Creating Welcoming Spaces for Staff, Patients and Families

Guelph General Hospital (GGH) now has more welcoming outdoor areas thanks to COVID-19 Critical Response Fund donors.

In place of a handful of wooden and stone tables around GGH are 29 new picnic tables and 10 new benches to help give staff, patients and their families areas to recharge and reconnect. COVID-19 created the need for increased social distancing in our outdoor spaces and the Hospital also wanted to provide better wheelchair accessibility.

The new tables and benches are made from BarcoBoard, a durable material that won’t fade or sag over time. This durable material is also wipeable for enhanced cleaning, helping to prevent the transmission of viruses like COVID-19.

Khalil Khamis, FGGH Board Vice Chair, exclaims, “Hospital staff are managing some of the most challenging times in their careers. With thanks to donors in our community, we are able to support staff in big and small ways, such as these outdoor spaces to help them provide exemplary care for patients and their families.”

GGH Health and Wellness Specialist, Lauren Brown remarks, “As well as spaces for staff, these picnic tables offer a comfortable outdoor area for patients to get fresh air and to gather with their family and friends. It also operates as an alternative space for physicians to chat with patients and their families.”

The first day these tables and benches debuted was June 21st, 2022— the first day of summer. Brown put together a fun and engaging staff cupcake party to celebrate.

Thank you to everyone who donated to the COVID-19 Critical Response Fund. Donor support funds significant items big and small that can make all the difference in patient care and staff support.

As GGH healthcare heroes continue to be at the forefront of our community’s response to the pandemic, it is wonderful for GGH staff to feel supported right back by our community.

To learn more watch this Yes, That Too is Funded by You video featuring Lauren Brown and GGH Learning and Organizational Development Consultant, Joanne Oliver.