Post -- Queensway Carleton Hospital

Remember When We Looked Back on 50 Years of QCH : Dr. Andrew Falconer, President and CEO of Queensway Carleton Hospital

Dr. Andrew Falconer reflects on Queensway Carleton Hospital’s 50 years from his early days in the Emergency Department to his current role as President and CEO, combined he has served 38 years in QCH. Dr. Falconer looks back on the hospital’s beginnings with the hard hatters, the opening of the Emergency Department, and the moments that brought the community together, including the Barrhaven bus-train collision.

Transcript: Dr. Andrew Falconer
Speaker: Andrew Falconer, President & CEO of Queensway Carleton Hospital
Andrew Falconer:
What makes QCH special for me really is the people.
The fact that we're almost like a family really and we treat each other with respect and
compassion and we extend that same respect and compassion to all of our patients and
the families that come in our doors every day.
[Intro Music]
When the hospital opened in 1976, we were considered a cottage hospital that was
hidden in the middle of the city of Nepean. At the time, we were about a third of the size
that we are now. And over periods of time, we've actually grown a fair bit.
So in 2005, we added a new emergency department, ICU, and some inpatient beds. We
then later added the Irving Greenberg and Family Cancer Center to provide care for
those folks in the west of Ottawa and the Ottawa Valley. Then we opened our new
operating rooms and ACE unit in the James Beach Center. So the hospital's grown
tremendously over that period of time. And over that period of time, our responsibilities
have grown also. The one thing I'm really proud of is even with all of that growth, we still
have the culture that we had when the hospital was first open. And that's that culture of
collaboration, mutual respect.
I started about 10 years after the hospital opened, and I heard all of the stories from
when the hospital opened. In fact, the ones that were here during the first year of the
hospital's existence had to wear construction helmets. And they called themselves hard
hatters. So I would hear all of those stories. There were a few incidents over the years
that really demonstrated the community that this hospital represents.
There was a day that there was a bus train collision. And when we received notification
that it was coming in, the emergency physicians rallied right away to provide triage and
support for all those casualties that are coming in the front door.
I went down to the emergency to see how they were doing and if they needed any
support, they clearly had it very well in hand. But I must say, the staff were heroic, and
the staff really made sure that all the casualties that we received were well looked after.
So I was very proud to be part of Queensway Carleton Hospital that day as I am every
day. The hospital is what it is today because of all the people that work here. And I want
to thank each and every one of our staff for the compassion that they show to our
patients, their families, and to our entire community.
Our reputation is out there. We're known as that hospital that treats everyone like a
person. I'm very proud of that reputation in the community, and I thank each and every
one of you for making us what we are today.
[Outro Music