2021 Strides Health Care Hero Ambassadors

As 2021 is a year like no other, Hamilton Health Sciences Foundation is shaking things up and temporarily rebranding Strides For The General as Strides For Health Care Heroes. This temporary new name captures the Strides our community will be taking to show their immense appreciation and support for the amazing health care heroes who work tirelessly at Hamilton General Hospital, the Regional Rehabilitation Centre and St. Peter’s Hospital.

Caregivers and staff at Hamilton General Hospital, the Regional Rehabilitation Centre and St. Peter’s Hospital were asked to nominate someone from the sites who they feel embodies the meaning of “Hero” as demonstrated throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Identifying heroes across these sites was always going to be a challenge as so many individuals are deserving of recognition for their incredible work over the last 16 months.

From those nominated, many received multiple nominations – all of which spoke to their compassion, dedication and commitment to both patients and to their own colleagues.

While it was a difficult decision, we have identified six incredible individuals as Ambassadors for this year’s Strides event.

 

The Foundation is proud to announce the Health Care Hero Ambassadors for this year’s event:

2021 Strides - Faizan A. Pixel Spacer - Light Grey 2021 Strides - Nancy D. Pixel Spacer - Light Grey 2021 Strides - Michelle R.
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2021 Strides - Jenna P.   2021 Strides - Lyndsey C.   2021 Strides - Bhikhu T.

Bhikhu Tejura – Pharmacist, Hamilton Health Sciences

Bhikhu helps to manage the pharmacy services at Hamilton General Hospital and St. Peter’s Hospital. He played a pivotal role in addressing the increased demands on pharmacy services during the pandemic. This included managing medication shortages, redeploying staff with appropriate expertise to support critical-care areas, planning for the delivery of essential medications to sites, and supporting inpatient and outpatient vaccination clinics. Bhikhu’s dedication and expertise continue to enhance patient care across Hamilton Health Sciences every day.


Jenna Pyke – Registered Practical Nurse, Hamilton General Hospital

Jenna is a Registered Practical Nurse on the 8 West Internal Medicine Unit at Hamilton General Hospital. During the first wave of the pandemic, 8 West was made a COVID unit and Jenna worked tirelessly to provide compassionate care for her patients. Jenna also created a special memorial board on the unit to honour patients who passed away from COVID. Working on 8 West is much more than a job for Jenna – it’s an opportunity to make a significant difference in the lives of patients and families from across the region who receive care at The General.


Nancy Dabir – Medical Radiation Technologist, Hamilton General Hospital

Nancy has been a medical radiation technologist at Hamilton Health Sciences for more than 30 years and she has worked in many different areas of the department. Currently, she is the senior technologist for portable imaging and the operating rooms at Hamilton General Hospital.   

During the last 16 months, Nancy and the portable X-ray team cared for patients affected by COVID-19 on a daily basis. Throughout the pandemic, she remained committed to delivering excellent care with compassion and kindness.


Lyndsey Charles – Recreation Therapist, St. Peter’s Hospital

Lyndsey’s work on the Palliative Care Unit of St. Peter’s Hospital makes a real difference in the lives of patients during their end-of-life care. She focuses on improving her patients’ quality of life by facilitating meaningful leisure interventions to meet their specific needs and interests.  During the pandemic, Lyndsey expanded her role to include COVID haircuts, virtual volunteer visits, virtual pet therapy and virtual music sessions at the bedside. 


Dr. Faizan Amin – Cardiologist and Intensive Care Physician, Hamilton Health Sciences

Dr. Amin leads a team of doctors, nurses and other medical professionals at Hamilton Health Sciences providing ExtraCorporeal Life Support (ECLS) – the most advanced form of life support available to critically ill patients. This includes the use of an ExtraCorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) machine, a device that mechanically supports a patient’s badly damaged heart or lungs when all other forms of life support have failed. Hamilton Health Sciences has treated many COVID-19 patients with ECMO, increasing their chances for survival so they can return home to their families. Dr. Amin developed the ECMO program protocols at Hamilton Health Sciences. Proceeds from Strides For Health Care Heroes will support the purchase of a new ECMO machine.


Michelle Read – Physiotherapist, Regional Rehabilitation Centre

Michelle has worked as a physiotherapist for Hamilton Health Sciences since 2000, and she joined the Spinal Cord Injury team at the Regional Rehabilitation Centre in 2004. Helping patients maximize their abilities and regain independence is a personal passion for her. Being redeployed to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Hamilton General Hospital during the pandemic allowed her to broaden her professional horizons and play an active role in the COVID response. She is grateful to her colleagues in the ICU for making her experience so positive as they persevered in the face of such a challenging health care crisis.

 

A Special Tribute: 

Dr. Beverley Hattersley – Medical Director of Palliative Care, St. Peter’s Hospital

Dr. Beverley Hattersley preferred to be called “Dr. Bev.” She didn’t want to be placed on a pedestal of formality and she enjoyed relating to people on a personal level. In 2008, Dr. Bev became the Medical Director of Palliative Care at St. Peter’s Hospital, a position she held with dedication and pride. She often spoke about how lucky she was to have “the best job in the world.” Knowing that she was making a real difference in the lives of others inspired her every day. Sadly, Dr. Bev passed away on May 28, 2021, having left behind a remarkable legacy of love and compassion.

Dr. Bev received multiple nominations to be a Strides for Health Care Heroes Ambassador, and we are proud to honour her for making a difference in so many people’s lives. She is a true Health Care Hero.


2021 Strides Ambassador Nominee Honour Roll:

2021 Strides Honour Wall