Tell us a little about yourself!

My name is Parker Ducharme, and I am the Events Coordinator at Humber River Hospital Foundation. I joined the team this past May.

“I will never forget when I first started, Helga took me on a tour and I get to see the PillPick sorting medication in the Pharmacy Program,” says Parker.

In one sentence, how would you explain your job to a friend?

My job is to help plan and execute events that raise money for the Hospital!

Why are you passionate about Humber River Hospital?

The first thing that drew me to Humber was the technology and innovation. In my first few weeks, that’s what I was telling my friends about (“There’s a robot that sorts pills!”)

Now that I’ve been here longer, what’s even more important to me is the team I get to work with. Everyone is very nice and we are working towards the same goal; raising money for Humber River Hospital to best serve the community and our patients. Recently I’ve been leaning into our cause as much as possible by trying to work in as many opportunities as I can to be out in the Hospital seeing our patients.

Is there a Program of Care that you are particularly passionate about?

I am most passionate about Cardiology. I have a family history of heart attacks and have a lot of family members who have received cardiological care.

In your opinion, what are the most interesting ways technology is being used at Humber?

I will never forget when I first started, Helga took me on a tour and I get to see the PillPick sorting medication in the Pharmacy Program.

I also think our surgical robots like the da Vinci Surgical Robot are so cool! I tell my friends, “You know the robot that did surgery on a grape? I got to play with that at our Surgical Innovation Showcase!”

Do you have a favourite fundraising initiative?

My favourite fundraising initiative is Humber’s Very Own (HVO), our employee-giving program where staff and physicians can support the Hospital as donors. I love that it is community based and that people who are directly connected to the cause are making an impact in another way.

HVO also lets us support morale at the Hospital. I love that we get to celebrate the people giving back to the Hospital where we all work.

“I like doing crafty stuff!” says Parker. “I will fully dive into a new hobby like embroidery”

What do you love to do outside of work?

I like doing crafty stuff! I consider myself a hobby hopper – I will fully dive into a new hobby like embroidery, knitting, painting, etc. for a few weeks at a time.

What inspires you?

I’m inspired by making people feel good about the donations they are giving. I want everyone who donates to feel like their gift matters and that we are grateful for it. When I take donations at reception, it feels very personal. That inspires me to keep doing what I’m doing.