Each month we will be sharing stories of team members at HHCC; their history with the hospital and the transformative work they do every day to strengthen our culture and community. This month we celebrate Heather, Registered Nurse, E-Wing.
Heather has been a part of the HHCC team for 35 years and counting! Born and raised in Orangeville, she completed her nursing training at Sheridan College in 1984 and has been providing care for our community ever since.
In the early days of her career, Heather worked part-time at two different local nursing homes, the Emergency Department at York County Hospital, as well as the Emergency Department at HHCC (known at that time as Dufferin Area Hospital). Gaining as much experience as she could, Heather had her sights set on a full-time position at our hospital and ended up achieving this goal in two years.
Heather transitioned to support wound care in 2006 until she most recently began working in Palliative Care and Rehab in 2020. Supporting wound care for 16 years, her focus was on how to properly clean wounds to save patients from amputation. She also provided education on the importance of wound care for patients while diligently working to progress the program.
She often works with a lot of Diabetic patients, experiencing both challenges and successes. The success stories are some of Heather’s most treasured experiences as a nurse. In 2010, Heather was awarded Wound Care Hero and the following year was awarded the Best Practice Award through Accreditation Canada.
Throughout her career, Heather has jumped at any opportunities for continued learning. “If the opportunity was there, I just took it. I was always eager to try something new!” She said. This is one of the many reasons that kept her at HHCC. “I have been well supported by Headwaters over the years when it came to continued education,” said Heather.
Another reason Heather found it so easy to continue working at HHCC was the sense of community within our hospital. She said, “Knowing all the staff, physicians and volunteers contributes to the sense of family here. I love that I can walk down the hall and know everyone I pass by.”
Reflecting on her career, Heather went on to share her thoughts on the current Coronavirus Pandemic and her work during the SARS Pandemic, she said, “We were scared then, but it never quite reached us. Now knowing that COVID-19 is in our community, the fear is definitely there. The best thing we can do is get as much accurate education as we can and work together to overcome this.”
Outside of work, Heather spends much of her free time at their property up north and looks forward to the time when she can safely visit her two kids, who both live out west.
We would like to thank Heather, for her years of dedication to our hospital and community!