We are Niagara Health is a series of stories that celebrates the incredible people working and volunteering in our organization and how they make a difference in the lives of patients and coworkers every day.
Corey Dutcher, Switchboard Operator, plays a vital role in coordinating critical hospital communications while actively advancing community advocacy through volunteer work focused on equity, inclusion, and access to care.
In his role as a Switchboard Operator, Corey Dutcher coordinates some of Niagara Health’s most critical communications. This includes rapid response calls, code alerts and urgent family connections — working around the clock to ensure seamless internal coordination.
“It’s a role that not many people see,” he says. “But it’s the heartbeat of communication at the hospital.”
While this work happens behind the scenes, its impact is felt across patient units, care teams and during emergency scenarios. Dutcher may be physically removed from the bedside, but he says his role is deeply connected to patient outcomes.
That sense of connection doesn’t end at the hospital walls.
“I also see my role as a connector in a broader sense,” he says. Through volunteer involvement in community organizations and causes — both within Niagara Health and on his own time — Dutcher helps work on issues such as homelessness, equitable access to care and the unique needs of equity-deserving populations.
Dutcher’s community advocacy includes years of volunteerism with Pride Niagara, leadership on 2SLGBTQ+ advisory committees at both the municipal and regional levels, and contributions to visible, meaningful change — such as helping bring the first Rainbow and Indigenous crosswalks to Welland. These community-led milestones are rooted in visibility, safety, and representation.
At the heart of it all is lived experience.
“I know what it’s like to feel unheard, overlooked, or unsafe,” Dutcher says. “That’s what drives me. I want to help create spaces — whether in a hospital or on a sidewalk — where people feel like they belong.”
His advocacy isn’t limited to large-scale events or visual markers. He says he works to foster belonging in quieter, often less visible spaces — like leadership discussions, boardrooms, and inclusion committees including those at Niagara Regional Police, Positive Living Niagara, and Community Addiction Services of Niagara.
Dutcher’s approach to advocacy is consistent and informed.
“Pride isn’t just about celebration,” he says. “It’s about action, listening, and showing up on the days when no one else does.”
This year’s Pride Month theme — Pride 365 — is more than just a slogan for Dutcher. It’s a personal philosophy. Whether responding to a call at 3 a.m. or participating in a city council meeting, his work reflects a year-round commitment to inclusion.
“Pride can’t just live in a parade or on a social media post,” he explains. “It has to live in our systems, our schools, our hospitals, our hiring practices, and in how we respond to crisis.”
Dutcher is proud to see Niagara Health embracing that year-round commitment — not only through symbolic actions, like putting up the Pride flag in the lobbies of all our sites, but through equity-driven policies and active leadership engagement.
“When your workplace validates your identity, it’s transformative,” he says.
