News

FROM JO-ANNE'S DESK

YOUR E-NEWSLETTER

Welcome to the first edition of your new, VON-wide newsletter. We hope this will be a forum for news, stories and information about us, and about the people and organizations we work with in all corners of VON.  We will rely on what we hear from all of you to help keep this newsletter fresh and interesting.

From my perspective, it’s really important that I have an opportunity to speak to all of you regularly, to share news of our progress and successes – and of our challenges as well.  We all have a stake in the future of this wonderful organization, and I am thrilled to have a regular, monthly platform now for reaching out to you.  The notes I regularly get back from you following my emails have nourished and informed me as your CEO and I hope that you continue to reach out in response to my column in our new monthly newsletter.

I know how important it is for you to hear how our organization is doing, especially after the disruption and discomfort that resulted from the restructuring decisions we made last year.  I am pleased to report that we are doing well.  The changes we announced last November, combined with the really great, results-focused work of our Ontario, Nova Scotia and Corporate Services teams, are making a big difference.  We ended our fiscal year in March with positive financials – and the same has held true for the first quarter (April-June) of this current, 2016-17 fiscal year. This is important, because it sets us on the right path for beginning to reinvest in the people who work so hard to ensure we serve our clients well.  I am confident that with more hard work we will be in a position to look at that reinvestment in the coming year.

I want this newsletter to be representative of our entire organization, so your contributions and feedback will be what drive the content of this newsletter each month.  Please take time to share your thoughts and stories with communications@von.ca.

Thanks to summer interns Holly Grant, Conor O’Doherty and Mina Vu for helping to get this off the ground!

jo-anne.poirier.ceo@von.ca

 

PRIORITY PROJECTS (PPs)

PLANNING FOR STABILITY AND GROWTH

We are rebuilding. A key part of our plan for this year is work on what we are calling our “Priority Projects”.

We started by listening to many of you from across the organization … asking you what was working, what wasn’t, and what was missing from the ways we work together.  Almost without exception, you said that what was working was the breadth of our services and the ways we serve our clients and patients.  Also without exception, we heard good advice on key challenges and opportunities for us to focus on in the coming year.  Our nine Priority Projects emerged from these discussions, and were endorsed by our Board of Directors in April.

Eight of these PPs (see below) will use Lean principles and project management approaches to help us to strengthen our foundation to ensure stability and sustainability. The ninth takes a longer look ahead, preparing us to create a new vision and plan for what our reconstructed VON will be in the coming years, and we’ll tell you more about that as it begins to take shape.

You’ll be hearing more about our Priority Projects each month through this newsletter and through regular communication in your teams, and you’ll be seeing more about them in your day-to-day work.

Here’s a snapshot of PPs 1-8:

PP1:  Culture – introduce actions and initiatives that reinforce our culture of caring and bring a strong sense of business rigour and accountability to all our work

PP2: Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) – complete the work necessary for VON Canada to emerge from creditor protection to enable VON to grow and prosper

PP3:  Community Corporation Governance and Funding – engage the VON Canada Board and Community Corporations in the development of a new governance and funding model that strengthens our sustainability

PP4:  Ontario and Nova Scotia Plans – implement a plan for each region and site that optimizes effectiveness and efficiency while keeping our strong focus on client care

PP5:  Adapting to Funder Changes – monitor, influence and prepare for changes in Ontario and Nova Scotia that impact home and community care to position VON well as partners of choice

PP6:  Labour Relations Strategy Development – conduct an organization-wide consultation on the framework and content of a strategy to guide labour relations processes that support cultural, financial and business objectives

PP7:  Timekeeping and Payroll Redesign – redesign payroll and timekeeping processes to reduce related administrative time for everyone, and to enhance payroll accuracy and trust

PP8:  Director and Manager Engagement – develop clear tools and practices that engage the leadership team in development, implementation and continuous improvement of priority projects, and that strengthen capacity and commitment among all of our teams.

I hope that you’ll take the opportunity to follow developments on the PPs in the coming months, and that you find the opportunity to discuss in your teams and with your colleagues.

beth.green@von.ca

 

SPOTLIGHT

LYNN HINDS: THE CARING CONTINUES

You bring gifts to VON every day – your time, your commitment, and your caring.  And many of our staff choose to give in other ways as well!

Financial donations are critical to VON’s sustainability. They keep us in business, and help support growth.  Our charitable status is part of our value-add to funders and community partners, and it’s what draws vital volunteers to our door.  Donations to VON support Community Support Service (CSS) programs. They subsidize clients.  They help us pay for critical infrastructure like CellTrak.  Donations support practice education, fundraising and promotion of our services.  And donations can help make a difference to our bottom line – something that all of us are mindful of as we continue to meet the challenges of our sector.

Not long ago, Lynn Hinds, District Executive Director for Community Support Services (CSS) in Middlesex Elgin, left VON to join Ontario’s South West Local Health Integrated Network (LHIN).  The LHINs are important funders and partners to VON, supporting our CSS programs in communities across the province.  Over the last four years, the LHIN contributions to our work have grown by nearly 20%, from $40M in 2012-13 to $47M last year.

Lynn grew up at VON – she started as a student 17 years ago, and moved up through various roles until she found herself leading our largest CSS team in VON.  And to ensure that she could continue to have an impact on VON and the people we serve, she converted her VON charitable donation given through payroll deduction to a monthly gift on her credit card when she moved on to her new job.

Lynn herself said it best:  “I love this organization – all the people at every level, including staff and volunteers.  I want to ensure the good work we are doing continues because I truly believe in it”.

To become a donor yourself, please click here.  Your gift today could change a life forever.

 

FROM THE FIELD

WHEN TEAMWORK WORKS!

Many communities across Nova Scotia have been challenged by long waitlists for home support (personal support and homemaking) services.  Almost a year ago, VON, the Nova Scotia Government & General Employees Union (NSGEU), the Department of Health and Wellness and the Nova Scotia Health Authority hatched a plan to slay the waitlists by working together in a new way.

What’s unique about this project is that it marks the very first time that the department, the health authority, the union and VON have worked as one project team to reach a clear and measurable goal.  The project kicked off with a stakeholder workshop and surveys with VON and Continuing Care staff to ensure the joint Steering Committee had a frontline perspective of the issues and potential solutions.

A four-point plan focused on key areas that would make a difference, including changed shifts and scheduling, managing client expectations, evaluation and reevaluation of  client needs and different approaches to waitlist segmentation.  Adrienne Klenck leads a big project team with invaluable input and oversight from Carol Curley, Kathie Swindell and partners from the joint Steering Committee.

Speaking of her Annapolis Valley district, District Executive Director Kathie Swindell says “we’ve managed to eliminate 1000 wait list hours a month, and people are getting the help they need to stay in their own homes”.

Now, that’s teamwork!

 

FROM THE FIELD

LET'S TALK - TOWN HALLS

Jo-Anne Poirier and Sharon Goodwin, Senior Vice President Home and Community Care, have had the opportunity to visit 22 sites since May to speak with and listen to site teams and their Corporate Services colleagues.  Part of the goal is simply to share the news that VON is on a positive track.  The difficult changes announced last year are making a difference.  Site leadership worked together to create budget plans for this year that are achievable, and the organization is making strides with our funders in both Ontario and Nova Scotia – all positive signs for the year to come.

Huge thanks to Debby Carroll in Nova Scotia, to Elisa Minott in Ontario and to Balbir Kaur in Jo-Anne's office for all their help setting up the meetings.

 

FROM THE FIELD

VON AS LEAD AGENCY

As changes unfold across the home care sector in Ontario, VON is working closely with the funders to help bring to life the government’s Patients First vision.  This means different things in different parts of the province, and our site leaders and their teams are doing some great work to make sure that VON’s unique value as a caring and expert service provider of both home and community care is evident to all.

VON Middlesex Elgin recently won a proposal to become “lead agency” in two of the South West LHIN’s five sub-regions – Elgin and Oxford districts – a considerable accomplishment that is testament to the strength of VON’s client care, collaborative relationships with other providers and our reputation.  As the lead agency, we will act as system navigators on behalf of people wanting to access community support services (CSS) within the sub-region. We will receive all CSS referrals for the sub-region, complete an initial phone intake and connect the client with the appropriate agency(s) that will best meet their needs.

We’re great at delivering service one-on-one to clients, and that’s important. We’re also great at thinking more broadly about how we can contribute to a well-functioning system – and that’s an important attribute in this time of change.

For more information, contact suzanne.mezenberg@von.ca.

 

FROM THE FIELD

IN THE NEWS

We’ve had a couple of great examples recently of the strength of our relationships with funders in both provinces.  This comes from the hard work of our teams from across both provinces – focusing of course on delivering great care, but also on ensuring that we are working with our funders to help meet their financial and policy objectives.

In Halifax on June 23rd, Jeff Densmore, regional director for the central and western zones, along with his team at the VON Halifax office and clinic, hosted Nova Scotia Minister of Health and Wellness Leo Glavine as he announced to the media details of this year’s home care budget.  The Minister’s words underscored his commitment to VON’s sustainability in the province.  Jeff spoke on behalf of VON.

On July 20th, Adrienne Vanderweg, District Manager of Community Supports in Grey-Bruce and Perth-Huron hosted Ontario Deputy Premier Deb Matthews at a news conference in our Stratford office.  VON’s Adult Day Programs and caregiver support were front and centre, and Deb Matthews also took the time to tour our Romeo Court Adult Day Program.

 

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