Congratulations to the winners of the 2023 Awards of Excellence! This 2nd annual event allows us once again to shine a light on the dedication and professionalism of staff at CIUSSS West-Central Montreal.
Awards were presented in five categories at our CIUSSS’s Public Information Meeting on November 8. The winners represent a cross-section of directorates from across our CIUSSS, but they all share a commitment to exceptional service.
Read the full list of winners of the 2nd Annual Awards of Excellence
Winners expressed both surprise and gratitude after receiving their prizes.
“This feels like the accomplishment of my career,” said Roseline Jean-Michel, Assistant Head Nurse on the JGH Neuroscience Unit, a winner in the Outstanding Service Award category.
“It’s like home here, like family. I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else,” said Ms. Jean-Michel, who has devoted more than 30 years to patients at the JGH. “This place gives you the capacity to grow. As long as you give of yourself, there’s no limit to how far you can go.”
Marc-André Reid, one of the winners in the Young Emerging Leader category, said the award encouraged him to pursue his efforts. As Chief Nursing Officer, his objective is to give nurses a voice in our CIUSSS’s digital transformation initiatives, with the ultimate goal of using technology to let nurses spend as much time as possible with patients. “It feels tremendous to be recognized for my work,” he said.
The JGH provides the support to let him thrive, he said. “I have a love affair with the Jewish General because what I’ve experienced here is really fantastic.” Co-workers are supportive and pleasant to work with, and the atmosphere is stimulating, he added. “If there’s a good idea at the Jewish General, it doesn’t languish on a table. You do it. Ideas are valued.”
Nominations for the Awards of Excellence were made by colleagues and managers, and their submissions offer a glimpse into how our staff improves the lives of co-workers, patients, clients and residents. Some examples:
* “She is always seen rolling up her sleeves to help her colleagues and by her example, she quietly challenges her colleagues to do the same,” nominators wrote about Abeer Ahmed, a Technical Assistant in the JGH Pharmacy Department and one of the Outstanding Service Award winners. “Since she works out of the basement pharmacy, many patients will never see her, but nearly every patient will benefit from her excellent work at some point during their admission or clinic visit.”
* “Natali has an impressive expertise as a physiotherapist and exudes pride in and dedication to her profession—qualities her students find inspirational and motivating,” nominators wrote about Natali Mahdavian, a Physiotherapist at the JGH and an award winner in the category of Excellence in Intern Supervision. “She takes a deep and genuine interest in her patients’ wellbeing and recovery, and this patient-centred attitude is contagious.”
* “When another team needs support, Vincent is often among those who volunteers to help,” nominators wrote about Vincent Vallotton, a Social Worker at Regional Program for the Settlement and Integration of Asylum Seekers (PRAIDA), who won in the New Recruit category. “He’s always got a smile and good humour. He’s a colleague who’s particularly pleasant to work with because of his jovial nature and his positive state of mind, which is geared toward seeking solutions. We know we can count on him.”
The awards are an initiative of the Employee Advisory Committee—consisting of a cross-section of employees from across our network—in collaboration with the Employee Recognition and Engagement division of the Human Resources Department.
See the video of the Public Information Meeting as well as the photo gallery of the awards ceremony.
And the winners are …
Here are just a few examples of the distinguished employees and their accomplishments at CIUSSS West-Central Montreal that were recognized with Awards of Excellence.
New Recruit Award
Louise-Audrey Joly, a Nutritionist-dietician in Frontline Services, has shown “enormous creativity” since taking up her newly created position in 2022. Based at the Family Medicine Groups (GMF-U) at Parc-Extension and CLSC-Métro, she prepared training for nurses and medical residents, visited community groups in Park Extension, and quickly learned to work with language interpretation tools to serve the multi-ethnic district. She takes care to respond to clients’ needs in a way that was respectful of their cultures.
“She isn’t held back by numerous challenges, and is constantly coming up with solutions,” her nominators said.
Outstanding Service Award
Roseline Jean-Michel, Assistant Head Nurse on the Neuroscience Unit (K10) for almost a decade, has devoted over 30 years of service to the JGH. “To say that she goes above and beyond the call of duty is an understatement; she is the heart of our complex and the specialized Neuroscience Unit. K10 would not be where it is now without her.”
She is praised for supporting other nurses and helping them grow professionally, while also enjoying a trusted relationship with physicians. “Roseline is a role model for our staff through her capacity to adapt, her willingness to embrace change, her smile and her positive attitude,” her nominators say. “She is the pillar of our unit.”
Excellence in intern supervision
Manh-Thai Nguyen, an Occupational Therapist at the Constance Lethbridge site of the Layton-Lethbridge-Mackay Rehabilitation Centre, has personally supervised 11 interns and remembers each and every one of them. He always shows a readiness to train future OTs, and takes care to create a climate of confidence that encourages interns to ask questions freely.
“He has really invested himself in his work,” his nominators said. Mr. Nguyen has nearly 19 years of service in Technical Aids and has become a reference point within the Service. “He has accumulated an astronomical amount of knowledge and examples, which he generously shares with his students,” his nominators said.
Young Emerging Leader Award
Marc-André Reid has shown “tremendous leadership and professional growth” since he began as a Nurse Clinician in 2016. In 2019, he became Nurse Educator for dossiers related to digital transformation, and in 2020, he became Chief Nursing Information Officer. “He has shown exceptional political savvy, initiative, know-how and a contagious enthusiasm in his work,” his nominators said.
Among his contributions, Mr. Reid helped set up the Pavilion N COVID-19 testing facility and oversaw practice changes such as the migration to electronic medication prescriptions. He now represents the Directorate of Nursing in the development of the Connected Health Record.
“Marc-André has shown, time and time again, that he can manage large-scale dossiers of vital importance with unparalleled success,” his nominators say. “He is a pleasure to work with and has a keen ability to lead and rally groups around shared objectives.”
Team Award
A new service offering at the Layton-Lethbridge-Mackay Rehabilitation Centre has reduced wait times and improved care to patients with Parkinson’s Disease. The offering at the Constance Lethbridge site, known as Approche Parkinson, has two components: an “Info Parkinson” education session in partnership with Parkinson Montreal-Laval, and a “Movement Parkinson” exercise group that features both an on-site program with physiotherapists and online videos to integrate the program at home.
By offering patients early education, exercise and community interventions, the initiative has decreased both the waitlist and length of individual services given to patients. The service, which falls within the Neuro Evolutives program, was launched in late 2022 and continues to be enhanced.
