SHELBURNE, ON – Tonight, during Headwaters Health Care Centre’s 2019 Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Shelburne, President & CEO, Stacey Daub, and the hospital’s Board of Directors shared the newly developed three-year Strategic Plan created with extensive community and stakeholder consultation over the past year. They also celebrated the deserving winners of the Dr. David Scott Award and the Chairperson’s Award.
The hospital’s new three-year Strategic Plan, called ‘One Community, Caring Together’, reflects the feedback obtained through last year’s Imagine Headwaters campaign to gain community insight into the care and services offered by Headwaters Health Care Centre (HHCC). The plan provides a blueprint for the hospital as it evolves and works with patients, families and caregivers to co-design better care models and engages physicians and staff in decisions that affect their work environment as well as focusing on improving and caring for the aging facility. It sets ambitious goals for working more closely with community partners to advance integrated care and population health.
The plan also acknowledges the need for careful attention and creative approaches to the responsible and appropriate investment of limited resources. As always, the focus is on continually improving quality of care and providing more services closer to home.
“We devoted a lot of thought and care in listening to our stakeholders and developing a Strategic Plan that will provide a path for our future as we strive to meet the evolving health care needs of our community,” said Headwaters President & CEO, Stacey Daub. The overarching guide for the Strategic Plan is the hospital’s new values – kindness, passion, courage, teamwork - that will provide a consistent thread through every decision.
In keeping with those values, the winners of the Dr. David Scott Award – honouring those who go above and beyond to improve the overall health and wellness of the people in the communities the hospital serves and promote linkages between the community and hospital – were also announced. The 2019 co-recipients are the Chief of Dufferin County Paramedic Services, Tom Reid and long-serving local physician, Dr. Gordon Willans.
Also honoured at the AGM were the co-recipients of the Chairperson’s Award of Recognition. Board Chair, Louise Kindree presented the awards to Eileen Dahl, member of Headwaters’ Patient and Family Partnership as well as the Organizing Committee of the Jennifer Widbur Memorial Hockey Tournament. This award is given to individuals or groups who provide outstanding service to the community in a volunteer capacity, helping to improve health care in our region.
“Both of our award recipients embody the spirit of giving and dedication to others beyond self; they are excellent members of our community who I am proud to recognize with this award,” said outgoing Board Chair, Louise Kindree.
A backgrounder about the Award Recipients follows:
About Headwaters Health Care Centre (HHCC)
HHCC, is an innovative, community centred medium-size hospital serving residents of Dufferin-Caledon. Headwaters offers acute and complex continuing care with 24/7 Emergency Department coverage as well as extensive outpatient services in a newly built Ambulatory Care Centre and is accredited with Exemplary Standing by Accreditation Canada. Please visit www.headwatershealth.ca for more information and a full list of services.
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For further information or to arrange an interview please contact:
Jennifer Hamilton, MA, MBA Senior Communications & Stakeholder Engagement Partner, Headwaters Health Care Centre | Cell: 519-278-5085| Email:
jhamilton@headwatershealth.ca
BACKGROUNDER
Dr. David Scott Award and Chairperson’s Award Winners
Dr. David Scott Award Recipients
Tom Reid, Chief, Dufferin County Paramedic Services
Tom Reid is a lifelong resident of Shelburne and has devoted his entire 35-year career to paramedic services in the community. He is known as an exemplary leader, innovative thinker, compassionate professional and a driving force in shaping and supporting the paramedic profession in Ontario.
He has led the: The development and implementation of Advanced Care Paramedic Program for Dufferin County; Advancing paramedicine in Dufferin through the implementation of electronic reporting and bringing on the newest trends in the industry such as the use of power stretchers; The implementation of the Dufferin Situation Table and offering free CPR courses throughout Dufferin County. They’ve completed 10 of these courses where families and friends – upwards to 100 people at a time – are trained in CPR and learn more about public access to defibrillators.
One of his most impactful accomplishments, is the development of a Community Paramedicine Program which enables advanced training for paramedics to provide effective care to patients with complex care needs in their home. This program made possible by Tom’s dedication to establishing effective partnerships between physicians and other community health care professionals, his staff and the hospital, has resulted in significant efficiencies in the health care system and most importantly hundreds of avoided hospital visits for people in our community.
In the words of people who provided support for Tom’s nomination, “Tom has been an integral leader in local health care in Dufferin County for many years. Tom’s vision of having better access for all through facilitation, integration and coordination of service delivery shows his understanding of not only the issues at hand, but also an appreciation of the hard work put in by all involved.”
Dr. Gordon Willans
It is hard to encapsulate all that Dr. Willans has done for health care in our community in a brief overview. He worked as an internist for over four decades providing care described by colleagues and patients as nothing short of exemplary. He was a trusted colleague of Dr. David Scott and was instrumental in bringing to fruition the creation of Headwaters Health Care Centre. His dedication to patients, community and health care in Ontario is truly significant.
In the words of one of the people who provided support for Dr. Willans’ nomination, “The Dr. David Scott Award was created to honour a man who cared passionately about his community, who served over a long career exemplified by the highest standards of practice and leadership. One might think Dr. Gord Willans was a protégé of Dr. Scott, but… theirs was a fortunate meeting of two men who shared a vision of their community, a passion and commitment to give to that community and the skills and leadership to achieve that passion.”
Headwaters Chairperson’s Award of Recognition Recipients
Eileen Dahl
Eileen is a Registered Psychotherapist and Certified Spiritual Care Professional, educator, speaker and independent resilience researcher. She has dedicated significant effort as the volunteer chair of the Central West Palliative Care Network Patient and Family Advisory Council and as a volunteer Patient Family Advisor to Headwaters Health Care Centre. She also founded and moderates two Facebook Groups that are empowering patients around the world with information and peer support connections.
She has also recently taken on a leadership role supporting the development of the Hills of Headwaters Ontario Health Team. Eileen has a strong belief in educating people to be resilient and is not afraid to ask the tough questions of herself and others. She is leading new ways to include the patient’s voice in how we think about, and delivery, local health care.
Jennifer Widbur Memorial Hockey Tournament Organizing Committee
(Al Widbur, Carey Widbur, Corrie Downey, Jana Prentice, Barb Elgie, Susan Haire, Crystal Lucas, Bonnie DeLaat, Mike DeLaat and Linda Widbur)
Jennifer Widbur was a young hockey mom, who lost her battle with breast cancer in 2007. To honour her memory and make a positive impact in the community, a group of her friends and family established the Jennifer Widbur Memorial Hockey Tournament. It has been an annual event for 12 years, and in that time has raised over $650,000 in support of cancer care at Headwaters Health Care Centre along with other cancer and hockey related organizations.
With support from the Shelburne and Honeywood communities, the annual three-day tournament for teams of women over 30 has proven to be a fitting tribute to Jennifer leading to improved health care services in our community. Donations from the tournament have supported the expanded Oncology Program in the new Ambulatory Care Centre at Headwaters and helped purchase the hospital’s first digital mammography unit.