Highlighting our Team: Lori Donnelly

Lori Donnelly, Patient Care Manager, has been part of the health care team at Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre (SLMHC) since 1983.

After starting her career as a Registered Practical Nurse (RPN), Lori has pursued further education throughout her tenure to provide health care in multiple areas at SLMHC. Lori says SLMHC was supportive of her education goals, helping her to grow her career and become an influential part of the SLMHC team.

“I could’ve gone other places to work, but I chose to stay here. They’ve been very supportive all these years, helping me climb further up the ladder. I started as a RPN, I went and got my OR (Operating Room) Tech, came back and worked here again. After a few years of that, I went back to school and became an RN (Registered Nurse), and now I’m sitting in a manager’s position. You can climb in this if you choose to,” Lori explains.

Lori has recently put her retirement on hold to continue being a resource and mentor for staff members at SLMHC while in her role as Patient Care Manager.

“It’s been really good. I enjoyed working with the team that I had in the operating room. They’re the ones that I’m trying to mentor right now… There’s a lot of learning, and it is a learning curve to take on positions in there,” says Lori. “The nursing profession is a job where you learn, and you learn every day.”

Lori has been working closely with staff as SLMHC continues to introduce a patient-centered Team Model of Care for our inpatients. Lori says the collaborative environment on the nursing floor, thanks to the Team Model of Care, has resulted in better feedback from patients and improved patient care at SLMHC.

“Sue Anderson (Director of Patient Experience) did a walk around, and she asked all our patients how they felt about their care since the Patient Centered Team Model of Care was introduced.  All the patients surveyed said the nurses were more accommodating, they were answering the bells quicker, and I think it’s because of the team level we have now,” Lori says.

When it comes to working at SLMHC and living in Sioux Lookout, Lori says she can’t imagine herself elsewhere.

“I think anybody coming here would love to work here. This is God’s country here. We have beautiful lakes, we have bush for trails to walk. If you have pets, this is the place to be. I was born and raised here, and you can’t find a better place to live.”

SLMHC is looking to add passionate people like Lori to our talented health care team! Visit slmhc.on.ca/careers to explore our opportunities and apply today.