Skip to content

Mental-health hospital strikes gold for its pursuit of excellence

Waypoint recently recognized at Canada Awards for Excellence ceremony
20241101-excellence-canada-2024
Representing Waypoint at the Canada Awards for Excellence ceremony are staff members Josh Mace, left, Michaela Rossi, Nicole Mace, Kelsi Maracle-Dorion, Liz Everett, Soumya Ghosh, Rohit Tandon and Gail Czukar.

Waypoint is one of 15 outstanding Canadian organizations to receive recognition from Excellence Canada for its commitment to continual improvement and pursuit of excellence.

The awards were presented at the Canada Awards for Excellence ceremony on Oct. 28 in the categories of Organizational Excellence, Excellence, Innovation and Wellness, Healthy Workplace and Mental Health at Work, for which Waypoint will receive the gold-level award.

Since receiving the Mental Health at Work essentials-level award in 2022, the Penetanguishene-based mental-health hospital addressed areas of improvement through new programs and education to meet this advanced criteria. This included the introduction of the Stepped Care Model for Employee Emotional and Psychological Support, not only for the hospital community, but also to help 16 other hospitals and community organizations support their own staff. By investing in  people, Waypoint supports their effort to continue delivering the compassionate, high-quality care that patients deserve.

This journey would not have been possible without the resilience and commitment of staff who provide specialized mental health, addiction and geriatric care to some of the most complex and disadvantaged people in Ontario.

This is an incredibly proud moment for Waypoint, but the work is far from over. It will continue to innovate, support and lead in creating a workplace that fosters well-being and inclusion. It is setting a standard for mental-health care, not just for patients, but for every individual who walks through its doors.

A team representing Waypoint attended the ceremony to receive the award. The Canada Awards for Excellence is an annual awards program established in 1984 that recognizes outstanding achievements by organizations in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. The Mental Health at Work award framework was developed in association with mental health and work safety professionals from across Canada, and the requirements incorporate principles and practices as outlined in the National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace.