GBGH puts safety first as team receives their annual flu shots
Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) kicked of its annual influenza immunization campaign this week for staff, professional staff and team members. Each year, hundreds of frontline team members, as well as support services, leaders and administrative staff receive their flu shot from GBGH’s Occupational Health and Safety department as part of their commitment to patient safety. From left – Erin Couper, safety and wellness officer, GBGH; Linda Gravel, vice president of Clinical Services and chief nursing executive, GBGH; Matthew Lawson, president and CEO, GBGH; and Judy Schell, manager, Occupational Health and Safety, GBGH.
October 13, 2023 – Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) launched its annual influenza immunization campaign this week in the hospital’s efforts to ensure patient, visitor and team safety during the upcoming flu season. During the campaign staff, professional staff (physicians, midwives, dentists) and volunteers are encouraged to receive their flu shot at the hospital to protect patients, themselves, their loved ones and their colleagues.
“When we run our influenza immunization campaign at GBGH every year, I’m always impressed by the high number of staff, professional staff and volunteers who embrace the opportunity to receive their flu shot,” says Judy Schell, manager, Occupational Health & Safety, GBGH. “The GBGH team is committed to patient safety and it shows in their enthusiasm to be vaccinated for the protection of patients and themselves. We want to be here and healthy to provide excellent, personalized care for patients, so immunization is an important part of ensuring that is possible.”
GBGH makes influenza vaccination a top priority every year based on two main considerations – ensuring its team of staff, professional staff and volunteers don’t pass along influenza to patients, as well as ensuring its team is healthy to provide care to patients when they need the hospital.
To make receiving the flu vaccine as convenient as possible, GBGH’s Occupational Health & Safety department is visiting all GBGH departments and also running additional clinics to ensure as many of its team members as possible receive a flu shot.
As part of the hospital’s ongoing COVID precautions, all patients and visitors are asked to self-screen upon entering the building for symptoms of COVID, which can be similar to influenza. All patients and visitors are asked to wear a hospital-provided mask and practice hand hygiene when entering GBGH at the main or Emergency department entrances. Mandatory masking was reinstated by GBGH on October 5 in most areas of the hospital in response to elevated rates of respiratory illness in the community.
Contact:
Jennifer Moore
Director of Communications & Community Relations, GBGH
705-526-1300 ext 5177