RESPECT – Sandeep Yakub, manager, Intensive Care Unit
Sandeep shows respect to everyone, especially his staff. His kindness and humility reflect how good of a person and manager he is. Sandeep is extremely approachable, even when he is busy, he always tries his very best to accommodate staff needs and requests. When team members were exhausted from working so hard during the pandemic, Sandeep listened, provided time off, and offered support and encouragement. He respects everyone’s limitations, which has a big impact on the Intensive Care Unit. The team feels they aren’t taken for granted, but instead, supported and respected.
COURAGE – Dr. Deepa Grewal, paediatrician
Dr. Grewal took the pandemic head on and ensured that her team was well prepared. Her leadership was instrumental in fostering a collaborative approach to developing policies and procedures for Childbirth and Children’s Services, protecting our smallest patients. Through the ups and down’s of the pandemic and its unforeseen challenges, she continues to persevere in supporting the Oak Valley Health family in new ways. She was a persistent presence at the COVID-19 Community Vaccination Centre at Cornell Community Centre and is now supporting our paediatric patients and families in the COVID-19 Assessment Centre in addition to her work in the outpatient clinic. Deepa has made an indelible mark on paediatrics at Oak Valley Health through her dedication and courage in meeting all challenges that come her way.
TRUST – Jessica Selvakumar, registered nurse, Oncology
Jessica pours her heart and soul into every action she takes. Patients see her as a positive role model and someone they can rely on and trust. She prioritizes safety in everyday practice to yield the best patient outcomes. Jessica is not afraid to speak up when she sees an unsafe practice and the team trusts her to deliver the highest standards of care. Jessica has supported her colleagues by becoming the Alaris Pump Champion and has been a go-to preceptor/mentor for all new hires and nurses requiring chemotherapy administration skill development. She took the DeSouza Malignant Hematology Course to provide her with an even more in-depth knowledge/skill base to best care for patients. Jessica has been trained as the Nurse Navigator and the Facilitating Nurse in the Clinic allowing her to demonstrate her strong leadership skills and commitment to patient safety and incredible ability to lead a team of nurses. Jessica is always on time, and always waits until patients are safely discharged, even if it means staying past her scheduled shift. Jessica’s laugh and positive attitude bring a great vibe to the clinic and we are so lucky to have her.
COMMITMENT – Terry King, maintenance assistant
Terry is one of those truly special individuals that you don’t meet everyday. He spends part of his day looking after the grounds before coming inside to move furniture/offices, hang white-boards/prints, amongst many other tasks. He has great pride in how the hospital presents to people coming to visit as a patient or visitor. It is the small things, like when your mask blows away and you cannot catch it, Terry is the person that picks it up. He trims the trees in the courtyards like they are in his own front yard. He is also the person that assembled the large COVID-19 screening tent in the rain, the person that when staff were stuck in the parking lot last winter, they left their keys with him, told him what unit they worked on and Terry looked after the rest. He didn’t know or need to know who they were, he just had the clinical unit call to tell them their keys are there to pick-up. His commitment to Oak Valley Health shows when things are at their worst – like snow storms, even though he lives an hour from Markham Stouffville Hospital.
COMPASSION – Brad Young, social worker
As a social worker in a challenging area, Brad has shown compassion towards patients and families as they navigate end-of-life challenges. Brad remains creative, intelligent, and diligent with his role; all of which stem from his care for patients. He has been a valued member of our team that provides a high level of care and compassion to all of our patients – he is very passionate and adds value to the lives of everyone he interacts with. He has ensured that patients are able to spend their last weeks or days in the way they want and with the support they need. Brad also works with the complex continuing care patients and provides ongoing counselling to help them and their families cope with their new reality. He helps loved ones explore meaning in their lives in their current situation while also helping them reconcile the fact that their lives have forever changed. Brad has a unique talent for quickly developing a good rapport with patients and families, which is essential when working in such an emotionally taxing setting.