For many people, retirement marks the end of a chapter. For Hilary McIver, it marked the beginning of a new way to stay connected to a place that meant so much to her.

Hilary spent many years as a dedicated employee at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, contributing her time, expertise, and care to the organization and the community it serves. Even after concluding her career, Hilary knew she wasn’t quite ready to say goodbye. Instead, she chose to return in a different role, as a volunteer.

Today, Hilary generously gives her time supporting several areas of the hospital, including Surgical Daycare and Genetics, where her familiarity with the hospital environment and her compassionate approach help create a welcoming and supportive experience for patients and families. Her presence provides reassurance to those navigating appointments and procedures, and her willingness to lend a hand wherever needed is deeply appreciated by both staff and patients.

In addition to her volunteer roles within hospital departments, Hilary also serves as a member of the Volunteer Advisory Council, where she helps provide insight and guidance that strengthens the volunteer program. Drawing on her years of experience as a former employee, she brings a unique perspective that helps ensure volunteers continue to make a meaningful impact across the organization.

Hilary’s decision to return as a volunteer speaks volumes about her commitment to Thunder Bay Regional and the people it serves. Her continued dedication reflects a deep sense of pride in the hospital community and a genuine desire to give back.

We are incredibly grateful that Hilary chose to remain part of the Thunder Bay Regional family. Her time, experience, and kindness continue to make a difference every day.

Thank you, Hilary, for your ongoing commitment and for inspiring others through your service.

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Congratulations to Keri Taylor, Lorna Ridle, and Diane Dupis, dedicated Registration Clerks in the Emergency Department, for their exceptional efforts in supporting patient experience.

Through their professionalism and consistency, these women have gone above and beyond in ensuring patients presenting to the Emergency Department are offered the opportunity to participate in our patient experience surveys through email or SMS consent.

This work plays a vital role in helping us understand the patient journey, recognize what is working well, and identify opportunities to improve care. Most importantly, it ensures the voice of the patient and family is present in shaping decisions across our organization.

Their commitment reflects the heart of Patient and Family Centred Care and helps us achieve our vision of exceptional care for every patient, every time.

Thank you for the meaningful difference you make each day at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre.

Shared on behalf of Infection Prevention and Control

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The RSV outbreak on 1A Medical/Oncology inpatient unit had been DECLARED OVER as of Friday, April 24, 2026.

All restrictions are lifted.

Please share this information with the appropriate staff.

The Infection Prevention and Control team encourages everyone to consistently follow routine practices, including hand hygiene, proper use of PPE, equipment cleaning, and appropriate admission screening for all patients. Please help set the standard for staff and students by maintaining strong compliance and ongoing diligence.

It’s National Volunteer Week, and we recently connected with Barb, Maureen, Hilary, and Bill — dedicated volunteers at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre — to learn what inspires them to give their time and why they enjoy being part of our Hospital community.

Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Steering Committee invites all staff, professional staff, learners, and volunteers to join the Pride Working Group.

If you would like to be involved in planning and participating in Pride month activities, please reach out to the EDI Steering Committee by 4:00 pm on Friday, May 8, 2026 at: TBRHSC.EDISteeringCommittee@tbh.net.

Brad Adams, Barb Rickards, Susan Allen, Marie Viherjoki, Anna Bolt and Doug Brown are pictured with Staxi chairs at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. As volunteers, they play an important role in supporting patients and families throughout the Hospital, offering assistance, guidance and a welcoming presence that helps make each visit a little easier. Whether helping individuals with mobility challenges or ensuring patients can get where they need to go, their contributions are felt every day.

Thanks to your support of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation, through donations, Foundation events and Thunder Bay 50/50 ticket purchases, 33 new Staxi chairs have been funded to help meet growing demand and replace aging equipment. Together, donor generosity and volunteer dedication help ensure patients and families can move safely and comfortably through the hospital each day.

For Gary, volunteering as a Patient Family Advisor (PFA) at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) is a meaningful way to stay engaged and give back to the community.

He first learned about the PFA role through his involvement with the Prostate Cancer Support Group and over time has come to truly appreciate the vital role hospitals play in people’s lives.

Since becoming a PFA in 2021, Gary has made a significant impact at our Hospital. By volunteering his time and sharing his lived experience, he helps improve the patient journey for everyone who walks through our doors.

At TBRHSC, PFAs are essential partners in care. By bringing the patient voice to the table, Gary plays an important role in helping to shape the policies, programs and practices that guide how care is delivered – ensuring it remains patient-centred and grounded in compassion and understanding.

What Gary enjoys most about his role is the opportunity to help others. Whether he is helping to educate staff about our Patient and Family Centred Care philosophy, or supporting patients by promoting clearer communication and enhancing the overall experience, his contributions make a difference. As part of a team of 70 PFAs, Gary values the consistently active and engaging nature of the work, which makes his volunteer experience both rewarding and impactful.

We are grateful for Gary’s ongoing dedication and the positive difference he continues to make in our Hospital.

Clinical placements play a vital role in a health care learner’s journey, bridging academic learning with real-world practice and helping students build confidence, competence, and professional identity. Through hands-on experience, learners develop essential clinical skills, teamwork, and an understanding of patient-centred care.

As an academic health sciences centre, our Hospital is proud to support learners by providing a safe, supportive, and enriching placement environment where future professionals can learn, grow, and contribute meaningfully to patient care.

We want you to meet some of the learners at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) who are currently on that journey — such as Nav Bajwa.

Hometown: Athens, Greece

Program: Medical Radiation Technology, Confederation College

What does an average day during your placement look like?

An average day during my placement starts early, preparing for an 8-hour clinical shift. Throughout the week, I rotate through different areas such as general X-ray, fluoroscopy, the operating room and the fracture clinic. Each day, I work with a different preceptor. We are trained in a hands-on environment where we are encouraged to take initiative while being supervised, helping us build competence as future X-ray technologists. This experience also allows us to build rapport with the team, develop our professional reputation & better understand the hospital environment as we prepare for our future careers.

Is there a mentor or faculty member who has significantly impacted you?

Two faculty members who have enhanced my learning experience are Anne-Marie Hutton and Alexa Chesky. They have created a supportive learning environment where I feel comfortable asking questions and learning from my mistakes. Their positive and encouraging approach, along with constructive feedback, has helped me grow professionally. They’ve been thoughtful in providing exposure to unique and “rarer” cases, which prepares me for the real-world work.

What is one interesting fact others might not know about you?

I’m passionate about fitness and have been strength training since 2023. I currently work at the Confederation College gym and I aim to become a personal trainer in the near future. I am a strong advocate of mental and physical health.

Shared on behalf of the Help Desk

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To help improve meeting room availability and ensure our Outlook calendars remain current, we’re asking all staff to review and clean up stagnant or outdated appointments—especially recurring meetings that may still be linked to users who have since left the organization.

Please take a few moments this week to:

• Delete or cancel meetings that are no longer active or needed.
• Update recurring meetings to remove attendees who are no longer with the organization.
• If a meeting was originally booked by someone who has departed, reassign the booking to the current incumbent or another appropriate team member to maintain control of the room reservation.
• Verify that the room booking status is accurate (available vs. in use).

Maintaining accurate calendars and meeting room schedules ensures fair access to shared spaces and helps avoid booking conflicts.

If you need assistance with transferring meeting ownership or managing room bookings, please contact the Help Desk for support.

Thank you for helping us keep our scheduling system running smoothly and efficiently.

Congratulations Nicole Vanderwey from 3C Neuro, winner of last week’s Accreditation Trivia. Nicole won a $25 gift card to Eat Local Pizza.

Keep an eye on Informed for the weekly Accreditation Trivia question for your chance to win.