We are pleased to announce that Tabetha Belanger has accepted the position of Hospital Elder Life Coordinator with the Hospital Elder Life Program.
Tabetha has a Recreational Therapy background and has worked at the Hospital for 20+ years in various roles. Tabetha has spent the past three years as the Lead, Interprofessional Education and Simulation where she worked closely with the IPE, NRT and CNS teams.
Tabetha in an NVCI instructor and is GPA certified. She comes to the HELP Program with a wealth of knowledge, experience and excitement to build and expand the HELP Program.
Please join us in welcoming Tabetha who began her new role on November 4, 2024.
The Emergency Department (ED) at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre has continued their annual tradition of sponsoring a family and an independent youth through the Children’s Aide Society’s Holiday Hamper Program with additional cash donations to the Dew Drop Inn and the RFDA. Special thanks to Anna Oberg, RN, Charge Nurse for organizing the donations for the last 16 years.
Our ED staff and physicians have truly demonstrated their true spirit of the holiday season by giving to those in need. The Emergency Department raised $3,700! What an amazing team for their kindness and generosity. The gifts will undoubtedly help ensure that the individuals have a very special holiday season.
Merry Christmas and happy holidays from the Emergency Department Team!
Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre’s Adult Mental Health (AMH) team, in collaboration with the Substance Use and Addictions’ Education and Training Working Group, launched a heartfelt holiday initiative to emphasize their commitment to reducing stigma around substance use and addictions.
Through this initiative, staff were encouraged to reflect and connect personally with the “Our Words and Actions Matter” campaign anti-stigma pledge, reaffirming their dedication to creating a supportive and respectful environment for all.
This holiday season, the AMH team decorated a tree in purple—a poignant symbol of the overdose crisis impacting Northwestern Ontario. The purple decorations also serve to honour those lost to substance use and addiction-related harms and acknowledge the grief experienced by their loved ones.
In a powerful show of support, over 60 individual commitments were added to the tree by December 12, 2024. These pledges reflect the team’s collective resolve to do better, moving forward with compassion, understanding, and respect for those seeking care.
This initiative is about growth, accountability, and the recognition that our words and actions truly matter.
Originally published in the Ontario Hospital Association’s Health System News
Over 60 students from school boards across Thunder Bay were on-site at TBRHSC to explore many different health care career options.
In the face of ongoing challenges in recruiting for positions within health care, Thunder Bay Regional Health Science Centre (TBRHSC) has created a promising initiative: the Indigenous Career Experience (ICE).
In its fourth year, ICE aims to engage Indigenous youth by offering valuable insights into various career paths in health care and fostering a connection with TBRHSC. A key component involves reaching out to high school students before they finalize their post-secondary career choices. By offering students the opportunity to be involved in hands-on learning, the program provides an opportunity for students to get excited about a future career in health care. It also facilitates the recruitment of Indigenous staff within the health care sector.
“I never realized how many different career paths there are in health care until today. The Indigenous Career Experience opened my eyes to opportunities I didn’t know existed, and I feel inspired to pursue a future where I can help my community and make a difference,” said Aaron Klement, a grade 10 student who participated in ICE.
ICE introduces Indigenous youth to hospital operations and encourages them to consider volunteering opportunities. Volunteering not only allows students to satisfy their mandatory community service hours but also equips them with essential career experience and encourages networking.
“We are aiming to become a more welcoming environment for Indigenous Peoples who are working or visiting our Hospital,” said Dr. Miranda Lesperance, Vice President, Indigenous Collaboration, Equity and Inclusion. “As outlined in our Strategic Plan 2026, we are committed to providing a culturally safe environment for all staff and patients. The goal of our organization is to be supportive of cultural differences and maximize cultural safety for staff, patients and families.”
Over 60 students from school boards across Thunder Bay were on-site at TBRHSC to explore many different health care career and volunteer options. As part of the program, students experienced a day filled with tours, presentations, and hands-on activities designed to provide them with an authentic feel of various health care roles. Students have the opportunity to interact with managers and staff, ask questions, and learn about the educational pathways required for various positions. Throughout the day participants had the opportunity to visit departments that included the Miskwaa Biidaaban (Indigenous Health Hub), Laboratory Services and Medical Device Reprocessing as well as participate in a clinical simulation and try different tools used in the Operating Room.
Indigenous Peoples may face challenges and barriers when accessing health care services or educational opportunities, particularly for those travelling long distances from their communities. By addressing these challenges and improving cultural safety, TBRHSC is striving to create an environment where Indigenous staff and patients can thrive.
“This program is designed to give Indigenous students a first-hand look at the world of health care. We hope it ignites their curiosity about the many volunteering and career paths available at TBRHSC,” said Jeannine Verdenik, Vice President of People and Culture. “The goal of the experience is not just to show these young people what health care careers look like but to inspire them to think about their future and the important role education, training, and skills development can play in your journey.”
Feedback from previous participants emphasized the need for TBRHSC to be a more welcoming space for Indigenous communities. It was clear that increasing the number of Indigenous staff and volunteers who can appreciate the culture and languages of these communities would significantly contribute to this goal.
As the ICE Program continues to evolve, it serves as a vital platform for inspiring and informing Indigenous youth about the diverse and rewarding career paths available in the health care field. These young individuals can embark on journeys that allow their passion for helping others to flourish. Through ongoing support and engagement, the program plays a crucial role in shaping the health care workforce of the future, one step at a time.
As part of our commitment to keeping staff engaged and informed on the Strategic Plan 2026, Strategy and Performance is sharing updates in alignment with the identified priorities: Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, Patient Experience, Staff Experience and Research, Innovation, & Learning.
The December 11, 2024, Operational Updates and Strategic Planning Meeting featured an update on Sustainable Future: Sustainability & Accountability Framework presented by Jeannine Verdenik, Vice President, People and Culture and Jessica Logozzo, Vice President, Strategy and Regional Transformation.
Visit the Strategic Plan 2026 page on the Hospital’s corporate intranet, where these presentations, along with other resources can be found.
New in-hospital emergency mental health and addictions area will provide quicker access to critical services
(L-R) Dr. Kyle Lansdell, Chief of Emergency/Trauma Medicine, TBRHSC; Dr. Rhonda Crocker Ellacott, President and CEO, TBRHSC, and CEO, TBRHRI; Hon. Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health; and Hon. Kevin Holland, MPP Thunder Bay – Atikokan.
The Ontario government is making it faster and easier for people in the Thunder Bay region to connect to high-quality, comprehensive mental health and addiction support services by building a new emergency mental health and addictions assessment and observation area at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre.
“Our government is making record investments to connect more people to the care they need, when they need it, no matter where they live,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “By building a new assessment and observation area at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, our government is ensuring people and families in Thunder Bay and across Northwestern Ontario have faster access to mental health and addictions support services for years to come.”
The province’s investment will build a new, state-of-the-art emergency mental health and addictions assessment and observation area, ensuring the hospital is better equipped to deliver responsive and comprehensive care to those in crisis.
Once opened, the new mental health area will include:
A new space designed to provide care in a safe and private setting for patients and their families
Modern, state-of-the-art space for nurses and physicians to assess patients
Enhanced programming and care plan development that puts people at the centre of decision making on their treatment journey
Direct access from the emergency department triage for improved patient experience
The ministry is working with Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre to complete early planning and design for this project. A construction schedule will be confirmed once future planning is complete and the project is tendered and awarded.
“The creation of this new mental health and addictions assessment and observation area in Thunder Bay represents a significant step forward in delivering the continuum of care our government is committed to providing,” said Michael Tibollo, Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. “This initiative will ensure individuals in crisis have access to critical services quickly and close to home, offering them the support they need to begin their recovery journey in a safe and compassionate environment.”
Through Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, the Ontario government is making it easier and faster for people of all ages to connect to care. In 2020, the province introduced the Roadmap to Wellness, a plan to build a modern, world-class mental health and addictions care system. The government continues to introduce and expand on innovative new programs to ensure access to connected and convenient care to support the health and well-being of all Ontarians.
Quick Facts
Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre is a world-class acute health care facility and a designated academic health sciences centre which is also a host training facility for students from Northern Ontario School of Medicine University, as well as other medical schools.
Over the next 10 years, Ontario’s investments will lead to nearly $50 billion in health infrastructure across the province, building 3,000 new beds in addition to over 3,500 critical care, acute and post-acute beds our government has added since 2020.
The Ontario government is investing more than $228 million this year to support critical infrastructure upgrades and repairs at 129 hospitals and 58 community health care facilities across the province, a 10 per cent increase from last year.
Ontario is investing $3.8 billion over 10 years to fill gaps in mental health and addictions care, create new services and expand programs through Roadmap to Wellness.
Through the Roadmap to Wellness and the Addictions Recovery Fund the province is adding over 550 new addictions treatment beds to build capacity across the mental health and addictions sector. This includes 34 additional addictions treatment beds in Thunder Bay and the surrounding region.
In June 2024, Ontario announced funding to support the development of a Youth Wellness Hub in Thunder Bay, led by the Children’s Centre Thunder Bay. The hub will connect youth aged 12 to 25 and their families to convenient, culturally safe, and free mental health, substance use, primary care, and Indigenous healing and wellbeing services in a safe, youth-friendly space, beginning in 2025.
Between August 2019 and September 2024, the provincial network of Youth Wellness Hubs have connected approximately 55,705 youth and their families to mental health, substance use, and wellness services, accounting for more than 300,000 visits to the 22 hubs across Ontario. Recognizing the success of Youth Wellness Hubs, Ontario is expanding the provincial network by adding 10 new hubs across the province, including the hub in Thunder Bay.
As part of Budget 2024, Building a Better Ontario, the government is building on its work through the Roadmap by investing an additional $396 million over three years to improve access and expand existing mental health and addictions services and programs.
Quotes
“With the steadily rising rates of mental health and substance-use related visits to our Hospital, this investment is vital to reduce health inequities and enhance both clinical care and service excellence for patients of Northwestern Ontario. These enhancements to the Emergency Department underscore our commitment to patient and family centred care by providing personalized care based on the unique needs of each patient, while upholding dignity and respect throughout the pathway of care.”
– Dr. Rhonda Crocker Ellacott President and CEO, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and CEO, Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute
“I am proud to see our government making this critical investment in mental health and addictions care for the people of Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario. By creating a new emergency mental health and addictions assessment and observation area at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, we are helping to provide the resources for people in our community to have quicker, more direct access to life-saving support. This new addition will provide a safe space for patients and families, while also giving health care professionals the resources they need to deliver the best possible care. This is another important step in our ongoing commitment to strengthening mental health services close to home, so that everyone can get the help they need, when they need it.”
Occupational Health and Safety are giving away two, six-month parking passes to those who got their flu shot.
There will be drop-in appointment times taking place Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and1:00 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. in the Occupational Health and Safety office.
If you can’t make the drop-in times, vaccine appointments can be scheduled any day of the week.
Please notify Occupational Health and Safety if you have received your flu vaccine from your doctor or at another facility by emailing your immunization documentation proof to TBRHSC.OccupationalHealthandSafety@tbh.net to ensure your chart is updated.
Shared on behalf of Adam Vinet, Vice President, Patient Experience & Chief Nursing Executive andRegional Vice President, Regional Cancer Care & Justin Garofalo, Interim Vice President, Corporate Services and Chief Financial Officer
We are excited to hear your feedback on the UKG Pro Workforce Management (UKG Pro) scheduling system we launched earlier this year!
Your experience with this tool is incredibly important to us, and we want to ensure that it truly meets your needs and supports your day-to-day work. Whether the system has helped streamline your scheduling, provided more flexibility, or offered other benefits, we want to know how it is working for you.
Please take a few minutes to complete the UKG Pro Scheduling System All Staff Feedback Survey. The survey will be open until December 20, 2024. Your input will help us make meaningful improvements for everyone.
We would also like to take a moment to recognize and thank everyone who contributed to the successful transition to UKG Pro. Your collaboration and dedication have been key to making this change smooth for the whole organization.
We depend on each other every day and it is nice to know we can continue to depend on each other even as we make changes to how we do our work.
Thank you to all staff for your ongoing support for improvements and for being an integral part of this change.
