50 years of keeping QCH clean & safe

Every day, the Environmental Services team keep QCH clean, safe, and running smoothly. Meet Terri-Ann Hounsell, Sharon Noddin, and Barry Carkner, three members of the EVS team, and hear about their experiences, memories, and the people who have made QCH feel like home.

Photo of Terri-Ann Hounsell

Terri-Ann Hounsell

After 22 years at QCH, Terri-Ann has become a familiar face - and phone number - throughout the hospital. She sometimes gets calls for requests that don’t technically fall under EVS, but people know she’ll do her best to find a solution. As one caller recently put it, she knows all the answers.

As an EVS Lead Hand, Terri-Ann supports staff across the hospital and responds to requests from various departments. And sometimes her work goes beyond cleaning, from moving furniture and setting up meeting spaces to managing confidential waste and sharps containers.

For Terri-Ann, helping others comes naturally. She grew up in a small town in Newfoundland, where she says helping people is part of the culture. When she first came to QCH, she found that same sense of community.

Photo of Sharon Noddin

Sharon Noddin

Sharon’s first memory of QCH is as a patient, after a gymnastics injury brought her to the hospital during its opening week. Growing up, the fields where QCH now stands were also her playground. Years later, she returned as a housekeeper and has now spent 16 years helping care for the hospital and its patients.

Sharon says one of the best parts of her job is knowing she helps keep patients’ environments clean and safe. When patients come to QCH sick and in need of care, she takes pride in doing her part to make their time in hospital as safe and comfortable as possible.

Photo of Barry Carkner

Barry Carkner

Since joining QCH in 2003, Barry Carkner has worked in Logistics, as a porter, and later in EVS.

Whether patients wanted to talk about what they were going through or simply chat about the weather, Barry was happy to listen and keep them company.

“Some people are at their lowest when they’re sick and in the hospital, and that can be hard. You don’t overstep or try to push them to say anything. You just want to be friendly, think about their needs and be there for them. And it was an honour to do it.”

After a short retirement, Barry soon found himself missing the QCH team and decided to pick up EVS shifts.