Two longtime pillars of health care in our region will be recognized this month for their commitment to enriching the lives of older adults.
Sylvia Naughton and Tamara Nowak-Lennard of Waypoint’s North Simcoe Muskoka Specialized Geriatric Services (NSM SGS) program have both been tapped to receive County of Simcoe Age-Friendly Individual Recognition and Achievement Awards.
I received an email from Simcoe County letting me know that I had been nominated by my peers and colleagues to receive the award. What an honour; I am so surprised and beyond grateful for this acknowledgement and their support. I have great respect for all that my colleagues and peers do, and truly appreciate their ongoing dedication to excellence in the care of older adults in our community.
Sylvia Naughton, Manager, Geriatric Medicine at Waypoint's North Simcoe Muskoka Specialized Geriatrics Services
Naughton, who plans to retire in March, has worked as a nurse leader in Simcoe County for more than 15 years. She helped establish and expand the Seniors CARE exercise programs in the Midland, Barrie, Orillia and Collingwood areas, and spearheaded implementation of the Learning the Ropes program — a rehabilitation program for older adults with mild cognitive impairment — in new parts of the county. Most recently, she has been helping advance geriatric emergency management programs to improve the care provided to older adults and their care partners in emergency departments.
Sylvia has been a wonderful support, wealth of knowledge and true age-friendly champion. Sylvia’s leadership has been fundamental in the positive amount of change in senior-friendly care we have been able to implement so far at our small hospital. Her dedication to senior-friendly care is an inspiration.
Kimberley Hickman, Geriatric Emergency Management Nurse and Patient Flow Navigator at Midland’s Georgian Bay General Hospital
Nowak-Lennard recently retired as a manager with NSM SGS after working for more than 30 years in geriatrics. One of her many career highlights was collaborating with local hospitals and partners to advocate for and implement the Senior Friendly Care initiative. This aims to prioritize the support of older adults and ensure that care environments and practices are designed to accommodate their unique needs.
Nowak-Lennard began working with NSM SGS in 2016 as the first Clinical Nurse Specialist. In this role, she played a key role in the development of a co-ordinated system to support older adults living with frailty and complexity. She has also been instrumental in establishing a regional education system for specialized geriatrics, which has enhanced the skills and quality of care among health care providers.
Tamara has been a tremendous advocate for geriatrics, a nurse mentor, and has provided visionary system leadership. Tamara has had an outstanding career and has made contributions that will be felt for decades to come.
Dr. Kevin Young, Vice-President, Medical Affairs, and Chief of Staff at Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care
The Age-Friendly Recognition Program was developed as part of the County of Simcoe Positive Aging Strategy. The awards ceremony will take place Jan. 28 at the county’s Administration Centre in Midhurst.