We each play a vital role in advancing our strategic priorities and achieving our vision of Exceptional care for every patient, every time. To increase awareness of the progress we are making on Strategic Plan 2026, we are sharing highlights of each strategic priority every quarter. The full list of each “Quarterly Strategic Initiative Highlights” can be found on the intranet.

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Leadership Development

Our future success hinges on a strong workforce led by individuals who inspire, support, and motivate their teams to reach their full potential. This project empowers all staff to become leaders and includes initiatives designed for all levels of leadership – from aspiring to executive.

Key achievements in our Professional Development and Leadership Community include:

Professional Development

• Welcomed 31 new participants into cohort 3 of the “Power of Persuasion: Mastering Literacy for Humanistic Leaders” program through Humber College.
• Eight leaders have completed the Rotman Healthcare Leadership program, with 13 additional leaders registered for the November session.
• Introduced monthly “Management Essentials” training, providing foundational knowledge across various topics. A fantastic 259 spots have already been filled for the upcoming sessions!

Leadership Community

• Established a quarterly forum for leaders to connect, share experiences, and learn from one another, fostering collaboration across the Hospital.
• 77 leaders participated in the September “Leveraging Strengths” forum to discuss methods to support our teams.

Together, we are shaping the future of leadership at TBRHSC and TBRHRI. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to grow and thrive!

For a full list of highlights from the latest quarterly update, download the document below:

Q2 Update (July 1, 2024 – September 30 2024)

Congratulations to another winner of the quarterly ‘Good Catch’ Awards – Tara Libiak!  

Good Catch Awards highlight individuals, groups or departments who demonstrate their commitment to keeping patients safe by reporting a near miss. A ‘good catch’ (or near miss) is an event or situation that could have resulted in harm, but did not reach the patient because of chance or timely intervention. Reporting these events can help to identify gaps in order to prevent future adverse events from happening.

When Phlebotomist Tara went to 2C to perform bloodwork on a patient, she saw that the patient had two different name bands – one with the correct name and one with another patient’s name.   She verbally confirmed the correct name of the patient on which she was to draw blood and notified a unit nurse of the incorrect armband, which was then removed. Great job!

Thank you for your diligence and dedication to safety!  Tara has been awarded a certificate and gift cards to local businesses.

New winners will be selected every quarter. Continue submitting your near misses for a chance to win! Near miss reports are submitted through the Incident Learning System (patient safety incidents). Click on the ‘safety reporting’ icon from your Novell home page, or go to the iNtranet and choose ‘Safety Reporting’ under ‘Informational’.

For more information, contact Terry Fodë, Patient Safety Improvement Specialist (terry.fode@tbh.net).

Shared on behalf of Caroline Fanti, Director, Regional Surgical Services

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I am pleased to welcome Brittany Muldoon to her new role as Regional Central Intake Administrator within the Regional Surgical Services Program. Effective January 27^th, 2025, Brittany will provide multi-faceted support to clerical and clinical staff for surgical and diagnostic imaging teams, surgical office administrators and surgeons at TBRHSC and Regional Surgical Partner sites. Areas of specialization will include Novari and Ocean applications across all Centralized Waitlist Management pathways which enable more equitable access to specialized care, wait times performance, and health system efficiencies.

Since joining the Thunder Bay Regional Health Science Centre in 2016, Brittany has worked across various departments, gaining experience across surgical wards, Health Records, and most recently in the Orthopedic Central Intake program. With a strong background in healthcare administration, Brittany is known for her attention to detail, excellent organizational and communication skills, and her commitment to providing exceptional service for our patients and families.

Brittany’s diverse experience will enable her to navigate complex administrative processes, ensuring seamless coordination and communication between programs and health service providers across multiple hospitals and organizations.

Please join me in congratulating Brittany in her new role!

Shared on behalf of Research Ethics & Authorization Office

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Please be advised that the TBRHSC Active Studies List is now available for viewing or download on the Clinical Research Services iNtranet page under the “Active Studies List” tab. The Active Studies List includes basic information on all currently active research involving human participants taking place under the auspices of TBRHSC and/or TBRHRI (i.e. involving patients, staff, data, space, resources). All listed studies:

• have current valid Research Ethics Board (REB) approval from either the TBRHSC REB, a designated REB of Record through Clinical Trials Ontario, or Lakehead University through our organizations’ reciprocity agreement
• have been issued Institutional Approval by the TBRHSC VP Research
• are actively collecting data or in the follow-up phase

The list is compiled by the Research Ethics & Authorization Office and will be updated quarterly. Reach out to Statton Eade, Research Ethics & Authorization Coordinator, at Statton.Eade@tbh.net or (807) 684-6359 if you have any questions.

Our friends at Sandra Schmirler Foundation are looking for dedicated volunteers to answer phones during their annual telethon during the Scotties Tournament of Hearts on Sunday, February 16! 📞

Note: Applicants must be comfortable using a computer.

For more info or to sign up for a shift, please fill out this form: https://bit.ly/hsf2025ssfvolunteers

Proceeds raised at the Telethon will be donated to our Health Sciences Foundation, to help equip the Hospital’s Paediatric Transport Team with the tools they need to transport critically ill children.

Shared on behalf of Human Resources and Organizational Development

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Our Hospital’s 2025 Health and Wellness Calendars are here!

The calendar features familiar faces from our staff, professional personnel, and volunteers, highlighting their commitment to health and well-being. We invite you to explore the nutritious and delicious recipes showcased each month.

If your department has not yet received the calendars or if you require extra, please contact Kim Myros at kimberly.myros@tbh.net.

Shared on behalf of Infection Prevention and Control

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An outbreak of COVID-19 has been declared on 2B as of Thursday January 9, 2025. All restrictions are in place. Outbreak # 2262-2025-00004.

Please share this information with the appropriate staff. 

As always, our number one priority is the safety of patients and their families, staff and visitors. All patients identified as having an exposure to this outbreak will require isolation with appropriate additional precautions. 

The department of Infection Prevention and Control encourages everyone to keep applying the routine practices of hand hygiene, proper use of PPE, equipment cleaning, and the appropriate admission screening of all patients. Please set an example for staff and students and assist us by maintaining compliance and due diligence.

For more information, contact Infection Prevention and Control at extension 6094.

For OPSEU, OPSEU Maintenance, SEIU and Non-Union Employees

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A Health Care Spending Account (HCSA) is a health and dental benefit administration feature that can be part of a traditional or flexible benefits plan.

Many plan members use this benefit to top up what their standard benefits cover to pay for outstanding amounts, deductibles or dispensing fees. For example, if a standard benefit covers 80% of an eligible expense, the HCSA may cover the remaining 20%. Plan members may also use a HCSA to cover expenses after they go over and above the maximum provided by their standard benefit plan. For example, the current plan offers $400 per year for massage therapy, the costs that go over the maximum may qualify for coverage using HCSA funds. The HCSA also covers medical expenses that are not covered under the current plan such as, medically necessary wigs and special equipment for persons with disabilities. The Canada Revenue Agency maintains a guide and list of medical expenses that are allowable under the HCSA.

Employees with family coverage can claim their own expenses and their spouse/dependent(s) expenses against the HCSA. Employees with single coverage can only claim their own expenses against the HCSA.

At this time only OPSEU, OPSEU Maintenance, and SEIU employees have this benefit as awarded through recent negotiations.

Please see the below document from Green Shield on how to submit a claim for your HCSA. If you have any questions, please reach out to Human Resources at TBRHSC.HumanResources@tbh.net.