Montfort embraces key values to care for its staff

Dominic Giroux became president and CEO of Hôpital Montfort, Ottawa’s francophone academic hospital, last July, and right away he was impressed by the way everyone seemed to have fully embraced the organization’s central values of compassion, excellence, respect, accountability and mutual support.

“In my first 100 days, I met with many team members, and what surprised me was that most know our values by heart – they don’t need to be prompted,” he says. “They’ll say things like, ‘Because of our value of compassion, I’d like to pay tribute to a nurse who really went above and beyond.’ To me that’s very inspiring.”

The values are reflected in a number of initiatives the hospital has introduced to support its staff through the pandemic and beyond, including sleep and relaxation pods, an on-site gym and 24/7 food options for shift workers. There is even a year-end comedy revue presented by staff members.

“Our team is pretty creative at finding ways to enhance joy in a high-stress environment like a hospital,” Giroux says. “We care for our patients, and we also care for each other. It speaks to the collegiality in our workplace.”

Giroux notes that hospital leaders check in with team members monthly to make sure everyone is supported and connected.

“We’re a tight-knit organization with a very diverse workforce, and collaboration is strong between the departments,” he says. “Montfort is a high-performing academic hospital, and there’s a great sense of pride about that.”

Montfort also has its own knowledge institute that provides research and education programs for employees. “It allows research and innovation opportunities to be integrated in all our care teams, so we’re always learning,” Giroux says.

Opportunities for innovation and education have been key for Kim Lortie, who has had lots of different roles since starting as a nurse in Montfort’s family birthing centre 17 years ago. She’s been able to pursue her interests in learning, teaching and practising bedside.

“While I was at the birthing centre I completed my master’s degree, and then I got an opportunity to do an advanced clinical fellowship with a nursing association,” she says. “I led a project to get nurses aligned with best practices in breastfeeding, and Montfort gave me the chance to share what I’d learned with my colleagues, which was exciting.”

Lortie went on to work as a clinical nurse specialist, then as an advanced practice nurse and manager of professional practice and informatics.

“My portfolio included best practices, policies and procedures for the surgical and mental health units,” she says. “But I started missing the connection with patients, so I went to critical care. It was the opposite of everything I knew, but they needed a leader with a nursing background, and it’s a great fit.”

Now clinical manager of the intensive care and stepdown unit, Lortie appreciates all the opportunities she has been given to explore different paths and collaborate with her colleagues.

“One of the best things about this organization is the connections we make with people,” she says. “We’re small enough to consider ourselves a family, but big enough to improve, do research and reach new heights.”

This article appeared in the magazine announcing this year's National Capital Region's Top Employers winners, published February 6, 2024 in the Ottawa Citizen. This article was prepared with the financial support of the employer, which reviewed but did not write its contents.