Starting the day with a plan
It's 9 a.m. at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, and close to 25 people are crowded into a room not much bigger than most office break rooms. They wear the uniforms affiliated with the many different roles at the hospital: nursing, housekeeping, medical residents, physiotherapy and social work.
Standing in one corner overseeing it all is Linda Flockhart, Clinical Director at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre.
The hospital implemented these daily "huddles" a little over a year ago. It is a chance for all the staff working in a particular unit to come together and plan for the next 24 hours and anticipate any issues that may arise. The huddles happen throughout the centre each morning, with the manager of each unit feeding the most vital information to Linda on a 9:30 a.m. phone call.
Put simply, Linda's job is to realize the organizational goals and vision of the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre. As Clinical Director, she is tasked with managing the centre's $100-million budget, making sure her staff has the tools to do their job and working with physicians to support their initiatives.
"Within reason," she says with a laugh.
Before stepping into management roles, Linda was a critical care nurse on the front lines of patient care. Her passion for her patients never waned – she's just able to influence patient care in a different way now.
"I think I always was vocal in wanting to change the system and speak up, so this role gives me that opportunity," she says.
The fourth Peter Munk Cardiac Centre magazine is published by The Globe and Mail. Flip through its (digital) pages to read more about a day in the life of PMCC, game-changing devices, precision medicine and a tribute to our namesake, Peter Munk.
The magazine is now available online.
