“I take pride in the fact that I believe in all five of our core values. I respect each of my colleagues and the important roles they play on our team. I endeavour to support both patients and their families to navigate the complexities of their health care and the transitions they make with sensitivity and understanding.”
Heather is the patient flow coordinator at Oak Valley Health’s Uxbridge Hospital on the medical surgical unit, and also assists with planning in the Emergency Department (ED) when required. She is the primary person responsible for patient discharge planning for all of the hospital, but her role also includes coordinating patient transfers, to home, to alternate facilities and to community care. Heather officially joined Oak Valley Health in 2018, but has had considerable experience with the organization since her role as the manager of the local health integration network (LHIN), stationed at Oak Valley Health’s Markham Stouffville Hospital beginning in 2011.
Heather enjoys working at the smaller Oak Valley Health’s Uxbridge Hospital for its sense of close-knit family feeling, where she knows everyone and has great rapport with her colleagues. She also enjoys being able to support the hospital beyond her traditional job description, since it is often an “all hands on deck” approach when navigating day-to-day tasks. During rounds, Heather is often included for her perspective and feedback and most approaches to patient care feel like a joint effort where her contributions feel valued and the team is very cohesive.
What stands out most to Heather about Oak Valley Health’s Uxbridge Hospital is that everyone is very welcoming – from housekeeping to maintenance – you quickly get to know everyone and everyone is supportive of each other.
“I am so happy to be working at Oak Valley Health’s Uxbridge Hospital. It is a small community, everyone knows each other, and there is a sense of family. It feels like home when you come to work. I enjoy my team and I feel really lucky to be here.”
Heather likes to spend her free time walking and bird watching. She enjoys spending as much time as she can with her family and friends, and one of her favourite places to be is by the lake.