Kelsey McCormick is a clinical resource nurse who works with Flávia on the BC Children’s Hospital T7 Medical Inpatient Unit, which cares for patients who need everything from a kidney transplant to treatment for an eating disorder. She had this to say in Flávia’s nomination:
“One word to describe Flávia: Dedicated. She is driven by the families here on T7. It's not unusual to see her entering a patient room to introduce herself, discuss questions/concerns, or just to be present. Her office door is always open to patients, family, and staff. She is fiercely passionate about her team. She shows up on Christmas Day with homemade cookies, she orders name tags for the Housekeeping staff so that they’re acknowledged, and she hands out treats on weekends during times of transition and stress. Her seemingly small gestures add up to powerful and inspiring leadership, making T7 a desirable place to work. Even when the work is tough, Flávia helps us feel valued and find our worth. My only hope is that she knows that her gestures do not go unnoticed.”
What does winning this award mean to you?
This award was a lovely surprise. I came to BC Children’s as a program manager and was lucky to start with an exceptional team. It means a lot to me that people take time during their busy days to write a thoughtful nomination, but the biggest award is to be happy coming to work with an amazing team.
What do you find most rewarding about your job?
The most rewarding part of this job is to see families feeling supported and staff taking pride in their job. The highlight of the day is to see a smile or get a happy wave from a patient on their way home.
What inspires you to go to work every day?
The compassionate care the interdisciplinary team provides every day and the resilience the patients and families model are the most amazing inspiration.
How do you describe your role?
I’ve been promoted to a director role overseeing T7 and several specialized pediatric medical outpatient clinics since the PHSA award nomination. The award was for my time as a program manager for T7 and the IV Team. As a program manager, the biggest part of my job was to support my team so they can provide the best care to patients and families.
What has been one of your proudest moments at work?
One of my proudest moments at work is a gift that keeps on giving. I was able to advocate for the creation of the role of lactation consultant for BC Children’s. We were lucky to hire an incredible person for the role and all feedback from parents has been positive.
Which one of the PHSA values has stood out to you most in the past year? (Respect people, Be compassionate, Dare to innovate, Cultivate partnerships or Serve with purpose)
The PHSA value that has stood out the most recently is “Be compassionate.” Health-care workers have been under so much pressure lately that we need to be compassionate to ourselves first, then to our peers so we can have something left to share with our patients and families.
What is your life like outside of work?
Outside work, I enjoy cooking, watching my athletic kids competing in multiple sports and, as an authentic Brazilian, I love dancing at parties with my friends.
Did you know?
What you may not know about Flávia, is that she is a life saver in and out of work. Read more about when
Flávia used her skills to help rescue a father of two children from drowning at a local pool.
You can also
read more about the T7 team.
The PHSA+ Awards are part of an internal recognition program that celebrates teams and individuals who bring our PHSA values to life in the workplace. They go above and beyond to serve patients and families across B.C. Read about the other PHSA+ award recipients for 2022.
