On November 5, 2025, CMH gave Grade 9 students a glimpse behind the curtain of daily life in a healthcare setting. The day was filled with curiosity, discovery, and a closer look at the sheer diversity of roles that keep patient care and hospital life running smoothly.
Take Our Kids to Work Day is designed to offer students firsthand experience in a variety of roles – at CMH this includes introducing students to everything from patient-facing roles to meeting team members that maintain the backbone of operations.
“My favourite part was seeing the server room,” said one student, speaking of the behind-the-scenes look at IT’s backroom. Students also got a sneak peek of how food is prepared for patients with Jackie, Food Services Supervisor, who showcased the level of planning, preparation, and coordination that goes into serving hundreds of meals three times a day.
They also witnessed science in action! Students saw real organs, learned how lab technology analyzes blood and specimens, and discovered how these insights guide diagnosis and treatment. Clinical Educators Jen and Denise, demonstrated how advancements in ultrasound technology have helped them enhance patient care by showing students their own veins!
“I liked diagnostic imaging,” said another student, who had the chance to witness a CT scan from a consenting patient during their visit. CTs use a series of x-rays from different angles to create detailed, cross-sectional images of inside the body.
Beyond discovering critical infrastructure never seen by the public, students also learned about other careers that play a significant role in a patient’s hospital experience and their care journey.
Joan, Physiotherapist, introduced students to equipment and devices that help patients regain mobility from injury and illness and discussed the importance of therapy following surgical procedures; Erin, Occupational Therapist, showed how games and tools help support motor skills, dexterity, and cognition to help patients recover or manage conditions that impact these functions.
In addition to learning about physical and cognitive needs of patients, they also learned about mindfulness and mental health and its role for both patients and staff. Nikki, Clinical Educator, guided them through a mindfulness exercise and Nina, Administrative Assistant spoke to students about Ember – CMH’s facility dog and her critical role in supporting CMH staff.
Other presentations included an interactive session with Patrick, President & CEO, to discuss how their career paths relate to healthcare; they learned about operations, nursing and clinical programs, and the importance of patient privacy and preventing infection or spread of diseases or germs. Thank you to Stephanie, VP of Clinical Programs and CNE; Liane, Director of Patient Experience, Risk, & Quality; Dr. Nuri, Infectious Disease Specialist; and Lilian, Infection Control Practitioner for helping educate and inspire the next generation.
As tours wrapped up, students enjoyed a pizza lunch, got to take a CMH-branded water bottle home, and joined their family member shadowing their job at CMH for the remainder of the day. They left with a deeper appreciation for the many hands – and hearts – that keep the hospital in motion every day.
Thank you to everyone that helped give these young minds a positive experience in the healthcare sector.