Last week was a time of transition at the head of the board table of Prince Edward County’s residential hospice.
Wednesday’s monthly meeting of the Board of Directors included celebrating the tremendous contribution of the outing Peter Matthewman as his term as President of the foundation has expired, and welcoming incoming President Dr. Susan Brajtman.
Matthewman was an instrumental figure in the establishment of Residential Hospice here in Prince Edward County over a decade ago.
First leading the building effort of the Hospice as Chair of the building committee, and later in July of 2015 joining the Board of Directors. In April 2016 he took over as President. During his tenure in the role, Matthewman led Hospice into a period of stability, professionalism and growth. Beginning last November, Hospice transitioned from providing 3rd party clinical services to a model that sees Hospice directly employing over 10 clinical staff and taking full control over quality of care.
“This transition was three years in the making and is a significant accomplishment for Peter and the Board. Peter has agreed to stay on as Past President to ensue a smooth transition,” said Melanie Dailey, Community Development Director.
Dr. Susan Brajtman (Hospice Prince Edward photo)
Ushering in this new era of increased accountability and direct care provision, is the new Board President, Dr. Susan Brajtman of Wellington.
Dr. Susan Brajtman is an Adjunct Professor (formerly Associate Professor) in the School of Nursing at the University of Ottawa. From 1984 till 2002 she lived in Israel with her family, where her clinical experience involved community health nursing on a kibbutz, and clinical and administrative experience in palliative care as the Head Nurse of the Palliative Care Unit of Hadassah University Hospital in Jerusalem. Her research and educational focus include delirium at the end of life, education for health care professionals in end-of- life care, and interprofessional education and practice.
She has published extensively in these areas and presented at national and international conferences. Susan has been a member of the Board for the last 3 years.
“All of the staff at Hospice were thrilled when we learned that Susan accepted the responsibly of becoming our next President. Her wealth of experience in palliative care, deep knowledge and compassionate nature will be critical in leading us in this next phase of our evolution”, stated Dailey. “Our Board of Directors as a whole are remarkable. We are so fortunate to have this level of talent and dedication here in our community”.
When asked what we can expect from Hospice in the coming year, Dailey reports that navigating the pandemic continues to be a top priority.
The team continues to adapt its programing accordingly, so that high quality palliative care and grief and bereavement support are available to all who need it,” she added.
Covid protocols are frequently updated and available on the Hospice website www.hospiceprinceedward.ca
-Staff