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When Ashley started as a volunteer at the Ottawa Children’s Treatment Centre (OCTC) in 2007 (OCTC eventually amalgamated with CHEO in 2016), she heard whispers of a new building being planned to further support children and youth. Years later, CHEO is bringing this vision to life. The new CHEO integrated treatment centre, also known as 1Door4Care, will be completed in 2028. And today, Ashley is the Program Manager for this project – a full circle moment from her early days as a volunteer.
After years of working in the clinical care setting in various roles from volunteer to Program Assistant to Recreation Therapist, Ashley wanted to see how she could make an impact in a different way. She applied to the CHEOWorks fellowship program, which allows staff to serve as members of various cross-functional teams to redesign processes and implement measurable and sustainable changes.
“This is the theme of my career,” says Ashley with a laugh. “When I first started working with children and youth, I didn’t know Recreation Therapy existed. And when I started the CHEOWorks fellowship program, I didn’t know quality improvement existed. Doing this one-year fellowship changed the trajectory of my career.”
Within a year, Ashley received a vast orientation of what makes CHEO sing. She worked with the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, the eating disorders program, the budgeting of medical and surgical supplies, and more. She had a front row seat into CHEO’s improvement culture and knew she was meant to do a different kind of work.
Armed with that knowledge, Ashley realized that while she loved working with children and youth, she was drawn to understanding problems and finding their solutions. She moved into a leadership position as Clinical Coordinator for the Development and Rehabilitation team and today, is the Program Manager for the exciting 1Door4Care project
“1Door4Care is transformational in nature – it's about really considering where we want to be, and not being afraid to make big changes to get there. On the flip side, there is so much value in smaller, incremental changes being made by lots of people. Over time, both avenues help us transform care for children and youth,” says Ashley. “These changes, and improvements, are what make CHEO what it is today – a strong and driven organization with patient care at the forefront.”
CHEO values professional development and innovation – it’s what leads to better care for children, youth and their families.
CHEO is filled with solutions driven and creative people like Ashley. Join us.