Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA) honoured staff, physicians and volunteers of the organization through its annual Service Recognition ceremony and presentation of the Alliance Awards of Excellence. This year’s ceremony was held at the Chatham Capitol Theatre on Thursday, February 29, 2024.
Sandy Bean was recognized for 50 years of service, Chrystal McCorkindale for 45 years of service and Karen Kennedy for 40 years of service. Twelve employees received 35-year recognition: Colleen Babcock, Lisa Depooter, Susan Goldsmith, Barb Jackson, Kathy Malott, Michelle Mancell, Marcia Martin-Walden, Beth Nevills, Dr. Dale Pepper, Kelly Phenix, Lynn Richie and John Robinson.
Guests of honour also included 72 five year, 46 10 year, 48 15year, 29 20 year, 2425year and 11 30 year award recipients.
In addition, CKHA paid tribute to 24 retirees:
Dr. Padmanabhan Iyer
Kathy Debrower
Marianne Murphy
Dr. Colin Bryan
Theresa Bates
Valerie Rolfes
Dr. Donna Watterud
Cheryl Payne
Nancy Kay
Dr. Paterno Serezo
Lisa Richardson
Shannon Lamarsh
Tina Mapletoft
Patti Celotto
Kathy Malott
Judy Bechard
Joanna Olbach
Pam Martin
Myra Buczynski
Lory Meloche
Barb Plant
Gary Holly
Clare Badder-Parking
Julie Page
“CKHA staff, physicians and volunteers continue to show an incredible dedication and resiliency. The evening offers us the opportunity to celebrate our valued team for their dedication to high quality care,” said Lori Marshall, President and CEO, CKHA, in a media release.
“We are very proud and appreciative of their dedication to Patient and Family Centred Care.”
During the ceremony, exceptional performance was recognized with the Alliance Awards of Excellence now in their 19th year, the Compassionate Caregiver Award of Distinction now in its 16th year, the Vicente and Delia Calma Memorial Nursing Excellency Award in its 3rd year, the Stroke Care Award in its 2nd year, the Resiliency Award in its 4th year and the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Award in its 2nd year.
“On behalf of the Board of Directors, I am pleased to congratulate the nominees and recipients of this year’s Alliance Awards of Excellence; Compassionate Caregiver Award of Distinction; Vicente and Delia Calma Memorial Nurse Excellency Award; Stroke Care Award; Resiliency Award and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Award,” said Deb Crawford, Board Chair, CKHA, in a press release.
“These awards represent the caliber of CKHA’s team and their unwavering commitment to the delivery quality care.”
This year’s awards were presented by CKHA’s Senior Leadership Team, members of the Board of Directors, and CKHA Foundation leadership. Recipients were selected from peer nominations by a panel of staff and past honourees. Award recipients announced on February 29, 2024 at the Chatham Capitol Theatre were:
Alliance Awards of Excellence:
The Alliance Awards of Excellence recognize staff, physicians, volunteers and teams who exemplify performance excellence within and beyond the healthcare environment.
Mission Award: Tabitha Cook, Decision Support Specialist, Decision Support – Tabitha Cook, the Lead of Southwestern Ontario’s Stroke Network’s KQI Committee, exemplifies a commitment to improved, quality care at CKHA. Tabitha is well known for her generosity and compassion towards everyone she meets, making her a valued member of the team. Tabitha easily gains the respect of her colleagues through her expertise, friendly nature and ability to translate data into actionable insights. In her role, Tabitha has not only initiated the creation of a dashboard that provides real-time data, improving the quality of stroke care, but has also received acknowledgement from accreditors for utilizing this data to allow for informed decision making for improvement.
Vision Award: Lisa A. Parker, Physiotherapist, Physiotherapy – Lisa Parker is a dedicated physiotherapist who is committed to patient care excellence and innovation. As a driven athlete, she started the CKHA “Couch to 5k” running club, encouraging her colleagues and staff to participate in events like the CK Santa & Pumpkin 5k races. As a Hospital Information System (Cerner) super user, she played a crucial role in adopting and optimizing the innovative system. Additionally, she played a critical role in expanding physiotherapy services to evenings, providing seamless support for Same Day Home joint replacements.
Values Award: Beth Bates, Pension & Benefits Specialist, Human Resources – Beth Bates is a true representation of CKHA’s values of collaboration, accountability, respect, excellence and safety. Beth’s caring approach to the position of Pension and Benefits Specialist has provided comfort to countless employees on some of their worst days, and she is known across the organization for her compassion and empathy. Beth’s dedication to the values of CKHA are evident in all she does, whether she is meticulously executing CKHA’s Annual Recognition Banquet or participating on the health and safety committee. In all her work, Beth strives to ensure that every employee at CKHA feels safe in their workplace and is recognized for their accomplishments.
Team Award: Accreditation Team (Lauren Wieringa, Fannie Vavoulis, Mallory Martin, Stacy Zimmer, Marcia Martin-Walden, Steve Collins, Lisa Stonehouse, Caen Suni, Alissa Howe-Poisson, Anika Doddy, Jessica Casey, Kelly Christoff, Meredith Whitehead, Nancy Kay) – In the year 2022, the Accreditation team led CKHA to the highest level of accreditation: Exemplary status. Comprised of clinical and non-clinical specialists in their respective areas, such as Professional Practice, Communications, Digital Systems and Project Management, this team worked tirelessly to create a solid foundation and track CKHA’s progress. This team went beyond the administrative aspects of accreditation, infusing a sense of fun and friendly competition into the process. Introducing the theme “The Amazing Accreditation Race,” they guided teams through 10 legs of the race, U-turns, test tracks, and team-building activities to ensure that learning and engagement were at the forefront along with the overall goal of reinforcing the Required Organizational Practices for CKHA. The Accreditation Team put in countless hours of hard work – this was accomplished with a collaborative spirit and unwavering commitment to excellence. Their dedication, creativity and meticulous planning not only led CKHA to Exemplary accreditation but has also created a lasting impact on the organization’s culture.
Compassionate Caregiver Award of Distinction:
The Compassionate Caregiver Award of Distinction honours an individual or team who exemplifies Patient and Family Centred Care and works to advance quality of care while demonstrating unconditional compassion and respect.
Compassionate Caregiver Award of Distinction: Lori Paget, Registered Nurse, Intensive Care Unit/Progressive Care Unit – Lori Paget is a Registered Nurse in the ICU/PCU who is truly extraordinary in the compassionate care that she delivers. Lori’s love of nursing and her commitment to CKHA show through in everything that she does. She consistently demonstrates perseverance, working overtime hours when needed to ensure that a high quality of care can be delivered to all patients on the unit. The compassionate care that she demonstrates makes such a difference in the lives of patients and their loved ones. Lori has also proved to be a great support to newer nurses on the unit, graciously sharing her considerable knowledge and, in the process, making her co-workers better nurses.
Vicente and Delia Calma Memorial Nurse Excellency Award:
The Vicente and Delia Calma Memorial Nurse Excellency Award honours a nursing staff member whose contributions provide and advance quality of care, contributing to the overall well-being of patients and their families. The recipient is a nurse who provides extraordinary patient care, is a positive role model and is committed to seeking opportunities to gain new knowledge.
Vicente and Delia Calma Memorial Nurse Excellency Award: Olivia Ferguson, Registered Nurse, Women & Children’s – As a Registered Nurse in the Women and Children’s Program, Olivia Ferguson brings a refreshing, positive, and hopeful attitude into all her interactions with colleagues and patients. She is caring and knowledgeable, demonstrating an abundance of compassion to patients and their families. From the minute that Olivia steps onto the floor, she brings her very best. She is a consummate teammate, actively assisting her colleagues to solve problems using knowledge and logic. She does not shy away from embracing change, and she is always willing to pass on her knowledge and skills to new nurses on the team. Olivia is confident in applying her skills and knowledge, and she supports her team members in providing excellent care to the unit’s patients and their loved ones.
Stroke Care Award:
The Stroke Care Award is presented to an individual who has exemplified their commitment to improving the quality of life for patients with chronic and complex conditions. The recipient of this award is a staff member whose contributions provide and advance quality care, contributing to the overall well-being of stroke patients and their families. They provide extraordinary stroke care, are a positive role model and are committed to seeking opportunities to gain new knowledge.
Stroke Care Award: Deena McBrien, Registered Nurse, Integrated Stroke & Rehabilitation Unit – As a Registered Nurse on the Integrated Stroke and Rehabilitation Unit at CKHA, Deena has been an advocate for excellence in stroke care for over fifteen years. Throughout her years of service, Deena has worked as a bedside RN, Unit Clinical Leader and Rehabilitation Assessor, always exemplifying compassion, care excellence, teamwork and patient-centred care. As the longest-tenured RN in the unit, Deena consistently goes above and beyond to make patients and families feel supported, informed and hopeful. Her standard of care and empathy for patients is exemplary.
Resiliency Award:
The Resiliency Award recognizes a staff member, physician or volunteer who has demonstrated resilience and shown their ability to adapt to change and be flexible. This award was established in 2020 as a tribute to the resiliency that was seen from the organization to accomplish its goals.
Resiliency Award: Lori Hasson, Unit Clinical Leader, Rehabilitation – Lori Hasson has been a Registered Nurse at CKHA since 1985. Throughout her decades of service, Lori has dedicated herself to providing Family and Patient Centred Care. In her current role as the Rehabilitation and Complex Continuing Care Assessor, Lori handles the tremendous pressures of the role with grace. Lori’s dedication to nursing never wavered during personal challenges. Lori’s team recognized the personal challenges that she overcame and admired her resiliency both during and after. Lori’s whole-hearted commitment to providing patients with the best care possible despite her own personal challenges is a true example of resiliency.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Award:
The Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Award recognizes an individual that is making a significant contribution towards CKHA’s journey in achieving Equity, Diversity and Inclusion for all. The recipient is someone who works to advance a more accessible, equitable, diverse and inclusive environment. They serve as a positive role model and have demonstrated a commitment to improving the patient experience and/or staff engagement in this area.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Award: Emily Field, Communications Specialist, Communications – Emily Field demonstrates an ongoing commitment to CKHA’s efforts towards Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism (EDIAR) in everything that she does. Over the past year, Emily has been crucial in supporting the work of the EDIAR Committee. She helps to plan and implement on-site events that promote a culture of inclusion at CKHA, and further attends community events as a representative of the committee and CKHA. Emily actively attends and participates in new learning opportunities, and she puts her own comfort second, never shying away from an opportunity to demonstrate her commitment to equity work.
