Ms. Elizabeth MacDonald

Cape Breton University is pleased to honour Elizabeth MacDonald for her commitment to providing quality care to clients anywhere they call home. For the past 25 years, Elizabeth has worked with the Victorian Order of Nurses, (VON). From her early career with VON, Elizabeth delivered nursing care to clients at home, and now leads a team of more than 250 licensed professionals, administrative staff and volunteers.  According to her team, she is a builder, a health care champion and an innovator who is best known for her calm and steady leadership, even in the toughest of situations.

During the very early days of the pandemic, when uncertainty was the only sure thing, Elizabeth was a steady source of strength and inspiration.  She worked hard to consistently connect with staff and would personally deliver the personal protection equipment needed by her team to ensure their safety.   In the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona, the VON office had to be relocated after the roof was blown off.  Elizabeth dealt with this issue in her typical style, ensuring there was little interruption to client care. Elizabeth says that her team were the real heroes during these critical times, often leaving dealing with their own challenges at home while ensuring clients received the care they needed.

Throughout her career, Elizabeth has been, and remains passionate about ensuring Cape Bretoners receive quality health care at home.  She believes in collaboration and has developed many valuable relationships through various partnerships such as Cape Breton University, St. F.X. and the NSCC Marconi campus. Elizabeth has seen a lot of students gain invaluable knowledge and skills at VON.

Elizabeth believes in an inclusive healthcare environment.  She works tirelessly to provide services and supports to a range of community programs, including those at the Ally Centre, Every Woman Centre, Adult Day Care Program, Community Care Clinics and Palliative Care.

According to VON staff, Elizabeth is not only their mentor, but their moral compass, and demonstrates each day how much she cares about her patients, and her staff.  Her leadership has enabled her team of 250 to deliver 216,000 nursing visits and more than 41,000 hours in home care support this past year alone.

She and her late husband Stephen have two children, and all four family members are either grads or current students of Cape Breton University.  As a family they enjoy skiing, travelling and spending time at their cottage in Kempt Head.

Elizabeth says her team allows her to do what she loves to do, which is not like work to her.  She sees this award as one for the team.   Her team sees it as one that solely belongs to the leader who, because of her example, makes them better.

Cape Breton University is proud to present the Healthcare Award of Distinction to Elizabeth and thank her sincerely for her dedication to her clients and her community.