Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH) unveiled The Janice Skot Gathering Place during a ceremony honouring the legacy of the organization’s retiring President and CEO.
The RVH Board of Directors chose a sun-filled corner of the Main lobby under a soaring ceiling with a view to the sculpture garden to name after Janice Skot and designate as a place for all to gather. The Gathering Place symbolizes Janice’s commitment and connection to TEAM RVH and the patients the health centre serves.
“During Janice’s remarkable 18-year tenure, RVH has experienced unprecedented growth,” says RVH Board Chair Charlotte Wallis.“But beyond the expansion of both the building and the breadth of services RVH now offers, Janice has built a culture of acceptance and belonging during her tenure. The Gathering Place honours Janice’s commitment in a meaningful and lasting way. It is a place for people to meet, to share, to cry, to laugh and to heal.”
The words “Gathering Place” were also translated into Ojibwe and French to reinforce RVH’s commitment to diversity. At the ceremony, Skot was presented with a blanket from Germaine Elliott and Brenda Jackson, co-chairs of the Indigenous Health Circle (IHC), an initiative of the Barrie Area Native Advisory Circle (BANAC). A blanket, an Indigenous gift that signifies enduring friendship, was given in recognition of Janice’s partnership with the Indigenous community in this region and her contributions to all communities.
This honour, was followed by the gifting of a dreamcatcher from Roberta Manitowabi, RVH’s Indigenous Patient Navigator at the RVH cancer program. Dreamcatchers are intended to filter bad dreams and protect one from evil and negativity.
“Janice has worked hard to create a culture within RVH which demands patients and families are at the centre of all we do,” says Wallis. “But it also demands the same respect and compassion for staff, volunteers and physicians – TEAM RVH. This congeniality and inclusivity were championed by Janice and it is the hope of the board that all who enter this facility experience this culture and enjoy this new space.”