Better Together: St. Joe’s Staff & Patient and Family Advisors honoured with awards
On June 15, St. Joe’s celebrated the exceptional work of staff and Patient and Family Advisors at the Better Together - Patient, Family event.
Distinguished Awards of Excellence were presented to Patient and Family Advisors, Helene Hamilton and Patrizia McEachern, as well as Alana Tymchuk, Clinical Manager of the General Internal Medicine 4 Bishop Dowling team, for their work in advancing the level of patient and family engagement at St. Joe’s.
Helene Hamilton
Helene has served as a Patient and Family Advisor (PFA) for more than 10 years, and was actually engaged in this type of work long before the role was formalized at St. Joe’s.
“My role as a PFA prior to the formalization of the position at St. Joe’s was probably the same as it was for most patients in that time... When I was first in hospital in 1979, the ‘go to’ response from the medical community at that time was that patients don’t/won’t understand. It was very frustrating,” Helene says. “In 1982, I was transferred to a new nephrologist here at St. Joe’s, Dr. David Ludwin, who not only taught me that I had a voice but he showed me what the patient and family/health team relationship should be.”
Over the years as a PFA, Helene has played an active role in many committees and initiatives. She served as a member of the Joint Board of Governors Quality Committee, Accreditation Steering Committee, and the General Internal Medicine Integrated Quality and Operations Committee to name just a few. Helene is currently co-chairing the Essential Care Partner Working Group along with a staff member, representing the highest level of partnership.
“Nothing is done in isolation,” Helene says. “The support from Cheryl Williams, the hospital executive team, and more specifically from the Quality team is nothing short of exceptional... This award means a great deal to me because it’s representative of the calibre of people that I am privileged to work with at every level at St. Joe’s.”
Patrizia McEachern
Patrizia works very closely with St. Joe’s staff as a Patient and Family Advisor and says the most meaningful part of her work is “helping and encouraging staff and physicians to do their best by co-designing new methods, and improving quality of life for all patients at all levels.”
Nominated by her peers, Patrizia was commended for her support for her patient advisor colleagues, particularly how she encourages their participation. One way that she does this is by having them split up into small discussion groups. “This gives the quiet ones a chance to say they are a part of group discussions when discussing issues at hand, and allows them to share their knowledge, resources and insights with the PFA committee,” says Patrizia.
Patrizia’s involvement at St. Joe’s includes activities organized by the Peer Advisory Council as well as initiatives such as Patient Safety Week and the annual World Suicide Prevention Day ceremony of remembrance. Patrizia is instrumental in partnering with staff in running the annual Little Pieces of Light candlelight ceremony during Mental Illness Awareness Week each October.
“This award means a lot to me, I was honored to receive it,” Patrizia says. “This was an incredible moment for me that I will remember for the rest of my life. This award has encouraged me even more to continue helping others who are in need.”
General Internal Medicine 4 Bishop Dowling Team
The General Internal Medicine 4 Bishop Dowling team has a great history of championing patient engagement. They were the first team to engage patient and family representatives on their quality committee and quality work, and they were the courageous team that piloted the Essential Care Partner Program.
The Essential Care Partner Program was created because “as a hospital, we recognized how important the inclusion of essential care partners in a hospital setting is as they provide numerous benefits to patients and their families, to care providers and to the system as a whole,” says 4BD Clinical Manager, Alana Tymchuk.
The 4BD team is comprised of compassionate, multidisciplinary members and clinicians that always ensure the patients and families representatives are engaged in the decisions they make to improving the program and the care at St. Joe’s.
“We are always putting ourselves in the patient and family member’s shoes and imaging if that was us in the hospital bed,” Alana says. “Treating everyone like family ensures we are doing all we can to provide the best care possible. The Essential Care Partner program allows us to partner with the person who is closest with the patient as their support, feedback and collaboration drives the best care possible.”
Those working with Alana on the Essential Care Partner Program truly felt her passion and commitment for quality of patient care and well-being. The way she interacts with patients and families and embrace this program inspired her team as well as others across the organization.
“I have immense gratitude for the Award of Excellence that I accepted on behalf of the unit I manage,” Alana says. “This Award of Excellence is not just a recognition of our accomplishments; it is a celebration of the transformational impact we have made together. I am filled with pride and gratitude for the collaborative spirit at St. Joes.”
Please join us in congratulating Helene, Patrizia, Alana and the General Internal Medicine 4 Bishop Dowling team!