Oak Valley Health

06/19/2026

Osteoporosis weakens bones gradually and is often called a silent disease, developing without pain or noticeable symptoms.

While the exact cause isn’t always clear, the process behind it is well understood.

“Bone is living tissue and is constantly being built and broken down,” says Dr. Thanu Ruban, a rheumatologist who works closely with Fracture Clinic at Markham Stouffville Hospital. “That balance is normal and called bone remodeling.

“Osteoporosis develops when more bone is destroyed than formed. This imbalance of bone loss occurs with aging as well as other risk factors including some medical conditions and medications.”

06/18/2026

Join us in congratulating Dr. Golnar Rasty, recipient of the 2025 Bruce Brooks Award!

This annual award, honouring the late Dr. Bruce Brooks — an endocrinologist who worked at Oak Valley Health and passed away in 2005 — recognizes a medical staff member who leads with empathy, compassion, and excellence.

Dr. Rasty exemplifies these values as an exceptional leader with vision and passion, a highly knowledgeable and renowned pathologist, and our Chief, Laboratory Medicine. She is known for her sincerity toward every staff member, taking the time to understand diverse perspectives while working diligently to ensure the laboratory operates at the highest level — both efficiently and with the most up-to-date practices.

Her deep compassion for patient care, combined with her ability to foster collegiality among pathologists, has helped transform the lab from a community hospital service into a state-of-the-art facility.

Congratulations Dr. Rasty on this well-deserved recognition!

06/17/2026

Meet Christine McGilvray 👋

Christine is the Patient Care Manager at Uxbridge Hospital. She's also one of our 2025-2026 Honoured to Care Award recipients for courage.

Read what Christine's nominator had to say 📣:

"Christine demonstrated tenacity and perseverance in introducing the enhanced Respiratory Therapist (RT) role in the Uxbridge ED, challenging long-standing assumptions of scope of practice and demonstrating how teams can work together to be stronger and deliver more robust care. During this implementation, Christine facilitated many frank and honest conversations with both nurses and RTs, always listening to concerns but pushing boundaries and looking for the best possible outcome."

Learn more about Christine, as well as our other Honoured to Care recipients: https://www.oakvalleyhealth.ca/honoured-care-awards/2025-2026-honoured-to-care-awards/

06/11/2026

Double the years, double the cheers!🥂

We are proud to celebrate our 2024–2025 and 2025–2026 Long Service Award recipients. 🎉

More than 1,000 staff, physicians, and volunteers were honoured for their years of service, a testament to their dedication and commitment to our patients, families, and communities.

We thank our dedicated team for the care, compassion, and expertise they bring each day. Their contributions help make Oak Valley Health an exceptional place to work and receive care.

06/10/2026

Congratulations to our two Honoured to Care Award recipients for the courage value:

💙 Christine McGilvray, Patient Care Manager, Uxbridge Hospital
💚 Sandeep Yakub, Patient Care Manager, Allied Health, Critical Care Unit & CCRT

Christine and Sandeep live our value of courage by standing up for what is right, taking ownership of their actions, and embracing responsibility for solving problems — all while demonstrating bold creativity to drive positive impact.

06/09/2026

Alexandria Jolliffe, Facilities and Corporate Services Supervisor is celebrating five years at OVH. Alexandria supports environmental services operations across Markham Stouffville Hospital, helping to maintain a clean, safe, and welcoming environment for patients, visitors, and staff alike.

Alexandria’s journey reflects the power of mentorship, respect, and investing in people.

“I started my journey at OVH in housekeeping, working alongside many of the same frontline staff I now lead. Those individuals helped shape me into the leader I am, and I will never forget where I started.”

06/05/2026

We celebrated Eid Ul-Adha, a time of reflection, gratitude, generosity, and community. ✨As one of the most important holidays in the Islamic calendar, Eid Ul-Adha reminds us of the values of compassion, sacrifice, and caring for others. 🌙💫

Thank you to everyone who joined us to share in this special occasion. Your warmth and enthusiasm helped make it a memorable event. 💛

06/04/2026

June marks Seniors’ Month, a time to recognize and support older adults — and bring attention to an important but often missed health concern: delirium. This sudden change in thinking and awareness can develop quickly and signal serious underlying issues.

“Delirium is a sign that something in the body is wrong,” says Trini Das, Geriatrics Nurse Practitioner. “Early recognition and treatment make a real difference.”

06/04/2026

06/03/2026

Meet Alanna Landry👋

Alanna is a registered nurse and educator in the Paediatric Diabetes Clinic. She's also one of our 2025-2026 Honoured to Care Award recipients for compassion.

Read what Alanna's nominator had to say 📣

"From understanding how overnight blood sugars affect sleep to asking about personal and school milestones, she finds ways to build meaningful relationships with her patients. She challenges clinical practices that are not aligned with the values of patient-centred care and offers innovative suggestions on how to improve them. Outside of her clinical work, Alanna champions equitable patient experience at a provincial, national, and international level. This work has allowed her to advocate for important initiatives such as improved nursing support within schools and equitable access to diabetes technology."