Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC), in collaboration with the Miskwaa Biidaaban department, is pleased to launch the new Indigenous Health E-Learning, now available on LMS Dual Code
This enhanced learning experience provides staff with important knowledge and practical information to strengthen culturally respectful, informed, and responsive care for Indigenous patients and families.
The updated education goes beyond foundational awareness by connecting the history of Indigenous health care in Northwestern Ontario with the realities Indigenous patients continue to experience when accessing health services today.
What You Will Learn:
The Indigenous Health Education provides practical knowledge to support respectful and informed care, including:
Indigenous Health in Northwestern Ontario: Regional history and its ongoing impact on health and health care.
Indian Hospitals: Their history, legacy, and impacts on Indigenous peoples and communities.
One Patient, Two Systems: How Indigenous patients navigate federal and provincial health systems and associated barriers.
TBRHSC Patient Supports: Available hospital services and supports.
Why This Learning Matters:
One patient should not have to navigate two systems alone. Understanding the history, systems, and barriers affecting Indigenous health strengthens our ability to provide respectful, equitable, and culturally safer care. This education helps staff better provide an introduction to the Indigenous patient journey, recognize barriers, and connect patients and families with appropriate supports.
We’re developing our next Strategic Plan, and your feedback is essential. This is your opportunity to share ideas, identify priorities, and help guide the future direction of our organization.
We want to know:
What can we do better and/or more efficiently?
What can we do less of, or stop doing altogether?
How can we better connect clinical care, research, education and everyday work so that they support each other more effectively?
Looking ahead to 2031, what would make you proud to work here as an academic?
To complete the survey, clickhereor scan the QR code below.
IT will be scheduling automatic software updates to keep your computer secure and running smoothly.
What to expect:
Background Updates: Updates will push automatically in the background and will not interrupt your ongoing work.
Reboot Prompt: If an update on your system requires a restart, a prompt will appear on your screen once the installation is finished.
What you need to do:
When the reboot prompt appears, please save your work and restart your device at your earliest convenience.
If you are unable to restart immediately, you may choose “Snooze” to delay the reboot for 30 minutes. The reboot may be delayed up to 8 times before a reboot must occur.
If you experience any issues or have questions regarding these updates, please reach out to the IT Helpdesk.
The Maternity Centre at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) provides prenatal care for the residents of Thunder Bay and surrounding region. Our team is committed to providing evidence-based maternity care that is safe, respectful and culturally sensitive.
Self-referral can be made to be seen by a Nurse Practitioner, Family Medicine Physician, Social Worker, Kinesiologist, Dietician, and Lactation Consultant.
To be seen by an Obstetrician, a referral is needed from your primary health care provider or midwife.
During pregnancy, you are welcome to call the Maternity Centre to schedule an appointment with one of our prenatal care providers. All of our programs are accessible with your Ontario health card.
TBRHSC’s Maternity Centre welcomes the 128 babies born at our Hospital during the month of August.Congratulations on the new bundles of joy!
All staff, professional staff, learners, and volunteers are invited to tune in, stay informed, and get involved as in our monthly Town Hall. This is your chance to hear the latest updates from across our Hospital and Health Research Institute — from strategic priorities to day-to-day operations — and to have your voice heard.
Upcoming Town Hall Dates Via Microsoft Teams
September 16 @ 2:00 p.m. October 21 @ 2:00 p.m. November 18 @ 2:00 p.m. December 16 @ 2:00 p.m. January 20 @ 2:00 p.m. February 17 @ 2:00 p.m. March 17 @ 2:00 p.m. April 21 @ 2:00 p.m. May 19 @ 2:00 p.m. June 16 @ 2:00 p.m.
Got questions or feedback?
This is your forum. Ask questions live during the Q&A segment or submit them in advance to ensure the right people are available to respond.
Congratulations to September’s Hand Hyigene Champion, Sabrina Bolt, RN on 2B.
Sabrina has worked at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre for a year and has made it a habit when entering/exiting a patient rooms to complete hand hygiene even when things get busy. She believes this important task protects both herself and her patients from the spread of disease and infections.
I want to close out August with a fuller update on where things stand across the organization.
First, a word about the month itself because August asked a lot of you. What I want you to know is that when we get challenged, the response I see from our teams and staff is steady and professional. I notice it, the leadership team notices it, and your work and care is impressive and not taken for granted.
Work on our next strategic plan is now underway. Engagement is happening inside and outside the organization and if you have seen the QR codes posted around the building that is your invitation to complete the confidential survey. It takes only a few minutes and the answers will help shape the next five years of this organization. Huddles with staff are in progress, along with sessions involving our leaders, the Board, physicians, community partners, and patient family advisors. As previously mentioned, the questions framing this plan are simple. What should we keep doing, what should we start doing, and what should we stop doing? The answers are now arriving, and I want yours in the mix. We expect Board approval of the new plan by December and a launch in early 2027. Click here for the survey.
The health system stabilization work I wrote about in June continues with the Ministry of Health and Ontario Health. Our current focus is on conservable bed days, with action plans targeted for September, and we are reviewing sick time and overtime for opportunities to improve. Sadly, overtime is an area where we do not benchmark well against our peers and we need to do better. I know how a line like that can read from the front line, so let me be clear about the intent. High overtime usually says more about how we schedule and staff than about the people working the hours. The point of this review is to fix what drives the hours, not to blame the people working them. If you are aware of what increases overtime or sick time in your area, tell your manager or email me. The Ministry expects gains in efficiency from every hospital in this work and our commitment has not changed since June. We will find those gains without compromising quality or access to care.
Construction continues on nearly every corner of the Hospital campus. The Cardiovascular Surgery Program sits at 38 per cent completion and remains on schedule, and the renovated ECG and phlebotomy areas have been handed over for clinical use. The new Emergency Department addition is complete, including the reception, registration and security areas, and the overall triage project is at 65 per cent with completion expected this winter. Demolition has started on Level 3 for the new central scope reprocessing space. Roof replacement is finished over 3C, 2C short stay and the ED perimeter, with the ambulance bay and OR administration areas to follow soon. The millwork for our Expanse workstations is nearly complete in the pods and has started in the ICU. On Expanse itself, the build is progressing well and we expect to set a go-live date later this fall as we review the remaining milestones. Once that date is set, details on training and preparation will follow.
Finally, I want to acknowledge something everyone driving to work has noticed. Traffic within the vicinity has been difficult, with our construction activity compounded by City of Thunder Bay road work in the surrounding area. We continue to assess the impacts and project timelines to reduce the congestion where able. Thank you for your patience.
I hope your September gets off to a great start, and you feel positive and refreshed for the months ahead.
As always, I welcome any comments or questions you may have. Please feel free to email directly at: Rhonda.Ellacott@tbh.net.
