Welcome to the Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant Regional Lead Series. Over the next several months we will be introducing the Regional Leads who work behind the scenes for the Regional Cancer Program. This month we would like to introduce Riley Crotta.
What is your Regional Role?
I am the Person Centred Care Lead for the Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant Regional Cancer Program.
What is your day job?
I am the Regional Cancer Program Manager for HNHB and oversee the areas of cancer prevention, cancer screening (including the Mobile Cancer Screening Coach), Indigenous cancer care, person-centred care and patient education. I am privileged to work with such a diverse team of individuals who are dedicated to improving many aspects of services across the continuum of care in the communities that we serve.
Why is person centered care important?
Person-Centred Care is important because we know that patients not only have a better experience, but also have better outcomes when they are actively involved in their care. We are continually working to ensure that patients and families have a voice in all aspects of the care we provide – from 1:1 interactions with their care team about their needs and wants, to opportunities to tell us how we did through our My Voice Matters survey, and through established groups, like our Patient and Family Advisory Council that provides guidance and advice on quality improvement and new initiatives taking place at the Cancer Centre.
What is one piece of advice you would like to share?
Growing up, my mother always reminded me that the only way to eat an elephant is one piece at a time. While this saying has perhaps lost some appropriateness through the years, the sentiment still rings very true. It is easy to get overwhelmed, especially with these challenging times that we are living in, and sometimes focussing on just the next step can be much more manageable than the whole. Baby steps are just as important as giant leaps.
What do you do to decompress?
Reaching out to my family and friends for a laugh, vent, or whatever is needed depending on the day is my go to way to decompress. Some cuddle time with my daughter or furry friend, Elton, are pretty effective as well!
Social Media information: you can find me on Twitter at @life_of_riley80