Dear Health PEI team,
There is so much to celebrate in health care in May! Here are a few more items to recognize this month:
World Family Doctor Day (WFDD)
May 19 is World Family Doctor Day and an occasion to highlight the vital role and contribution of our PEI family doctors and primary care teams! I know that being a family physician on PEI is not easy at this time and we have a need to fill many of these roles in the system. I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the tireless efforts of our family doctors and primary care teams for the meaningful care they provide their patients and communities across PEI, thank you!
National Physiotherapy Month
May is National Physiotherapy Month and a great time to recognize this important health care profession! Physiotherapists combine their in-depth knowledge of the body with specialized hands-on clinical skills to assess, diagnose and treat symptoms of illness, injury or disability. At Health PEI, physiotherapists provide essential skills in many areas of our hospitals, primary care, long-term care and within our community programs and services. Thank you for helping Islanders lead more fulfilling lives!
Better Speech & Hearing Month
Better Speech & Hearing Month happens in May and raises awareness about the importance of communication health. Health PEI Speech-language Pathologists (S-LPs), Audiologists, and Speech-language Pathologist Assistants provide essential care at our hospitals and within Public Health & Children’s Development Services to identify, assess and treat a wide range of communication disorders. I want to thank you for enriching the lives of Islanders through your valuable work! For more information on available services visit Audiology Services and Speech-language Pathology Services.
Emily Bryant Award – Mental Health and Addictions
The Emily Bryant Award was recently presented to a nurse working in Mental Health and Addictions. Congratulations to Cathy Bryanton, the 2024 award winner who has been an RN for 38 years in many areas of Mental Health and Addictions!
Cathy currently works at the Strength Program in Summerside and is known to treat clients with compassion and dignity and demonstrates a caring, empathetic, and collaborative attitude.
Kay Lewis Nursing Excellence Award
The Kay Lewis Nursing Excellence Award was recently presented to a nurse at PCH who demonstrates a positive influence on others, displays outstanding nursing skills and fosters a healthy workplace culture of respect, integrity and collegiality.
Congratulation to the 2024 award winner Marla Simmons who has been at PCH for 36 years! Marla has worked in many areas at PCH and is currently the manager of the emergency department.
Ruth DeBay Shining Star Award – Western Hospital
Each year, Western Hospital nominates a front-line staff member for the Ruth DeBay Shining Star Award. This award was recently renamed after Ruth DeBay who passed away last year and left a lasting legacy at Western Hospital through her genuine, kind, uplifting and empathetic attitude.
Congratulations to the 2024 winner of this award, Maria Rennie! Maria is described as the glue of the emergency department who is kind and caring and is always supporting staff, patients and physicians in a quiet way every day.
Thank you for all the work each of you do for Islanders!
Mel