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Mary DuQuesnay bids farewell to St. Joe’s after 42 years
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On June 26 Mary DuQuesnay will retire after over 21 years as President and CEO of St. Joseph’s Health Centre Foundation, and after a total of over 40 years with St. Joseph’s Health Centre, where she began in 1973 as the Director of Volunteer Services. supplied photo “I really couldn’t ask for a better job. I never dreamt when I began, that I would work here all this time,” says DuQuesnay. “There has always been such a family atmosphere at St. Joe’s. Working here felt like when you are making a great friend. When I began, the Sisters were still on site and the caring and the mission was so alive with them that it couldn’t help but rub off on you.” When asked how things have changed over the 40 years, Mary reflects. “We were young and full of enthusiasm. Back then it was a more
relaxed environment; there weren’t as many rules and regulations as there are today.” She recalls a time when the centre didn’t have a wheelchair accessible bus, so they hired a city bus and removed every other seat and the cash box, then physically lifted the resident and the wheelchair on to the bus. “We attended a variety of events such as ballgames in Toronto and exhibits at the Royal Ontario Museum. We were determined to show the residents more than just the inside of St. Joe’s or at most the City of Guelph. Many of the patients were close to our age. We empathized with them, and while they were our patients, they also became our friends.” In 1973 the average age of admission in what was then known as St Joe’s Home of the Aged was 65. Today the average age of admission in the complex care and long-term care unit is 85.
With the changes to health care, many patients that were once considered acute care patients now are residents in long-term care. “People are much older and more frail, with more complex medical issues when they come to St. Joe’s,“ says DuQuesnay. “More medical care is needed now, where before it was more of a home.” Rehabilitation both inpatient and outpatient, Complex Continuing Care Services, Adult Day programs as well as outpatient clinics are also offered to people of all ages in Guelph and Wellington County. “Home care wasn’t given a high priority when I first came to St Joe’s. There are different pressures on the system now with the aging population and with seniors now being a growing segment of the population.” As a leading-edge facility, the staff members at St. Joe’s have always been forward thinking. In 1975, Mary, together with an Occupational Therapist and the Recreational Services Department, along with some members of the community, were responsible for the first accessibility study for Guelph; and from that Guelph Services for Persons with Disabilities was created. “The timing was right,” said DuQuesnay. “There had never been a study on how accessible Guelph was for people with disabilities. We applied for and received a Trillium Grant, brought in students to help and literally created an office space for them. We wrote the study from scratch and it had a real impact. Huge changes came out of that study–it created an awareness of what true accessibility is.” In the late 1980’s there was talk of a capital campaign to raise funds for an acute care facility–while the project didn’t take place, the foundation office was created and in 1994 became registered as St Joseph’s Health Centre Foundation, with Mary DuQuesnay as the President and CEO. Today many of the original staff members are still there. Mary has seen many changes to the
by Heather Grummett
building itself through the years, including the opening of 96 new long-term care beds in 2011, the addition of 80 units of affordable housing for seniors in 2012, and the new hospital and long term care centre in 2002 that had been in the talks since 1973 when she began. Over the years, the Foundation office has created some very popular and longstanding fundraising events in the community. The Festival of Trees has run for 23 years, an event that actually began before the Foundation was official. What started with eight Christmas trees has grown into a spectacular sight at the River Run Centre with 53 trees ranging from four feet to eleven feet in height; all decorated in various themes, as tree designers engage in some healthy competition to have the most outstanding tree. This year marks the 18th anniversary for Taste of Guelph–the annual garden party where over 600 participants enjoy samples from more than 50 of the area’s finest restaurants, vintners and brewers. Over the years the event has raised over $800,000, which has been shared between The Foundation of Guelph General Hospital and St. Joseph’s Health Centre Foundation Guelph. In 2015 St. Joe’s has taken over the event on their own and many sponsors have already committed to the event, plus 85% of the restaurants, wineries and breweries are booked for the garden party of the year. “Fundraising is always challenging,” says DuQuesnay. “We have tried to evolve and stay on top of the latest trends, such as reaching different audiences through the creation of a website and then from there through various forms of social media, while still communicating with our donors through the tradition ways such as direct mail.” “There are more charities now than there used to be and all are great causes–but it means there are more places for donors to give their money. With 97,000 charities across Canada, donors are more sophisticated –contd on pg 4
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