Name: Jayme Gerk (she/her/hers)
Job Title: Improvement Consultant
Years of Service: 10
Worksite: Penticton Health Centre
Community: South Okanagan
Ancestral Territory: Syilx/Okanagan
Favourite Quote / Advice to live by: “There are three ways to ultimate success. The first way is to be kind. The second way is to be kind. The third way is to be kind.” — Fred Rogers
Improvement consultant Jayme Gerk describes herself as passionate and authentic, and occasionally just a little bit cheesy. She was born in Vancouver and moved to Penticton when she was two years old. She lived in Kelowna for eight years before moving back home to Penticton.
Learn more about Jayme’s journey with IH
Jayme’s typical work day can vary drastically, and that’s one of her favourite things about her role as an improvement consultant.
You might find her facilitating engagement or quality improvement workshops one day. The next day, she’ll be buried in data and spreadsheets, developing reports and metrics to support strategic program planning or resource allocation. Some days, she’ll jump from one area to the next. In one meeting, she’ll check in with a local team on the new standard work they are trying with their program. In the next, she’ll be coaching a group on ethical considerations in a project charter.
I love to collaborate with teams and help bring their quality improvement ideas to reality, develop patient-centered standards, and run successful tests of change. I'm constantly inspired by the passion and dedication I see working with all the different programs and teams from all over the organization that I am lucky enough to support.
Jayme feels especially proud to be co-chair of Interior Health's Accessibility Committee. “As a person living with disability, navigating our system while wearing so many different 'hats' —employee, patient, advocate—can be overwhelming,” she says.
“Participating and collaborating on the Accessibility Committee with such a diverse group of colleagues from around IH to leverage lived experiences and knowledge to move accessibility planning forward in the organization, has been an incredibly fulfilling experience!”
Jayme explains how accessibility has been—and still is—quite a journey for her. When she entered IH's workforce over 10 years ago, she didn't identify as having a disability or as having accessibility needs. Over the last three or four years, her situation gradually changed, getting to the point of requiring accommodations for a visible disability.
“At first it was daunting,” says Jayme. “I didn't know how my colleagues would react, or if I would even be able to perform my job effectively. Through this experience, I've come to realize that accessibility isn’t just about physical accommodations. It’s about creating an environment where everyone, regardless of ability, feels valued and empowered to contribute their best.”
Outside work, Jayme is a homebody. In her spare time, she might be curled up in her living room with a crossword puzzle and a cup of tea. During spring and summer, her happy place is the backyard, where she enjoys the South Okanagan sunshine and the company of family, and taking care of her flowers.
Jayme admits she’s a total kid at heart! Whether it's watching cartoons, playing video games, catching up on the latest in DC, Marvel or Star Wars, or engaging in a never-ending Nerf dart battle with her family, she promises “you can always count on me to dork out with you!”
Jayme loves to go camping with her husband, their seven-year-old son, Foster, and their five-year-old daughter, Lily. They already have some of their 2024 summer weekend getaways planned!
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