YES! You can count on me to help take care of our healthcare heroes.

We often refer to healthcare workers as heroes.
Over the last two and a half years, we have seen our staff step up to the plate and work through unimaginably difficult circumstances. But while we think of them as heroes, we must not forget that they too are human.

Just as we cannot perform our best when we are burnt out, they too cannot provide the best quality of care without opportunities to relax now and then in a space that is comfortable and welcoming, where they can chat with other staff, and re-energize.

While the COVID-19 pandemic brought to light the impact on front-line staff who were there to comfort and care for patients, the expectations continue to be very challenging, with our staff going above and beyond, staying beyond their shifts, and working extra shifts to cover illness and other absences.

It’s time for us to ask: Who is caring for them?

Here at the Meaford Hospital, our previous requests to the community for donations have been to fund equipment and programs that directly impact patient care. And donors like you have responded with steadfast generosity, helping us maintain our outstanding level of care.

But providing outstanding care to the members of our community is dependent upon the professional front-line staff who take care of you. And, while equipment is a priority, we can’t function without our patient care staff.

Creating a safe, comfortable space for them to catch their breath will bolster their mental health and wellbeing.

The existing staff lounge is decades old.
This lounge, frequented daily by 20 to 25 staff, is a 14.5’ x 15.5’ carpeted room furnished with a small table and two chairs (that can no longer be adjusted), a sofa long past its best-before date and a bar fridge that doesn’t have space to store lunches. The healthcare staff’s washroom next door is equally dated, including a painted countertop with most of the paint peeled off from years and years of cleaning.

A sleep room will be a welcome new space.
In addition to the lounge and washroom, creating a sleep room, by repurposing a room not in use, will create a comfortable, relaxing, quiet space for staff who need to stay in the hospital while on call, during bad weather, or other reasons.

It would be an understatement to say these go-to spaces are beyond their intended lifespan. The limited seating, tiny fridge, and overall condition of the lounge, in particular, results in staff often choosing to eat at their workstations or on the run.

Help us fund the $60,000 refurbishment of their lounge, washroom and sleep room, including furnishings, lighting and all necessary repairs.

An investment in/for our community.
Carrying out these refurbishments is not only an investment in the mental health and wellbeing of our front-line staff, but also an investment in our community, as we will be using local businesses to make the required improvements and outfit these rooms.

Our healthcare staff are not fictional superheroes. They are real life every-day heroes who save lives. They don’t need capes, the ability to fly, nor magic powers. They need a pleasant, quiet, welcoming place to take a breath during their 8- or 12-hour shifts – to laugh, perhaps to cry, to share – to just be.

You can always count on us to take care of you and our community.

Will you help us take care of our healthcare heroes with a gift today?