Quinte Health

“Three staff members, along with myself, float between hospitals within Quinte Health, and I recently witnessed exceptional care provided on the Trenton Memorial Hospital Inpatient Unit.

I would specifically like to recognize:
-Dana Powers, Recreation Therapist
-Katelyn Alderson, Occupational Therapist
-Cortney Wright, Physiotherapy Assistant/Occupational Therapy Assistant

These team members went above and beyond in supporting a patient who was initially identified as having behavioural concerns. Through their compassion, creativity, and advocacy, they helped ensure the patient was able to communicate her needs and participate more fully in her care.

The patient had been unable to access a call bell independently, and the team advocated for and provided an accessible call bell so she could better express her needs. They also worked tirelessly to maximize her physical abilities and daily activity participation.

What stood out most was the way they created meaningful, functional, and fun therapeutic activities to keep her engaged, including singing along to Hannah Montana songs, using wands and tiaras, and incorporating activities that brought joy while supporting rehabilitation goals.

May is also Better Speech and Hearing Month, and these staff members truly gave this patient a voice and the opportunity to improve to the best of her abilities.

The patient improved immensely during her stay, and I know her family was deeply appreciative of the care and advocacy she received. I believe these staff members truly exemplify the values of Quinte Health and deserve recognition for the incredible difference they made.”

-Shirley Clarey MHSc., Speech Language Pathologist

Congratulations to ICU Social Worker Ann Larson, recipient of a Values in Action Award from the Quinte Health Board of Directors for her leadership in bringing the Three Wishes Project to Quinte Health’s Intensive Care Unit.

Originally founded by St. Joseph’s in Hamilton, the Three Wishes Project focuses on learning what matters most to patients and their loved ones at the end of life and helping make those wishes a reality. Whether it’s playing a favourite song, arranging a special visit, creating keepsakes, or surrounding patients with the people and things they love, these meaningful gestures help bring comfort, dignity and connection during life’s most difficult moments.

Through Ann’s vision and dedication, families in Quinte Health’s ICU now have additional opportunities to create lasting memories and find comfort while navigating end-of-life care.

A special thank you to ICU Auxiliary Convener Deb Sackett and the Belleville General Hospital Auxiliary for helping bring this vision to life. Their support funded a dedicated Three Wishes cart stocked with meaningful resources, including memento bags, fingerprint kits, heartbeat strips, a tablet and speaker, colouring sheets, and comfort snacks for families spending long hours at the bedside.

Thank you, Ann, Deb and the Auxiliary, for demonstrating the power of compassionate, patient- and family-centred care.

Read more: https://quintehealth.ca/news-story/values-in-action-turning-compassion-into-action-through-the-three-wishes-project/

Butterfly Rooms at Belleville General Hospital are now complete, creating dedicated spaces for families experiencing pregnancy and infant loss.

This meaningful project has its roots in a remarkable community partnership.

In 2019, organizers of the Shawn Coffin/Wayne Brown Memorial 3 Pitch Tournament contributed proceeds from their annual memorial tournament toward Butterfly Run Quinte’s vision of creating dedicated spaces for families experiencing pregnancy and infant loss at Belleville General Hospital. Combined with funds raised through the Butterfly Run, that community support helped lay the foundation for what would become the Butterfly Rooms.

That support aligned with the work of the Butterfly Girls—Barb Matteucci, Loralee McInroy and Beth Primeau—whose advocacy has transformed support for families experiencing pregnancy and infant loss across the Quinte region. Through Butterfly Run Quinte, they have helped fund bereavement resources, staff education, family supports and specialized equipment, strengthening care for families navigating loss.

“These rooms are a reflection of what can happen when a community comes together to care for one another,” said Stacey Daub, President and CEO, Quinte Health. “…Together, they [the organizers and supporters of these two groups] have helped create spaces that offer privacy, comfort and compassion when families need it most.”

On June 22, Quinte Health and the Belleville General Hospital Foundation recognized the Butterfly Girls, their donors and supporters, and the organizers of the Shawn Coffin/Wayne Brown Memorial Tournament for their generosity, advocacy and commitment to ensuring families experiencing pregnancy and infant loss receive compassionate care and support when it is needed most.

Read the full story: https://quintehealth.ca/news-story/butterfly-rooms-completed-at-belleville-general-hospital-creating-dedicated-spaces-for-families-experiencing-pregnancy-and-infant-loss/

On the wall within the Emergency Department at Trenton Memorial Hospital hangs “The Wall of Shame,” a display of approximately 125 fishing hooks and lures that have been removed from various body parts of patients over the years.

The board has become something of a legend among Emergency Department staff, serving as a lighthearted reminder of the many unusual fishing mishaps the team has helped patients through over the years.

“Every one of those hooks tells a story,” said Ken Bird, RN, Patient Care Lead at TMH. “Most people come in embarrassed more than anything, but our team understands that accidents happen. Fishing is part of life here. We’ve seen hooks in hands, faces, ears—just about everywhere imaginable. The wall is a fun way to remind people to be careful out there, but it also reflects the incredible work our staff do every day helping people through unexpected moments.”

The tongue-in-cheek story may have people chuckling, but it also shines a spotlight on something much more important: the growing need for emergency care in our communities and the people who are there when accidents happen.

Read the full story to learn more about the wall, how it’s grown over the years, and what it says about emergency care in our community: https://quintehealth.ca/news-story/the-catch-you-dont-want-inside-tmhs-wall-of-shame/