HEALTH HERO AWARD
This award honours the valour of frontline health care workers, including but not limited to hospital, long-term care, and public health personnel.
DR. HILDA LIM
RECIPIENT OF THE HEALTH HERO AWARD
(with loving dedication to Emily Lim)
Dr. Hilda Lim played a vital role in supporting residents and families in long-term care during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the height of the pandemic, she worked and volunteered in long-term care homes experiencing outbreaks in order to provide COVID-19 information in Chinese to residents and families. Dr. Lim was able to break down communication barriers and provide considerable compassion and support for families during a time of crisis.
DR. REENA LOVINSKY
RECIPIENT OF THE HEALTH HERO AWARD
Dr. Reena Lovinsky and Dr. Abdel Belhaj led the Scarborough Health Network’s (SHN) Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) response during the COVID-19 pandemic. They provided SHN with invaluable expert advice, giving staff confidence and easing anxieties. Their leadership at various crossroads during the pandemic has saved lives, inside and outside the hospital.
DR. ABDEL BELHAJ
RECIPIENT OF THE HEALTH HERO AWARD
Dr. Abdel Belhaj and Dr. Reena Lovinsky led the Scarborough Health Network’s (SHN) Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) response during the COVID-19 pandemic. They provided SHN with invaluable expert advice, giving staff confidence and easing anxieties. Their leadership at various crossroads during the pandemic has saved lives, inside and outside the hospital.
-
Can you tell us about yourself (and/or) your organization?My family and I immigrated to Canada in the summer of 2007, and needless to say we faced several challenges over the next 5 years with getting jobs and settling into our new domicile. 5n2 Soup Kitchens was birthed in the midst of these challenging times with a vision to make a meal available to those who needed it in my community.
-
Did you have a source of inspiration or motivation that fueled you to take such remarkable actions to support and serve the Scarborough community during COVID-19?The seed for this vision I believe was planted in my heart by God, and I say this because I hadn’t visited another soup kitchen anywhere and this is not my area of work by any stretch of the imagination. While working downtown at GBC I saw the much visible homelessness and poverty on my walk from Union station to 200 King Street east, and while we were raising tens of thousands of dollars for United Way, I began to research what supports were being channelled to East Scarborough where I commuted from. This in turn gave me a further impetus to do something to help those in need in my community.
-
What does winning this award mean to you?To me personally, it speaks more to the tireless work of our kitchen, program and delivery teams who have worked tirelessly especially since March 2020 seven days each week to ensure our support to the urgent needs in our communities.
-
What was a positive moment or meaningful memory from this past year that stands out to you?When the Covid-19 first came into Toronto, most of our partnerships shut down food services and we had to quickly pivot to an online sign up to meal and grocery delivery requests: at this point a past senior volunteer along with her retired sister who could not even climb the steps into our facility offered to drive ‘any distance’ to help deliver meals and groceries. This blew me away, as why would seniors, and with added physical challenges do this with much risk to themselves. Also, when most of our volunteers stepped off with the fear factor at a high, the very few who took a risk coming out to help multiple days was amazing.
-
If you could describe Scarborough in one word, what would it be?"Diversity
-
What does being part of the Scarborough community mean to you?It pictures a caring and generous community.
DRU ANN SKEATES
RECIPIENT OF THE HEALTH HERO AWARD
Dru Ann Skeates led from the frontlines with her staff as the Scarborough Health Network (SHN) supported partners in the community. Dru worked with the outreach teams into long-term care at the onset of the pandemic and was the manager of the COVID swabbing clinic at Centenary Hospital. Dru is Scarborough proud and continues to find ways to ensure our community is never missed.
KATRINA STUDENY
RECIPIENT OF THE HEALTH HERO AWARD
Katrina Studeny is an outstanding nurse who goes above and beyond for patients, colleagues, and health professional students. During the pandemic, Katrina’s tremendous wealth of knowledge and willingness to lend a helping hand were critical. Katrina filled numerous staffing shortages including volunteering to be redeployed to the long-term care sector during the peak of the first outbreak in the sector. Katrina is shaping the future of nursing by preparing preceptor students for the workforce and always advocating for her patients.
DR. LISA SALAMON
RECIPIENT OF THE HEALTH HERO AWARD
While Dr. Lisa Salamon works on the frontlines as an Emergency Physician at the Scarborough Health Network (SHN), she has also been essential in implementing important initiatives to manage and mitigate COVID-19 in the community. Dr. Salamon was a driving force in the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) initiative to secure and distribute 500,000 pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) to Ontario doctors during a time of PPE shortage. Dr. Salamon has brought greater awareness of Scarborough’s COVID-19 stories and community needs to the public’s attention. She has contributed to mass vaccination efforts for the Scarborough community including helping to mobilize community vaccine clinics, the vaccination of long-term care residents, and advocating for increased vaccine supply for Scarborough.