Patient advisor, Jaime Drayer was on the volunteer committee that selected the artwork for 15 traffic signal boxes around Hamilton that are honouring healthcare workers.
The City of Hamilton has installed artwork on 15 traffic signal boxes near healthcare facilities across the city to honour and support healthcare workers.
“Healthcare professionals are the new heroes in the COVID-19 pandemic, as they strive to meet the unprecedented challenges associated with this crisis,” says Fred Eisenberger, Mayor, City of Hamilton. “These artworks are a powerful reminder of the strength of Hamilton’s arts scene and illustrates the inspirational work of our healthcare heroes in our city.”
A Patient’s Perspective
A volunteer committee of healthcare workers, graphic designers, artists, as well as one of Hamilton Health Sciences’ patient advisors selected the 15 artists after reviewing more than 90 submissions.
When determining the volunteer committee, the City reached out to the HHS patient experience team looking to get a patient involved. Jaime Drayer has been a patient advisor for a year and was the perfect fit for the committee as she’s a graphic designer.
“This was a really fun initiative to be part of,” says Drayer. “I really looked at the artwork through the lens of a patient to ensure it was accurate and inclusive.”
Becoming a Patient Advisor
A couple years ago, Drayer had begun advocating for people with chronic pain as she was one of them. After receiving surgery to correct a herniated disk, her chronic pain was no longer an issue, but she continued to advocate. It wasn’t long before HHS reached out asking if she’d be interested in becoming a patient advisor. This is a volunteer role as part of a committee to provide insight to the hospital.
“I was thrilled to have the opportunity to not just advocate for patients, but actually be involved in creating change,” she says.
While this initiative may not be creating change for patients, Drayer hopes that the artwork clearly expresses gratitude to Hamilton’s healthcare workers for all they’ve done and continue to do for our community.
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