A recreational therapist at Langley Memorial Hospital is one of the winners of the Excellence in BC Health Care Awards.
The awards are handed out annually by the Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC), to recognize outstanding health care employees and reward innovation and best practices within the publicly-funded health system. This year’s awards were handed out on Monday at a luncheon held at the Pan Pacific Hotel in Vancouver.
Cindy Gagne, a recreational therapist supervisor at Langley Memorial Hospital, received the Health Care Heroes
2011 Gold Apple for the Fraser Health region.
She is passionate about ensuring that hospital residents continue to experience life beyond the walls of their care facility, despite various health issues and disabilities.
She organizes major events for residents to participate in each year, including the Langley Community Days Parade. Residents are pushed in wheelchairs by a group of Brownies and Girl Guides who hand out toys and lollipops to small children along the way.
Another group of residents is bused to the event to observe the parade front and centre. At the end of the day, the residents head to A&W for a parking lot party.
During the 2010 Winter Olympics, Gagne organized a special torch relay, with the torch moving from building to building via a residents’ hand-off.
Her enthusiasm for these events is infectious. As a result, many hospital staff volunteer in the events,and the families express their joy at seeing their loved ones so happy and involved in the community.
One co-worker said, “Cindy exceeds her role and it is her passion for our residents to have an exceptional quality of life that spurs her on. Cindy is a role model and has taught me so much.”