Congratulations to our local Covenant Health employees who have been nominated for the 2013 Covenant Health Mission Awards.
Each year, the Mission Awards are given to outstanding Covenant Health employees throughout the province. There are six Covenant Health Mission Awards, one for each of our values: compassion, respect, collaboration, social justice, integrity and stewardship. For more information on the Covenant Health Mission Awards, please click HERE.

The Lethbridge Covenant Health Mission Award Nominees are:

Geri Shaw, Housekeeping & Mel Crawford, Nutrition Services

Hassan Ousber, St. Therese Villa

 Carol Wesley, Bridges/ GCR

Join us in celebrating February as Therapeutic Recreation Month!

What is Therapeutic Recreation?
Therapeutic Recreation uses recreation and leisure to improve function and create optimal health and well-being for individuals with an illness or disabling condition.

Who are Recreation Therapists?
Recreation Therapists are health professionals who work in a variety of settings including acute care, rehabilitation, community, assisted living, day programs and long-term care.

How does Therapeutic Recreation improve health?
An integral component of Recreation Therapy is to focus and build on positive capacities and strengths to improve quality of life.
Our goal is to facilitate and empower each individual to increase independence through the development, maintenance and expression of a healthy leisure lifestyle.

 What are some of the therapy programs offered by Therapeutic Recreation?

Leisure Education                                             Wheelchair curling

Community Aquatic Therapy                             Walking to Wellness

Reminiscence Therapy                          Relaxation and Stress Reduction

Community Engagement                                    Promoting Wellness through Leisure

For more information, visit:

http://www.alberta-tr.org/pages/home/default.aspx

As a result of the Employee Enhancement Competition, the need for a Wellness program within our facilities has been determined. The Staff Engagement Committee have created a survey to collect information on the needs of our staff for this type of service. We ask that all of our staff fill out the below survey. This will provide the Staff Engagement Committee with accurate information in order to determine what our staff needs and interests are. If you have any questions in regards to the survey or the Workplace Wellness Centre, please contact Brandie at 403-382-6414 or by email at brandie.lea@covenanthealth.ca.

Thank you for taking the time to submit your opinion.

Canada celebrates Seniors Week on June 4th- 10th, 2012! Join the Covenant Health Lethbridge community as we celebrate our seniors and their contributions to our community!

Senior’s Fair

St. Therese Villa- 253 Southgate Boulevard

Wednesday, June 6th 1:00pm- 3:00pm

Community Organizations will be hosting booths to share services that are available to the Seniors in our community.

All are welcome to attend.

Walking Challenge

The Covenant Health Lethbridge Walking Challenge has been set for Senior’s Week! All residents, patients, staff, and volunteers are encouraged to participate. Booths have been set up at each site with various walking paths and how many kilometers each involve. We encourage you to get out and enjoy the summer weather while tracking your progress.

Covenant Health and the City of Lethbridge are proud to present Dr. Gabor Mate and Sister Jovita McPherson in Lethbridge. This Community Presentation will focus on Alberta’s 10 year plan to end homelessness.

 Tuesday, May 29th

7:00- 9:00pm

Coast Hotel Conference Facility, Grand Ballroom

All are welcome. Registration: $5 at the door.

A Community Presentation by Dr. Gabor Mate

Dr. Gabour Mate is a world-renowned addiction expert who currently works as the staff physician at a clinic for drug-addicted people in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. In his most recent bestselling book, In The Realm of Hungry Ghosts, he shows that their addictions do not represent a distinct set of medical disorders; rather, they merely reflect the extreme continuum of addiction, mostly hidden, that runs throughout our society.

Sister Jovita McPherson ministers with people without homes in Halifax. Both bringing unique perspectives and experience in serving these vulnerable individuals with compassion.

Building on the excellent progress of the City of Lethbridge and Social Housing in Action Committees, this community conversation will help us all recognize that each of us has a role in helping our neighbour.

Dr Gabor Mate poster-final (RV)

Happy International Volunteer Week!

Thanks to all our Covenant Health volunteers who contribute to our organization. We want to thank you for sharing your time, talents, skills and expertise with us this year. In 2011, Covenant Health Lethbridge volunteers contributed 7,602 volunteer hours. Without this support, we could not offer the level of care that is provided to those in need within our facilities. Your dedication and hard work has made an impact on the lives of our residents, families, and staff members. Thank you!

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”

The Covenant Health Lethbridge staff were fortunate enough to hear Sister Kathy Long speak while visiting our facilities during her trip to Canada. Sister Kathy is the Director at the Cuernavaca Center for Intercultural Dialogue on Development, in Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico. The Cuernavaca Center for Intercultural Dialogue on Development is an intercultural, ecumenical Christian retreat center rooted in an inclusive and liberating theology. CCIDD’s mission is to provide opportunities for churches and other groups from the U.S. and Canada to encounter the presence of God in the struggle for justice in the Americas and to empower them to work for social transformation.

Our local Catholic Central High School has taken part in the Center’s program for many years, allowing students the opportunity to grow and learn from the experiences in Mexico. As the program has transformed many of students, they felt compelled to continue assisting the great programs happening at the Center. For the past few years, the Catholic Central High School has taken part in Lethbridge’s Moonlight Run to raise funds for the CCIDD. This year, Sister Kathy has graciously taken the time to join the CCH group in the 2012 Moonlight Run.

We are honoured to have Sister Kathy visiting Lethbridge, Alberta. While speaking with our staff, she shared many of the struggles they face and the great obstacles they have overcome within their 30 years of service. The support they are able to provide the community of Cuernavaca is truly inspiring.

We invite you to cheer on Team Cuernavaca in the Moonlight Run on March 10th, 2012 at 8pm.

For more information on the Cuernavaca Center for Intercultural Dialogue on Development, please visit www.ccidd.org or call 403-327-4596 to donate to Team Cuernavaca.

 

The Staff Engagement Committee want to give back to our staff!  We are offering $1000 to the best idea submitted by our staff, for our staff.  All projects have been submitted and have been narrowed down to the Top 10 Finalists. Here are the candidates for the $1000 prize! Please read the descriptions, and then vote through our online survey. Survey closes at 4pm on Thursday, May 31st. Winner will be announced on Friday, June 1st.

Keurig Coffee Makers: (All Sites) Keurig Coffee Makers will be purchased for all staff areas at each facility. Refills & Upkeep will be the responsibility of the staff.  

Massage Chair: (St. Michael’s Health Centre) A massage chair will be purchased for staff use within the St. Michael’s Health Centre. Location of chair to be determined.

Massage Chair: (St. Therese Villa) A massage chair will be purchased for staff use within St. Therese Villa. Location of chair to be determined.

You’ve Got It- Employee Recognition Certificates: (All Sites) A Recognition Certificate Program will be put in place for staff and supervisors to nominate employees. This will recognize employees in areas of Teamwork, Care Given, Leadership, Crisis Handling, Encouragement, etc.

Incentives Program- Reward System for Working Overtime and/or Short Staffed: (All Sites) Incentives will be put in place to reward and encourage staff. Monthly draws will be put in place for all who work overtime, get called in or work short staffed.

Serenity Water Fountains: (All Sites) Water features will be put in throughout each facility, enhancing the visual and sound working environment.

Inpirational Quotes for Our Walls: (All Sites) Stencilled inspirational quotations could be placed on the walls throughout all sites, which would not only enhance our environment, but could also change the way we feel, even if just for a moment. There are many walls and nooks & crannies that could display such words, which would also serve as art.

Bamboo Plants- Air Quality Enhancement Initiative: (All Sites) Bamboo plants help reduce toxins in the air such as formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, benzene, xylene, and chloroform. During the winter months, they can also bring in much needed moisture to the air. We would bring bamboo plants into each facility, enhancing our air quality within our environment.

Covenant Health Staff Choir: (All Sites) A staff choir would be started within our Covenant Health Lethbridge community. The funds would be available to purchase musical accompaniment, song books, and attire. The staff choir could be front and centre for all staff functions, including staff parties, bbqs and fundraisers.

Staff Exercise Equipment: (St. Michael’s Health Centre) Exercise equipment would be purchased for staff use within the facility. This would provide opportunity to keep fit and enjoy physical activity on breaks.

Attention Covenant Health Lethbridge Staff: Please fill in the survey below.

For more information, please call Janelle at 403-382-6488.

(All funds provided through the Staff Engagement Committee.)

Employee Enhancement Poster (1)

St. Michael’s Health Centre is excited about a new initiative that celebrates the Sisters of St. Martha and the foundation of their work, which is hospitality and meeting the needs of the community. This program launched in early January and has been extremely successful. We have been able to provide twenty (20) bagged lunches for the Children of St. Martha’s Elementary School in Lethbridge. In consultation with the principal of the school, it has been identified that there are children who go hungry throughout the day.

This is an opportunity to give back to the community and make a difference in the lives of children from grades one to five. The School Lunch Program is a collaborative project which is supported by staff, residents, and volunteers. You can help ensure no child goes hungry. Sign up today to be on the lunch schedule! Each shift only takes 15-20 minutes.

Weekly Schedule:

Monday’s: 9:30am- 2nd East Family Dining Room

Tuesday’s: 9:00am- PARP Great Room

Wednesday’s: 9:30am- 2nd West Family Dining Room

Thursday’s: 9:30am- 2nd West Family Dining Room

For more information about this program, email janelle.marietta@covenanthealth.ca or call Jim at 403-382-6456.

Letter Received from the School Lunch Program:

“Several children have expressed their sincere appreciation for the lunches you have provided and have told us how much they have enjoyed them- with one little girl, we can certainly tell by the way she quickly eats all of her sandwiches. One family in particular, the two young siblings are given an extra lunch to take home at the end of the day because we suspect that there is not much food in the house and these two children always go hungry. You have made a difference and it shows in the happy smiles on their faces when they get their food. We will continue to monitor the lunches and feedback from staff, teachers and the children. We cannot thank you enough for your help in providing for the students and their families. Please be sure to forward this message on to your staff. Thank you, thank you, thank you!”