July 11, 2023
For Brandon Ruiz, enjoying lunch with his parents Cindy and Jose is just one of the perks of working at the Royal Alexandra Hospital. Two years ago, he became the third generation in his family to work at the site, following in the footsteps of his grandfather Norman Kenneth Schmidt, who started his career at the Royal Alex in 1966.
Story by Sharman Hnatiuk | Photo by Ken Dalton
EDMONTON — Brandon Ruiz can recall the awe he felt as a child, riding up the glass elevators at the Royal Alexandra Hospital and looking out over the atrium. His memories of walking the underground tunnels with his father, and joining his parents at the summer pancake breakfast, are forever etched in his mind.
More remarkably, his memories fueled his dream to one day work here. When he joined the Royal Alex Facilities, Maintenance & Engineering team two years ago, he fulfilled his dream — and became the third generation in his family to work at the site.
Most days, it's hardly uncommon for someone at the Royal Alex to recognize him and point out a family resemblance.
“I’ll be standing at the elevator, and someone will look at me and say, ‘you’re Jose’s son’ or ‘Cindy is your mom’,” says Brandon. “It was the same thing for my mom when she started here. Everyone knew her as (my grandfather) Norm’s daughter.”
From one generation to another, many children have followed in their parents’ footsteps and made working at Alberta Health Services a family tradition.
For Brandon, the tradition began when his grandfather, Norman Kenneth Schmidt, started his career at the Royal Alex in 1966, ultimately becoming the director of finance and spending 22 years at the hospital.
After finishing high school, his daughter Cindy Ruiz joined him at the Royal Alex. She evolved from medical records into a role in admitting, where her welcoming smile has helped greet arriving patients for the past 38 years.
Most days, she can be seen having lunch with the love of her life Jose, who’s worked at the site for 26 years. As a stores attendant, Jose plays an important part of the supply chain that allows the site to operate effectively. His friendly face is a familiar one to colleagues across the campus.
“We were able to raise three boys and work full-time, says Cindy. “We were a team. Jose would show up with the kids in the car and we would just switch drivers as he went in to work a night shift.
“Today, Jose and I work the same shift and carpool together to work. We’re really fortunate with the opportunities the Royal Alex has given us over the years.”
One perk of working together for Cindy is the opportunity to extend some motherly love to Brandon during lunch hours.
“I’m very lucky to be able to meet them for lunch some days, and my mom often packs me a lunch or has a treat for me,” says Brandon. “She knows I get so busy some days I don’t make time to eat, and even at this age, it's nice to have her looking out for me.”
Some of their colleagues are surprised by their ability to work so closely with family, but Cindy couldn’t be happier with the current arrangement.
“People sometimes ask ‘aren’t you tired of each other yet,’ but I love it,” she adds. “That’s what family is about. And working at the Alex is one big family.”
