The Southern Health-Santé Sud 12th Annual Public Meeting was held on November 6, 2024 via Microsoft Teams where participants from over 105 online connections received highlights from the past year.

Chairperson Adam Monteith opened the meeting with a heartfelt message to staff. “As a board, we sincerely acknowledge the critical role each of you play and the impact you have on people each day. You are the heart of health care and we hope this meeting will help encourage you even in a small way to see how your efforts at work leave an impression that matters. Heath care is a part of a much bigger story. The experience of the past few years has underscored the importance of having shared purpose, of leveraging our collective resources and aligning our efforts to overcome the challenges.”

The agenda included an update on achievements highlighted in the 2023-2024 Annual Report themed Thriving Together. CEO Jane Curtis and Board Chair Adam Monteith shared updates on capital building projects in the region, results from the Accreditation survey among other important accomplishments from the past year. A financial report was presented by Regional Lead – Corporate Services & Chief Financial Officer, Ainsley Wiebe. Quality Service Awards were also presented to multiple individuals and groups that were nominated by their peers.

The meeting concluded with a Question & Answer period and words of appreciation to the community, volunteers, staff and physicians.

A recording of the meeting and copy of the Annual Report can be found on our website.

Submitted by: Quality, Planning & Performance
For more info. contact: Trish Braun

Quality Service Awards recognize extraordinary achievements and contributions of employees that extend their efforts beyond day-to-day performance duties by sharing gifts of compassion, patience, kindness and professionalism with clients and colleagues. Employees are nominated for their outstanding service by their peers.

Congratulations to this year’s five award recipients (left to right):

• Alyssa Friesen – Clinical Resource Nurse – Medical Unit at Boundary Trails Health Centre
• Carolyn Friesen – Manager – Boundary Trails Health Centre
• Katryna Roos – Public Health-Healthy Living – Altona
• Leah Vaags – Crisis Stabilization Unit/Crisis Response – Steinbach
• Michelle Davis – Labour Relations Practitioner

CEO Career Achievement Award honours a Southern Health-Santé Sud employee or service provider with 25 years or more of continuous service, whose passion for their work, sustained positive attitude and high personal ethic has earned them the greatest respect of their peers. The employee or service provider will have made significant contributions to Southern Health-Santé Sud within the scope of their position and fostered wellness in the workplace.

This year, the CEO Career Achievement Award is presented to Marcie Dupasquier, Manager – Foyer Notre Dame. With over 33 years working at the Foyer Notre Dame, colleagues have many things to share about her contributions.

• Marcie’s passion for her work shines through in all her endeavors and her positive, calm, stable and personable attitude is evident regardless of the situation.
• Her high standards set a benchmark for quality care and are complimented by a strong leadership presence, as she consistently practices what she preaches.
• Her passion is people. It is a gift to find someone who is genuine, who exudes confidence and takes time to listen and make you feel heard – this is Marcie.
• A colleague stated that she believes one of the main reasons that Foyer Notre Dame has a reputation of being a good place, where people feel welcomed, safe and cared for is because of Marcie’s high standards.
• It was stated the biggest reason Marcie deserves this recognition is because many colleagues agree that they have become better caregivers because of her. Every choice that Marcie makes is for the benefit of the building and the people inside of it.

The Service Excellence Team Award recognizes a team of Southern Health-Santé Sud employees or service providers for their commitment to excellence and exceptional performance as well as demonstrated achievement in transforming the patient experience. The nomination can reflect the work of more than the past year. This year the Team award goes to following two teams:

The Boundary Trails Health Centre Obstetrical Team

• The obstetrical team at BTHC has been dealing with a very significant staffing vacancy rate for over a year. The vacancy rate has been as high as 60%. Despite this, they have continued to be able to provide high quality care to their patients. They have gone above and beyond to fill shifts and prevent closure of the ward. They have shown uncompromising integrity, ensuring that their patients are cared for at the highest standard. Staff have pushed themselves to help out often to the detriment of their own work/life balance.
• This team has had to be very innovative to be able to continue to provide care. The manager and CRN have worked at examining the reasons for staff departures and have put actions in place to help prevent further departures.
• This team is being proactive and working on a plan to move the obstetrical unit in reaction to anticipated construction noise that will be detrimental to newborns. This will be a significant change during a time where resilience is already being maxed out, making this change even more difficult. There is no doubt that this team will persist and be successful through this time.
• The team is dedicated to using best practice to ensure the best possible outcomes for both mother and child. Patients consistently praise their personalized care, highlighting the team’s ability to blend professionalism with genuine empathy.

Quick Care Clinic- Steinbach

• The Quick Care Clinic is an established same day clinic located in the Bethesda Primary Care Centre in Steinbach. The Team consists of PCNs, NPS, and Medical Receptionists/Admin. As one of few same day care clinics in southeast Manitoba, the team provides in-person holistic care with a Primary Care Nurse and Nurse Practitioner collaborative model of care. Since June 2022, closures of other local walk in clinics and family doctor shortages have placed substantial volume pressures on the clinic. This has led to increased public frustration when unable to access services.
• Despite these volume pressures, nursing and Admin staff have gone the extra mile to maintain a high-quality service. Although mandated as a same day, minor acute, episodic care clinic, the team has rallied together to provide the best possible primary care for clients living without a primary care provider, in innovative ways, through collaborative relationships with other services in the region and province.
• The team has expanded their hours of service and has made several improvements over the past year to better serve their residents and community. The team cares for 180 clients per week on average and work well above the scope of the original intended purpose of the clinic. Due to the ongoing crisis of shortage of primary care providers, the Quick Care Clinic has seen an influx of complex chronic conditions, mental health needs, and more acutely sick people. The team has risen to the challenge.
• The Quick Care Clinic team is a passionate group, always looking to enhance quality of care, provide safe care, and enhance scope of practice.

Physician Emeritus Award

The idea of the Physician Emeritus was first raised a few years ago with the idea of having an honorary designation conferred upon retirees or semi retirees to recognize their contributions and accomplishments over their professional careers as physicians or surgeons within Southern Health-Santé Sud. Upon recommendation or nomination of a colleague or committee within the region, the Regional Medical Advisory Council chooses a deserving recipient.

This year’s Physician Emeritus honoree is Dr. Denis Fortier.

• Fortier retired this past June as Southern Health-Santé Sud’s Chief Medical Officer. He is probably just as well known for being a retired rural family physician who practiced at the Centre de Santé Notre-Dame Health Centre located in Notre Dame de Lourdes, where he has lived and worked for over 36 years. Dr. Fortier’s medicine practice included primary, hospital, emergency, obstetrics & long-term care with some minor surgery and continues to be an ardent defender of rural health care.
• Fortier enjoys spending time with his wife, three beautiful daughters and is an extremely active and proud grandfather. As a family, they enjoy their cottage, boating, fishing, traveling, music, movies, and staying active. I know that Denis also enjoys history, genealogy, historical fiction, new technologies, writing, reading and occasionally plucking his bass guitar.
• The physician group that nominated Dr. Fortier for this award wrote this about him: “We may not all be leaders, or dreamers, or in Dr. Fortier’s case, both, but I think it is important that we recognize the positive and lasting effects that Dr. Fortier’s leadership and vision have had on our region. He has dedicated most of his life to the delivery, improvement and protection of health care services in the Southern Health Region.”

Submitted by: Quality, Planning & Performance
For more info. contact: Trish Braun

Submitted by: Cailin Gagnon, Quality & Accreditation Coordinator

Diane Ford, Recovery Nurse in the Mobile Withdrawal Management Services. Has been with Southern Health-Santé Sud for 16 years.

What Diane likes most about her job

I love my co-workers and the clients I serve!

What truly matters to Diane in the work she does each day

I love the connection we make with our clients and how important our program is in their life.

We want to hear from you!
Please take a moment to share What Matters to You by completing an online form.

As year-end approaches, please ensure you have been setup with access to QSS in order to view/download/print your T4’s. Bi-weekly pay statements are also uploaded and housed in QSS. Both the pay statements and T4’s are available to access anytime, from any device connected to the internet.

Note: the 2024 T4s will be issued before the end of February 2025 through QSS. Set up your account today to ensure you receive your T4 through this delivery method.

QSS Employee Guide

Submitted by: Payroll Leadership
For more information, contact:

One of our cooks, Loretta, decided to have a team/department group costume theme. She made all the shirts with “THING …….” from Dr. Suess. All the “Things” were numbered according to the shift they worked that day (ie. CL – late cook, D1 – dietary aide 1, etc.).

Residents enjoyed the staff dressing up.

Submitted by: Nutrition and Food Services