#IamMGH Black Voices - Meet Jackie Elliott

#IamMGH tells the stories of our people. In honour of Black History Month, we’re centring the voices and lived experiences of our Black staff and physicians throughout February. Meet Jackie Elliott, health records processing clerk at Michael Garron Hospital (MGH).

“I started working at MGH when I was just 22 years old. I had moved to Canada from Jamaica a few years before that and I remember being happy and excited to come to work. At the time, I was one of only a few Black women in the Health Records department and at MGH as a whole. Because of this, I felt a desire to prove myself to my superiors and colleagues. It was an intriguing, fascinating time to be working at such a big organization. I’ve learned and experienced a lot.

I remember one instance from when I first started. I was speaking with a physician who had some difficulty understanding me because I was speaking so quickly. I have a naturally fast-paced way of speaking — it’s part of my Caribbean culture — but I realized I had to make an effort to slow down so I could more clearly communicate with my colleagues. Over the years, this is something I have become accustomed to, though I haven’t lost the excitedness that typically comes through in my voice.

I remember another experience when I was invited to have breakfast with our CEO at the time. I was one of two Black staff who were invited and was quite nervous. We ended up having a great time and I was able to have some conversations with the CEO. It was really meaningful to be recognized in that way. Working in Health Records over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to work with so many different people across our organization. I know almost everyone, from the executives and directors to the physicians and nurses. 

As I approach my retirement, I can say I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished at MGH. I’ve had an amazing journey and have seen so many changes at the hospital. I hope we continue to hire more diverse staff as this helps our workforce reflect the world and communities we live in today. Working with people from different backgrounds helps us to better understand one another and the experiences we have. We can teach and learn from each other.”