Thirty-eight years of dedicated health care service and being “a mentor, a leader, a friend to everyone who walks in her path or close to it” saw Beverly Belland, manager for the Elk Point Healthcare Centre and St. Therese Healthcare Centre, make a list of nine nominees for the North Star Award.
Belland was nominated for the award that recognizes caring, commitment and leadership among Alberta Health Services (AHS) staff in northern Alberta. In a glowing nomination letter, Dany Anne Fournier, registered nurse and care manager at the JP Decosse Auxiliary Hospital says, “Bev is a mentor to me; my admiration for her goes beyond words.” Fournier recalls that she first met Belland nine years ago as she was coming back to nursing and that Belland “always encouraged me to achieve, to take more training, to get more credentials to be the best I could be.” Belland gave Fournier the opportunity to become head nurse in acute care, and in two years in that role, Belland was there for Fournier “every step of the way” and teaching her the skills to be a good leader.
“When times were very challenging in my personal or professional life, Bev always found the time to listen and guide,” recalled Fournier.
Belland also proved to be a pioneer in her profession, coming up with the idea in 1997 to build a long-term car facility adjacent to the hospital, stated Fournier. In 1998, the JP Decosse Auxiliary Hospital opened, and according to Fournier, to this day, Belland stops by to visit residents, comes to special events, and stays in touch with the management.
There have been challenges posed with the multiple changes in health care and administration, but Belland is able to adapt and lead the rest of the staff in the right direction, Fournier feels.
“Since AHS was created, Bev has to manage two facilities,” she noted. “I am sure that at times the task is very demanding, but somehow she finds the way to smile, and have a word of encouragement to all around her.”
In an email sent to the St. Paul Journal from AHS, Belland expressed her surprise at being selected as a nominee. “It is an honor to be nominated and at the same time quite humbling. I would also like to say thank you to the staff members that nominated me for this award. Success in the position of site manager would not be possible without the support of the Health Centre staff and department managers.”
Registered nurse Lorna Chisholm of Jasper was this year’s winner of the award, but the AHS director of community and rural hospitals for northwest Alberta said all the nominees deserved recognition for their “outstanding work” on behalf of patients.
“Each nominee is truly spirited and offers their talents in a very special way,” said Sandra Herritt in an AHS press release. “Every single one just shone.”
