Headwaters presents Dr. David Scott and Chair’s Award at AGM

June 23, 2022 · 0 Comments

Written By Paula Brown

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Headwater’s Health Care Centre (HHCC) honoured two award recipients for their commitment to service at the local hospital during their Annual General Meeting held on Tuesday (June 21).

HHCC Board of Directors vice chair, Shelley Scriver presented the 23rd annual Dr. David Scott Award to the laboratory team at Headwaters for their service during the pandemic processing swabs for COVID-19.

“This recognition means a lot to our department,” said Walid Merhi, manager of HHCC’s Laboratory Services. “My team is a group of talented people who are very committed. I’m so proud of them for always pulling together as a team.”

The Dr. David Scott Award is given to individuals and groups who have gone above and beyond to improve overall health and wellness for residents in the Dufferin-Caledon area, and promote links between the local hospital and the community.

The award is named after the late Dr. David Scott, who in 1962 became the town’s first specialist in general surgery. He practiced as a general surgeon between the years of 1962 to 1997 and was chief of staff at the local hospital from 1983 to 1989. He passed away in 2020.

Throughout the pandemic the Laboratory team at Headwaters, supported processing for all swabs completed at the COVID-19 Assessment Centre and for those completed in the Dufferin Cold & Flu Clinic.

They supported the processing of all swabs from retirement home staff, long term care staff, first responders, homeless shelter staff, dental and optometrist staff, hospice, schools and school staff as well as hospital staff, physicians, and patients.

The Headwaters Laboratory team is made up of 33 full time, part time and temporary part time laboratory assistants, technologists and senior technologists.

HHCC said the team, since the beginning of the pandemic, has amounted a combined 117,000 tests approximately and internally has conducted about 8,600 swabs for those required to be tested in order to work their next shift.

“This team works around the clock seven days a week and had to step up during the pandemic in order to manage the increasing demand in service, a diminished service that continues to this day,” said Scriver. “Like many other teams across the hospital, they are dedicated to their work and to one another even in challenging times.”

Also handed out during the annual general meeting, was the Chair’s Award of Recognition.

The 2022 Chair’s Award was presented to Headwaters Health Care Centre’s Meditech implementation team for the success in implementing Meditech EXPANSE, the hospital new electronic health care record.

Dr. Sanjeev Singwi, physician and chief medical information officer, and Cathy van Leipsig, vice president of corporate services, chief financial officer, and Meditech EXPANSE executive sponsor accepted the award on behalf of the implementation team.

“Over the last few years as we move from paper to digital workflows, I’ve seen each and every department at Headwaters rethink and upgrade the way they deliver service to our patients and our community. This is just the beginning of the future of healthcare at Headwaters and I really want to give a special congratulations to our Meditech Team,” said Dr. Singwi.

“The project was a huge undertaking. It required an unbelievable amount of coordination, engagement, and change management among all of the Headwaters teams and across all four partners,” said Leipsing. “Having such a successful go-live in the midst of a pandemic and two deferrals as a result of that pandemic is nothing short of inspirational to me, and it’s a true testament to the teamwork and passion demonstrated at our hospital and with our partners.”

The Chair’s Award of Recognition was created in 2014 by the governance committee of the board of directors to honour those affiliated with the health care centre who have made outstanding contributions to the hospital.

The launch of the Meditech EXPANSE, was the largest clinical information system upgrade Headwaters has ever undertaken and was implemented in September 2021, with three other partner hospitals; Collingwood General and Marine Hospital; Georgian Bay General Hospital; and Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre. Meditech EXPANSE provides patients, families, and caregivers with easy access to medical records, lab results, and appointments history.

The implementation of Meditech EXPANSE touched all areas and departments at the hospital with all staff and physicians involved in the project.