Staff Team Recognized for Excellence
Menno Place initiated the Team Member Appreciation Tea in February 2013 and holds this event annually. This year it was held on March 28, 2017 recognizing staff for their contributions in the past year. At the event staff are recognized for their years of service, excellent attendance and three special awards are given in the categories of “Living our Values”, “Creative Innovation”, and “Everyday Champion”.
The leadership team nominates candidates for the “Living our Values” and “Creative Innovation” awards, and co-workers nominate candidates for the “Everyday Champion” award.
Everyday Champion (nominated by co-workers)
The Everyday Champion Award recognizes an employee of Menno Place for showing daily passion and commitment for quality care with the residents. The nominee is a true team player whose actions or attitudes have improved the workplace in a meaningful way by nurturing relationships, inspiring colleagues and residents and demonstrating a high level of integrity and compassion. The recipient of the Everyday Champion Award was nominated by a colleague for this award.
Ursula Batke – Reception, Menno Home Winner of the EveryDay Champion Award
L to R: Gerd Bartel, MBS Board Chair, Ursula Batke, Karen Baillie, CEO
Ursula goes above and beyond her job description in informing families with the information they need or a hug. She has been known to come in outside her work hours to assist in emergencies. She uses her talents to play piano at memorial services and at Christmas for singalongs. She is helpful to all staff who enter her work area and is kind to the residents that come to her window. She is a Menno hero.
Ursula is especially valued by the Recreation team as she is always going above and beyond to look out for us. She greets our entertainers and organizes the money for our bus trips and special events. Her compassion and respect for the residents is always eviden
We appreciate Ursula so much and we can’t thank her enough for all she does for us.
Ursula shows unusual compassion and care for residents, families, friends and staff. Her sharp mind has caught things missed and keeps staff of many different departments organized when they may have forgotten important happenings in their day. She connects and wishes us all a good day and is the smile up front that says all is well at Menno Home today.
Living Our Values Award
The recipient of the Living Our Values Award was nominated because they are outstanding in their capacity to live out the values of Menno Place – Stewardship, Excellence, Respect, Values-Driven, Innovation, Compassion and Encouragement.
Two winners were chosen as both had significant nominations. Debbie Marshall and Kim Powell are the winners.
Debbie Marshall – Health Care Aide, Menno Hospital
The Nominator wrote: I am nominating Debbie Marshall for her excellent demonstration of the values we aspire to at Menno Place. She is a compassionate and kind care giver who daily demonstrates respect to both her colleagues and the residents. I have witnessed Debbie remain positive and keep the spirit of an open mind in the face of challenges. Debbie is often used with the orientation of new hires and we get feedback from the new employees of the excellent orientation they feel they receive when partnered with her for orientation. Debbie has also volunteered to be part of the infection control team to promote hand hygiene and encourages and practices best practice for the team.
L to R: Gerd Bartel, MBS Board Chair, Debbie Marshall, Karen L. Baillie, CEO
Kim Powell – Employee Benefits / HR Coordinator
The Nominator wrote: Kim is an excellent candidate for the “Living Our Values” award as she demonstrates kindness, compassion, excellence, encouragement and stewardship in her work at Menno Place. Kim is respectful and thoughtful in her work with staff who are going through difficult situations that affect their lives and their work. Whether helping them maneouver through to get their benefits, completing paperwork for disability or meeting to prepare for retirement or extended leaves, Kim is compassionate and is a great help during these difficult times. Kim exhibits a true “servant” heart and strives to listen and understand those she is serving – the staff at Menno Place – in order to make their load a little lighter.
L to R: Gerd Bartel, MBS Board Chair, Kim Powell, Karen Baillie, CEO
Creative Innovation
The Creative Innovation Award recognizes an employee of Menno Place for an idea or solution that has been approved by a supervisor and implemented in order to significantly improve operations or the quality of service for residents at Menno Place.
Frank Rille – Maintenance, Menno Home
Frank created the design for the motorized laundry hauler. He used an electric wheelchair from our special equipment supply. He used one that was no longer rentable. The foot pad would be where the driver stands. The controller would be used to move forward, turn and slow down. There would be good ground clearance and the ability to support up to 200lbs of laundry which allowed for damp or wet laundry to be included in the load. Like a power wheelchair, this laundry hauler is able to cover a lot of territory with a battery that recharges and can drive for over 20kms between charging.
A completely efficient Power Laundry Hauler that is designed to move laundry in comfort and safety. It can move up to 200lbs of laundry without risk of injury to our team members. This has saved time and has made it possible to provide unlimited personal laundry services for our independent apartment tenants.
The Laundry Hauler is used three times per week to zip from one building to the next to collect soiled laundry and return clean laundry to tenants. It moves easily from outdoors to indoors allowing the laundry team to efficiently and safely collect personal laundry for transport to and from the laundry room. The Laundry Hauler travels four city blocks in each of its laundry rounds around the campus.
