A Message from the Executive Leadership Team – #1 Organizational Excellence

As part of our commitment to Vision 2020 and our pillar of Organizational Excellence, our goals were to foster a culture of service excellence, attract and retain talent, implement high performance HR practices and develop succession plans for a number of key roles at Bethany. Some of the highlights in this focus area are explored below.

We were able to develop an organization-wide Sensory Program Framework thanks to donations to the Bethany Care Foundation.

The Sensory Framework includes programs that appeal to the senses, and the integration of sensory stimulation in a day to day care is particularly effective in stimulating emotional wellbeing and promoting engagement of those living with dementia. The goal of sensory integration is to understand the right level and type of intervention that will allow an individual to be more engaged and participate at an optimal level. When sensory stimulation is at the right level, it can have a significant impact in reducing challenging behaviours such as agitation, anxiety and depression that often manifest in individuals with dementia.

There are a number of programs that are now offered across the organization that provide sensory stimulation for our residents, such as music and art programs, pet therapy, equine therapy, and various programs that engage our residents. The Framework will allow us to plan for an even greater impact in this important area. We have also implemented a technology-based program called iN2L (It’s Never Too Late) at two of our sites. These interactive systems empower our residents to connect, engage and enjoy life. The impact has been phenomenal.

We embraced technology to enhance quality of life for our residents and achieve efficiencies in our business processes. We laid the foundation using technology as an enabler to provide extraordinary person-centered care through Electronic Health Records (EHR), as well as the electronic Medication Administration Record (eMAR) at our three central sites. As we move into Focus 2025, we will continue to build upon this foundation.

To attract, retain and develop talent we focused on creating a strong and positive workplace culture. Over the past five years, we have implemented, quarterly leader & employee pulse surveys, performance management and the LEADS leadership development program. We also redesigned our benefits program and prioritized the awareness and education of employee psychological health and safety in the workplace.

Another theme of Vision 2020 was to embed Service Excellence throughout the organization, bringing everyday excellence into daily practices and routines. We established Service Excellence Standards, WAVE recognition boards and developed the Service Excellence Recognition Awards to celebrate our employee achievements.

Finally, as part of our succession plan for identifying key leadership positions and developing the next layer of leadership across Bethany, we created the Directors Leadership Team (DLT). The DLT manages the day to day operations and execution of the business plan, enabling ELT to focus on the strategic growth of the organization.

No matter where you work at Bethany, you’ve been a part of moving us forward at Bethany on our strategic theme of Organizational Excellence. In next week’s message, we will turn our attention to the work we have done in being innovative leaders in our sector such as our work in palliative.

As ever, please get in touch if you have any questions, ideas or comments. We are happy to hear them!