Testimonials from our Staff

St. Joseph's Care Group is, quite simply, a rewarding, exciting and supportive place to work. See the following testimonials from some of our employees who are happy to share their viewpoints on what brought them to the Care Group and Thunder Bay and what keeps them here:

Robert Berardi, Lakehead University, BScN, 1996

I first joined St. Joseph's Care Group in 1999 as a staff nurse on the Transition Unit. I remained on Transition for several years where I was able to develop my nursing skills while working on various challenging clinical caseloads, working with a great team of co-workers. The commitment and dedication of the staff at the Care Group, as well as modern equipment and excellent resources, are some of the features I appreciated in my nursing practice. In 2007, I became part of the Learning and Professional Practice team as Clinical Education Coordinator. Again, I am very fortunate to work with a great team of professionals in this area. In this role, SJCG provides me opportunities to further my professional and leadership development while maintaining a healthy balance between work and family life.

Kate Melchiorre, Queen's University, BSc, Occupational Therapy, 1994

Since the beginning of my career in 1994, I've had the pleasure of working in various services and sites within St. Joseph's Care Group, as well as other organizations. As a new mother, I appreciate the flexibility and accommodation from the Care Group for my ever-changing personal life. I've also found that management listens to concerns that are brought forward by staff and acts upon them. With program management in place at St. Joseph's Care Group, representation on the team from multiple health disciplines provides a more holistic approach to client-centred care. It also gives us, as professionals, the opportunity to work more closely with students and come up with new and exciting approaches to help our clients.

Trina Pearson, University of Manitoba, BSc, Registered Dietitian, 2000

When I became part of the St. Joseph's Care Group team in 2000, the staff were so friendly and welcoming - it certainly made the transition from student to professional life easier. Thunder Bay is a perfect sized community, too. It offers the kind of things one desires from city life but is also small enough that you can get to know your professional colleagues throughout the community. It is such an advantage to have people in your profession there to call when you need information and support.

Susan Siczkar, University of Toronto, BSc Pharmacy, 1983

Having worked in both retail and hospital pharmacies, I appreciate several advantages of working within a hospital pharmacy, especially within the program management structure of St. Joseph's Care Group. My position here allows me the opportunity to utilize the full range of clinical and professional skills and to become an integral member of the interdisciplinary team. The reasonable hours of our pharmacy service affords a quality of life that is important to me, being able to balance work and home life.

Susan Redmann Brodeur, University of Minnesota, Duluth, MA, Communication Sciences and Disorders, 1999

When first coming to St. Joseph's Care Group in 1999, I discovered that one of the advantages of this organization is the great professional flexibility. I have been given ample opportunities to work in a variety of clinical positions, working with adults and children in inpatient, outpatient and community based settings. My co-workers are wonderful - I have developed amazing friendships that give me the support we all come to rely on when working in a team environment.

Mary Donaghy, University of Windsor, PHD, 1992
Steven Donaghy, University of Windsor, PHD, 1993

Since moving here in 2000, we have been happy to call Thunder Bay our new home. Relocating to another community with a young family can be difficult but the people here were friendly and hospitable. They make you feel like you are welcome in a professional and personal way. We like that Thunder Bay is a small enough community to access all the amenities you need without the traffic congestion like larger cities we have lived in. There are also endless recreational and cultural events and activities (annual, seasonal and ongoing) that the whole family can get involved with. As well, there is a history in Thunder Bay that is quite appealing, especially evident in many of the buildings in the downtown cores. We appreciate the professional collegiality within the Care Group and the community as a whole and feel this is a great city in which to raise our children.

Michelle Knudson, Confederation College, RN, 1989, Community Nursing Certificate, 1995, Certified Rehab Registered Nurse, 1995

As the Coordinator of Occupational Health, I consider it a priority to promote wellness initiatives, healthy lifestyle choices and a work life balance for our employees. The Care Group offers employee fitness classes, blood pressure monitoring, employee physiotherapy services, a supportive modified return to work program and other regular wellness initiatives to help our employees stay healthy.