This is our second year of reporting on the goals outlined in Strategic Plan 2026 and we’re proud of everything that the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) team has accomplished throughout the year. Read more in the 2023-2024 TBRHSC Annual Report.
There are many approaches to managing pain during labour. At Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC), we have many options including supportive coaching, warm baths, changing positions, birthing balls, sterile water injections, entonox, IV narcotics and epidurals. The team of anesthesiologists work closely with our labour and delivery department to offer 24-hour epidural support.
An epidural is administered by an anesthesiologist through a tiny tube “catheter” inserted into your back and sits close to the nerve roots supplying your birth canal. Infusion of numbing medications through the catheter creates an area of numbness mainly between the belly button and thighs and sometimes all the way to your feet. While you may still feel contractions and pressure with a well working epidural depending on the stage of labour, the pain drastically decreases and you remain alert and awake throughout. At TBRHSC, after counselling, we encourage every pregnant mother in labour to make their own choices about what type of pain relief they prefer as their labour progresses.
Shared on behalf of Infection Prevention and Control
Please be advised that the C-Diff Outbreak has been declared over on 2A Medical as of July 12, 2024. All restrictions will be lifted as of next shift .
Please share this information with the appropriate staff.
For more information, contact:
Infection Prevention and Control
Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre
807-684-6094
Perkopolis Perks
As part of our commitment to your well-being and enjoyment, we’re excited to remind you about Perkopolis – your ultimate employee perks platform! With Perkopolis, you gain access to a wide range of exclusive discounts and offers tailored just for you.
Why Perkopolis?
Savings: Enjoy discounts on travel, dining, entertainment, and more!
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How to Get Started:
1. Visit Perkopolis.com
2. Sign up using your work email address
3. Look for an email from Perkopolis with a link to complete registration.
Don’t Miss Out: Summer is the perfect time to take advantage of these exclusive offers. Whether you’re planning a vacation or looking for local adventures, Perkopolis has something for everyone. Visit perkopolis.com
Shared on behalf of Phil Thompson, Director, Support Services
It is with great sadness and heavy hearts that Housekeeping announces the passing of our colleague and friend, Deidre Foglia.
Deidre started working for Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) in 2010 and quickly made an impression as a kind and loving person who always put others first. Deidre always loved a good conversation, no matter what the topic. Colleagues remember her as a beautiful person inside and out, and she will be greatly missed.
Our thoughts go out to her family and friends for their loss.
A celebration of life will take place at Castlegreen Community Centre, 213 Castlegreen Drive, on Wednesday, July 17th at 4:30 p.m.
As a sign of respect and mourning, TBRHSC flags will be put at half-mast on Wednesday, July 17.
Congratulations to the winners of the quarterly ‘Good Catch’ Awards
The ‘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, because of chance or timely intervention. Reporting these events can identify gaps and help prevent future adverse events from happening.
Keenan Stoger was working in the Cancer Care – Chemotherapy Department preparing treatment for a patient, when he noticed during routine double-checks and co-signatures that the information on the patient’s medication label was incorrect. It was labelled to be given over 30 minutes when it should be administered over 90 minutes. Keenan immediately returned the incorrectly labelled medication to the Pharmacy, and it was never administered to the patient. After a new label was made, the patient received the medication at the correct rate, and in addition, no medication was wasted. Well done!
While working in Adult Mental Health, Pharmacist Karen Holroyd caught an error on a patient’s chart after receiving an order to stop medication for the patient. She noticed that the particular medication listed was not ordered for the patient. After investigating, she found the wrong stamp on the Pharmacy copy of the order. After looking at the original order, Karen found the correct chart and stamp. Karen rectified the situation, and no incorrect medications were given to either patient. Great job!
Thank you to both for your diligence and dedication to safety! Each recipient has been awarded a certificate and gift cards to a local business.
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’.
New winners will be selected every quarter. Continue submitting your near misses for a chance to win!
For more information, contact Terry Fodë, Patient Safety Improvement Specialist (terry.fode@tbh.net).
Many head and neck cancers appear somewhere along the upper aerodigestive tract, depending on the type of cancer. Oncologists at Regional Cancer Care Northwest can directly see the upper aerodigestive tract using a small camera called a rhinolaryngoscope. Thanks to the support of our generous donors, the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation recently funded another of these remarkable diagnostic cameras.
“The scope gives you a good view from the nasal cavity to the vocal cords,” said Dr. Margaret Anthes, a radiation oncologist who joined our Cancer Centre in 1996. She knows firsthand that technology has come a long way in a relatively short time.
“In the olden days, doctors used lights and mirrors to examine the throat,” Dr. Anthes said. “When the first scopes became available, you would look through an eyepiece. Today’s scopes provide high-definition digital images on the screen that can be recorded.”
That visualization is important, especially before and after cancer treatment. Each patient is unique and every cancer is different. Oncologists combine rhinolaryngoscope results with other diagnostic imaging to help plan complex radiotherapy treatment.
“You can look at the tumours and then see what changes they undergo during and after treatment,” Dr. Anthes said. “It’s an important tool for assessing tumours and assessing treatment.”
Our Cancer Centre holds three clinics per month for head-and-neck cancer patients. Patients meet with one of the three multidisciplinary teams that include a radiation oncologist, surgeon, nurse, dentist, and speech language pathologist. These clinics can also include a medical oncologist and a dietitian. Dr. Anthes is part of one of those teams.
“We see about 60 to 70 head and neck cancer patients per month for follow-up,” said Mellissa Linke, Manager of Radiation Therapy, Surgical Oncology & Tamarack House. “Because it’s a multidisciplinary clinic, it’s one appointment for the patient instead of booking several different ones with different specialists.”
That helps streamline care. It also means they can receive cancer treatment sooner.
The new scopes play an important role in that process. Not only can doctors see more detail, recording the scope means the multidisciplinary team can view the exam together later.
As you might imagine, each scope needs to be sterilized between uses. Although scopes can be sterilized two at a time, they need to be taken to another part of the hospital for cleaning. It takes about 45 minutes to sterilize the equipment, so the clinic needs several on hand to reduce wait times for patients.
Your donations and Thunder Bay 50/50 ticket purchases helped add another new rhinolaryngoscope for a full complement to improve patient care. It may seem like a small thing, but it’s a big deal for our cancer patients. Read more about how you help make a difference at our Hospital every day at: www.healthsciencesfoundation.ca/latest-news
Strategic Plan 2026 is momentous for Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute.
It is our inaugural joint strategic plan, and it is the foundation by which we expect to see significant progress in patient care and health research.
It is the foundation for ensuring our teams can provide the best possible health care at all times and that patients are at the centre of everything we do.
This plan was built on extensive engagement with staff, patients, families, the public, volunteers, and health service providers. And, we continue to engage and report back to our community on our progress – refining the plan as needed to make sure we are getting it right and responding to patients, families, and community needs.
To ensure we provide the best possible healthcare experience, we are strengthening our commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.
We are taking action to create a more culturally safe and compassionate health care environment — to ensure equity for all throughout our Hospital and Health Research Institute. Initiatives include mandatory cultural safety and equity, diversity, and inclusion training for all staff.
As we continue to acknowledge and respect the resilience of Indigenous Peoples and communities. Opportunities are available for our staff to learn more about Indigenous history, culture, and traditions. These educational opportunities will support our collective efforts toward truth and reconciliation. We will also ensure the inclusivity of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and all equity-deserving groups.
The implementation of these initiatives will make certain we are providing a positive experience for not only patients and their families but also for our staff.
At the end of the day, we believe a strategic plan is more than an operational roadmap. It is about people — the people we serve and the people who are there on the frontlines helping people day in and day out. We will create a more inclusive experience for all who walk through our doors because we all belong.
It is with profound sadness that we share the news of the passing of our esteemed colleague and friend, Gary Cooper.
A Patient Family Advisor (PFA) since 2013, Gary was not only an active member of the PFA Council, but a cornerstone of our community. As a two-time transplant recipient, he was the face and the voice of many presentations and media events for Trillium Gift of Life throughout Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario.
Gary’s passion, commitment and unwavering support was truly inspiring, and his dedication to Patient Family Centred Care (PFCC) was second to none. Whether he was providing PFCC orientation to the new hires or introducing current staff to the PFAs and driving home the importance PFCC, Gary was in his element as an educator.
When Gary wasn’t teaching, he was volunteering his time with NOSM University, working with student doctors to help them develop their skills, efficiency and interview skills, by roleplaying the part of a patient.
His many contributions have made a significant impact in our organization and beyond, leaving an indelible mark. His absence will be felt greatly by all of us. Gary’s kindness, wisdom and positive spirit touched many lives and we are grateful for the time that we had with him.
In this difficult time, let us remember Gary and the legacy that he leaves behind. As a PFA Council, we will continue to honour his memory by striving to uphold the values and standards for which he so passionately advocated.
We send our deepest condolences to Gary’s family, friends, and all those affected by this loss.
A Celebration of Life will be taking place Thursday, July 25, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. at the Italian Cultural Centre (132 Algoma St. S).
The flags at the Hospital will be lowered to half-mast at noon on July 25 in honour of Gary.
To honour employees & professional staff who have 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 years of service with Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute.
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