People Come First
Our Strategic Direction, People Come First in Everything We Do means that our most important priority is the health and wellbeing of every person on our team, every patient, family member and caregiver, and every member of the communities we serve.
This also means ensuring that NYGH is an exceptional workplace where our team members can grow and thrive.
Watch these videos about building a career at NYGH, featuring our team:
Fostering Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)
Guided by our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Framework, NYGH is committed to ensuring everyone is valued, respected and free from discrimination. NYGH has made substantial progress on all pillars of the EDI Framework: Education and Training, Engagement and Belonging, Health Equity, Policies and Programs, and Data Analytics and Reporting. We put a major focus fostering belonging and wellbeing and supporting individuals and teams during a particularly complicated time in the world.
- NYGH’s EDI plan and achievements were showcased by the Canadian Centre of Diversity’s 10th Anniversary Campaign (external site).
- As part of our Pride celebrations, NYGH team members joined colleages from North York Toronto Health Partners and across Toronto at the Pride Parade.
- Guided by our Anti-Black Racism (ABR) Steering Committee, the findings from our ABR Experience Survey and confidential focus groups with staff, physicians, learner, and volunteers are shaping our actions to tackle Anti-Black Racism.
- New groups formed — Diversity Council, AODA Committee and Jewish Resource and Advocacy Group.
- We expanded programming and resources on the historic relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada, Indigenous inclusion and cultural safety. Smudging ceremonies are now a standard of practice.
Using the translation software, Voyce, we provided
61,920
minutes of translation service in our community’s top language to patients on tablets
NYGH launched Everyone Counts Health Equity Measurement Survey, which collects personal information from patients to assess health equity and improve services and health care access for everyone. Community members and patients are being engaged at every step, including co-designing communications plan and materials.
Julia’s Story: A Final Push, An Everlasting Pull
There was no question in Julia’s mind as to where she was going to deliver. It would be the same hospital where her mother had helped deliver babies for 25 years: North York General Hospital.
Julia’s mom had been a Labour and Delivery (L&D) nurse and many of the NYGH staff had known Julia her entire life. They had watched her grow up, and now that she was having a baby of her own, they were beyond excited for her. Julia considered the L&D staff her “second family” and wanted to share this life-defining moment with them. She trusted them fully with her care.
It was a full circle moment.
New Program Provides Youth and Adults with Right Mental Health Care, Sooner
In the busy corridors of NYGH’s Charlotte & Lewis Steinberg Emergency Department, a transformative initiative stands out: the Mental Health Emergency Services Unit. Dedicated exclusively to mental health care, this specialized area represents a significant advancement in how mental health services are delivered to those experiencing a crisis. Hear directly from a patient who shares their journey and the profound impact of this dedicated space on their treatment and recovery.
All Hands on Deck to Improve Emergency Department Wait Times
Despite having one of the GTA’s busiest emergency departments, the Charlotte & Lewis Steinberg Emergency has among Ontario’s shortest wait times and has a reputation for leading innovation and people-centred design.
Andrea Ennis, Director of NYGH’s Emergency Services Program and Nursing Resource Team and Dr. Kevin Wasko, Chief of Emergency Medicine, are at the frontlines of emergency care at NYGH and at the forefront of transforming the way EDs work within an integrated health system.
“The length of ED wait times is the biggest concern we hear,” says Dr. Wasko. “So we try to do whatever we can to ensure patients are seen quickly and receive the right care in the right place for their individual needs.”
NYGH has the lowest ambulance offload wait times in Toronto which allows paramedics to get out on the road faster. NYGH maintained these ambulance offload wait times during the pandemic and was able to increase our volume upon request.
By reorganizing care delivery and working as one team across the hospital to address the causes of wait times, we have made a substantial difference for patients and increased the satisfaction of the entire team.
“Changing the way we do things can be challenging, but our staff and physicians are dedicated to continuous improvement so that patients receive high-quality, timely care,” says Ennis.
The strong partnerships between the hospital, primary care and community providers to transition patients to the community when they are ready also frees up hospital beds, enabling us to move people through the ED faster.
Our ED Ambulance Offload Program has been highlighted as a best practice in the province and NYGH has worked with 13 other hospitals or municipalities, some of which have subsequently improved offload times.