Barbara Loney, administrative assistant

In her role as administrative assistant, Barb is focused on good stewardship as she looks after resources in the respiratory therapy department at the Misericordia Community Hospital. This includes equipment as well as human resources. Both require a fine balance and a thoughtful approach.

She is responsible for ordering, so Barb works closely with the team to ensure the department has the supplies they need to provide safe and effective patient care. With an eye on financial stewardship, she’s mindful of ordering the correct quantity and products for the intended purpose.

Barb is equally mindful of her co-workers’ schedules. She helps fill any gaps in the work schedule, while also finding creative solutions to decrease the amount of overtime. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she remained positive and filled shifts when it was not easy to maintain adequate staffing levels. At the same time she respected the staff’s need for work/life balance – no easy feat!

Barb is a member of the Occupation Health and Safety Wellness Committee, so work safety and injury prevention are also priorities. She shares updates from the committee, and she’s diligent in reminding staff when their CPR, mask fit testing and licence renewal are close to expiry so they remain current in all required certifications.

Another priority for Barb is: personal wellness – aka the need to have fun! Barb celebrates staff birthdays, new babies and weddings, creating a sense of community much appreciated by her hard-working co-workers.