Susie Bedrosian an Crew Planner/Scheduler

Susie Bedrosian: Crew Planner/Scheduler

May 8, 2017

8 May, 2017

|

Mississauga

| By: Par:

Rachel Scott



Meet Susie Bedrosian, a Crew Planner/Scheduler based out of Ornge's Head Office in Mississauga, Ontario.
We spoke to Susie about her role at Ornge, the education and training she completed to support her career and discussed what happens on a typical day for a Crew Planner/Scheduler.


Rachel: When did you start working at Ornge?
Susie Bedrosian: I started working with Ornge in the Fall of 2016.     


What is your current role with Ornge?
I’m a Crew Scheduler, so I’m responsible for ensuring all of our assets are paired with approved pilots and a medical crew with the appropriate level of care. This job is a little bit of ‘puzzle-piecing’, you have to look outside of the box and look at different ideas to complete your task
 

So let’s break that down and discuss the variables involved in different crews and assets?
We have bases all over Ontario, and I’m working off-site with people at each base. With Ornge pilots, who can be rotor-wing (helicopters) or fixed-wing (planes), it comes down to ensuring we have a Captain and First Officer who need to be able to fly an asset should they receive a call. 

On the medical side, we have different levels of paramedics, especially depending on the area that they’re servicing there’s a certain requirement of a level of care that we need to ensure the asset has to be able to answer any of the calls that they receive. We also have land units that we staff, although that removes the pilot aspect, it’s still imperative to ensure we’ve staffed to the correct level of care.
 

Can you tell me a bit about you education and what you studied?
I have a Medical Administration Diploma from Niagara College. I think people in this role have to understand that there’s a lot of importance in the skills we can bring to the table like the ability to multitask and to be an excellent communicator.

Working in healthcare in a scheduling role the past decade has really helped me understand the nuances of multi-union environments. Every union has different rules in regards to timing and scheduling which can affect how you schedule.


What made you decide to work in an environment like Ornge?
I’ve always worked in a healthcare setting, primarily hospitals, so this opportunity was something I was familiar with. One new component this role included was aviation; learning more about how aviation is integrated with our healthcare system has been interesting.


What do you do on a typical day?
On a typical day you will see me come in with a smile (even if it’s 5 a.m.) I tend to touch base with the Operations Manager to see what is going on with our current assets; I prepare for the day shift, which starts at 7 a.m., and ensure that we are staffed or that any changes are covered due to sick days etc. In this line of work, some crews may have dutied out, and if travel is not here, it’s my responsibility to find somewhere for them to stay, or find a scheduled flight to fly them home.

I also look at maintenance, as that can be an impact and can result in the repositioning of aircrafts or crews. I’m on the phone throughout the day, speaking to people most of whom I’ve never met but in a lot of ways feel like I have – since I talk to them all the time, I feel like I have built a trusting relationship with our staff.


Is there anything you think the public should know about your role?
For me it’s really important to convey that even though we’re not front line staff, what we do does impact the lives of our front line staff.
 
If I can do my best to ensure they have an appropriate schedule, it contributes positively to a healthy work/life balance, which positively affects the patients we treat.

I appreciate the amazing work our front line staff do and I see the value in my role here.
 

So what do you do to ensure you have a proper work/life balance?
I’m a mother of two daughters who are 13 and 5 years old, they keep me happy, busy and motivated and my schedule enables me to spend quality time with them. My children are my balance; they teach me something new every day. I really enjoy what I do, and I when I have spare time I relax with gardening, cooking and reading.

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At Ornge, our staff work every day around the clock to ensure the patients of Ontario receive the best care available. Learn more about the people behind #teamornge.
 

Comments

Comments
Syed
Well done
7/24/2017 6:49:05 AM
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