Celebrating Mona Hardy: Patient Family Advisor

Mona Hardy has been a Patient Family Advisor (PFA) since January 2009. In this role, she has contributed her time, gifts, skills, passion and energy to help improve the lives of many people in Thunder Bay.

Originally from Rocky Bay First Nation in Northwestern Ontario, Mona left home at a young age and has lived and experienced many different cities in Canada and around the world.

As one of our Hospital’s first Patient Family Advisor volunteers, Mona has contributed countless hours on various councils, committees and working groups including the PFA Council, the Hospital’s Indigenous Advisory Committee, the Hospital’s PRIDE Committee and TBRHSC’s Corporate videos. Mona’s insight, respectfulness and empathetic nature have made her very well respected and sought out in her role as a Patient Family Advisor.

Within the Renal Service, Mona shares her time, empathy, humour and knowledge in many ways. She is a mentor to patients and families helping them learn how to live and self-manage their life on dialysis. She is an active team member on councils and committees providing input on policies and processes to help improve the patient experience. She is a friend that organizes and hosts an annual Mother’s Day tea for Renal patients and staff – complete with homemade baking served on fine china. On top of all of that, she also runs a BINGO in the unit 6 – 8 times per year of which she collects prizes on her own to use.

Mona can always be seen chatting with patients and their families, helping them to understand from her viewpoint how to live well. She is never judgmental, but rather uses experiences, support and lots of humour to make tough discussions much more palatable. Mona has a natural ability to connect with people and to assess any situation. It is this human touch that allows her to instinctively know when to be soft and comforting, or when to use humour.

Please see her participation in the development of the TBRHSC 2020 Strategic Plan here: http://bit.ly/IndigenousHealthPFCC at minute 2:27.

Outside the Hospital, Mona is also very involved in making a difference. She has been a volunteer at the Norwest Community Health Centre; working with a group for Transgender people, helping them on their journey of transitioning.

Mona is also currently a knowledge keeper within the Ontario Native Women’s Association for the Indigenous Anti-Human Trafficking Liaison project.