HHS presents the 2024 Health Professional Bursary Award Winners

Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) celebrated this year’s Health Professional Bursary Award recipients on Friday, May 10. These awards are offered annually to HHS health care professionals who are pursuing degrees in their profession.

Congratulations to all of this year’s recipients on their achievements:

Kirsten Forster has over 13 years of experience as a radiation therapist and most recently joined HHS in 2022 working at our Juravinski Hospital and Cancer Centre. Kirsten is currently pursuing her Master of Health Sciences degree in the Advanced Health Care Practice program at Western University.

Tonia Petti has worked at HHS since 2012, initially as a cardiology technologist before transitioning into her current role as a registered electroneurophysiology technologist in the Pediatric Neurology and Comprehensive Pediatric Epilepsy Program at our McMaster Children’s Hospital. She is currently pursuing her Master of Health Evaluation at the University of Waterloo.

Spencer Sawyer joined HHS in 2022 as a hospitalist midwife at our McMaster Children's Hospital thanks to the Ministry of Health’s extended midwifery care model. He is currently pursuing his Master of Science in Midwifery degree at McMaster University.

Tony Levere transitioned to a role in health care later in his professional career and joined HHS in 2022 as a health care aide on the Surgical Oncology Unit at our Juravinski Hospital and Cancer Centre. He is pursuing his studies in the Personal Support Worker Pathway to Practical Nursing Program at Durham College.

Anna Ifeonu began her career at HHS 20 years ago, working as a business clerk at numerous sites. Since 2021, Anna has been a social worker for the Cardiology and Vascular Surgery Unit at our Hamilton General Hospital. She is pursuing her Master of Social Work degree from Walden University.

Christine Penny began her career as a registered nurse 13 years ago at our McMaster Children's Hospital in the Inpatient Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Unit. She is pursuing her Master of Nursing at McMaster University and a Post-Master Nurse Practitioner Diploma through Athabasca University.

Brittany Jerry joined HHS in 2020 as a registered practical nurse working with the nursing resource team at our Satellite Health Facility. In 2021, she transitioned to the Spine and Orthopaedic Surgery Unit at our Hamilton General Hospital. Brittany is pursuing her Bachelor of Nursing – Post LPN degree through Athabasca University.

Angela Porch started at HHS in 2012 as an registered nurse on the Neurosurgery Unit at our Hamilton General Hospital, followed by several years in the Intensive Care Unit. She currently works as a nurse clinician-educator for our Satellite Health Facility. She is pursuing her Master of Nursing degree at Athabasca University, with a focus on education and leadership.

Embodying EDI in the application process

Creating an environment where every person at HHS feels included, safe, and respected for who they are is key to living our values and achieving our vision of Best Care for All. Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) recognizes that each person or group has different needs and circumstances, providing them the resources or opportunities they need to reach an equal outcome.

Nick Morrison, interprofessional education specialist, has coordinated the bursary awards for the past three years. Morrison was consistently recognizing candidates with a higher access to professional resources compared to those who did not, and reached out to the HHS Foundation, Volunteer Association, and the EDI team to promote a more equitable staff bursary process.

“In order to support this change I reached out to the EDI team," explains Morrison. "They were able to collaborate in the redevelopment of our selection process to ensure equity in accessing these crucial financial supports.”

This collaboration resulted in a formal review of the bursary criteria and making changes to better support applicants. “It is fundamental to make sure everyone has the proper resources and opportunities they need to succeed,” says Morrison.

The application criteria review resulted in a very positive outcome, with the 2024 bursary seeing a 52% increase in applicants compared to the previous year. Each year the bursary process continues to improve, embodying EDI to provide better opportunities for all staff.

Dedication to continuous learning

Speaking at the event, Sharon Pierson, Executive VP, Clinical Operations, COO & CNE says, “on behalf of the Executive Leadership Team at Hamilton Health Sciences, I extend my sincere congratulations to all the recipients of the 2024 bursaries."

Pierson praised award winners' commitment to continuous learning, as this is critical to our mission to provide the highest quality of care and create a culture that embraces and advances education.

"Your specialized education will enrich the experiences of our patients and families and demonstrates to others the reward and impact of lifelong learning.”

 The bursary awards are made possible through the generous support of the HHS Foundation and the HHS Volunteer Association (who manage the parking lots and cafeterias across HHS).