Social worker assists patients and their families during challenging moments

Lori Ray is a registered social worker based in the Cardiovascular Surgery Unit (Unit 91) at Foothills Medical Centre. While no two days are exactly the same, her motivation for coming to work never wavers.

“The best part of my job is working with patients and their families and knowing that I have had a positive impact during a difficult time,” she says. “I feel very privileged to meet patients and families at a time of high stress and provide some light and a non-anxious presence.” 

With compassion at the heart of everything she does, Ray plays a vital role in supporting patients and families through some of their most challenging moments.

She has spent most of her career in hospital settings, working across a range of specialties—including kidney care, the neonatal intensive care unit and the in-patient bone marrow transplant unit—before joining Unit 91 two years ago.

Ray’s days are spent building relationships with patients and their families while providing pre-operative teaching, psycho-social assessments and checking in to see how they are coping. She also provides resources and assistance that touch many aspects of patients’ lives, from their financial and housing situations to their support system and transportation.

“The goal of what I do is to reduce patients’ stress,” says Ray, adding it plays an important role in their recovery. 

Ray’s interest in social work was sparked while volunteering at a school for special needs children shortly after completing her bachelor’s degree in psychology. 

“I worked closely with both a teacher and a social worker, and that inspired me to pursue my career,” she says. 

It was while working on her master’s degree at Wilfred Laurier University in Waterloo that Ray completed a practicum in a hospital specializing in women’s health that she realized her calling was to work with patients and their families. 

Now years into her career, Ray is still excited about what she does.

“My colleagues in cardiac surgery are highly skilled, incredibly knowledgeable and compassionate and they get to know patients, which is inspiring,”  she says. “It’s rewarding to help people.” 

Ray says a degree in social work is a great stepping stone to a variety of careers. 

“Social work teaches communications skills, critical thinking skills, ethical practice… and you learn how to deal with people in distress and in crisis situations,” she says.

Ray hopes to clear up some potential misconceptions about her chosen career. 

“People may think that social workers are in the hospital to share bad news, but we are a part of the health care team,” she says. “Social work is a helping profession. We are here for everyone.”