Awards stress importance of safety

The Five Hills Health Region recently recognized its annual safety award recipients a dinner in Moose Jaw. Intended to promote safe work practices and to stimulate ideas for programs and practices, the awards provide special recognition to individuals, units or agencies who best exemplify and advance a culture of safety. This year’s awards recognized Carol Klein, a licensed practical nurse working at St. Joseph’s/ Foyer d’Youville in Gravelbourg, and Rynae Fjelberg, a special care aide working at Assiniboia Union Hospital. Both award winners have been Transfer, Lift, and Repositioning trainers for the region for a number of years and have shown a commitment to safety in their workplace over time. In particular, Klein was recognized for her willingness to go above and beyond to help find safe practice solutions for clients and colleagues and for her creative approach to making learning fun for staff. Fjelberg’s work as the occupational health committee employee co-chairperson and her excellence in TLR training set her apart for the award this year. Stuart Cunningham, executive director of human resources, said safety is a high priority for the region. “We’ve identified safety as one of the key areas of focus in our strategic plan so we want to recognize the important role that our employees have in helping create an environment that is committed to work practices that help ensure the safety of their co-workers, as well as our patients. These awards recognize staff members that are leading the way in relation to safety.”