Winning award a team effort, say staff educators

Staff buy-in helps Sharron Hart and Michelle Donald earn award

Wednesday November 12, 2008 -- Deron Hamel
MARKHAM, Ont. - Sharron Hart and Michelle Donald say winning an Award of Excellence in the Learning category is proof-positive that the hard work they do is being recognized at the corporate level, but both stress that fostering learning has been a group effort, with the staff members they train playing a major part in helping the duo win the honour.

Hart and Donald, who are staff educators with Preferred Health Care Services, are both dedicated to the cause of dementia care, and the pair attributes their success to buy-in from the staff members they train and the fact the team pulls together to implement the knowledge they take away.

"It means that all the hard work that we have been doing is being recognized and it's really important that this is a corporate-wide event (because) these are actually the homes that make it happen," says Donald.

"Without the homes and their residents and their commitment to improving dementia care, we wouldn't be able to do it. It's really important to us that people want to improve dementia care — it's really a passion of ours and we're lucky to do it."

Hart echoes Donald's sentiments, adding the tools the pair provides for staff members through education has a trickle-down effect which resonates throughout the Leisureworld community.

"For the staff who we're able to work with, the learning that they take away can be directly used and utilized in the care that they give to their residents," says Hart. "It really is an absolute privilege to be recognized for the hard work that we've done and for we're trying to do, in terms of making life better for our residents."

Candidates for the Learning category were nominated based on their skills at educating residents, families and staff members about individualized care given to residents, as well as being dedicated to discovering best practices.

There were six team members nominated for this award.

Macquarie Capital Funds' first annual Award of Excellence were held in Markham Nov. 8. Macquarie, which owns both Leisureworld and Preferred Health Care Services, sponsored the event to recognize employees who exemplify the company's core values of communication, commitment, learning, teamwork and respect.