As Waypoint’s Assistant Vice-President of Corporate Services and Deputy Chief Financial Officer, Amy Timmons appreciates the human impact of financial decisions.

“I do feel connected to the care that’s being delivered at Waypoint,” she said. “I can put myself in the shoes of our patients and families.”

The reason for that is deeply personal. After the birth of her triplets eight years ago, Timmons experienced the agony of seeing one of her babies require intensive care at the Hospital for Sick Children.

“Having an exceptional hospital to send my baby to — with the best people, the best equipment and the right programming — I actually felt this sigh of relief,” she explained. “And I remember thinking about our patients and families, and how they’re also vulnerable. How do they feel when they come in to Waypoint? Are we able to offer that same feeling of relief?”

Growing up in Penetanguishene, Timmons saw several family members devote themselves to working at Waypoint, including parents and grandparents. As a girl, she thought of becoming a nurse, but instead went on to earn a business degree specializing in accounting from Nipissing University. After graduation, she stayed in North Bay for four years while working for professional services giant KPMG. Her first audit client was a psychiatric hospital, which gave her the opportunity to interact with patients.

“I always loved health care,” she said. “And I was really drawn to this dilemma of delivering exceptional care on a really tight budget, which is the reality today.”

With her soon-to-be husband remaining in Penetanguishene, going home was an appealing prospect. In 2010, Timmons applied for a temporary job as a senior business analyst at Waypoint. A one-year contract providing audit guidance led to a full-time position. In the 14 years since then, she has enjoyed the chance to work on a variety of interesting projects, the electronic medical records system, redevelopment, and more recently with expanded portfolios and the Digital Health Plan. Her journey has included manager and director roles, culminating in her current position.

“At Waypoint, there’s always opportunity to grow,” she said. “I’m proud of the trajectory I’ve taken. I always wanted to be more engaged with people, so moving into management made a lot of sense. I could still oversee and help with the work, but I was more excited about being part of and managing a team.”

The people surrounding her remain the best part of being here. “Exceptional” is the word she uses to describe the Waypoint employee base: “Every day I have an interaction with someone who is going about their day trying to do great work, but also trying to bring joy within the organization. They really care about the people we serve.”