It is time to celebrate Altum employees who have made some long service achievements.

• Brian Rigo – Patient flow coordinator
• Christina Tyrcz – Kinesiologist
• Diane Guison – Customer service representative
• Gemma Ross – Customer service representative
• Kerrie Bilodeau – Customer service representative
• Tina Levine – Practice Leader
• Tobias Mattson – Kinesiologist

Favourite Memories from Altum Employees:

Brian: There are definitely many, but one that stands out would be when my team received the Innovation Award. It was a culmination of all our effort and passion and I’m so happy it was able to provide a positive impact towards patient care and Altum’s growth.

Christina: My favourite Altum memory would have to be when a client wrote me a card saying my socks had a positive impact on his recovery.

Diane: My favourite memory is when we helped build houses for Habitat for Humanity in 2016. It was a great team-building experience while giving back to the community.

Gemma: This past year the KDT CPL team got together to make shirts to wear in support of the Raptors. We did a pretty good job.

Tina: One of the first clients I began working with when I transferred to Barrie will always be a standout. Through Altum, he received treatment within the BN, pain, and MH programs and I treated him for nearly 1 year before and after surgeries. When I first met him he wasn’t doing activities for himself, barely getting through the day. With the help of the whole Altum team, he was discharged being able to comfortably cross country ski and hike again, managed all activities at home and playing with his kids. His thank you card continues to sit on my desk as a reminder of what we do here.

Tobias: I helped organize and compete in an office Decathlon.

What do you like most about what you do?

Brian: What I like most about this job is that there is so much to learn. Being in the Surgical Team, you get to work with so many diverse departments in the hospital and are given a much greater understanding of your role in Altum and how it contributes to the UHN. You also get to learn a lot about the surgical procedures we offer (so you can geek out if that’s your thing).

Christina: What I like most about my job is my awesome coworkers! And helping people (obviously).

Diane: The thing I like most about being a CSR is seeing our clients get better from our first point of contact to their discharge. Even though we are not directly involved in the client’s care, it feels good to know we somehow helped with their care by coordinating appointments for them.

Gemma: The amazing Altum employees I work with! I’ve worked in a few areas, and no matter where I work, the team always keeps things interesting!

Kerrie: My favourite things to do are spending time with family and friends and reading

Tina: The work we do is meaningful and I get to do the work with a great group of people across the sites!

Tobias: The people I work with, patients and colleagues.

What is your favourite thing to do/hobby?

Brian: I’m a bit all over the place on this one. I love spending time outdoors so hiking and biking are things I enjoy getting in whenever I can (also recently tried canoeing), but when I’m feeling a little less active I’ll stay in and play video games. Also, does eating count as a hobby? If yes, it would be that.

Christina: If I have to pick a favourite hobby it would be playing ice hockey with my partner, and playing Australian Rules Football with the Etobicoke Kangaroos. (okay sorry that’s two)

Diane: I like baking!

Gemma: I love to travel. In the past 5 years, I’ve been to the Yukon, Argentina, Chile, Spain, Vietnam, Bali, Singapore, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, China, Scotland, and Ireland!

Kerrie: Most people don’t know that I ride a motorcycle every chance I get.

Tina: I am an endurance athlete and completed my 6th full Ironman and 4th 50km-run this year.

Tobias: Just about any sport but mostly golf, hockey, and volleyball.

What is a fun fact about you that many people may not know?

Brian: I’m a big sci-fi fan and Star Trek: The Original Series is one of my favourite TV shows.

Christina: I like to go for walks while carrying take out so that dogs run up to me and sit on my feet.

Diane: According to the Myers-Briggs personality test, I am an ISFJ-T (The Defender). The description is scarily accurate!

Tina: I lived in Australia for 4.5 years where I completed my physiotherapy degree and learned to surf (although not very well!)

Tobias: I was born in Malmo, Sweden and am a certified Teacher.