Staff Spotlight
Jill Wong and Melissa Clippingdale, Occupational Therapists
Continuing our celebration of occupational therapy month, we are excited to highlight Jill Wong and Melissa Clippingdale.
This strong duo are occupational therapists (OT) working together as Clinical Resource Therapists with the Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) Long Term Care (LTC) and Assisted Living Professional Practice Team.
“I love working with our multi-disciplinary team of nurses, care aides, social workers and other health care professionals all who have been bravely and compassionately caring for the residents in LTC over the course of the pandemic,” says Jill. “The team environment is supportive, kind, inclusive and open-minded.” Melissa agrees and adds, “I enjoy promoting best practice at the contracted care homes through education and one-on-one support for allied health.”
Melissa decided to join this team as the role gave her the opportunity to help support other OTs and other allied health positions to encourage the growth and development of the profession.
As for Jill, she has been a frontline OT working in both acute care and home health for the past nine years. “I felt like I was ready for the next step in my career path,” she says. “I am always willing to jump in to support my co-workers and I felt that the education/clinical support path was the next step for me. I love that this role lets me showcase the amazing things that OTs can do and how we can contribute to clinical cases to other disciplines.”
Melissa and Jill recall an inspirational moment that took place this past summer. Their team was part of a Code Orange evacuation effort to relocate almost 300 residents from Interior Health to LTC homes within VCH due to the wildfires. “The residents created strong bonds with the staff here. One resident was getting ready to board the bus home when she looked at one of the VCH staff to ask if she could come too. It was nice to see the bonds come out of such a stressful situation,” says Melissa. “I was so inspired by the resiliency of the residents who had to make the harrowing journey to Vancouver and their care staff who showed model compassion, empathy and who were amazing advocates for these residents,” adds Jill.
VCH aims to provide a supportive and inclusive environment and Melissa and Jill can attest to this. “I work with a great team that really looks out for each other,” says Melissa. “We are all willing to step in and help whenever we can. The therapists in the contracted care homes are often on their own so I like that my role gives the opportunity to provide them with support too.”
“Our team is very cohesive,” says Jill. “We know how to have fun, but we remain professional and push each other to be our best as people, clinicians and educators.”
So how does this dynamic duo incorporate VCH values (We Care for Everyone, We Are Always Learning, and We Strive for Better Results) into their role? “We always check on our team members to ensure everyone feels supported and that they are using best practices to care for the residents,” says Melissa. Jill adds, “Our team embodies evidence-based practice, culture change and a supportive environment to foster learning and a collaborative approach.”
As educators, they are constantly translating knowledge and practice to the long-term care homes that they support, collecting data and meeting with appropriate stakeholders to ensure processes are streamlined and that ultimately, the residents in LTC are getting the best care that they deserve.
Join us in thanking all occupational therapists across the organization for their dedication in providing exceptional patient care!
Join the team
Explore the current career opportunities for Occupational Therapists at Vancouver Coastal Health.