Listen to our latest podcast episode featuring Dr. Melanie Buba

Volunteers give their time to enhance the experience of children, youth and families coming to CHEO. Although we currently have over 700 volunteers in many different roles, for everyone’s safety, the number of volunteers onsite at CHEO has been restricted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This episode of Walk in Our Shoes is a conversation between Alex and Xeius Tran. Xeius came to CHEO as a coop student when he was in Grade 12 and stayed on as a volunteer playroom monitor — he makes play fun and engaging for kids who come to CHEO for care.

If you are considering volunteering at CHEO, subscribe to updates at the volunteer page where you will find a list of what volunteer positions are available and when the will reopen.

Listen to episode six, a conversation between Alex Munter and Dorothy Flemmings. Working in the Medical Device Reprocessing Department, Dorothy is on the frontline of patient safety, sterilizing and disinfecting medical equipment used throughout the hospital.

Dorothy joined the MDRD almost 20 years ago. When it comes to safety, she thinks of the children and youth who come to CHEO as though they are her own kids.

If you think a career at CHEO might be right for you, visit our Careers page.

Listen to episode five, a conversation between Alex Munter and Sarah Allan-Wiseman. Sarah works with the CHEO palliative care team and Roger Neilson House (RNH). She provides support and care to children and families with the most serious illnesses, as well as grief and bereavement supports to family members who have experienced the death of a child, be it at CHEO, RNH, or in the community.

Sarah started at CHEO as a 15 year old, volunteering in the inpatient playroom and oncology day unit. She left for a Masters of Social Work degree in Toronto, returning in the summers to work at CHEO and Rogers Neilson House. In January 2020, just before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, she joined CHEO fulltime time as a social worker.

If you think a career at CHEO might be right for you, visit our Careers page.

She has seen a lot of changes. Two new wings of the hospital have been built and funding for a new building — 1 door for care — has just been confirmed which will support children and youth with complex care, special needs and mental health challenges. Pharmacy has transitioned from handwriting and typewriters to Epic, CHEO’s world-class electronic health records system, improving the speed and safety of medications at CHEO.

If you think a career at CHEO might be right for you, visit our Careers page.

This episode is a conversation between Alex Munter and Sarah Hendry. Ten years ago, straight from Nursing School at the University of Ottawa, Sarah did her nursing consolidation training on CHEO’s mental health crisis unit. She has been a mental health nurse at CHEO ever since.

Sarah’s kindness and compassion glows. Thank you Sarah!

For adults with mental health issues, 70% of them first have issues in their adolescence. Mental health nursing professionals like Sarah and her colleagues at CHEO — psychologists, occupational therapists, psychiatrists, social workers and child and youth counselors — know that early intervention and support can truly change the trajectory of a person’s life.

If you think a career at CHEO might be right for you, visit our Careers page.

This episode is a conversation between Alex and Chris Leblanc. In 2017, Chris joined CHEO as a casual, part-time clerk the Health Records department, working behind the scenes during CHEO’s transition from paper files to electronic health records. In July 2019, Chris moved to the Help Desk, taking on the job of supporting computer users throughout CHEO, on the phone and in person.

Little did Chris know that he was about to become very busy. The Help Desk provided (and continues to provide!) critical support to staff who were suddenly working from home, and to clinicians who quickly pivoted to offering more and more virtual appointments as we worked to limit onsite visits. Two big, sudden changes that needed lots of support from the Help Desk.

Note Chris’s long hair and beard before you listen. You’ll learn why.

Chris was just promoted to being a Business Systems Analyst. Congrats, Chris! Listen to Chris’s enthusiasm for a career at CHEO.

If you think a career at CHEO might be right for you, visit our Careers page.

Episode one features Jackson Wu. Jackson joined CHEO and Environmental Services 11 years ago. He works all over the hospital cleaning and sanitizing in the Emergency Department and inpatient units. He's part of the team that keeps CHEO clean and safe.

Listen to Jackson sparkle when he talks about his enthusiasm for serving children, youth and families at CHEO.

“Interacting with people, children and families, is the best part about working at CHEO. Ensuring that they are well looked after while their child is in, maybe, a stressful situation. When I see them, I'm just there to help.”

If you think Team CHEO would be a good place for you, visit our Careers page.

Note, a French transcript of the podcast is available.