On, Saturday, January 25, 2020, I received a few messages on LinkedIn from colleagues saying “Congratulations on your work anniversary!” My first thought – wait a minute – anniversary?! 

I first started within our organization in October of 2014 and transitioned through a variety of roles within Plan A. Throughout all these experiences, I have grown personally and professionally. The recent work anniversary that LinkedIn alerted myself and my colleagues to referred to my role within Plan A Long Term Care Staffing and Recruitment, which I submerged myself into two years ago. This role has allowed me to recruit and work with Plan A owners across the province of Ontario, British Columbia and more recently, Alberta. It has been a phenomenal two years of growth, learning, adventure and hard work.

My presence within this beautiful vision of ours is very near and dear to me. I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to see the growth within our team at head office and within our teams across all Plan A locations. 

With this anniversary, I thought I would share a few things that I have been grateful for over the last two years within the role: 

1. The work I do impacts the lives of seniors living in long term care. I don’t consider what I do ‘work; it is more than that, it is a large mission—to ensure that those living in LTC have access to the best health care professionals. While my work is not directly hands-on within the long term care homes we service, I do have an indirect impact by supporting our teams, working with our long term care partners, learning everything I can about our industry, assisting in the establishment and growth of all of our Plan A locations. 
2. The work I do impacts the lives of those working in long term care. Nurses and Personal Support Workers work tremendously hard. These roles are all-encompassing—relying on physical, mental and emotional strength—requiring much energy and support. If you’ve been paying attention to the staffing crisis facing our health care sector, you will know that their roles have become increasingly demanding and the support they require is needed now more than ever before. If you ask any nurse or PSW what it is like to work short-staffed, you best be prepared for a descriptive story. I am comforted knowing that when our Plan A pool members accept shifts to work within our partnered long term care homes, they are helping other professionals get through their day with a little less stress.
3. I am grateful for, and inspired by, our team. With the growth of our company came our A-mazing, dynamic, brilliant, fearless, hardworking group of Plan A Owners who never cease to amaze me with their drive to follow our mission. Each and every Owner brings something unique to our table, we learn from one another and we celebrate with one another. Our internal team at our head office inspires me every day to be better, to work harder, to listen, to learn, to keep focused and lead them through our challenges and celebrate our successes.
4. I am empowered. I am empowered and inspired by our fearless leader, our President, Sheri Tomchick. Sheri is an inspiration to many and a visionary with goals bigger than anyone I have ever met. She works closely with her teams to ensure the focus is never lost, empowering each and every one of us to dream big, work hard and always do the right thing. We are empowered to think outside of the box, to imagine the best and be our best.

Well there you have it – I am grateful for our team, I am grateful for all of our Plan A Owners, I am grateful for my mentor and I am grateful for the opportunity to do what I do every day. 

What are you grateful for?!

~Mandy Gauthier, VP of Plan A Long Term Care Staffing & Recruitment