More than 100 Vancouver Acute staff and volunteers recently gathered at the Blusson Spinal Cord Centre to celebrate decades of service and career-spanning friendships.

Mary Ackenhusen (left), incoming VCH president and CEO, and patient escort Sally Callaghan.

This year 466 VGH staff and Vancouver Acute volunteers marked at least 10 years of continuous service with VCH this year — 13 celebrated an impressive 40 years and a lifetime of memories. Sally Callaghan is one of them.

“It was very nice party; I really liked how everyone got to socialize with everyone else,” she says. “Over the years I’ve had many jobs — patient escort being my latest. It’s a great place to work and I’ve made lots of great friends.”

A challenging and rewarding career

Also marking her fortieth anniversary, Patricia Yoshizawa, an OR nurse, says “it doesn’t feel like forty years.” Ask her what she still enjoys after so much time on the job and she doesn’t hesitate. “A perfect day is to know a service so well that you can have the instruments in the surgeon’s hand before he asks,” she says.

Patricia Yoshizawa (left), OR nurse, and Mary Ackenhusen, incoming VCH president and CEO.

Patricia also feels privileged in many ways. “I’ve been involved in more than 16,137 operations, collected hundreds, if not thousands, of specimens for research helping to find cures and better techniques. I’ve worked with world-famous surgeons and hundreds of nurses over the years.

Celebrating in style with friends

Facilities, Maintenance & Operations – Back row (l to r): Matt Johnson (recipient); John May (recipient); Barry Collins (recipient), Rian Dodds, senior manager (acting), VGH; Ernie Mix (recipient);Terry Murray (recipient); Tom Mellor (recipient) and Victor Chan (recipient). Front row (l to r): Ed Florencio, chief engineer and manager, Energy Centre; Wendy Ulriksen (recipient); Beth Dennis (recipient) and Peter Yan (recipient).

To celebrate in style, a professional photographer was onsite to snap and print pics on the spot. Staff and volunteers also received chocolate treats, fresh flowers and, of course, their service pins.

“I enjoyed the new setting and approach for this service celebration,” says Pat. “The event was very festive and far more social than the usual parade of employees.  The refreshments were served as you came in and the mingling was very pleasant.”

UBC Hospital volunteers (l to r): Patricia Cowen, Gladys Thornley and Jean Burnham.

Judging by the photos, celebrating career milestones with longtime colleagues and friends was the best gift of all.