MEMO – HR CONSULTANT – Adrienne Alford

We are pleased to welcome Adrienne Alford to our Menno Place Team. She has joined us as an HR Consultant to support the Senior Leadership Team as we continue to recruit for a full-time HR Director. We are grateful that God led us to Adrienne as she has extensive experience in long-term care as Executive Director of both The Village in Langley and Arbutus Care Centre in Vancouver. Adrienne is a skilled leader whose passions include conflict resolution with a servant leadership approach.

Adrienne will be working out of the Director, Human Resources office, prioritizing the HR work that has come forward since mid-February. If you have HR concerns, please continue to bring them forward to your immediate supervisor.

We thank Kathrin McMath and Ron Willms for your leadership in covering the HR portfolio over the past two months. It has been critical and appreciated support for the Menno Place team during this time of transition.

If you meet Adrienne, please warmly welcome her to the Menno Place Team.

FSEAP – Employee and Family Assistance Program

Confidential counselling services (and more!) to help you or your family. Find out more about the program at the FSEAP Info Session on Thursday, April 27, 2023 in the Hospital Chapel. Two sessions are available to come to on your own time from 2:00 – 2:45 pm or 3:15 – 4:00 pm. Sign up today!

Violence Prevention Workshop

Learn practical applications to identify risk factors of violence and de-escalation techniques at a Violence Prevention Workshop on Friday, May 5, 2023. Space is limited. Register soon!

Volunteers

Announcing Perkopolis – a free perks program for you!

Click here to set up  your Perkopolis account

How to Register:

        1. Go to

      www.Perkopolis.com

    1. Enter your email address
    2. Look for an email from Perkopolis with a link to complete your registration with your member ID code
    3. What is your Member ID Code? MENNO + your site location + your employee ID – eg: MENNOMH12345

    What is your site location code?

      • Menno Hospital: MN (MENNOMN + your employee ID)
      • Menno Home: MH (MENNOMH + your employee ID)
      • Menno Apartments: HSG (MENNOHSG + your employee ID)
      • MBS: MBS (MENNOMBS + your employee ID)

    ————–

FSEAP – Employee and Family Assistance Program

Confidential counselling services (and more!) to help you or your family. Find out more about the program at the FSEAP Info Session on Thursday, April 27, 2023 in the Hospital Chapel. Two sessions are available to come to on your own time from 2:00 – 2:45 pm or 3:15 – 4:00 pm. Sign up today!

Such a Happy Day! No Masks!

So happy to see the faces of the Menno Hospital Evening Team!

Masks Are No Longer Required!

You could hear the cheering down the hallways of Menno Place today as Dr. Bonnie Henry announced that she has lifted the mask mandate for Long Term Care and Assisted Living effective immediately! You can read the BC Government announcement here: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2023HLTH0039-000473

What Has Changed?

STAFF

  • Masks are no longer required to be worn by long-term care and assisted living staff
  • Staff masking scaled back to Point of Care Risk Assessment
  • Staff may choose to wear a mask if they wish – highly recommended during Enhanced Monitoring
  • No longer required to actively screen upon arrival at work
  • Potlucks celebrations are a GO (if not on Enhanced Monitoring) with safe infection control practices

VISITORS

  • Lifting of visitor proof of vaccination
  • Removal of visitor Rapid Point of Care Testing
  • Lifting of visitor universal masking requirements
  • Removal of screening practices for visitors
  • Visitors may visit more than one resident and in all common areas
  • No restrictions on gatherings indoors or outdoors
  • Visitors no longer have to be screened in Independent Living, Assisted Living or Long Term Care

What Has Not Changed?

STAFF

  • Hand hygiene practice essential
  • Masks use based on Point of Care Risk Assessment and standard precautions
  • Mandatory Immunization for staff
  • Staff to stay home if ill

VISITORS

  • Visitors to stay home if ill
  • Hand hygiene practice essential
  • Sign-in and Sign-out at each visit

Thank you to all staff for wearing your masks for all this time and working with us to keep our residents, families, visitors and staff safe!

Welcome, Kerry Dyck, Menno Hospital Chaplain

We welcome Kerry Dyck to the Menno Place Chaplaincy Team!

CEO, Sujata Connors Announces Bas Kervel as Director, Support Services

Bas Kervel to assume the role of Director, Support Services

When I think about our people who serve at Menno Place I’m overwhelmed by the compassion and commitment of our team providing exceptional care to residents, and families who live here.

As we turn the page on nearly three years of a global pandemic, I want to take this opportunity to thank each of you for the tremendous contributions you have made to managing COVID-19 and continuing to provide the best care possible to our residents, families, and each other. I am truly thankful for a team that represents our core values of stewardship, excellence, respect, sanctity of life, innovation, compassion, and encouragement in all aspects of our work.

I would also like to thank our Executive and senior Leadership Team for providing steadfast leadership throughout the pandemic and continuing their support as we understand our new normal in collaboration with the Board of Directors, I am pleased to share this update on the senior executive structure and the following appointment:

Bas Kervel will assume the role of Director, Support Services.

Bas grew up in Abbotsford with a short stint in England from the age of 9 until 12 when his family moved back to Abbotsford. 24 years ago he married his high school sweet heart and moved to Chilliwack where they raised two boys who are now 20 and 23 years old.

Bas started his Menno Place career in 2000. After doing various construction projects as a contractor at Menno Hospital he then became a regular Menno Hospital employee as a maintenance worker and then worked in a variety of roles starting in 2003. After this Bas took on more leadership roles from Maintenance Coordinator (Menno Hospital) in 2003 and Facilities Manager (Menno Home & Hospital) in 2005. In 2015 Bas moved on to support high performing team across our campus where he was the Manager of Maintenance, Housekeeping & Materiel Management and then in 2017 became the Manager of Environmental Services & Materiel Management.

When Bas is not working hard to support Menno Place he is fishing, camping and playing soccer. He began playing soccer in England and now plays on the Chilliwack men’s team. He has also had the pleasure of playing with his family on a coed team in 2019.

Known for his warm, compassionate leadership, Bas applies our core value of if it matters to you, it matters to me in service to our vulnerable residents while leading with curiosity and innovation. Bas is looking forward to his new role and shared the following with me recently, “I truly feel that God has gifted me this journey of serving the residents at Menno Place and I’m truly grateful”.

We will be adding the role of Executive Director of Care to support the clinical portfolio and have begun the recruitment process. This role will support our collaborative way of working and ensure we continue to provide quality care across all care pathways throughout our campus.

I also share my sincere appreciation with Ron (Director of Finance) and Sharon (Director of Community Enrichment) who will continue to oversee their own portfolios as well as supporting other services as we recruit over the next few months.

I am so proud of all that Menno has accomplished together and, in particular, the way we continue to support one another. I’m confident this new executive team structure will provide integrated and collaborative leadership across our campus, focused on delivering exceptional care, and creating a great place to work.

Please join me in congratulating Bas on his appointment.