Shared on behalf of Dr. Rhonda Crocker Ellacott, President & CEO, TBRHSC and CEO, TBRHRI

Hello, Boozhou, Bonjour.

I wanted to quickly check in with everyone mid-summer with a bit of an update on what’s been going on this past month and what’s upcoming.

First and foremost, I would like to bring you up to speed on our efforts to keep you safe at work. As you know, workplace violence is an unacceptable problem faced in healthcare and this complex problem requires a collaborative, multi-faceted approach. I’ve been communicating with you for months on the many activities underway to combat workplace violence. And we’ve made progress. In April, May and June of last year, we saw 80 violent incidents against staff in the hospital. Since implementing changes including an increased police presence, we saw that number drop by almost 90% (10 total incidents) during the same three months this year. But, as I told the local media this past week, this is no reason to celebrate as even one incident is one too many. So, we have considerably more work to do.

Although we started our work in the Emergency Department (ED), the intent has always been to scale some of our efforts to other areas of our organization. Lately, in our Hospital there have been some severe incidents that have occurred that are not specific to the ED. Through well thought-out interventions and strategic communication, we will continue to look to reduce and prevent the violence in our Hospital. We recognize that many of these initiatives and new ways of practice are costly, but funding should not stand in the way of providing a safe environment.  

Speaking of EDs, hospitals across our region continue to struggle to keep their emergency departments open throughout the summer – the peak of vacation time. As you can imagine, the smaller hospitals in Northwestern Ontario are limited in the ability to have patients diverted to a nearby alternative ED, unlike our Southern Ontario counterparts. The impact of these regional closures extends beyond the community and often spill over to our ED. This at times can result in a much more critical situation for the patient. As an adjunct to the care being provided in the region, we are often able to assist through our regional specialized services.

Now more than ever, our programs such as the Regional Mental Health Assessment Team, Regional Critical Care Response Program and our Regional Paediatric Virtual Care Program can supplement critical components of the urgent care needed. We look to further expand on our abilities to virtually assist through these types of programs that can provide a vital lifeline. 

As you know, hospitals across Canada are facing unprecedented challenges when it comes to health human resources, and we are certainly no exception to that. We have made progress, but we are looking for more opportunities and are hopeful that minor changes to funding arrangements and program services will augment our current recruitment efforts. In fact, we have made a compelling case to the provincial government that we face unique challenges on this front here in Northwestern Ontario. This was a major aspect of what I communicated last month when we got a visit from Dr. Karima Velji, Chief of Nursing & Professional Practice, Assistant Deputy Minister of Health. We are requesting urgent personalized incentives with all disciplines that can set us apart from regions in Southern Ontario and even Northeastern Ontario. We know we are unique, and we have requested this for all professions such as Nursing, Medical Laboratory Technologist (MLT) and Pharmacy. We will start with this approach, but I am hopeful the plans will bring some stability to all operations and open up other opportunities. I will keep you updated on our progress.

Despite the system-wide pressures all hospitals are facing, one thing I know for sure is that our teams continue to provide exceptional care and find innovative ways to help others who are looking to do the same. I am proud of our Hospital and the care we provide – each and every one of you should be also.    

Finally, we all know you can’t beat summertime in Northern Ontario, so I hope you have had a chance to get in some vacation and enjoy our beautiful surroundings with friends and family.

As always, feel free to connect with me at: rhonda.ellacott@tbh.net.