Micheline St-Hilaire is Actionmarguerite’s new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Her first day was July 5. “I’m honoured to be here,” says Micheline. “I look forward to working with the people of Actionmarguerite—from residents to families to the dedicated team of healthcare providers. I also can’t wait to work with the board of directors and our partners to create a strategic plan that speaks to the context we’re living in today.”
Micheline aims to continue to build conditions for respect, dignity and compassion in order to promote the wellbeing of residents and caregivers at Actionmerguerite. “Actionmarguerite has a reputation of being a leader and an innovator in our community,” says Micheline. “I’d like to build on that solid foundation to continue to meet today’s needs.” One of the projects that really excites her is an approach the staff has been implementing called Gentle Persuasive Approach (GPA). The purpose of GPA is to deliver person-centred care to people living with dementia. “It’s important that we spend time on this area so we can support our residents with compassion and respect,” says Micheline.
The new CEO also aims to restart activities that were stopped as a result of the pandemic. The long-term care home is in recovery mode and Micheline is working with her team to know what a post-pandemic organization will look like.
Twenty-five years ago Micheline was a summer student at Actionmarguerite. Fast-forward a few years later, she worked at Réseau Compassion Network where she spearheaded the Compassionate Project. Then she became CEO at Centre de Santé and worked in community development, which is where she connected with her affinity for walking alongside seniors and their families. Right before stepping in as CEO of Actionmarguerite, she was Director of Corporate Affairs and Communications at Saint-Boniface Hospital. “I did a full circle,” says Micheline. “When I walked through Actionmarguerite’s doors on my first day, I felt like I was home.”