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MANITOBA’S TOP EMPLOYERS (2025)
Safety comes 昀椀rst at Riverview Health Centre
“W
ere we safe
today? Are we
going to be
safe tomorrow?
Do we have any safety concerns?”
Cherie-Ann Sheppard says those
are the questions often asked at
the beginning of staff safety huddles at Riverview Health Centre
Inc. in Winnipeg. The daily
huddles, lasting 10-15 minutes,
allow staff to come together and
discuss safety issues, share best
practices and identify areas for
improvement.
Set on a beautifully landscaped
24 acres, Riverview provides
specialized inpatient, outpatient
and outreach services, including rehabilitation, palliative
care, dementia care, complex
respiratory care, personal care
and adult day programs. As safety
coordinator, Sheppard works with
staff to create awareness about any
hazards and address any concerns
that arise, as well as dealing with
policies and procedures to make
sure Riverview follows all legislative requirements and standards
for safety.
Preventing injury is key.
Typically, musculoskeletal injuries
occur when staff are lifting and
transferring patients or residents
from their beds or wheelchairs.
Additionally, jobs in housekeeping
and shipping require bending and
lifting, so it’s very physical.
"We fit the job to the employee,
not the employee to the job,” says
Sheppard. “We try to remove
any hazards and bring in lifts or
portable stands where we can to
reduce strain. We also provide
employees with training on using
proper body mechanics and safe
work practices, and post signs in a
fun way as reminders just to keep
on top of it.
"If there’s a specific issue, it’s
written down on a ticket so we can
follow up, and most importantly,
so staff can see the action that was
taken to address that safety issue."
Riverview was recently recognized by SAFE Work Manitoba
with a SAFEty Culture Award and
became Safe Work Certified with
Manitoba Association of Safety in
Healthcare (MASH). Riverview has
also implemented a Commitment
to Safety statement signed by
CEO Kathleen Klaasen. Sheppard
attributes an important part of
the success of the safety culture at
Riverview to the commitment and
support of leadership.
“Senior leadership has been a
blessing,” she says. “It really helps
when our senior leadership team
is readily available to all staff.”
Safety is so important.
When you come to work,
you shouldn’t go home hurt
that day.
— Kathleen Klaasen
CEO
Employees at Riverview Health Centre enjoy a sunny lunch together in the organization’s campus courtyard.
CEO Klaasen believes leadership commitment and investment
in safety need to be in every part
of the organization.
“Safety is so important,” she
says. “As health-care professionals,
we care about the people we serve,
but we have to focus on our own
safety too. When you come to
work, you shouldn’t go home hurt
that day.
“Another risk that we don’t
often talk about is how our mental
health can be impacted when
caring for those in difficult health
and end-of-life situations. It’s
important to talk about it, so when
staff have their daily huddles,
they’re not just speaking of physical injuries.”
Staff have mental health support
available through Riverview’s
employee assistance program
