The message on the pins and t-shirts said it all: SUPERHEROES.
At a festive giveaway in Carrefour Lea Polansky on July 2, CIUSSS West-Central Montreal offered gifts to staff to say thank you for their hard work during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Several managers were on hand to greet employees personally, and Dr. Lawrence Rosenberg, CIUSSS President and CEO, expressed his gratitude and support.
“Unlike the exaggerated images that we see in pop culture, true superheroes—in other words, the people who work in our CIUSSS—are everyday individuals who manage to perform extraordinary feats in difficult circumstances,” says Dr. Rosenberg.
“Regardless of their field of expertise, they put the needs of others ahead of their own, which is crucial to the timely and effective delivery of user-centred health care and social services. This is a hard enough goal to achieve in normal times, but for so many employees to do so during the COVID-19 pandemic has been nothing short of heroic.”
The event was organized by the Employee Engagement and Recognition Program of our CIUSSS’s Human Resources directorate. In recent weeks, t-shirts and pins have also been distributed to staff at sites across the network in a gesture of appreciation.
At the JGH, employees from an array of departments formed a long line in Carrefour Lea Polansky. They came away with pins and t-shirts, as well as cookies, brownies and bags of nuts—all of it accompanied by a feeling of appreciation.
“It feels like we’re being thanked for our efforts, and that feels good,” said Anne-Sophie Harou, a patient attendant in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She said the COVID-19 pandemic had been stressful on staff, and the giveaway was a welcome gesture.
Beverly Kravitz, Director of Human Resources, Communications, Legal Affairs and Global Security for our CIUSSS, was on hand to express her appreciation for staff’s dedication.
“CIUSSS team members have gone above and beyond for their patients, residents, clients and one another,” she says. “They are indeed our superheroes and we thank them for being so committed and compassionate.”
The pins were a personal donation by Lucio D’Intino, head of the CIUSSS Users’ Committee, and his wife, Mary Ann.
The t-shirts were donated through the contributions of four foundations in the CIUSSS, as well as private donors: CIBC, Delmar Cargo, Primo International, Safdie & Co., and the Wechsler Family
