Menno Place welcomes Ms. Sujata Connors as our new Chief Executive Officer

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The Board of Directors of the Mennonite Benevolent Society is pleased to announce Ms. Sujata Connors as our new Chief Executive Officer (CEO).  Sujata is a values, faith-based leader, with over 20 years of progressive leadership experience.

Sujata was born in Halifax and raised in New Brunswick.  Having grown up in a small town of 2500 people, Sujata deeply values community and connection and very much appreciates the need of the residents at Menno. She started her career in nursing working both in the UK and Canada. She transitioned to leadership roles and has worked for a number of years within the BC Health Authorities, currently serving as a Director within the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority.  Her career has been predominantly focused on supporting seniors and providing high quality health services that promote wellness, independence and choice through a person-centered approach.  Additionally, Sujata has been actively involved in collaborative partnerships to build coordinated care and streamlined systems across local and regional levels.  She has led facility redevelopment, rebuilds, capital planning and property management to support clinical services.

Sujata holds a Master of Public Administration, a Bachelor of Nursing and a Bachelor of Science. She has also had significant training in quality improvement through the BC Patient Safety & Quality Council as well as the Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement.

I want to extend my appreciation to the senior leadership team for providing interim leadership.  They will work closely with Sujata to ensure a seamless leadership transition to Menno over the next few months.

We are confident that Sujata will bring leadership, fresh eyes, thoughtfulness, creativity, care and devotion to the position.  She will be starting at Menno Place on February 22, 2023.

Carol Dyck, MBS Board Chair
on behalf of the MBS Board

Memo: Expanded Options for Visitors to Assisted Living Only

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The BC Ministry of Health has expanded the visitation rules for Assisted Living residents to allow one unvaccinated essential visitor per resident. This change does not apply to long term care (Menno Home or Menno Hospital) at this time.

All requests for essential visitors to Terrace East must be approved by Trish Giesbrecht. Once approved, the visitors will be placed on a list so the visitation hosts know they can come into the building.

All unvaccinated visitors must:

  • Wear a mask at all times while inside the building.
  • Take a COVID rapid test at every visit.
  • Only visit in the resident’s apartment. Please do not visit in lounges, the dining room, the lobby or the bistro.

In addition, pharmacy and grocery delivery drivers will no longer need to be vaccinated and will be able to bring your delivery right up to your apartment door.

If you would like to request an essential visitor for Terrace East please see Claire at Reception or call 604-851-4004.

If you have questions about unvaccinated visitors to Menno Home or Menno Hospital please call Garry Janzen 604-851-1332.

Good Bye to the Staff – Karen Biggs Retirement

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Good Bye to the Staff – Karen Biggs’ Retirement:

As Menno enters 2023 to celebrate it’s 70th Anniversary, the Lord has different plans for my life as I move on alone to tackle my breast cancer journey and then find a ministry in retirement.

I am truly sorry that I did not get a chance to thank each and everyone of you personally for all the wonderful things you do every day to serve our residents, their families and each other.

I experienced a taste of your love from the West 1 Home staff while they took excellent care of my darling husband, Peter for 15 months before he passed.

I was amazed over and over how thoughtful, loving and kind everyone here is. I knew we give great care, but I didn’t really know that we give EXCEPTIONAL Care!!

I have seen many, many changes while I was here for the past almost 10 years!! I am thankful for all of you who put up with the changes and helped with them. I am disappointed that I did not get to rebuild our buildings for you but it is in God’s hands (and Fraser Health’s) as to when that gets done.

I am optimistic that Covid may have helped us move that project forward. I know that you are in great hands with the fantastic Leadership Team here at Menno and I have every confidence that the board will pick a great replacement for my position. I know that they are ready to announce my successor very soon as I had dinner with the board last night and they assure me it is forth coming.

Until they make an announcement, Kathrin McMath will be Acting CEO in my place.

I will continue to pray for all of you and the campus as I go forward. My radiation and medication pick ups are across the street at ARH so I will pop in to visit and attend Prayer Circle when I drive in from Langley if the times work.

Thank you for your prayers and your support these past 3 Covid years. It has been a tough pandemic for all of us and thanks to you we have done a great job handling it here at Menno. I wish fervently that we had not lost anyone to that disease!

Thank you for your diligence to keep our people and each other safe.

I look forward to the day that your unmasked faces will again show the smiles that I know live behind them.

All the best, may the Good Lord bless and keep you in His Loving arms.

Karen L. Biggs

Thank you, Karen, for your faithful work at Menno Place over the past 9.5 years!

You have led in a way that has made us very proud of the care we give and the way you’ve improved the campus of care.

We pray that you will have a wonderful retirement as you continue to find ways to use your gifts for God’s glory and the benefit of those in need.

The Leadership Team

Hymn Stories – January 2023

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This month’s hymn is a All Creatures of our God and King. This inspiring expression of praise found in nearly every hymnal was originally written in 1225 by one of the most interesting figures in all of church history. Giovanni Bernardone, who was better known as Saint Francis of Assisi, was a medieval monk who spent his lifetime as an itinerant evangelist, preaching and helping the poor people of Italy.

Click to listen.

Read more

January is Fall Prevention Month at Menno Apartments!

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Fall Prevention Info Sessions are being held in each apartment building with weekly progress check-ins on Saturdays.

CLICK HERE to view the January Recreation Calendars for more information.

Family & Friends Council Meeting (Home & Hospital) – Dec 15 @ 2:30

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On December 15, 2022, 2:30pm-3:30pm, Family and Friends (Family Council) will be meeting in person. The option of attending via Microsoft TEAMS will be offered as well if you cannot attend in person. The meeting will take place in the Menno Hospital Conference Room (near the Fireside Café – behind Receptionist Leslie Calbick’s desk).

Family and Friends is a regularly scheduled meeting for family members, friends or representatives of our residents in Menno Home and Menno Hospital. Our guest speakers will be Manager of Care Feldi Navarro and Menno Home Chaplain Ann Thakker. Feldi will be sharing her new role and how she can be a support for the residents and families in Menno Home and Hospital. Ann will be discussing palliative care and end of life support, and how she can be a support for residents and families.Family Council is a great way to connect and learn about the opportunities that are on the Menno Place campus, as well as getting to know other family members that are on a similar journey with their loved ones in long term care. We hope you will be able to join us.If you plan to attend in person:• You will need to be Covid vaccinated• Please arrive early in order to conduct the rapid test in the reception lobby• Please wear masks during the meetingIf you plan to attend online through Microsoft TEAMS, please click the following link below to join the meeting by video, or call the number with the code beside it to call in to the meeting. It is recommended to download Microsoft TEAMS onto your device to benefit from all its features, but it not, you can still click the link and use TEAMS through your internet browser.Join on your computer, mobile app or room device

Click here to join the meeting

Meeting ID: 232 556 755 888Passcode: fnMV95

Or call in (audio only)

+1 778-731-1352,,350357991#   Canada, Port Moody

Phone Conference ID: 350 357 991#

Family & Friends Council Meeting (Home & Hospital) – Dec 15 @ 2:30

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On December 15, 2022, 2:30pm-3:30pm, Family and Friends (Family Council) will be meeting in person. The option of attending via Microsoft TEAMS will be offered as well if you cannot attend in person. The meeting will take place in the Menno Hospital Conference Room (near the Fireside Café – behind Receptionist Leslie Calbick’s desk).

Family and Friends is a regularly scheduled meeting for family members, friends or representatives of our residents in Menno Home and Menno Hospital. Our guest speakers will be Manager of Care Feldi Navarro and Menno Home Chaplain Ann Thakker. Feldi will be sharing her new role and how she can be a support for the residents and families in Menno Home and Hospital. Ann will be discussing palliative care and end of life support, and how she can be a support for residents and families.Family Council is a great way to connect and learn about the opportunities that are on the Menno Place campus, as well as getting to know other family members that are on a similar journey with their loved ones in long term care. We hope you will be able to join us.If you plan to attend in person:• You will need to be Covid vaccinated• Please arrive early in order to conduct the rapid test in the reception lobby• Please wear masks during the meetingIf you plan to attend online through Microsoft TEAMS, please click the following link below to join the meeting by video, or call the number with the code beside it to call in to the meeting. It is recommended to download Microsoft TEAMS onto your device to benefit from all its features, but it not, you can still click the link and use TEAMS through your internet browser.Join on your computer, mobile app or room device

Click here to join the meeting

Meeting ID: 232 556 755 888Passcode: fnMV95

Or call in (audio only)

+1 778-731-1352,,350357991#   Canada, Port Moody

Phone Conference ID: 350 357 991#