Your Stories

An Update from GBGH President & CEO, Matthew Lawson

Summer has finally arrived and I know it’s a time of year to which we all look forward after a long winter. At GBGH, June is the time when we reflect on the previous year, and celebrate all that our incredible team has accomplished.

It is a privilege to be part of this organization and witness the entire GBGH team working together to make our hospital an incredible place to work, and a place our community can rely on to receive excellent, personalized health care.

This year, the GBGH team has accomplished some exceptional achievements, and I’d like to highlight a few of them for you.

• Launched an ED wait times clock to align with our commitment to be transparent with our community
• Received approval for $800K in annual MRI operating funding
• Dedicated recruitment initiatives such as targeted social media campaigns and hiring events, which have helped GBGH attract talented crew members to support our goal of being fully staffed
• Brought full Pulmonary Function Testing (PFT) to our community and expanded the surgical program to ensure care closer to home
• Initiated the Essential Care Partner program to ensure essential caregivers have a specific role as members of the care team
• Received a Provincial Eligible Approach Rate Award from Ontario Health Trillium Gift of Life Network (TGLN), recognizing GBGH’s outstanding efforts in facilitating discussions about organ and tissue donation
• Developed our new strategic plan which will guide GBGH for the next seven years (2023-2030)

We are looking forward to continuing to serve our community in alignment with our recently updated and newly released strategic plan – We Make Excellent Care Personal. After extensive public and internal consultation, the new plan will serve as our map, guiding GBGH for the next seven years through all our planning and decision-making. You can learn more on the GBGH website – gbgh.on.ca/about-us/our-strategic-plan

Finally, I would just like to extend my deepest appreciation and gratitude to you for investing in GBGH, and equipping our team with the equipment and technology that we rely on to deliver excellent care to thousands of patients every year.

Thank you for being such an important part of the GBGH family.

Matthew Lawson
President & CEO
Georgian Bay General Hospital

A Stretcher Story

A visit to the Emergency Department (ED) wasn’t on Glen Holmes’ honey-do list on June 5, 2023, but intense pain in his lower abdomen took him to GBGH on that very busy Monday morning. A quick assessment from the triage nurse placed him on a stretcher directly in front of the nurse’s station, where he had a front row seat to the conversations and interactions between the entire ED team.

“It was a typical summer time Monday at GBGH, the place was packed, staff were moving at a terrific pace, patients were coming in constantly, and there were endless calls for help, supplies and beds,” shares Glen. “What amazed me most was the calm way the staff dealt with issues, spoke to each other, reinforced each other, and gave it their best in spite of all the activity and demands.”

In the end, a CT scan determined that the cause of pain was a kidney stone, and he was back on his feet again in no time once it had passed. But, the experience had a profound impact on Glen.

“We are so fortunate to have such a great ED team at GBGH,” continues Glen. “They couldn’t have been more helpful, more kind or more professional if they tried.”

To show his appreciation, Glen made a Heartfelt Thanks donation to honour the ED team for the amazing care he received, including ward clerk Danielle Norton, team leader Jen Graham, triage nurse Cherie Leeming, nurse Jacqueline Junkin and Dr. Dan Lee.

“It was a stressful week for the team, and [Glen] had a front row seat to see our excellent team in action,” says Dr. Lee, Chief of Emergency Medicine. “It means so much to all of us to receive this recognition, especially in the midst of all the challenges we were seeing.”

To learn more about making a gift to honour a GBGH team member, visit gbghf.ca/heartfeltthanks