News
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Yee Hong Newsletter
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Yee Hong News Releases
Union picketing at Yee Hong sites: Statement to the Community
On April 28, local media reported that the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) picketed at the front of Yee Hong’s Scarborough Finch Centre. Yee Hong is currently in collective bargaining negotiations with SEIU.
“Yee Hong deeply appreciates the contributions and dedication of our staff in serving our beloved seniors”, said Mr. Tony Chang, Yee Hong Centre’s Board Chair. “Sector-wide staffing shortages continue to significantly affect health and social service providers across Canada. We are working very hard to recruit people to join our rewarding place of work.”
Link to full news release (PDF)
Link to Chinese news release (PDF)
Yee Hong Announces Free PSW Certificate Program
15 individuals can complete Yee Hong Training and Learning Centre’s (YHTLC) PSW certificate program tuition-free by entering a Return of Service program.
“Staff are critical for our system right now. We all need to come up with innovative solutions to help tackle the health human resource challenge,” said Dr. San Ng, Yee Hong CEO. “Our private career college has been training and graduating qualified PSWs since 2019. We’re investing in training PSWs and removing barriers for students by offering free training in exchange for service. We’re pleased that CIBC Foundation is joining us in this endeavour and has donated $25,000 to support us. With these investments, we can provide free training for 15 PSW students.”
YHTLC’s PSW certificate program is approved as a vocational program under the Private Career Colleges Act, 2005. Students first learn foundational knowledge through seven months of part-time in-class modules, then apply their learning and develop practical skills through two months of full-time field placements within Yee Hong’s community and long-term care settings.
Yee Hong – A New Chapter, A New Brand
Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care and Yee Hong Community Wellness Foundation together revealed its new brand. The new logo symbolizes Yee Hong’s caring and energetic people, culture of innovation and collaboration, and commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.
“Yee Hong continues to be a vibrant organization because of our passionate and resilient staff, courageous leaders, and supportive clients and family members,” Dr. San Ng, CEO of Yee Hong Centre, said today. “Our new logo symbolizes what we feel in our hearts – a harmonious balance of innovation and tradition.”
Stephen Siu, President of Yee Hong Foundation, added that the new logo is a stylized reference to the Chinese character for “family”. “It reminds us that Yee Hong is all about ‘family’ – as we work together at Yee Hong, as we care for our seniors.” The tight-knit Yee Hong Family includes the Centre, the Foundation, Yee Hong Seniors Living, and their partners and supporters across Canada and abroad.
Link to full news release (PDF)
Link to Chinese news release (PDF)
Ontario Trillium Foundation Grant Helped Older Adults Bike Around the World
In 2020, the Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care received a $52,100 Seed grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation to help it deliver a fun, virtual program that takes older adults on virtual bike rides around the world. The grant helped pilot the Centre’s innovative Virtual Reality Exercise project.
“Yee Hong has done it again!” said the Honourable Raymond Cho, MPP for Scarborough North and Minister for Seniors and Accessibility. “Yee Hong continues to provide new innovative and important ways for Seniors to stay active, fit, healthy and have fun.”
The grant has helped with staffing, training, purchasing 10 Centivizer VR pedalling units, sanitizing equipment for users, and some administrative costs. The program makes use of the 2RaceWithMe system developed by Centivizer Inc., a company founded by Professor Mark Chignell of the University of Toronto, and is piloted with older adults attending Yee Hong’s various Adult Day Programs.
Participants engage in virtual world travel with the use of video content. The playback of these videos is controlled by the users’ continual foot or hand pedalling of a stationary bike – if the pedalling stops, so does the video playback.
$334,500 OTF Grant has Seniors Dancing with Delight
In 2020, the Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care received $334,500 Grow grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation to facilitate a dance fitness program for seniors with chronic health conditions and/or mobility limitations. The two-year, Markham-based project, “I Can Dance,” will create increased virtual opportunities for seniors to engage in safe and appropriate physical activity to enhance their overall wellbeing.
“Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care’s innovative ‘I Can Dance’ fitness program for seniors highlights the importance of safe and appropriate physical activity in order to improve overall wellbeing,” said Paul Calandra, MPP for Markham-Stouffville. “The Ontario Trillium Foundation’s $334,500 Grow grant will provide higher quality programming and infrastructure to encourage more active lifestyles and assist programs in being safe, inclusive, and fair.”
Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care appoints New CEO
Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care, the largest not-for-profit long-term care and seniors services provider in Canada, announced today at its Annual General Meeting the appointment of Dr. San Ng as its new Chief Executive Officer.
Mr. Anthony Chang, Chair of the Board of Directors of Yee Hong Centre, joined by Dr. Joseph Wong – Yee Hong Founder and Board Chair of Yee Hong Community Wellness Foundation, Mr. Stephen Siu – Foundation President, and all the directors of the Yee Hong Centre Board, extended a warm welcome to Dr. Ng.
Dr. Ng was previously President and CEO of a management consulting firm specializing in governance, strategy and transformation in the health and social services sectors. She supported organizations over the past 25 years to improve the health and well-being of diverse Canadians with leading practices. Dr. Ng holds a PhD in Management from the University of Toronto, Dalla Lana School of Public Health and an MBA from McMaster University.
Yee Hong Chinese Evergreen Manor lining up for COVID-19 vaccines
Yee Hong is pleased that residents aged 65+ at Yee Hong Chinese Evergreen Manor received COVID-19 vaccines administered in partnership with Scarborough Health Network during a mobile clinic held at the seniors’ residence in Scarborough today.
Yee Hong is here to help. Anyone in the community can phone our telephone hotline at 416-412-4570 for support regarding vaccines and vaccine clinics. Trained social workers are available weekdays from 9am to 5pm to assist in multiple languages. We provide facts about vaccines and assistance with vaccination registration for those who may not be able to complete the process themselves.
Yee Hong community lining up for COVID-19 vaccines
Yee Hong is pleased that residents aged 65+ at Yee Hong Garden Terrace received COVID-19 vaccines administered in partnership with Scarborough Health Network during a mobile clinic held at the seniors’ residence in Scarborough yesterday. Another mobile clinic for residents of Villa Elegance will be held on Saturday, March 27.
Yee Hong is here to help. Anyone in the community can phone our telephone hotline at 416-412-4570 for support regarding vaccines and vaccine clinics. Trained social workers are available weekdays from 9am to 5pm to assist in multiple languages. We provide facts about vaccines and assistance with vaccination registration for those who may not be able to complete the process themselves.
Yee Hong Recognized Among Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures™
Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care has been recognized among Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures by Waterstone Human Capital. This national program annually selects best-in-class Canadian organizations for their corporate culture. Yee Hong Centre is one of ten winners recognized nationwide in the Broader Public Sector category.
Yee Hong is a leader and innovator in high quality, culturally appropriate seniors care, accredited with “Exemplary Standing” by Accreditation Canada, and the largest non-profit long-term care home in the country. We believe in teamwork, open communications, trust, collaboration and accountability. We are thoroughly committed to perform at the highest level.
Read more about our award here. To see who we are, take a look at our Mission, Vision and Values.
Ontario government awards additional funding for Finch Centre construction
The Ontario government announced new funding to address long-term care waiting lists at Yee Hong’s Finch Centre. The $25 million investment recognizes the dedication, compassion and expertise of the Yee Hong team at all our homes as well as in the community as we protect our seniors during the pandemic.
“Under the gloomy atmosphere of the pandemic, the provincial governments important funding announcement is a breakthrough for funding in senior care,” said Dr. Joseph Wong, Yee Hong Founder and Foundation Board Chair.
Yee Hong to open Scarborough’s first residential hospice in Fall 2020
Public health authorities confirmed Yee Hong seniors and staff are COVID-free in four long-term care homes. A total of 1698 test swabs were taken at four locations between May 4 and May 18 to confirm our residents are healthy and safe from the virus.
Yee Hong residents all negative for COVID-19
Public health authorities confirmed Yee Hong seniors and staff are COVID-free in four long-term care homes. A total of 1698 test swabs were taken at four locations between May 4 and May 18 to confirm our residents are healthy and safe from the virus.
No residents affected as COVID-19 outbreak ends at Yee Hong Markham Centre
York Region Public Health declared the COVID-19 outbreak is over at the Yee Hong Markham Centre on April 20, 2020. Vigilant staff, early intervention and effective mitigation strategies helped contain a single case at the Centre after an employee tested positive for COVID-19. No residents of the Markham Centre were affected by the virus.
Love and Care in a Global Crisis
As the situation with COVID-19 continues to evolve, the government calls on everyone to stay home and practice social distancing, but it doesn’t mean that we would stop caring for each other in the community. In the past few days, Yee Hong Community Wellness Foundation has received generous donations of face masks, gloves and other critical personal protective equipment from individuals and organizations.
Positive test for COVID-19 at Yee Hong Markham Centre
COVID-19 has been detected in one employee of the Yee Hong Markham Centre. As a precaution to prevent an outbreak, and alongside York Region Public Health, we implemented isolation protocols on the 2nd floor of our Markham Centre. The affected staff person is isolated at home and has not been in contact with our residents since March 24, 2020. Two close workplace contacts of the positive test staff person are on 14-day isolation at home.
Yee Hong service changes due to global COVID-19 pandemic
In response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, several changes to Yee Hong programs for seniors living in the community were announced today:
- Active Seniors Programs are suspended as of Saturday, March 14.
- Yee Hong Volunteer Recognition Day scheduled April 4 is postponed
- National Volunteer Week events in April will be rescheduled
Yee Hong in the headlines