By Lea Batara

It’s not enough to just talk about organizational culture and values at Halton Healthcare, it is a priority for leaders and team members alike to actively live and cultivate a high performing culture. As a result of that commitment, the organization shares strength and compassion to support both its communities and its team members.

“Our organizational culture is built on our core values of Compassion, Accountability and Respect, and our purpose, To Care” affirms Denise Hardenne, Halton Healthcare’s President and CEO, “allowing us to create a workplace focused on inclusion, high-performance and recognition.”

In addition to industry standard staff benefits and assistance programs, Halton Healthcare’s senior leadership team have prioritized several innovative programs that assert the organization’s commitment to its people and culture. A few examples include programs that connect and support team members such as Schwartz Rounds, Kailo Wellness, COVIDCare and Applause Recognition.

Halton Healthcare was one of the first community hospitals in Canada to host Schwartz Rounds, which were developed by the Boston-based Schwartz Centre for Compassionate Care, in September 2018. The Rounds provide a multidisciplinary forum for healthcare professionals to share difficult emotional and social issues that arise when caring for patients.

“The Schwartz Centre was established by Ken Schwartz, a healthcare attorney with terminal lung cancer who recognized the important value of the relationship between care provider and patient,” explains Dr. Stephen Chin, Hospitalist. “These Rounds are a testament to him, in giving us the opportunity to come together to talk about the complexities of our relationships with our patients, and the ways in which we can bring compassion into those relationships.”

Schwartz Rounds have been clinically proven to reduce stress, help prevent burnout and compassion fatigue, and enhance patient care among healthcare providers. “These Rounds were made possible through Halton Healthcare’s innovation grants program with support from our Kailo Wellbeing Program and Oakville’s hospitalist physicians,” adds Dr. Chin.

The Schwartz Rounds are one of the many programs offered as part of Halton Healthcare’s broader wellness strategy for staff, physicians and volunteers, through the Kailo Wellbeing Program. “Our wellness program offers a number of programs and services to help reduce stress and maintain good health,” adds Louisa Nedkov, Kailo Wellbeing Program, Halton Healthcare.

Since 2005, Kailo has supported well-being by embracing a body, mind, and spirit approach to health. Staff and physicians have access to gyms at Halton Healthcare’s hospitals in Georgetown, Milton and Oakville, plus free guided meditations and Pet Pause, where furry friends from St. John’s Ambulance visit hospital units.

While Pet Pause has been placed on an actual pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kailo program has added several efforts to support teams. Staff are provided with stress first aid pocket reference cards and posters reminding everyone to take a moment to check-in, re-centre and find grounding while at work. Kailo also hosts virtual workshops and sessions, with topics ranging from Financial Fridays and money–related advice to Mediation Moments with Buddhist Nuns.

During the pandemic, another support program arose, called COVIDCare. The COVIDCare team facilitated supportive sessions with healthcare teams and volunteers across the organization. “COVIDCare is a peer support program that started quite innocently,” explained Dr. Jon Sam, Paediatrician. “I realized after the first weeks of the pandemic, there was a great fear and uncertainty amongst my peers and staff, doctors, nurses, volunteers – everybody.”

The peer support groups each have roughly 10-12 individuals who gather in physically distant huddles, while larger groups are accommodated virtually.

COVIDCare introduced the idea that the bravery staff and physicians show does not end when they leave work and there is strength in solidarity, even outside the pandemic. “COVIDCare made a big difference in terms of spreading and triggering positivity, togetherness and bravery to face the pandemic,” Dr. Sam adds. “It’s not like we can reassure anybody that things are going to be okay, but certainly we can help people connect to each other and share our struggles.”

Recognizing staff and physicians for going above and beyond in their work is also a valued practice within the organization. At Halton Healthcare, this is demonstrated by the annual Applause recognition awards.

The Applause awards include Values Inspired Performer (VIP) Team and Individual awards, Leadership awards and awards of excellence and nursing from each of the hospitals. Each recognize staff and physicians who exemplify Halton Healthcare’s mission, vision and values.

Each year nominations for the awards garner a lot of attention from co-workers and teams across the organization as staff and physicians are moved to publicly recognize the demonstrations of a lived culture among their colleagues. The nominations themselves are proof of the commitment to the organization’s culture and demonstrate a win for everyone. “We are proud of our culture and our people who keep it alive and thriving.” says Dr. David McConachie, Chief of Staff. “So we must continue to foster a high performance culture at Halton Healthcare.”

Thanks to the committed efforts of the organization, Halton Healthcare has been recognized as one of Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures of 2021, by Waterstone Human Capital. This award is based on an evaluation of corporate culture over the past three years and highlights recipients who put culture at the centre of everything they do.

Lea Batara is the Coordinator, Communications and Public Relations at Halton Healthcare.