Employee Spotlight

My name is Allison Irwin, I work as an Occupational Therapist (OT) here at SSCHS. I've been working with the organization for 8 years now. A little bit about myself, I love hiking, traveling and reading. I also enjoy spending time with family, friends, and my two dogs.

Can you describe what a typical day is like for you?

Every day is different but generally involves some administrative tasks, followed by seeing patients in Acute Care, Long-Term Care, outpatients or those in the community. I could see patients for a number of different reasons, including mobility, transfers, activities of daily living (i.e. dressing, feeding), and instrumental activities of daily living (i.e. driving, meal preparation)

What's the best part about your job/ working for SSCHS?

The best part of working with SSCHS are the people, especially the ones I work with most often. But a close second is the variety I have in my day-to-day tasks- it keeps the job interesting.

What made you decide to get into this field?

I worked with an OT in the mental health setting- I was fascinated by the work that she did and the interventions she used.

Who do you interact with the most at work?

Mostly the Occupational Therapy/Physiotherapy Assistant (OTA/PTA), but also the physiotherapist, recreation therapy staff, nursing and Personal Supports Workers (PSWs). I also spend the bulk of my time working with patients.

How do you think your co-workers would describe you?

I believe that my co-workers would describe me as empathetic, compassionate and knowledgeable.