Meet CLORRICE LAKE
RPN Q5 - BGH

What do you do for fun on the weekends?

I actually do a lot of studying on the weekends. I'm currently a student at Nipissing University and I'm bridging from my RPN to my RN right now, so my weekends are usually filled up with homework. I actually am a big homebody. I do crocheting in my spare time and I'm a Netflix junkie.

Do you get out to any restaurants?

I eat a lot of fast food, mainly because that's my lifestyle right now. I don't have a lot of downtime and I hate cooking, it's absolutely the worst thing I could ever do, I just absolutely despise it. I do enjoy Tomasso's lasagna, probably the best lasagna ever, and I also enjoy Chucks Roadhouse with some gals if I can.

Have you had time to do any travelling?

I went to Cuba on a missions trip when I was 15, we built a church there so that was a lot of fun, that's pretty much it though.

What do you enjoy about your position at QHC?

I've had nothing but good experiences here. They've been very accommodating from my transition as a new grad to an orientee, to a full time working RPN, and now back as a student again. 

I don't think there's a single staff member on this floor that has not taught me something in terms of knowledge or education or experience.

All staff in this facility of Quinte Health Care really do try to instill our values of "imagine it's you." We always try to picture if it was us being here, what would we want out of a facility taking care of us, and I think that we do try our hardest to provide the best care.

As a team, anything that we've had thrown at us, we've taken on, and we've either set the bar very high, or we've exceeded it. We've carried each other through COVID, through struggle, through success, through everything. I really do enjoy the team. I couldn't say enough about them honestly.

Meet PAM HINDS
Patient Registration - TMH

Where's the farthest place you've travelled to?

I went to the Philippines and spent six weeks over there. Before the lockdown I've been to Cuba and Mexico. I enjoy travelling and it has become a passion of mine. When I went to New York City for my 50th birthday with my girlfriends, I loved it!

What do you do for fun on the weekends?

I enjoy spending time with my kids and my grandkids. I like going out shopping with my granddaughters, they're big shoppers. I also like playing with them in the backyard, they try to get grandma on the trampoline. In the summer months we do a lot of swimming and hanging out by the pool. I also like to read a book, watch a good movie (especially Hallmark Christmas movies), decompress the best I can.

Do you have any favourite local restaurants?

I live in Belleville so I enjoy the downtown restaurants, Chilangos, the Boathouse, and Export Grill.

What have you enjoyed about working at QHC?

At the beginning of COVID I got to help open the COVID assessment centres, it was a lot of fun and it was a different aspect of things. 

In Trenton the staff is so friendly here, everyone says "good morning" when you come in. The clientele is a little older so they give us treats when they come in, they're very friendly and it's a small-town hospital atmosphere.

How do you enjoy working with your team?

I've worked with them for a while, sometimes in Belleville, sometimes here in Trenton. There's a real team atmosphere here, we're really lucky. On some of the days when we're very busy, we all pitch in and everyone helps each other as much as we can.

Meet TIM WILSON 
Facility and Hospitality Services - PECMH

Do you have any hobbies or things you like to do in your spare time?

I like hunting and fishing and racing cars. This year we put the hospital foundation on our race car as a sponsor, mainly for advertising purposes. We made a fancy trailer and decorated it with a stretcher, doctor and nurse. We ended up winning and put the hospital on the news, so that was great to have such solid support. 

I'm sure it gets wild out there on the track, have you done any other crazy things in your life?

I don't take too many risks, I'm actually afraid of heights. I drove the Cabot Trail and I've never been so scared in my life. When we got to the campsite at the end I felt like a kid again, the excitement of the drive was overwhelming, it was just such a beautiful drive.

As a facilities staff person are you looking forward to a new hospital being built?

Yes indeed, I'm looking very forward to that, exciting times. Just the way they build things now is totally different than the past, and this current building is a bit of an antique in some ways now. The new building will make a big difference in the care for patients and will be a friendly and clean environment.

How do you enjoy working with the team?

They're great, we're one of the best in Picton, so I have to brag them up. We get compliments all the time about how clean the hospital is and how well the patients are cared for, and that starts from the moment a patient walks in, to the time they leave. It's all part of being a team, having the rooms clean, treating the patients well and giving them the care they need.

What would you say to a student or someone who might be interested in a position in facilities or hospitality?

I used to work in construction and it was a totally different job. This is a great job and very secure. You see a lot and learn a lot as well. Every day is different. There are quiet days where you can get to know your co-workers better, and there are busy days, which are exciting. A lot of people don't know these positions exist, and when I was in school I didn't either. They only think of the hospital as nurses and doctors, but it's much more than that. I'm happy to be here!

Meet SUE LAWLESS
RN - NHH

What do like to do for fun in Bancroft?

I like to go snowmobiling in the winter, kayaking in the summer, trail riding in the side by side.

If you were going out to a restaurant for dinner, what type of food would you prefer?

I enjoy Asian, specifically Thai food.

Are there any Thai restaurants in Bancroft?

No, but there is a Chinese restaurant that's good.

How have you enjoyed working at QHC North Hastings Hospital?

I've enjoyed it. The last year and a half was a bit challenging, but it's been a nice change from my last job, which was in Niagara region in Hamilton in an ICU. It was a busy teaching hospital and I needed a change of pace.  It's a lot quieter here in Bancroft, a very different pace and I don't have to drive 45 minutes to work anymore, it only takes 12 minutes.

What do you like about your teammates?

Everybody gets along really well here, and we work well as a team. Because it's a small hospital there are usually not as many people here at once, but when there is, we communicate, work well under pressure and rely on each other. I'm planning on being here until I retire.