We are Women’s offers the WCH community a chance to get to know each other and share our stories.
Name: Jacob Looyestein
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Title & Department: Manager, Finance Services
On the WCH team for: 6 years
1. What does your typical workday look like?
I manage a team of seven staff across various functions, including general accounting, accounts receivable/billing, the business office, and accounts payable. My days often involve supporting any of my teams across these functions, preparing financial reports, or working on strategic initiatives with my team to design process improvements and to better serve the needs of the hospital. I also like to stay active in the hospital community and am an active member on committees such as the United Way committee and the Pride committee.
2. What excites you the most about working at WCH?
As a member of the queer community, my favourite thing about working at WCH is its demonstrated values in equity. From being the only hospital who marches in Toronto’s Pride parade, the first and only publicly funded hospital in Ontario to perform trans-related surgeries, to the many other ways we reach and help marginalized communities, it all makes me so proud to say I work for Women’s College Hospital.
3. How does your work contribute to creating a positive patient experience?
In Finance it can sometimes be challenging to find that direct relationship between your work and the patient experience. Aside from some of the more obvious examples like my team in the business office who interact with patients daily, we also help indirectly in countless ways that ensure things run smoothly, which lends itself to ensuring a positive patient experience. We’re an integral part of the total patient experience, even if a bit more behind the scenes at points from the patient’s perspective.
4. Tell us one to three things that your colleagues would be surprised to learn about you!
One thing that my colleagues would definitely NOT be surprised to learn about me is that I have a golden retriever named Potato – since we’ve embraced the hybrid work model in Finance, she’s made her way onto more than a couple Teams meetings.