“Caring for others inspired by NYGH”

Magnolia Briones has been with North York General Hospital (NYGH) for two-and-a-half years, with experience across several areas of the hospital in that time. She is currently a Human Resources recruiter, which is a role that brings her both personal satisfaction and professional growth.

Early days at NYGH were hectic but rewarding.

As a recruiter, Magnolia covers several units in the hospital and is responsible for the onboarding process for new hires and internal transfers, as well as adhering to practices involving employment legislation, HR policies and collective agreements. She says she’ll never forget her first day at NYGH during the pandemic, working with people from behind a plexiglass barrier to keep everyone safe.

Prior to joining NYGH, Magnolia was a medical aesthetician. Due to the pandemic, she lost her job and began as an NYGH cleaner, then transferred to a Nursing Resource Team patient assistant, followed by a recruiter assistant before moving to her present role as a recruiter. Magnolia, who always wanted to work in the health care field, is grateful for the many opportunities granted to her at the hospital in such a short span of time.

Standing in for family members was a privilege.

One of Magnolia’s memorable moments at the hospital happened early on, when she worked as a patient assistant in the Neuro Stroke Unit as a sitter for four weeks. At the time, no family members were allowed to visit, so Magnolia would be there for her patients to comfort them and help them any way she could. She cherishes the time she got to spend with one patient until the day he passed way. She feels privileged to have shared that treasured moment with him.

Her direct experience with the COVID-19 pandemic has inspired her to take a Personal Support Worker course through night school. She recently graduated from the program and is excited to help more people in the future.

Philanthropy is an important priority to her.

An active person, Magnolia loves to get out into nature for hikes. She’s also crafty and loves to garden, give facials and massages. She participates in the NYGH Staff Lottery so that she can give back regularly.

Magnolia is planning on taking her children on a long overdue vacation to the Philippines as a combined celebration of her children’s graduations from university, as well as her own.