A team that made sure a father got to see his daughter marry. Doctors and nurses who go above and beyond in their caring and skill. A social worker whose commitment to positive change is helping victims. Managers who always put people first.
These are just a few of the stories behind this year’s recipients of the annual Niagara Health Awards of Excellence ceremony. The awards celebrate the remarkable individuals who embody Niagara Health’s commitment to Transforming Care.
On Tuesday, June 25, the 17th annual awards were held at the Marotta Family Hospital in St. Catharines, recognizing 25 award recipients and more than 100 nominees who’ve demonstrated extraordinary dedication to high-quality patient care.
“It is a privilege to work alongside such dedicated individuals and to have the opportunity to formally acknowledge your unique contributions to patients, families and colleagues,” said Niagara Health President and CEO Lynn Guerriero at the event. “Your commitment to putting people first and providing compassionate care drives our success in achieving our purpose, vision and values.”
As part of this year’s selection process, the Committee received an astounding 111 peer nominations in support of team members who demonstrated Niagara Health’s CORE values, making the selection process very difficult.
This year’s President and CEO Award for Extraordinary Performance was presented to Cathy Lanteigne. Lanteigne has been the Clinical Manager at the Port Colborne site for over 10 years. In her nomination, her colleagues noted that she has always placed a heavy emphasis on boosting employee morale and teamwork by surprising her employees with treats at huddles or spontaneous coffees during their shifts. She has also been touted by her employees as a manager who always has an open door and listens to any professional or personal challenges without judgment. Last year, her team went through a difficult time with the sudden passing of a colleague and Lanteigne provided invaluable emotional support to her staff while being a shoulder to cry on.
The remaining 10 additional award categories were presented to exceptional Niagara Health team members during the awards ceremony.
Driven by Optimism
Leah Barela | Registered Nurse, Hemodialysis
Leah is a nurse in the hemodialysis unit that is known for treating patients, families and colleagues with patience and understanding.
She combines professionalism with compassion, making sure to show genuine interest in others' lives. She makes everyone feel accepted and understood without judgment through her optimistic, compassionate, and positive demeanour.
In her role, Leah assists nurses in delivering optimal care to our patients and is respected for her high level of care, positivity and reliability. Her gentle and thoughtful manner makes her highly approachable and her willingness to help exemplifies her dedication to the role.
Extraordinary Caring
Julie Klassen | Registered Nurse, Oncology
Julie is a nurse in the Oncology unit and has worked there for several years. In that time, she cultivated her skill for vascular access. Working in the systemic therapy suite, she became extremely skilled at peripheral intravenous lines (IV) starts and eventually became known as the nurse to go to for challenging IV situations.
Julie is frequently called upon for urgent PICC (peripherally inserted central catheter) line insertions when time and resources are limited. She is popular among oncologists in urgent situations, making her an invaluable resource for cancer treatment.
Achieving Ambitious Results
Rebecca Boucher | MSW, Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Treatment
Rebecca is a Social Worker (MSW) in the Sexual Assault Domestic Violence Treatment (SADV) program at Niagara Health. She is known for her unique ability to maintain optimism despite the serious and challenging nature of her work. Her belief in the work we do and the possibility of creating positive change has empowered her team to achieve more ambitious results.
Rebecca's dedication to open communication and effective problem-solving has greatly improved our working relationships with agencies such as the Niagara Sexual Assault Centre, Niagara Regional Police, and Victim's Services.
Extraordinary Team
Indigenous Health Services
The Indigenous Health Services team looks creatively at any roadblock or barrier, finding opportunities for effective problem-solving and advocacy. Prior to this team being in place, access to smudging at each site was limited. The newly formed Indigenous Health Services team established a smudging policy which has made smudging accessible to all at Niagara Health.
They provide tailored culturally competent care and we are beyond fortunate to have such an empathetic, knowledgeable, fierce team to be present within our organization.
Extraordinary Interdepartmental Collaboration
NFS ED and Brock Unit, “The Wedding Ceremony”
The Niagara Falls Site Emergency Department and Brock Unit, with representation from other units at Niagara Health, came together to meet the heartfelt wishes of a family. A patient triaged at the ED department had multiple co-morbidities and a life limiting diagnosis. During this very stressful time, the patient's daughter realized that her father would not make it to her upcoming wedding. The patient’s daughter reached out to the triage nurse to see if it would be possible to have an unofficial "wedding" at Niagara Health with her father present.
NH’s Infection Prevention and Control team played a vital role in accommodating moves and rooms on the Brock unit for the ceremony to take place as the patient was not able to leave his room. This wedding occurred the very next day, and the patient and family were deeply grateful.
Compassion in Action
Lisa Lafleur | Physiotherapist, Stroke Team
Lisa, who is newly retired, was a physiotherapist for the Stroke Team. She consistently demonstrated extraordinary dedication on a daily basis to assist staff and clients.
Former patients frequently come back to visit Lisa to thank her and show her how well they have recovered. Lisa ensured that each stroke client received the physiotherapy services they needed each day and her advocacy for rehabilitation services derives from her passion for compassionate care.
She consistently enabled the patient to focus positively on progress and their functional abilities. She does not dwell on the negative information but still provides truthful feedback.
Extraordinary Leadership
Alain Boucher | Manager, Engineering Services
Alain is the Manager of Engineering Services at NH. He demonstrates fairness by actively listening to issues and providing calm, rational perspectives and solutions. His kindness towards others, including staff, visitors and patients is remarkable. His compassion for others and passion and dedication for his work are inspirational, and they are always attended to with humility.
His dedication to the hospital during his extensive career is filled with examples of putting people first and doing what he can to make the hospital operations run as best they can in his power. His perseverance underscores his commitment to transforming care at NH.
Extraordinary Future through Innovation
Christopher Henderson | Manager of Learning Management System, Library, Policy & Student Resources
Chris is the Manager of Learning Management System, Library, Policy and Student Resources. His enthusiastic approach to intertwining new technologies and an innate understanding of accessibility, teaching, and learning, provides a strong foundation for innovative thinking.
He draws upon all of the latest technologies and software to bring about the best results in LERNH modules, and inspired educational materials for many departments and most recently for the EVS Sustainability Committee. Always responsive and positive, Chris manages to produce work that exceeds expectations and offers data insights that have provided teams with opportunities beyond their original vision and design.
Extraordinary Volunteer
Rudy Bocchinfuso | Volunteer, Marotta Family Hospital Intensive Care Unit
Rudy Bocchinfuso has been a volunteer at Niagara Health since 2012. He has banked over 2,279 hours volunteering and post-pandemic, has returned to the St Catharines site critical care units.
Rudy consistently attends his shifts in the visitors' lounge that services the critical care areas at Niagara Health. He provides invaluable support to families in their most challenging times. Recently Rudy stepped up to support the community by being available during the accreditation process. His embrace of the volunteer role and its impact on patients, families and staff make him a very deserving recipient of the first annual Extraordinary Volunteer Award.
Chief of Staff Award for Extraordinary Physician Impact
Dr. Neel Malhotra | Medicine, Gastroenterology
Dr. Neel Malhotra is a gastroenterologist at Niagara Health. When he assumed the role of Head of Service for Gastroenterology (GI), he resolved two significant challenges.
First, he had a sudden staffing shortage with very little notice and second, he had a program that was providing robust call coverage at only 2 of 3 acute care hospitals. Collaborating with staff at Hamilton Health Science, he ensured comprehensive ERCP (Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography) coverage and recruited a new GI physician to NFS, guaranteeing reliable 24/7 coverage at all sites. Dr. Malhotra exemplifies our CORE values; he quickly acted to meet the needs of patients and improve safe and quality patient care.
President and CEO Award for Extraordinary Performance
Cathy Lanteigne | Manager of Complex Care
Cathy has been the Clinical Manager at the Port Colborne site for over 10 years. She has always placed a heavy emphasis on boosting employee morale and teamwork by surprising her employees with treats at huddles or spontaneous coffees during their shifts. Cathy has also been touted by her employees as a manager who always has an open door and listens to any professional or personal challenges without judgment.
With the emphasis on a People First philosophy, Cathy has handled many challenges and concerns very delicately and professionally. Her colleagues also commend her empathy towards the elderly community who suffer from dementia.
Cathy was instrumental in planning a Celebration of Life for the sudden passing of a colleague and extended the invitation to their family and friends.
