Greater Toronto's Top Employers (2026) Magazine - Magazine - Page 106
106
( 2026)
SPONSOR CONTENT
Staff wellness supports quality care at Ontario Shores
W
hen Sumeet
Makhija started
working at
Ontario Shores
Centre for
Mental Health Sciences three
years ago, the first thing he
noticed was the hospital’s verdant
lakeside setting and the positive
effect it immediately had on his
state of mind. “There’s a lot of
greenery, and you can take a quiet
walk by the water, and it gives you
such a great feeling,” he says.
As the occupational health,
wellness and safety coordinator at
the Whitby-based mental health
hospital, Makhija’s role is focused
on employee well-being, starting
with orientation for new hires.
“We go in to talk about wellness
and let them know right away
about all the resources we have for
them,” he says.
We like to invest in people, and we can see the
progress we’re making
through our employee
opinion surveys. We listen to the feedback and
create an action plan
every two years.
— John Chen
President and CEO
Those include access to free
psychotherapy as well as an
on-site gym and fitness centre, a
monthly wellness newsletter, an
employee and family assistance
program, social events, seminars
on subjects like resilience and
Members of the men’s mental health group at Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences.
an organization intranet called
Shoreline.
“There’s a lot of resources on
the intranet, but employees taking
care of patients don’t always have
time to sit at a computer and
check them out,” Makhija says.
“So, we take it to them. We started
the Wellness Express cart, which
has team members going around
with snacks and information on
how to access resources and help
if they need it. They’re here for the
patients, so we’re here for them.”
That emphasis on wellness
and connection runs across the
organization. “The leaders are
involved in every way,” Makhija
says. “Senior management go
around to units and talk to
staff directly. Everyone is very
approachable. They have regular
employee opinion surveys and
staff forums where they answer
questions.”
“We’ve been working hard to
get our people engaged in our
purpose,” says president and CEO
John Chen. “We like to invest
in people, and we can see the
progress we’re making through
our employee opinion surveys. We
listen to the feedback and create
an action plan every two years.”
Employees are also offered
career development training that
includes a group mentorship
program and a succession
program for individuals who
aspire to progressive leader-
ship roles.
“There are a lot of learning
opportunities,” says Makhija. “I’ve
taken courses on mental health
first aid training, ergonomic
training, and resilience, and
there’s a five-month program
called the Leading Edge, which is
a great development opportunity
where you learn about dealing
with tough situations and
leadership in general, and it’s
offered to all staff.”
“We also created 27 micro
credentials to allow staff to learn
new clinical topics or improve
and enhance their practice,”
Chen says. “And we measure their
progress and allow our teams to
celebrate those successes and
