Chairman
BAKE
SALE
The Projects Committee
of North York General
Hospital is hosting a bake sale on
Wednesday April 9th, 2014 from
10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (VENDORS
MARKET)
We would very much appreciate
any donation of baked goods for
this fund- raising event.
If you would like to help us by
baking your favorite treat, kindly
contact Ann at:
[email protected]
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Volunteer Voice
THE POSTING BOARD
FROM THE DESK OF OLGA DELLIDONNE
4842
“Your support has repeatedly
played a key role in our success"
TEDDIES FOR TRAGEDIES
have been created by
North York General Hospital Volunteers
and friends since this project began.
TEDDIES have travelled all over the
world giving pleasure and joy to hundreds
of sick, homeless and needy CHILDREN.
THE NEED CONTINUES...
Olga Dellidonne
Treasurer
Volunteer Services
We would like to sincerely thank TD BANK
GROUP , in honour of Agnes Chan, for their
generous donation.
Corporate donations on behalf of current
and past employees are, as always, very
much appreciated.
PLEASE KEEP ON KNITTING!!!!
Barry Jamieson for Teddies for Tragedies
“WHAT A GREAT PROJECT FOR THIS SPRING”!
VOLUNTEER SERVICES
“A TASTEFUL EXPERIENCE”
COOK BOOK IS STILL AVAILABLE
IN LIMITED QUANTITIES IN THE
GIFT SHOP
PROCEEDS FROM THE SALE
OF THE COOKBOOK BENEFIT
VOLUNTEER SERVICES
CENTRE FOR MEDICAL
IMAGING
Teddies courtesy of
Volunteer Linda Gatti
Have you registered your consent for organ and tissue donation? To register your
consent or for more information on donation please visit www.giftoflife.on.ca.
Be a Registered Donor
Your decision to register now could one day save up to eight lives and enhance as many as
75 more. Register your consent to become a donor with ServiceOntario now.
Volunteers Give Service With A Smile
Volunteer Voice is published 3 times a year and is provided
to all Volunteers at our 3 sites of North York General Hospital.
Volunteer Voice Editor/Graphic Designer: Barry Jamieson
email: [email protected]
Follow the links on the NYGH web site to view the .pdf version
NORTH YORK GENERAL HOSPITAL
General Division:
416 756-6000
Branson Division:
416 633-9420
Seniors' Health Centre:
416 756-0066
Volunteer Office:
416 756-6088
Articles for the Summer Issue of Volunteer Voice must be submitted no later than June 13 , 2014