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The staff of Tavistock Community Health Inc. (TCHI) received recognition and appreciation at their holiday celebration held on January 15 at The Brittany restaurant in New Hamburg. The six staff members have a combined total of more than 100 years of service to the Tavistock Medical Group.
“A lot of things have changed over the years,” says Mrs. Patricia Wettlaufer, medical office assistant, who has been working at the clinic for the past 25 years. She worked there as a student and for MDS Labs before joining the Tavistock clinic in 1979. “Time management is the biggest challenge these days,” she noted, with most patients quite impatient. “They want to be healed at 5:00 p.m. then take their kids to hockey at 6:00. There's no time to wait!”
But the ladies have learned you can teach an old dog new tricks. With the successful implementation of computer bookings, they are now preparing for more in-depth computerization. “As long as the power doesn't go out,” says Betty Zehr, RPN, who has been with the clinic for 20 years. She had previously worked at The Maples Home for Seniors.
Sue Kennel, RN, has also been with the clinic for the past 20 years. She worked in a nursing home prior to that.
Joan Leeming, RN, and the clinic's nurse manager, was the director of resident care at Hillside Nursing Home before she came to work in Tavistock 17 years ago.
Connie Yausie, RN, joined the staff 16 years ago. She worked at the clinic for 4 years previously, right after her graduation, then at The Maples for several years. She said she thanks God for answering their prayers when the fundraising took place as the community came forward to purchase the business and create TCHI. “It's a continued blessing for this community,” she said.
The youngest member of the staff is Shannon Martin, secretary, who joined the staff 10 years ago. She worked in the clinic as a co-op student while attending Waterloo-Oxford District Secondary School. “These girls have all been my moms,” at one time or another, she explains.
Each received a rose and a gold bracelet to mark the occasion.