Be Vital at Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare

HDGH has launched Be Vital, our recruitment campaign designed to attract both new graduates and experienced professionals to join HDGH. The campaign highlights what sets us apart as a supportive workplace where employees do meaningful work, grow their careers, and make a real impact in the community.

A key part of the campaign is our new recruitment website, www.WorkatHDGH.org, a modern and user-friendly site for anyone interested in working at HDGH. The site allows potential candidates to explore career paths, learn about our culture and values, discover our perks and benefits, and apply easily for current opportunities — all while seeing real photos and quotes from our employees and volunteers.

The campaign also features short videos of HDGH employees sharing their personal experiences and what it means to Be Vital.

Watch the first Be Vital video here.

More employee stories and campaign features will be shared in the coming weeks.

New Youth Crisis Response Team to support children in mental health crisis

In mid-December, the Windsor Police Service and Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare were pleased to announce the launch of a new initiative to provide specialized support to children and youth experiencing mental health crises. This collaborative program is made possible through a $240,000 grant from the Government of Ontario.

The Windsor Youth Crisis Response Team (YCRT) will provide Windsor Police officers with access to a dedicated youth social worker from HDGH’s Regional Children’s Centre when responding to mental health–related calls involving youth under the age of 16. Together, they provide on-the-spot mental health support, safety planning, and coordinated follow-up to help youth and families get the care they need quickly.

This provincial funding will support the hiring of a full-time youth social worker, deliver enhanced training for frontline officers, and ensure continuous program coordination and evaluation.

“We know that more young people are struggling with their mental health, and timely access to the right supports can change the trajectory of a child’s life,” said Jason Crowley, Windsor Police Chief. “Through the YCRT, we will provide a compassionate, specialized response that helps stabilize crises safely, reduces unnecessary emergency department visits, and connects youth and families to the supports they need sooner.”

This partnership comes at a time when demand for youth mental health support continues to rise both locally and provincially. Between 2023 and 2024, criminal code occurrences involving one or more youths increased by 43%. During the same period, incidents involving youth offenders rose by 51%, while calls involving a youth in crisis increased by 29%.

“The YCRT plugs a critical gap for families who need immediate mental health support,” said Bill Marra, HDGH President and CEO. “By responding early and directly in the community, we can reduce emergency department visits, support families more effectively, and ensure youth get connected to the services they need.”

This initiative builds on Windsor’s proven collaborative response programs, namely the Nurse Police Team (NPT) and the Crisis Response Team (CRT). The NPT pairs frontline officers with nurses from Windsor Regional Hospital to respond to substance-use and mental health concerns, while the CRT partners critical incident-trained social workers from HDGH with police officers to provide on-scene crisis de-escalation. Both programs are funded by the Ontario Government and serve as a model for the YCRT.



“The Government of Ontario is proud to support innovative programs like the YCRT, underscoring our commitment to strengthening the province’s mental-health system and ensuring young people receive the compassionate, specialized care they deserve. This investment not only relieves pressure on police and hospital resources, but also reflects our government’s dedication to delivering stronger, more responsive supports for families across the community,” said Andew Dowie, MPP for Windsor-Tecumseh.

The Windsor YCRT is funded through a Provincial Mobile Crisis Response Team Enhancement Grant, with $120,000 allocated in both 2025-26 and 2026-27 to support staffing, training, and program implementation.

From Application to Onboarding: Your Be Vital Journey at HDGH

In our latest blog, Human Resources Coordinator, Kimberly Sprague, shares what candidates can expect during the recruitment process, from application to onboarding.

Leaning into our newly launched Be Vital campaign, Kimberly's blog walks readers through the recruitment process and how we support candidates from first click to first day at HDGH.

If you’re thinking about joining HDGH (or know someone who is), we invite you to read and more:

Looking Back on 2025 at HDGH

As 2025 comes to a close, Bill Marra, President & CEO, reflects back on a year filled with meaningful milestones. With so many highlights to celebrate, in our latest blog he shares just a few including launching the Assertive Community Treatment Team for Children (ACT-C), expanding the Mental Health and Addictions Urgent Crisis Centre (MHAUCC) to 24/7 service, and opening the Bob Probert Tecumseh Campus and the Toldo Outpatient Rehabilitation Centre.

Thank you to every employee, physician, volunteer, community partner, patient, client and their families whose dedication made all of our achievements possible!

A Smart, Modernized Dining Experience at HDGH

We are excited to announce that HDGH has teamed up with Krave Markets to offer employees, visitors, and outpatients an alternative option for healthy, fresh, and local food.

This smart, autonomous vending solution offers healthy and fresh food, snack, and beverage options 24 hours a day, even on holidays, an option that was not feasible with our previous cafeteria operations.

HDGH takes pride in supporting a Windsor-based business in Krave Markets, and in turn, supporting even more local food and beverage vendors - such as Green Heart Kitchen, Fred's Farm Fresh, La Stella Supermarket, Oven 360, and more - with their fresh items for purchase.



Renovations to the Courtyard Café in the Tayfour Building are complete with the smart market open for all to enjoy. Krave Markets is currently working on renovating the In Honour Café in the Emara Building. During this renovation, the Emara cafeteria is closed for dining. We look forward to sharing the reopening of the In Honour Café in the coming weeks.

HDGH Welcomes Vendor to Emara Gift Shop

The HDGH, along with the HDGH Foundation, is excited to announce a permanent vendor taking over the former Gift Shop space in the Dr. Y. Emara Centre for Healthy Aging and Mobility.

No stranger to HDGH, Sunday Gift Shop, along with owners Kim and Tom, will be selling their personalized and creative assortment of items, offering patients, visitors, and staff the opportunity to purchase thoughtful gifts, personalized items, or items that we allow their stay to be more enjoyable.

The Gift Shop will be open Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., and weekends, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

The gift shop continues to support the Foundation, helping us to meet our fundraising goals. We are pleased to welcome Kim and Tom to provide consistent operating hours and items we hope everyone will enjoy. 

HDGH's 13th Annual Geriatric Conference

On Saturday, February 28, 2026, Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare will host its 13th annual Geriatric Conference. We welcome Physicians, Healthcare Practitioners, and medical students to participate in a half-day event exploring medical topics related to the aging population. Attendees of the conference will hear from specialists who will present on topics relevant to the day-to-day practice of community family physicians. 

Click here to register and secure your spot today. Special student/resident rate is also available. For the latest news on speakers, agenda and more, please visit the event website.

For additional information, ticket inquiries, or if you're interested in sponsoring the Geriatric Conference, please contact HDGH's Medical Affairs.