‘We were in the trenches together’: Healthcare staff reflect on bittersweet final day of COVID-19 assessment centre
By day’s end Friday, the COVID-19 assessment clinic at Windsor Regional Hospital (WRH) will close, more than three years after opening at the height of the pandemic.
“This moment in time is so special,” Kelly Heron, director of in-patient surgery, said. “We all have an opportunity now to look back as to how far we came.”
Heron was a member of the leadership team that supported the development and operation of WRH’s assessment and vaccination centres.
“We didn't have any of those blueprints or plans. What we had was a team that was dedicated and they all brought their talents and we developed it,” said Heron.
Patty Boucher, unit clerk for the assessment centre, remembers working in the in-patient clinic in March 2020 with, “the management team just going through with clipboards and looking around at things and boom — two days later it was the whole unit was converted into a COVID assessment to treat the public.”
Since then, nearly 191,000 people walked through the clinic at Ouellette campus.
“You'd see people coming in crying. You could feel the fear off of them,” said retired registered practical nurse Shelley Farrand who returned to work to help with pandemic.
“When you work with people for over 30 years, your work family becomes part of your family. And I wanted to be able to help them, as well as our community,” said Farrand.
She would stay on until March 31, 2023, for the assessment centre’s final day.
Farrand told CTV News one of the most motivating parts of working through the pandemic was when hospital CEO David Musyj and members of the executive helped with a drive-thru swab event at St. Clair College.
“You’d see them out in the hot sun, swabbing,” said Farrand. “It makes you feel safe. Like if they're here and they don't have to be, then we're safe. So that's what I liked and I'm grateful for our leadership team.”
Boucher said she never felt unsafe at work, in fact, quite the opposite.
“I felt more secure here at work because we had the PPE because we were so well taken care of. I felt more secure at work than I did out in the public, going for groceries,” said Boucher.
With the assessment centre closing, the staff will now return to the jobs they had and maintained throughout the pandemic, excluding Farrand who will return to retirement.
Farrand said however, “I’d do it again!”
“I’m so glad that everyone can get back to some semblance of normal in their everyday life,” said Heron.
The group agrees it’s a bittersweet moment.
“I think everyone, in whatever department you belong to, said ‘what can we do to help?’” said Heron. “And I feel like this was my part that I could do to help and I couldn't have done it without all the staff.”
“We worked in the trenches together. We laughed together, we cried together, we vented (and) we shared stories. The people I will miss greatly,” said Boucher. “The clinic has run its course and it's time to move on. And I am actually looking forward to moving on to the next step of my career.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
Quebec judge orders bus driver to stand trial for 2023 daycare crash deaths
A judge has ordered a Quebec man to stand trial on charges of first-degree murder in the deaths of two children killed when a bus rammed into a Montreal-area daycare last year.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Humboldt Broncos bus crash survivor qualifies Canada for Paralympics in rowing event
Former Humboldt Broncos goaltender and bus crash survivor Jacob Wassermann has qualified Canada for a rowing event for the 2024 Paralympic games in Paris.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Krispy Kreme doughnuts coming to McDonald's in U.S., but not Canada
Canadians will be missing out on a sweet new partnership between McDonald's and Krispy Kreme, which will see doughnuts available at McDonald's locations across the U.S. by the end of 2026.
Calgary officer charged after allegedly assaulting handcuffed man
A Calgary police officer has been charged after allegedly assaulting a handcuffed man two years ago.
Trudeau's latest pre-budget pledge targets millennial moms, vowing $1B in loans for more child-care spaces
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.