Celebrating our victories with a public pat on the back

As we tend to the day-to-day needs of those who require health care and social services, we come to recognize that a job well done is often its own reward. We experience an inner glow of satisfaction in easing a patient’s pain, teaching a new skill to a disabled client, or keeping the mind and spirit of a long-term resident actively engaged.

But when members of staff in CIUSSS West-Central Montreal distinguish themselves through their innovation, initiative and commitment, something more is called for—a sort of public pat on the back. From time to time, this is what I’ve done in the pages of this newsletter—for example, commending our teams for coping effectively with unusually large number of asylum seekers, or for keeping a tight rein on the spread of CRO-related infections.

However, our network keeps racking up so many noteworthy achievements that occasional mentions are no longer enough: Members of our staff deserve a special celebration of their Bons coups on our intranet. I feel strongly about shining the spotlight on our many outstanding teams, because in focusing so intently on users’ needs, they have improved the quality and continuum of care, while making efficient use of limited resources.

We’ve begun this acknowledgement with an extensive list of the accomplishments in Frontline Services, including higher vaccination rates, reduced waiting times in the Youth at Risk program, and the development of a trajectory of care for pregnant asylum seekers.

On a regular basis for the rest of this year, lists of exceptional work in other directorates will be added to this section on the intranet. Included will be a full range of achievements, including those in non-clinical areas, such as the current merger of nine different payroll and finance infosystems into a single, consistent operation.

If you would like to spread the word about your team or directorate, I invite you to contact Communications Specialist Julie Beauvilliers with your success story.

It’s especially gratifying to be able to recount these achievements at a time when we’re also marking the third anniversary since our CIUSSS came into existence. Eventually, we’ll need several web pages to list the many ways we’ve helped our users—a direct reflection of how far we’ve come and how much our network has matured in a relatively short time.

However, this doesn’t mean we’ve arrived at our destination. Improving quality is a never-ending journey, as new technology, new techniques and new insights continue to come our way. Embracing these sorts of changes has now become part of our corporate culture, and when we build on these developments with resourcefulness and dedication to our users, only one word will suffice: Congratulations!

Dr. Lawrence Rosenberg
Lawrence Rosenberg, M.D., Ph.D.President and CEO