It’s often the little things that keep us going through a tough day. That’s why Osler implemented compassion carts and respite rooms to assist our Health Care Heroes as they continue working around the clock to provide exceptional care to our community in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Each Osler site has a respite room where staff can go for beverages, treats, wellness resources, or quiet time. Managers can also sign out compassion carts for short shifts to bring snacks and drinks around to their teams.

“When I come around with the cart, the thing I hear is, ‘You have no idea how much I needed this,’” says Kiran Patel, Clinical Services Manager, Cardiac Diagnostics and Cardiac Rehab. “It may be just that bottle of water or bubbly water, which they enjoy—it just perks them up, it just gives them that little boost of energy they need to get through the day.”

Staying hydrated and healthy isn’t always easy during busy shifts. The continued demands of the COVID-19 pandemic can leave staff feeling tired and our respite initiatives play a vital role in helping staff stay Osler Strong.

“It's not so much the consumption of the food and what we're giving them,” explains Kiran. “It's that moment to just say, ‘I'm thinking about you. I know today's a really busy day and you probably haven't had a chance to get to the respite room, so we're going to bring it to you.’ It's just knowing that they can pause for that brief time to think about themselves.”

It takes Kiran about 30 minutes to go around with a compassion cart—time well spent, she says. “It's not a whole lot of time out of my day, but I see what a difference it makes to them. It puts a smile on their face and they really appreciate and look forward to it.”

Donations to Osler Foundation’s Compassion Fund help support the most urgent needs of our Health Care Heroes, including wellness and respite resources like these, along with equipment needs across our three sites to ensure they have the tools they need to continue to provide compassionate care. Kiran wants donors to know how much their support has meant.

“The compassion cart feels like a little gift in the middle of a long, drawn-out siege,” she explains. “For a moment we can step out of our roles and choose something that someone else has sent to us to help keep our energy and spirits up. Thank you for the much-needed reprieve on days we need it most.”

Your donations to the Osler Foundation Compassion Fund help keep our heroes strong. If you choose, you can direct your gift to “Food for Health Care Heroes” on the donation form. Due to the complexity of safe distribution across the organization, meal donations are no longer accepted.