(Sault Ste. Marie, ON April 18, 2023) – Sault College’s Health Care Administration (HCA) students organized an event at the College to help spread cheer among patients at the Sault Area Hospital. Staff and students worked together to create 140 get-well cards that have been distributed to patients with the aim of bringing a smile to their faces during their stay in the hospital.
Second semester HCA student and internationally educated physician Chathurika Srimalee Sekku Baduge is proud to be a part of the organizing team emphasizing that the positive psychological impacts such gestures can have on patients is important for their recovery. "Small actions can make a huge difference. This is a great opportunity for Sault College students to help our local hospital and patients and make their hospital stay more pleasant and memorable.”
Sault College’s HCA program focuses on the business of health care and the role health care administrators play in leading health systems and organizations in providing high-quality care to patients. HCA Professor Rebecca Keown notes that "patients and their families are central to everything we do in health care: they are why we exist. An important part of quality care is ensuring patients have a positive experience in the health care system. Creating these get-well cards for Sault Area Hospital patients will remind future health administrators of our purpose and hopefully brighten someone's day when they might not be feeling their best,” she adds.
Organizing student Leo Vanjun Martinez shared how volunteering to uplift the dignity of others is incredibly meaningful. “I used to work with the Department of Health in the Philippines as an Executive Assistant to the Regional Director. Volunteering with this kind of activity was part of my tasks and responsibilities back home and I am honoured to do the same here in Sault Ste. Marie. Being somebody who is fascinated with arts, it is my pleasure to extend my talent to positively impact others,” says Leo.
Sault College is proud to be a part of this meaningful community initiative that will have positive impacts on so many.
To learn more about our HCA program, visit Health Care Administration | Sault College.