Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital (OSMH) is hosting a job fair inside its main entrance today.
The hospital is looking to fill more than 80 vacancies, 60 per cent of which are nursing positions.
Melanie Delion, senior human resources business partner for OSMH, says there are a number of reasons the hospital is short-staffed.
“We did have a good handful of people retire in 2022,” she explained. “We have a number of people who can retire in 2023, and some people have been dropping down from full-time to a part-time role status based on personal circumstances.”
In 2022, 17 of the 312 staff members who were eligible to retire decided to do so. In 2023, 335 staff will be eligible.
Delion says the hospital has also seen an increase in patient volumes, creating an urgent need to hire more staff.
Before noon Saturday, more than 100 people had attended the job fair. There are jobs available that require different levels of experience, from nursing to support services (cleaning), and information technology.
Delion says it’s always exciting to have newcomers join OSMH.
“We are a wonderful team of people,” she said. “We are all very passionate about our jobs and what we do here.”
It’s also exciting to know relief is on the way for the departments that are short-staffed, she says.
“It’s been a hard go. We want to help ease the burden. Life has been crazy over the last few years both professionally and personally for a lot of people,” she said.
Carmine Stumpo, president and CEO of OSMH, says the job fair has been a success so far. He spent a couple of hours meeting and chatting with some of the people.
“I’ve been looking forward to introducing potential recruits to a culture of community and a fun organization,” he said.
Seventeen job offers had been made before noon Saturday.
“We are always recruiting,” Stumpo said. “It’s our first opportunity to do it in person in a long time.”
He says the people are what make OSMH a great place to work.
“We have the greatest team,” he said. “People are giving their Saturday to come out, recruit, and meet potential candidates. I think that is just an example of the commitment of our team, the sense of community that we’ve built, and the culture we strive for.”
Ellen Seivewright applied to be a registered nurse at OSMH on Saturday morning and got the job on the spot.
“I actually came here today to help some young ladies trying to get into the dietary and nursing fields,” she explained. “I decided to fill out the application because I was already here with them. I didn’t come with a resume or anything.”
For Seivewright, working at the hospital gives her a sense of comfort.
“It’s close to home,” she explained. “There are already a few people I know working here, and people are always telling me that I should come work here.”
Seivewright applied to work in the palliative care area of the hospital, which is where she will start working Dec. 12.
“That’s my passion,” she said. “I believe when people are going home, they should go home comfortably.”
She feels working at OSMH will be rewarding.
“Working with people is always rewarding,” she said. “When people come to the hospital, they are usually in a very vulnerable state of mind. When they come, they want to meet someone on the other end who can not only comfort them but also help them.”
The job fair wraps up at 3 p.m. today. However, those who would like to apply to work at OSMH can still do so virtually by clicking here.
