‘Tis the season for storytelling

“We are all storytellers. We all live in a network of stories. There isn’t a stronger connection between people than storytelling.” 

Those words come from Jimmy Neil Smith, founder of the International Storytelling Center. The feeling of connectivity he evokes comes to mind as I think about the multitude of Queen’s Health Sciences’ stories from 2022 – the successes, milestones, partnerships, publications, and collaborations that define us. Our network. Our stories – big and small – of working to build a healthier world. 

I know it’s a busy time and we all continue to work hard, hoping to get a much-deserved holiday break very soon, but I want you to take a moment to reflect on some of our stories from this past year. We all have a lot to be proud of and to celebrate.  

We started this year thinking about how to live the values of radical collaboration at QHS to achieve the ambitions we set out in our strategic plan.  

• We celebrated the 80th anniversary of the School of Nursing, and also looked to the future and how virtual simulation technology is helping train the next generation of nurses. On the theme of digital health innovation, this story showed how we are helping patients better navigate virtual care, and another explored research into how home monitoring technology can help people with cognitive decline live more independently.
• Advancing our EDIIA (equity, diversity, inclusion, Indigeneity, and accessibility) goals continues to be a top priority. We opened The Nest, our new home for EDIIA initiatives. A particular high point for me this year was meeting high school students from the local Kingston and Weeneebayko regions who took part in our WAHA Summer Program and QHS Outreach and Summer Program.  
• Our focus on both local and global community impact was reflected in stories about our Global Oncology Program, International Centre for the Advancement of Community Based Rehabilitation (ICACBR), and initiatives like the Oasis Senior Supportive Living program team collaborating on local, mobile vaccine clinics, and cross-disciplinary faculty participation in clinics in remote communities as part of Operation Remote Immunity.
• Some of our most captivating, personal stories were collected in our Cinq à Sept Research Talks. And our campaign, The Next 25, told stories of how we are reimagining health sciences education, research, and patient care.
• What were some moments you were proud of this year? Send me a tweet @queensuhealth

Of course, that barely skims the surface of the many achievements of our faculty, staff, and learners – from research discoveries, new funding, and awards to student success and improved patient care. In early 2023 we will showcase more stories about the milestones achieved in Year 1 of our strategic plan. In the meantime, I hope this has given you an opportunity to pause and remember some of the remarkable work we achieved together this year.  

As the fall term comes to an end, I want to offer my congratulations and best wishes to learners and faculty during exam period. Thank you for your hard work inside and outside the classroom. I continue to be inspired and grateful for the opportunity to work with such a talented, dedicated team. 

I look forward to sharing, telling, and creating new stories across our faculty in 2023. Until then, I wish all of you a safe, happy, and healthy holiday season and a well-deserved restful break in the days ahead. 

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