Hello, Boozhoo, Bonjour.

Thanks for taking a moment out of your day to read this blog and keep updated on what is happening within our Hospital and Health Research Institute community. 

Over the past few months, we have kept you updated on the Environmental Refresh that continues with the in-patient rooms. To date, we have made considerable progress with completing about 20% of the wall repairs, painting, and deep clean on Level 3. As well, we are actively sourcing materials for the wall application, patient privacy curtains, and window blinds. To minimize the impact on you and clinical operations, rooms will be revisited to apply final accents as material arrives. 

As you can imagine, the logistics in completing this revitalization project is an immense undertaking and would not be possible without the exceptional teamwork and efforts from many departments. I want to acknowledge and thank the teams from Maintenance, Housekeeping, Capital Planning, Infection Prevention and Control, Patient Flow, Admitting, and Procurement for their seamless cooperation and dedication to moving this project forward. Additionally, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the clinical staff in 3C for their continued support and understanding during the ongoing renovation. Your patience and adaptability are greatly appreciated as we work towards rejuvenating our Hospital.

Last month, we celebrated National Indigenous History Month and National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21. We are grateful for the activities that occurred throughout the month to recognize and thank those involved in bringing awareness and keeping us engaged. To continue to learn more about the rich history, heritage, and incredible diversity of Indigenous Peoples, I would like to invite you to take part in the “Repairing the Sacred Circle”, which will provide further insight and pave the way for cross-cultural discussions as we continue to work towards improving the care experience for Indigenous Peoples needing culturally safe and quality care.

We all know how much language matters and this is even more important when providing healthcare to those in need. I encourage you to find out more about the power of words and outdated language related to substance use and addictions and the campaign to change this. You can take the Anti-Stigma Pledge (via the Hospital’s Dual Code LMS) this summer and be part of the change! 

Over the past 20 years, we have certainly made significant progress in our health care services – so many milestones when reflecting – and they keep coming. Another more recent milestone is the approval of our next phase of the Cardiovascular Surgery Program project. This is a significant step as we move forward to the final stages with the next stage being the tendering of the project publicly to prequalified general contractors. We are getting close to initiating the build and it is going to be a monumental step towards our vision. We are so grateful for the many partnerships that have been instrumental in making this dream a reality. The dedication and work of the Health Sciences Foundation has been a key partner in this project and their support of the cabinet of the Our Hearts at Home Campaign. We are grateful for all the amazing work done and the donors who have given so generously – thank you for being part of this breakthrough in care for Northwestern Ontario. I look forward to keeping you up to date on the next steps as we continue to make strides.

Before I wrap up this month’s blog, please know that your dedication and hard work is inspiring and meaningful to the patients and families that seek care at our Hospital. I hear stories all the time about the great people we have here and how you have touched so many lives in our communities. It is rewarding to hear and I am sincerely proud of the work that goes on in our Hospital and Health Research Institute community. Together we will continue to improve and progress towards our Strategic Plan 2026.  

I do hope you get the opportunity for some downtime to enjoy these summer months with your family and friends.  As always, I invite you to provide me with your feedback on these blogs or on any other matter. You can contact me at: rhonda.ellacott@tbh.net. I look forward to hearing from you.