(Oakville, ON) – Participation in Halton Healthcare’s Leadership Development Program, Inspiring Leadership, is resulting in increased staff engagement, lower turnover rates, better connections and improved patient care.
There’s a lot to celebrate this spring as the first graduates of the Halton Healthcare Leadership Development Program, Inspiring Leadership, receive their diplomas and set out to act on what they learned.
Launched in Spring of 2022, at the height of the pandemic, Inspiring Leadership was designed to support its workforce. One year, 4000 hours of training and almost 500 students later the program is having a profoundly positive impact on the workforce through enhanced engagement and reduced turnover, resulting in better patient care.
“No one in healthcare can solve the complex challenges we face alone. Our goal through Inspiring Leadership is to create authentic connections between people in our workforce and our community. We provide opportunities for them to grow, work and solve the issues we face, together. This drives positive organizational outcomes, supports teams and in the end serves to improve patient care – all in the best possible way – by working together,” says Dr. Daniel Edgcumbe, Vice President Medical Affairs.
Halton Healthcare Medical Affairs and Human Resources worked in partnership to create the comprehensive leadership development program. Intended to support learning at various stages of an individual’s leadership career it also promotes relationships across business functions and professions.
Stefania Cloutier is among the first cohort of graduates. She works as an Infection Prevention and Control Professional at Halton Healthcare and believes the program is making a real difference to the patient care and staff that she supports. “I am grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues from across the organization – the connections I have made through this program are phenomenal. Our focus is working through issues to really see how, together, we can improve systems and provide better and safer patient care. It was really inspiring. The tools provided will really assist me in the work that I do, not just personally, but organizationally. What a tremendous resource.”
The program includes health system partners, both as participants and to provide education. Judy Linton, Executive Vice-President, Clinical Institutes & Quality Programs, Chief Nursing Executive for Ontario Health delivered a session on the healthcare landscape in Ontario. “The approach taken by Halton Healthcare and the design of its leadership development program is innovative and unique,” comments Linton. “By reconnecting members of the workforce with their sense of purpose and providing opportunities for growth, they will make real progress in addressing the health human resource challenges that we are all facing in healthcare.”
The Inspiring Leadership program at Halton Healthcare includes three streams of leadership development:
 | Exemplary Leaders targets high-performing senior leaders who are invited to participate by Halton Healthcare’s Senior Leadership Team and Medical Advisory Committee. Content is customized for Halton Healthcare and delivered by an external provider. |
 | Growing Leaders is a six-month cohort-based program. It is intended for current and aspiring leaders to create a leadership pipeline. Participation is through self-nomination with managerial endorsement. It includes formal learning residencies with content developed and delivered by experts from within Halton Healthcare, as well as some community and health system partners. It also incorporates complementary packaged courses such as Leader as Coach and Crucial Conversations. Learning is supplemented through executive and leadership fireside chats along with group coaching. In addition, participants work in small groups on action learning projects based on challenging real life organizational problems, supported by executive sponsors. |
 | Leaders Everywhere provides a continuous range of diverse learning opportunities for all staff and professional staff. Individuals can select from offerings that support their unique needs, whether they are just dipping their toe in, or are seasoned leaders. Affiliated Connected Care Halton Ontario Health Team partners are invited and encouraged to participate in this cohort of the program. |
“The pandemic has been challenging for everyone, our staff, and our community,” says Cindy McDonell, Senior Vice President, Clinical Operations. “Through Inspiring Leadership, we are really seeing that, as teams are provided with meaningful opportunities for development, they are re-energized, invigorated, excited and full of new ideas – it’s wonderful to be a part of it.”
According to Michele Leroux, Chief Human Resources Officer, “Through a systematic and intentional approach to leadership development, the Inspiring Leadership program allows us to create a unique employee value proposition, which is pivotal to our health human resources work at Halton Healthcare.”
About Halton Healthcare
Halton Healthcare is a healthcare organization comprised of three community hospitals - Georgetown Hospital, Milton District Hospital and Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital, along with several community programs and services. Together we provide healthcare services to nearly 400,000 residents in the communities of Halton Hills, Milton and Oakville. Halton Healthcare has been recognized for its best practices in a number of patient safety and patient care initiatives as well as being recognized as a recipient of “Canada’s Most Admired Cultures Award in 2021-2022.”
For more information visit www.haltonhealthcare.com.
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