Montreal, September 18, 2013 – Partnerships, teamwork and cooperation, forged by the Jewish General Hospital (JGH) to help strengthen the Quebec healthcare system, took centre stage at the 79th Annual General Meeting. In recounting the highlights of 2012-2013, JGH President Rick Dubrovsky told the audience that close collaboration with government, other institutions and the public have been instrumental in enabling staff in meeting the increasingly complex needs of larger numbers of patients.
“By working with other hospitals and institutions on treatment and research, we can accomplish more than can be achieved in isolation,” Mr. Dubrovsky said. “And by encouraging close, inter disciplinary teamwork within this hospital, we enable patients to benefit from the extensive experience and unique talents of healthcare staff in many fields.” He added that this momentum in strengthening Quebec- and Canada-wide partnerships will continue in the years to come.
As he prepared to step down as Executive Director for health reasons, Dr. Hartley Stern delivered the evening’s keynote speech, which also emphasized the need for the hospital to extend and strengthen its ties. In this way, he said, the JGH and other healthcare institutions can achieve more as a unified group than they would otherwise accomplish individually.
“It has been a privilege and a joy to serve the Jewish General Hospital during a period of such extraordinary growth and vitality,” Dr. Stern said. “Members of staff at all levels did not simply do what was expected in maintaining the high quality of patient care. They demonstrated great personal initiative and genuine enthusiasm in finding new ways to keep improving all aspects of hospital operations, while enabling the JGH to play a leading role in strengthening Quebec’s public healthcare system. They demonstrated pride in themselves as professionals and they upheld the JGH heritage of tending to the diverse needs of patients of all backgrounds from across Montreal and throughout Quebec. It has been a great pleasure to work with them.”
Since his arrival at the JGH in 2008, Dr. Stern has built on the hospital’s legacy by fostering a culture of cleanliness, safety and superior quality of care. He was of pivotal importance in forging and strengthening links with all levels of government; overseeing the approval and construction of Pavilion K; helping to create dynamic partnerships with a wide array of medical, research, and academic institutions; championing the introduction of healthcare and organizational improvements through Transformational Change; and supporting the recognition of the JGH as one of Canada’s most efficient hospitals and one of Montreal’s top employers.
The AGM was also an occasion to present awards to exceptional members of JGH staff for their outstanding service:
Bernard Stotland, FCPA, FCA
Distinguished Service Award
Dr. Mark Lipman
Medical Excellence
Dr. Marc Afilalo
Excellence in Physician Management
Dr. Mark A. Wainberg
Excellence in Basic Research
Dr. Mark J. Eisenberg
Excellence in Psychosocial or Clinical Research
Joanne Pike
Excellence in Nursing
Dr. Elizabeth M. MacNamara
Excellence in Management
Tammy Merayias
Excellence in Administrative Support
Lynn Gillespie
Excellence among Allied Health Professionals
September 23, 2013