Caring Beyond awards expand to sites outside the JGH
Meet three employees of our CIUSSS who have been recognized for exceptional service. A nurse, a speech language pathologist and a senior pharmacy technician have all earned the admiration and gratitude of their peers for demonstrating compassionate, top-quality patient care.
The Caring Beyond awards, an initiative of the JGH Humanization of Care Committee, have traditionally been reserved for employees of the JGH. Now, the Committee has expanded eligibility to staff from all CIUSSS sites—and a first award has been granted to a recipient from the Saint Margaret Residential Centre, one of the network’s long-term care facilities.
Wherever they performed their tasks, the three exemplify the award’s motto of going “above and beyond the call of duty” by demonstrating the outstanding qualities that make our staff shine.
Sumon Karmaker went the extra mile to help a cancer patient from Bangladesh who was undergoing treatment at the JGH, earning the Senior Pharmacy Technician praise from his team.
A hematology patient who was a newcomer to Canada was receiving intensive chemotherapy and spoke very little English or French. He had no close family or friends in Montreal.
Mr. Karmaker stepped in to help. As a native of Bangladesh who spoke Bengali, he was able to facilitate communication between the patient and his doctors and nurses, as well as with Pharmacy staff. Mr. Karmaker went even further, giving his personal phone number to the patient and his fellow healthcare workers, ready to help when needed.
“He did this on his own time and it did not interfere with his usual pharmacy duties,” wrote his nominator, a senior manager in the Pharmacy Department.
Mr. Karmaker supported the patient by giving him instructions on how to operate the IV pump for his chemotherapy treatment at home, enabling the man to be discharged from hospital. “He would otherwise have stayed in hospital for an indeterminate period of time,” the nominator wrote.
“We wanted to acknowledge his efforts and we think that this shouldn’t go unnoticed. Everyone involved has been very grateful for his help,” the nominator added. “We want to make everyone aware of how integral he has been in the care of this patient.”
Congratulations, Mr. Karmaker.
A gift of chocolate and a deeply caring approach toward a patient at the end of his life earned Speech Language Pathologist Jodi DiBartolomeo a Caring Beyond award.
Ms. DiBartolomeo was caring for an oncology patient at the Jewish General Hospital who had dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing. Ms. DiBartolomeo knew that the man enjoyed food and especially loved barbecuing. So, despite his medical condition, Ms. DiBartolomeo worked with her team to ensure he could continue eating for the pleasure of it, as best he could tolerate it.
“Jodi did everything in her power to keep him eating foods he loved, for as long as she could,” said the colleague who nominated her.
Ms. DiBartolomeo’s dedication went further. The patient was eventually discharged from hospital to receive palliative care at home. She visited him and brought him chocolate “that could melt in his mouth,” her nominator wrote. Her devotion was so appreciated that the patient’s family acknowledged Ms. DiBartolomeo in his obituary after he passed away.
“She was phenomenal,” the nominator wrote. Congratulations, Ms. DiBartolomeo.
When a resident at the Saint Margaret Residential Centre had just a few days to live, Nurse John Kenny Villarin made an extra effort to make sure his family could be close by.
The resident’s daughter came in from Toronto to see him and had nowhere to stay. Mr. Villarin took action: He found an extra bed in the basement of Saint Margaret’s and cleaned it with soap and water. Then he found a lamp to create warm lighting. He placed the items in the palliative care family room, allowing the daughter to spend her father’s final days at the residence with him.
“The whole team was very caring, but the extra steps taken by Kenny made the daughter feel cared for, and part of the palliative process,” said one of Mr. Villarin’s managers, who nominated him. “It was amazing.”
She described Mr. Villarin as a strong communicator who is “very devoted to the residents and his team members.” Saint Margaret’s has since purchased a cot for families wishing to sleep in the family room or the individual rooms of loved ones.
Congratulations, Mr. Villarin.
Do you know a CIUSSS staff member who has demonstrated extraordinary acts of kindness and compassion towards patients and their families? Someone who has gone that extra mile? CIUSSS staff members, patients and their relatives, as well as other members of the public, are invited to nominate any CIUSSS staff member who went above and beyond the call of duty. Simply fill out a nomination form.
