Team Member Appreciation Tea 2023
Join the Party! A LIVE Program Celebrating Team Members & Recognizing Longevity Service Awards. Thursday, Feb 16 @ 2:30 – 3:30pm
Hymn Stories – January 2023
This month’s hymn is a All Creatures of our God and King. This inspiring expression of praise found in nearly every hymnal was originally written in 1225 by one of the most interesting figures in all of church history. Giovanni Bernardone, who was better known as Saint Francis of Assisi, was a medieval monk who spent his lifetime as an itinerant evangelist, preaching and helping the poor people of Italy.
Click to listen.
Volume 2023.03 Menno Home – HEU Team Members – Vacation Request Cut-Off Date Change Update
Volume 2023.03 HEU Team Members – Vacation Request Cut-Off Date Change Update
Please note the dates for the first and second vacation request cut-off timelines for the year 2023 are postponed to the following:
- 1st choice deadline: February 6, 2023
- 2nd choice deadline: March 6, 2023
New schedules will be available to HCAs and Dietary team members by February 1st. Please DO NOT submit any vacation applications to the staffing office at this point unless you are requesting time off in January or February 2023.
If you have questions contact the Shop Steward, Megan Wadham: mewadham@telus.net
Thank you for your attention to this.
Jeanette Lee
Director, Human Resources
Menno Place
Volume 2023.02 The Importance of Your Employee ID Number
Volume 2023.02 The Importance of Your Employee ID Number
We are hiring!
As we grow in number of team members at Menno Place we are finding we are hiring staff with similar names at different sites. This can cause confusion as to who we, in Human Resources, are working with when we get emails from team members.
To ensure the proper documentation, leave requests, and emails are going to the right person, please record your Employee ID Number after your name in any email or paper documents you send to Human Resources. This will help expedite your request and ensure we apply your request to the right person.
Example: Jeanette Lee #354
Thanks so much.
Jeanette Lee
Director, Human Resources
Menno Place
Volume 2023.01 HR Shuffle
Volume 2023.01 Human Resources Department Staff Changes
Sincerely,
Jeanette Lee
Director, Human Resources
Menno Place
Menno Makers Market – RESCHEDULED for Jan 13th!
WILL NOW BY HELD IN THE HOSPITAL CHAPEL
CEO – Thank you to Karen Biggs and update on CEO replacement
January 4, 2023
Dear Menno Place Family,
As you know by now, Karen Biggs has retired and is moving to the next phase of her life – a gift from God. As the Mennonite Benevolent Society (MBS) Board, we want to whole heartedly affirm this important decision that Karen has made and pray blessings over her as she makes this transition in her life.
We thank Karen for all of her dedication and hard work here at Menno Place. Recently we have all seen the world’s eyes, more than ever, focused on the care given to our residents and families; we are proud of the care and love that you lavish on them. Thank you.
We are encouraged to claim the words of Frederick Buechner (American minister, preacher, author and theologian) who said: “Vocation is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet”. Thank you to Karen and to all of you as you live this out in your day-to-day working lives.
Karen’s last day at Menno Place will be January 13, 2023 and we wish her all the best. Psalm 16:11 (NRSV) sums it up so well “You show me the path of life. In Your presence there is fullness of joy; in Your right hand are pleasures evermore”. Thank you Karen from everyone at Menno Place.
As we move into this new phase of Menno Place, we also want to assure you that a new CEO will be named in January 2023. We expect there to be a gap between the outgoing CEO and new CEO, and know that our capable and amazing Executive and Leadership Teams and Menno Place will ably bridge this gap. Thank you for your prayers, patience and encouragement as we move forward.
On behalf of The Mennonite Benevolent Society Board,
Carol Dyck (President), Deanna Klassen (Vice-President), Jay Teichroeb, Laura Loewen, Rudy Klassen, John Dick, Gary Schellenberg, Mark Rempel, Martina Klassen, Terry Christie
Karen’s retirement celebration took place in December – a wonderful time for staff and Karen’s colleagues to say thank-you and good-bye.
Orange Weather Alert – Extremely Bad Weather affecting Transportation
We wish to advise you of an Orange Weather Notification that has been issued by Environment and Climate Change Canada for the Lower Mainland.
A pattern shift into snow/freezing rain/rain threats and warming has been issued for the province, including the Lower Mainland, by Environment and Climate Change Canada. The below forecast meets or exceeds the snow and wind criteria to issue an alert, within the Fraser Health region.
An Orange Weather Alert indicates that you should BE PREPARED as daily life, including transportation will LIKELY be disrupted.
Areas issued for:
- All regions within Fraser Health
Timeframe:
- Friday, December 23 – Sunday, December 25
Details:
- Active storm pattern will return from the Pacific starting early Friday, December 23, leading to more precipitation and warmer weather colliding with arctic air to create snow, freezing rain and rain
- Friday December 23
o Snow: 5-20cm expected in Coastal BC including Fraser Region
- Saturday, December 24
o Rain: 20-50mm expected
o Snow: 2-10 cm for Fraser Valley & higher elevations before transitioning to freezing rain/rain
o Moderate risk of freezing rain continues for inlets/valets during the transition to warmer temperatures
- Sunday, December 25
o Most of the Lower Mainland and Southwest coast should see complete transition to rain
Potential impacts for consideration
- Health concerns for vulnerable populations exposed to cold weather
- Very cold temperatures creates an elevated risk of frostbite and hypothermia
- Seniors who are prone to wandering may be exposed to dangerously cold temperatures
- There is an increased risk of disruption to services and transportation in the region
- Challenging driving conditions in snow due to accumulating snow, slippery roads and limited visibility (South Coast)
- Accumulating snow and freezing precipitation create slick roads and may make travel challenging
- Staff may have trouble accessing work sites
- Increasing avalanche danger as a series of storms progresses may cause delays to transport of patients and supplies
- Risk of water pooling, localized flooding, landslides due to melting of accumulated snow from warmer temperatures and rainfall
- Consider postponing non-essential travel until conditions improve
- Power outages are possible, caused by infrastructure damage from increasing weight on structures from icing/freezing rain/heavy wet snow
- All health care facilities may be directly impacted and should prepare for power failures
- There may be an increased demand on health care services
- There is a potential for higher number of visits in Emergency Departments
- There is a possibility for delays from BCEHS and 911 dispatchers
Potential actions to take
- Sign up for weather alerts through Alertable, WeatherCAN, and AlertMe
- Make sure on-call leadership is aware and knows how to report any impacts
- Be aware of winter hazard planning at your care community that supports the impacts of snow, extreme cold and power failures, such as system failure planning, and your site emergency coordination processes.
- Consider increasing wellness checks on residents who are at risk of exposure to cold, including those who are prone to wandering
- Give yourself more time to travel for work
- Be prepared to stay in temporary accommodations or host, as staff may be temporarily redeployed to a different site to support the response (for example, prepare an overnight bag)
Thank you for your continued commitment to the care and safety of your residents and your team members.
