Patricia Vavaroutsos

You could say that Admitting Clerk Patricia Vavaroutsos was born to work at Mount Sinai Hospital.

After making her entrance into the world at Mount Sinai’s labour and delivery ward, she made her way back to the hospital when it was time to begin a career. Patricia started out at Mount Sinai over 17 years ago working in the old Michelle Baguette Café, and since those early days, has strived to move herself and her career forward. She has worked in multiple positions across the hospital, including clerical roles in Medicine and Surgery as well as in Admitting, where she works today. To further her career and knowledge, Patricia studied health information management, completed a co-op placement in Mount Sinai’s Health Records Department, and went on to become certified by the Canadian Health Information Management Association. Moving around to different positions  gave her the opportunity to learn more about the hospital, as well as offer a first-hand look at all the behind-the-scenes aspects of the patient experience – a valuable skill in her current role.

“Working in admitting means you are often the first point of contact for patients and their loved ones coming into the hospital,” explains Patricia. “Knowing that they may be stressed out, experiencing pain or otherwise ill means that we need to be sympathetic to their concerns, and assure them that they are in the best possible hands when they come in to Mount Sinai. It really becomes a baseline for the respect, care and treatment they can expect while they are here.”

Patricia has countless memories about sharing special moments with patients, including admitting a pregnant patient who was feeling overwhelmed and anxious about her upcoming birth: “I understood her fear and I just tried to spend a bit of extra time with her to let her know that everything was going to go great. Three days later, she came back and introduced me to her new baby and thanked me for helping to reassure her in a moment when she was really scared.”

When asked about what makes working at Mount Sinai special, Patricia tells us that the continuous opportunities for advancement and the way people treat each other like family makes all the difference. “If I was to give advice to someone just starting out here, I would say to keep your eye out for opportunities to grow and learn. They come around often but you have to be sure to grab them. And get to know your coworkers, they are here to support you, too.”

When she’s not working, Patricia is all about building memories with family including dance parties with her 15 month old son.

People of Sinai Health is a series that provides a glimpse into the lives, jobs and stories of the people that work at Sinai Health. Do you know someone who would make a great addition to this series? Email [email protected] to let us know.