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.
No referrals are necessary to access care at the Maternity Centre.
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 110 babies born at our Hospital during the month of December. In 2024, a total of 1,400 babies were born at TBRHSC. Congratulations on the new bundles of joy!
January 4 is Nationa Ribbon Skirt Day. Indigenous Ribbon Skirts are vibrant symbols of identity, resilience, and tradition among Indigenous Peoples on Turtle Island. Primarily linked to the Plains Indigenous communities, these skirts have evolved and are now embraced across various territories on the continent. Traditionally crafted from materials like cotton and leather, these skirts are adorned with colourful ribbons. These ribbons symbolize beauty, femininity, pride, and storytelling, conveying cultural significance through their patterns and colours, which often reflect family lineage and communal values.
For many people, wearing a Ribbon Skirt is a spiritual practice, especially during cultural ceremonies, powwows, and gatherings. It fosters a deep connection to ancestors and the spirit world while serving as an expression of resistance against colonial narratives, reclaiming Indigenous identity and challenging stereotypes.
The craftsmanship of Ribbon Skirts is an esteemed art form, requiring skill and creativity. The process involves selecting fabrics and intricately sewing colourful ribbons into unique designs that vary among communities. Traditional techniques are often passed down through generations, fostering community bonds and preserving cultural practices. Contemporary artists are innovating these designs, merging traditional elements with modern influences while respecting the Skirts’ cultural significance.
Indigenous Ribbon Skirts are more than garments, they embody a rich tapestry of cultural heritage and artistic expression. Worn and created with care, they serve as living symbols of identity and resilience, bridging the past with the present and representing the beauty and strength of Indigenous cultures.
The priority of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion identified in Strategic Plan 2026 ensures that the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre embeds equity, diversity, and inclusion in all aspects of its operations, providing a culturally safe experience for all patients and staff.
Shared on behalf of Infection Prevention and Control
An outbreak of COVID-19 has been declared on Forensics Inpatient Unit as of January 2, 2025. All restrictions are in place. Outbreak # 2262-2025-00001
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.
Thunder Bay’s first baby of 2025 has finally arrived.
It’s a girl! Freya Marinoff was born to parents Kescia Yeomans and Noel Marinoff at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre at 1:52 p.m. on January 1st.
The proud parents welcomed their first daughter weighing seven pounds, six ounces, and measuring 20 inches tall.
We continue to experience impacts on our Inpatient Clinical Units and Emergency Department due to respiratory and influenza type illnesses. We want to remind you of our current protocols regarding masking in our facilities.
Currently, all Staff, Professional Staff, Learners, Volunteers and Essential Care Partners (ECPs)/Care Partners (CPs) are required to wear a mask when entering a patient room for all Inpatient Clinical Units and when in the Emergency Department.
Please see the following details on masking requirements:
1A Inpatient Units
All Staff, Professional Staff, Learners, Volunteers and ECPs/CPs are required to wear a mask at all times while on units 1A Medicine, and 1A Acute Oncology. This includes when entering a patient room and when within the 1A clinical area.
All other Inpatient Units
All Staff, Professional Staff, Learners and Volunteers must wear a mask at all times when entering a patient’s room, when providing direct patient care, including transportation of patients and at any time they are unable to maintain 6 feet of physical distancing.
All ECPs/CPs visiting in an inpatient room must wear a mask when entering a patient’s room and whenever they are unable to maintain 6 feet of physical distancing standards within the unit.
Emergency Department
All Staff, Professional Staff, Learners and Volunteers must wear a mask at all times when entering a patient’s room, when providing direct patient care, including transportation of patients and at any time they are unable to maintain 6 feet of physical distancing.
All Patients and ECPs/CPs accompanying a patient must wear a mask at all times in the department
Public communication and signage will be provided to support the above requirements. Further communication will occur on this topic as required.
Thank-you for your commitment to keeping our patients, staff and Hospital safe. If you have any questions, please ask your manager or reach out to Infection Prevention and Control at 684-6094 for further details on best practices.
Conference theme: Catapulting NP Systems: The Value of NPs as Clinicians, Leaders, Scholars & Educators
Submit your abstract for a chance to present at the 2025 NPAO Annual Conference and inspire the next wave of healthcare innovation. Deadline: March 28, 2025.
The Nurse Practitioners’ Association of Ontario Annual Conference is an important forum that brings NPs together from across Ontario. The conference runs over three days and helps facilitate meaningful dialogue about issues of importance to NP practice through the sharing of ideas, insights and research on a broad range of topic
We invite topics relevant to nurse practitioner clinical practice, leadership, regulation, policy, education, research, and quality improvement.
With this as a guiding principle, submissions are invited under the following areas:
Clinical – providing knowledge or clinical pearls on health care issues from birth to death, spanning prevention to treatment including end-of-life care, including issues fundamental to NP practice.
Innovation – exploring the innovative work of NPs. Innovative work could be research-based (qualitative/quantitative) or quality improvement initiatives and programs. (Note: only completed research is eligible for podium presentations). This topic area includes but is not limited to quality and process improvement projects, health policy, education and creative approaches to patient and system-focused initiatives.
Relevance to Practice – communicating trends and barriers to NP practice and/or strategies to explore new opportunities that benefit patients or NP practice.
Examples are program development, legislative challenges, implementation of clinical care pathways, etc.
Who should submit?
We welcome abstract submissions from all Nurse Practitioners-Primary Health Care (NP-PHC); Paediatrics (NP-Paediatrics); Adult (NP-Adult) and NP Students.
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.
EDI Physical Environment Review
This project aims to create a culturally safe environment. We plan to conduct a facility review with an EDI lens to identify gaps and determine areas for improvement. Our goal is to integrate EDI considerations into future space planning and assess the impact of current capital projects, reinforcing our commitment to an inclusive and equitable environment.
Indigenous Recruitment and Education
This initiative addresses the under-representation of Indigenous Peoples in Health Human Resources (HHR) roles at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and Research Institute. We will focus on recruitment for HHR positions, evaluate current practices, implement new strategies, and monitor progress. Insights gained will also enhance recruitment for volunteers, Patient Family Advisors (PFAs), and other staff roles.
EDI Experience Sharing to Build Understanding & Respect
We are creating an EDI assessment tool for managers to evaluate and improve EDI practices within their teams. This tool will provide practical insights to support a more inclusive work environment, helping managers build a more equitable workplace.
Together, these projects help us foster a more inclusive and equitable environment for patients and staff!
For a full list of highlights from the latest quarterly update, download the document below:
After over a year of training, our Paediatric Emergency Transport Team performed their first patient transfer on December 20, 2024.
The Paediatric Emergency Transport Team (PETT) consists of one Registered Nurse and one Registered Respiratory Therapist who travel with an ORNGE aircraft to retrieve children, primarily under the age of one year, and transport them to a higher level of care (either back to Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre or to a children’s hospital).
After completing extensive training and certification, team members will eventually be available 24/7 to transport children across Northwestern Ontario. This new program, the first paediatric transport team not part of a specialized children’s hospital, will significantly reduce the time it takes to transport sick children to a higher level of care. This day marks a momentous occasion for children in Northwestern Ontario.
Lakehead University’s Office of Indigenous Initiatives and the Bora Laskin Faculty of Law invite you to join us for a Book Launch and Signing with Dr. Chantelle Richmond on Thursday, January 9, 2025, 7:00pm to 9:00pm EST.
