Meet Luke Sequeira
Luke Sequeira is an Infection Control Practitioner and has been at North York General Hospital (NYGH) since May 2020. He is also our latest Fortune Fridays 50/50 Staff Lottery winner. Our 50/50 lottery is a great opportunity for staff to participate in something fun and give back to NYGH. It’s also an opportunity to shine a spotlight on the dedicated staff that make our hospital such an amazing place. We sat down with Luke to learn more about him and his role at the hospital.
What does your role entail?
I assess patients to determine if they have an infectious virus or bacteria and follow protocols to ensure they do not spread it to other patients. I’m one of seven Infection Control Practitioners in the hospital, and I provide Infection Prevention and Control support to the emergency department, the mother and baby unit and the reactivation unit.
During the pandemic, I ensure patients receive a swab when they come through the emergency admission and swab any patients on the units that are exhibiting symptoms of the virus or who may have had an exposure. Patients that test positive are isolated from other patients.
Another aspect of my job is providing education to staff about hand hygiene, cleaning shared equipment, best practice guidelines and the vaccines.
How long have you worked at North York General?
Almost a year. It will be my one-year anniversary at the end of May.
Why did you choose to work at North York General Hospital?
I had heard a lot of good things about North York General Hospital and I learned the hospital is ranked as the number one community academic hospital in Canada and one of the top 5 hospitals overall in the country by Newsweek magazine.
What do you like most about your role?
The infection control program plays a key role during the pandemic. Our team helps to keep patients and staff safe by doing assessments every day. I’m proud to come to work every day to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus (and other infections).
How do you relax outside of work these days?
During the pandemic, I like to go on nature walks for an hour or two around my neighbourhood. It’s good to get outside and the walking clears my head. It’s very restorative.
What is your motivation for contributing to the staff lottery (besides winning)?
It feels great to give back and support the hospital where I was also once a patient. When I was two years old, I was helping my parents take the groceries inside and I gave myself a hernia from the heavy load, which required a trip to North York General. My parents always tell me that the doctors at the hospital were great with me.
What is your plan for your winnings?
I want to take my family to the United Kingdom for a visit when COVID is over. I did my master’s degree in epidemiology (infectious diseases) at the University of Glasgow. We were planning a family trip when I finished school, but we didn’t get to go because of the pandemic.
