"I couldn't be more proud"

To say the past year and a half has been one of our most challenging in recent history, would be an understatement.

And during this time, I couldn’t be more proud of our Bruyère community!

The impact of COVID, around the world and at Bruyère, continues to unfold, but because of our committed workforce and generous donors like you, what seemed impossibly complicated only months ago, is now part of our common vocabulary: virtual work for most of our non-patient-facing staff, virtual care in the Family Health Clinic, and virtual visits with long term care residents. Together we have learned so much about ourselves, what we are capable of, how much we can carry, and how quickly we can innovate and change direction.

Because of our strong community support, Bruyère has been able to be at the forefront of the battle to help save lives. Regional collaboration has never been stronger; we rolled out plans in weeks and months that could have taken years in pre-COVID times. We opened 200 beds during the pandemic, including new transition units at Greystone Village. And we continue to work with partners in the system to build additional capacity in unconventional ways. Innovation is truly one of the greatest outcomes of the pandemic – we have been able to go further faster because of our supporters. And that work will continue – it must continue!

Thank you for helping us to continue to respond to the needs of our community! Your support has meant so much to the people we care for every day.

Fourteen years ago, I joined the Bruyère family because I wanted to be part of an organization with strong values. And today, as Director of Family Health Services I am so proud to see our staff living out those values every day. Everyone at Bruyère is incredibly dedicated to providing you with the best possible care, always willing to adapt and learn, and to simply be there for our patients and for each other. That was the vision Mother Bruyère founded, and her legacy lives on in the care and compassion you receive when you walk through our doors today.

Did you know Mother Bruyère once faced a pandemic of her own, 175 years ago? A typhus outbreak claimed hundreds of lives – but Mother Bruyère and her fellow sisters were able to provide life-saving care for hundreds more. Her legacy continues to teach us powerful lessons everyday.

I know she would be so inspired to see the way our community has come together to confront this crisis. But, again, it hasn’t been without its challenges. We’ve faced staffing challenges, had to rapidly adjust to new technology, and learn to be creative and flexible with virtual and remote methods of providing care despite our own personal pressures and workloads. And all the while, each and every one of us had to muster the courage to face the risks of COVID exposure, and what might happen if we exposed our loved ones to this deadly virus.

I am especially proud of the way we are continuing to honour Mother Bruyère's mission to care for those who society often overlooks. Bruyère stepped up when called to action by Ottawa Public Health (OPH) to assist with their mass vaccination efforts and this quickly turned into something much more impactful as it also aligned with our goal of the Bruyère rolling out vaccines to all of patients, residents, tenants and employees onsite.

Ottawa Public Health referred to Bruyère as “a unicorn” because we immediately rose to the challenge to coordinate various departments and implement medical protocols to serve as a vaccine clinic for OPH, Family Health, and the hospital simultaneously.

In order to efficiently vaccinate as many people as possible, we redeployed staff and worked hard to implement a system for online booking and an important call centre for those with limited internet access or difficulties with navigating on online system.

Bruyère was also able to provide free evening and weekend parking to help make it as easy as possible for the public to get their vaccine.

Bruyère was able to come to plate to support the public health vaccine initiative only because our Bruyère Health Research Institute had a very large "ultracold freezer" in storage. This ultracold freezer ended up being vital, allowing us to store large quantities of vaccine.

Years ago, donor dollars helped us to purchase that ultracold freezer! What a tremendous legacy those donors gave us, and I bet they never imagined how a freezer would one day help to save lives!

So much of our team have worked around the clock, seven days a week, without a break since the pandemic began. But do you know what they tell me? They say they are thrilled to be part of this historic fight against the pandemic. And words cannot describe how incredibly proud I am to work with such dedicated people.

And while staffing is always a challenge in healthcare, we managed to launch the largest recruitment campaign in Bruyère’s history, hiring over 700 employees. Increasing capacity for better care!

In the early weeks, we created a "Redeployment Office" to help reassign hundreds of our employees across Bruyère, to critical pandemic-related roles, stepping in to support those we serve—and each other—in ways that truly reflect the commitment and dedication of our people.

Thank you for seeing and supporting the vital importance of Bruyère in the community!

I know this pandemic has brought much fear, loss, and sorrow, but I cannot emphasize enough how much it has also brought out the tremendous good in our community. People who have been living in isolation and fear now have freedom and hope after receiving their vaccine. Helping to offer our community this shift from fear to freedom is indescribable.

Witnessing the commitment our team has to the mission Mother Bruyère began 175 years ago keeps me going even on the most difficult of days.

And you are part of that team! Your generosity meant Bruyère could take measures to contain the spread of this disease. Your support drives these changes forward.

Even as information changed daily (sometimes multiple times a day) within the first few weeks, Bruyère supporters leapt into action… And continue to amaze us still now. Kind people like you have continued to donate selflessly, providing vital funds to support the people in our care.

Please know you also have a tremendous impact not just on the way we are responding to this pandemic, but on the ways we care for people in the community every day of the year. We couldn't be more grateful for your compassion and kindness.

As the population of those aged 65 and over soars to historical highs in our country, we are hard at work adapting to new realities. COVID-19 is one more obstacle to take on, but it is not the only one we face.

More people living longer means more complex health conditions that will require ongoing care. The demand not only for quality family health care, but for long-term care and other assisted living options will only continue to grow in the years to come.

Thank you! Your support is helping us continue to innovate and expand our services for the future! You are helping to ensure we're here to help your neighbour, friend, or loved one in their time of need!

When my son was able to get his first vaccine, he said to me “Mom, now I can hug grandma!” I don’t usually cry at work, but this brought me to tears.

Thanks to your support, we'll be better prepared to face whatever challenges tomorrow may bring—together.

Thank you again for your kindness and generosity.