We Are IH: Small but mighty admin assistant loves to boost morale

December 5, 2024

Name: Stephenie McLeod (she/her/hers)
Job Title: Administrative Assistant
Years of Service: 6
Worksite: Vernon Health Unit
Community: Vernon
Ancestral Territory: syilx Nation
Favourite Quote / Advice to live by: "It's kind of fun to do the impossible" - Walt Disney

Stephenie was born in Vancouver and moved to Ontario as an infant. Her extended family still lives in Thunder Bay, Ont.

She returned to B.C. when she was 20 years old. After a few years in retail and optometry, where she gained knowledge with ophthalmic terms, Stephenie completed training as a medical transcriptionist and gained work experience in transcribing community psychiatry reports through her administrative role at Vernon Mental Health.

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Learn more about Stephenie’s journey with IH

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Learn more about Stephenie’s journey with IH

Her skills and experience landed her a job as an administrative assistant at Interior Health (IH) in 2018. Transcribing reports has and still is an important part of her role.

A black and white photo of a women standing next to a life size dinosaur statue. — Stephenie battling (and winning) with a dinosaur at The Log Barn near Enderby.

“I want to make an impact and help people, but I have a very limited social battery,” says Stephenie. “My job allows me to contribute to the well-being of others but in the background.”
At 4’ 11”, Stephenie is “small but mighty” as a friend recently called her. “Even though I’m not even five feet tall, I’ve never felt small,” explains Stephenie, who wrestled in high school and dominated the 41kg weight class three years in a row. “I’m willing to speak up though it’s a fairly new skill for me,” she admits.

“As a lifelong learner, I am inspired by how there is always something new to learn. I’m looking forward to professional growth opportunities and continued learning, while being able to maintain a work/life balance at IH.”

-- Stephenie McLeod

At IH, one of Stephenie’s proudest moments is winning the Halloween costume contest. She’s known to plan her costumes years in advance, and it’s her favourite time of year. “I love participating in activities that boost morale,” she shares. “That energy trickles down to the patients, and everyone wins.”

A woman and a child smile and pose together in front of a Christmas Tree — Stephenie and her daughter, Christmas 2023.

A lover of coffee and astrology, Stephenie plays boardgames and excels at trivia. She’s also “slightly embarrassed” but secretly loves playing Roblox with her daughter. Her dream vacation would be to chase tornadoes.