Effective April 6, 2023 – BC Government Announcement: End of Respiratory Season Update News

What has changed?

• Visitors will no longer be required to provide their vaccination status, and those who are unvaccinated for COVID-19 will be able to visit freely at long-term care and assisted living sites.
• Visitors will no longer be required to undergo a rapid antigen test or confirm a recent negative rapid antigen test prior to visiting.
• Visitors will not be required to wear masks while vising long-term care and assisted living sites, unless specifically required based on a Point of Care Risk Assessment (assessment by a health care worker that masking is required based on the risks of infection, including a resident’s symptoms, the type of interaction with residents, and the environment).
• There will be no restrictions on gatherings, events or activities including visitors, indoors or outdoors, regardless of visitor vaccination status.
• Active screening of visitors is no longer required.

What doesn’t change?

• Sign-in / Sign-out when you come for a visit at a long-term care site or assisted living site
• Practicing hand hygiene to keep germs from spreading
• Not visiting when you are ill
• Wearing a mask if you choose to wear one

As a young boy, the author of this month’s hymn, O God, Our Help in Ages Past, was challenged by his father to write better hymns for their congregation. Isaac Watts went on to be a prolific writer of hymns, theology, sermons and other works. All of these writings had a powerful influence upon the thinking of the late seventeen and early eighteenth centuries. Find out more about this hymn!

Click to listen.

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