As of March 21, 2025, MGH’s main entrance on Coxwell Avenue is closed as the next phase of our redevelopment project begins. Patients and visitors can use the new temporary main entrance on Sammon Avenue between Coxwell Avenue and Knight Street. View our campus map.
Every year, March 8 marks International Women’s Day (IWD), a day that calls attention to ongoing efforts to achieve women’s equality. The theme for 2025 is Accelerate Action, promoting a sense of immediacy in forging a path to gender parity.
At Michael Garron Hospital (MGH), we greatly value the contributions of our workforce, more than three quarters of which are women. To highlight the diversity of women’s lived experiences, we asked some of our team members about their healthcare journeys and the actions and resources that have helped accelerate their success at MGH.
“I began my journey at MGH more than eight years ago as a nursing student and, to this day, am grateful and fortunate to be a part of the MGH community.
MGH has been instrumental in my professional growth – it’s provided me with a supportive and enriching environment that fosters learning and skill development. As a student nurse, I had access to dedicated mentors and resources that helped build my confidence and competence.
In addition, I’ve had the opportunity to join various committees and groups that help improve patient care across the hospital. I’ve also participated in specialized training and gained hands-on experience in multiple departments and clinics, allowing me to expand my knowledge and refine my skills.
A key factor in my growth has been feeling encouraged and having strong, emotionally intelligent leaders to look up to. The supportive culture at MGH has made this process seamless – everyone is open to sharing knowledge and resources, including through initiatives like the Emerging Leaders Program, which offers staff opportunities to develop their leadership skills and careers through mentorship and hands-on experiences. There are also Leadership Excellence Essentials Program (LEEP) courses, where staff can strengthen their ability to lead with purpose.
This creates an environment where learning is a collective effort. Even if a leader or colleague doesn’t have the answer, they are eager to guide me in the right direction. This culture of collaboration and mentorship has reinforced my confidence in continuously striving for growth and taking initiative in my professional development.”
“At MGH, I have been fortunate to be part of a community of inspiring women scientists and dedicated allies who not only advance research but also foster mentorship and support. Their guidance and collaboration have been instrumental in helping our teams navigate systemic challenges, create opportunities for others, and ensure that our research translates into meaningful impact.
From peer mentorship to institutional initiatives that prioritize equity, my colleagues and community have accelerated my growth as a researcher and strengthened my commitment to creating inclusive, community-driven solutions. It is through collective action and sustained support that we can drive lasting change for women in research and beyond.”
“I began my journey at MGH as a volunteer in 2013. For eight years, I led and trained student volunteers across multiple departments, including in Kidney Care, the Stavro Emergency Department (ED), Diagnostic Imaging, surgical waiting rooms and Information Services.
This role helped me develop leadership, communication and conflict resolution skills while ensuring high-quality service. My dedication was recognized with the Carswell Foundation Volunteer Scholarship in 2014 and 2019, which supported my post-secondary studies to become a Registered Nurse.
I started working as a nurse at MGH in 2022. In addition to my role in the ED, I’ve had the chance to develop my teaching skills as an assistant in The Rands Family Simulation Centre, where we design and implement simulation-based training sessions that foster clinical reasoning, decision-making and teamwork. In this role, I collaborate with Dr. Rajani Vairavanathan, Emergency Physician at MGH, whose mentorship has been instrumental in refining my approach to teaching and providing valuable feedback during debriefing sessions.
In addition, I had the opportunity to participate in a fellowship program where I led a quality improvement project focused on increasing the utilization of the Paediatric Respiratory Assessment Measure (PRAM) tool in our Child and Youth Emergency Zone. This is a tool that helps doctors and nurses more effectively determine how severe a patient’s asthma is, which allows us to provide better care.
Implementing this project strengthened my leadership and project management skills. Overall, these diverse experiences have equipped me with the skills, resources and support needed to make a significant impact at MGH while fostering my growth as a clinician, educator and leader. This foundation also enabled me to pursue my master’s degree in nursing at the University of Toronto.”
