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Introducing MGH Besties: colleagues turned friends at Michael 九游体育 (MGH) who help make every day positive and memorable for themselves, their teams and the patients they support. They鈥檙e part of the thousands of people at MGH who deliver high-quality care and nurture our culture of belonging, well-being and safety.
The MGH Besties series acknowledges these important relationships throughout our hospital and highlights how our staff work together to show up every day for our patients. We know working in healthcare can be tough and we know we rely on our colleagues and teams to get through all those moments together. What gets us through the good, the unpredictable and sometimes sad moments are our relationships 鈥� the trust, dependability, and honesty we have with others.
Amy Hu, Manager, Operational Excellence, and Sarah Keenan, Consultant, Organizational Development first met through their previous jobs at a different Toronto-area hospital during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Amy worked in the hospital鈥檚 Quality Department, while Sarah worked in its Organizational Development Department, but they were paired together to develop a staff well-being initiative called Stress First Aid. This was a training and education program to help hospital staff support one another when they sense stress from a colleague.
鈥淪tress First Aid was being developed during the pandemic to support hospital staff. We had to move fast, and Amy and I worked at the same speed,鈥� Sarah says. 鈥淲e got a massive project done in six weeks.鈥�
鈥淚t was fun,鈥� Amy says. 鈥淲e were laughing and putting in extra hours because it was so enjoyable and rewarding to work on.鈥�
Today, now both working at MGH, Sarah and Amy describe each other as authentic, courageous and equity-driven.
鈥淪arah鈥檚 number one value is justice, and she will fight and speak up for injustice of any kind she sees at work or in her personal life,鈥� Amy says. 鈥淚鈥檝e learned an incredible amount from what she鈥檚 taught through work, but also from who she is.鈥�
鈥淭here is a wisdom in Amy that I really admire and value as a friend and colleague,鈥� Sarah shares. 鈥淪he is a trusted advisor. She will always tell me the truth, with no layer of politics I need to sift through. But she is also very kind. That wisdom and compassion go hand in hand.鈥�
One of the reasons they developed a friendship is because of their dedication to keeping in touch outside of work. Over the past several years, Sarah and Amy have worked together on and off but they always stayed connected.
鈥淲hen Amy was on maternity leave, we had tea in her living room, and when I left our previous organization, we kept in touch," Sarah says. The two even co-authored a chapter in a book on solution-focused coaching during the time they were not working together.
Both Sarah and Amy say their friendship helps them seek ways to collaborate, even though they work in different departments at MGH.
Sarah鈥檚 department, the Organizational Development Team, are experts in leadership practices, coaching and development. Amy鈥檚 department, the Operational Excellence Team, supports quality, process improvement, and project management at the hospital. However, ensuring psychological safety within the organization is a component of both teams鈥� work.
鈥淲e鈥檝e done a good job of creating lots of connections between our departments. It was intentional but it was easy because of our relationship,鈥� Sarah says.
The two friends also lean on each other to stay positive during difficult times.
鈥淭here are challenges in healthcare, some that feel daunting. But when I talk to Amy about them, I don't feel defeated,鈥� Sarah says. 鈥淚 feel hopeful about rolling up our sleeves and getting down to work.鈥�
Having close relationships at work helps to increase hopefulness and community, Amy adds.
鈥淔ind your people and go to events,鈥� she says. 鈥淧eople to connect with will exist, even if you just find one person. When we connect, we feel less alone.鈥�
Are you a team member at MGH and have a bestie 鈥� or know of some besties 鈥� who you think would be a great fit for this series? Let us know at @email!