Shared on behalf of Phil Thompson, Director, Support Services

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Shared on behalf of Jeannine Verdenik, Vice President, People and Culture

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We have recently been informed that St. Joseph’s Care Group has made the difficult decision to close the Behavioural Sciences Centre (BSC) effective October 31, 2024. The BSC has been our Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) provider for the past 27 years.

We have been assured that BSC will continue to operate status quo through to their closing date of October 31, 2024.

Our organization has begun the process of finding a new provider of EFAP services. We will provide you with important updates as they arise through the Daily iNformed Newsletter in the coming months as we transition to a new Employee Assistance Program provider.

Do you still have a 2023 Seasons Gift Shop ($20) Voucher? Please note that these vouchers expire on June 30, 2024.

For more information, please contact Louisa Gosgnach, Manager, Seasons Gift Shop at Louisa.Gosgnach@tbh.net.

Dr. Naana Jumah is an Obstetrician Gynaecologist and our Regional Cervical Screening and Colposcopy Lead for the North West region. Each day she sees patients in her clinic for a Pap test. A Pap test is a screening test that can detect changes on the cervix that may lead to cancer before people feel any symptoms. It is important that these changes are found and, if necessary, treated before they cause cervical cancer. Pap testing can be scary when patients don’t fully understand what their health care provider is looking for.

To help clear up some of the confusion, Dr. Jumah shares some of the most frequently asked questions she gets from her patients when they come for a Pap test.

Why is Pap testing done every three years instead of yearly?

Pap testing is done every three years and does not increase your risk of developing cervical cancer. On average, abnormal cells take 10 years to develop. By doing Pap tests every three years, we are still able to effectively screen for cervical cancer. We also decrease the number of individuals who have unnecessary tests and procedures that can be uncomfortable.

Does an abnormal Pap test result mean I have cancer?

No, an abnormal Pap test result does not mean you have cervical cancer. Pap tests look for pre-cancer changes on the cervix. These pre-cancer changes have no symptoms. With cervical cancer, people often notice irregular bleeding or abnormal discharge.

Why do I get a letter from Ontario Health – Cancer Care Ontario after my Pap?

Pap tests are part of the Ontario Cervical Screening Program (OCSP) that is run by Ontario Health-Cancer Care Ontario. The OCSP is an organized screening program that notifies patients when they are due for a Pap and about the results from a Pap test.

What is HPV?

HPV is short for human papillomavirus. It is the virus that causes changes on the cervix that can lead to cervical cancer. A Pap test does not look for HPV directly. Instead, a Pap test looks for cell changes caused by HPV.

How do you get HPV?

HPV is a sexually transmitted infection that is spread very easily. Approximately, 75 per cent of people who have had sexual touching or sexual intercourse have been exposed to HPV at some point in their life.

How do you manage HPV?

There are two ways to manage HPV:

1. Get immunized with the HPV vaccine. It is recommended that people get the HPV vaccine before becoming sexually active.
2. Get routine cervical screening and go for follow up if your Pap test is abnormal.

During the month of April, participate in Pap-A-Palooza by getting a Pap test. Pap-A-Palooza is a campaign that aims to increase awareness and encourage eligible individuals living in Northwestern Ontario to book a Pap test to be screened for cervical cancer. To find a participating clinic near you or to learn more about Pap-A-Palooza, visit tbrhsc.net/pap-a-palooza or call the Pap-A-Palooza Hotline at (807) 684-7787.

Your Impact: New PET Replaces Ageing Unit and Provides New Possibilities

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When Thunder Bay got its first PET/CT scanner in 2008, it was a major accomplishment. We were one of the first hospitals in Ontario to get this advanced scanner – PET/CT wasn’t even approved for use in Ontario at the time except for research. It quickly became a very useful tool for diagnosing cancer as well as planning and monitoring treatments.

But 16 years is a long time in the medical technology world. The original unit was becoming obsolete and more prone to breakdowns. Community support has been overwhelming for the acquisition of this new technology – starting with Dancing with the Docs in November 2022, where over $250,000 was raised through the efforts of Trisha and Dr. Joseph Del Paggio, over 400 guests, and the 8 local doctors and 8 dancers who took part.

Sandra Willson, Manager of MRI, Ultrasound, and Nuclear Medicine at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, said the new unit isn’t just a replacement though – it represents a huge advance in technology.

“The real upgrade is the way that the software works with the PET/CT,” Willson said. Advanced features such as motion correction decrease blur, making the images clearer and easier to read.

Not only that, imaging and processing times will be faster. That means less time for patients, both in terms of lying still on the table and reviewing the images before they leave.

“Whereas it could take 15 minutes to process those images on the old scanner, now it might take one or two minutes. That means we will be able to scan more patients in an hour, and get those patients in and out faster,” Willson said.

PET/CT is a type of molecular imaging that uses medical radioisotopes, many made in our cyclotron. These radioisotopes light up cancer cells, allowing doctors and technologists to pinpoint tumours in the body.

The upgraded PET/CT scanner offers new imaging possibilities. Recently, our Hospital introduced a new PET imaging technique specifically for prostate cancer called Prostate Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA). This technique lights up cancer cells not detectable by other imaging methods to check for recurrence in some prostate cancer patients.  In the future, the upgraded technology can also be used for cardiac PET/CT and expanded research capabilities including potential clinical trials, which would directly benefit patients.

“Having this new PET/CT scanner will increase our capacity not only in number of patients but also in technology and the number of ways we can use it,” she said.

What’s really exciting is that having both the new PET/CT and our cyclotron will offer many “build it and they will come” moments. New PET/CT imaging techniques for a wider array of cancers and other diseases are developed every year. Having our own cyclotron to produce many of those custom radioisotopes opens up more possibilities for diagnostic imaging and research.

You helped bring this new and vital technology to our Hospital! This is just one example of how your purchase of Thunder Bay 50/50 tickets brings closer-to-home healthcare to our region. Buy your tickets online at: thunderbay5050.ca

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 May 8th Operational Updates and Strategic Planning Meeting featured an update on the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion initiatives at our Hospital  and was presented by Dr. Miranda Lesperance, VP Indigenous Collaboration, Equity and Inclusion.

Visit the Strategic Plan 2026 page on the Hospital’s corporate intranet, where these presentations, along with other resources can be found.

Congratulations to our 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 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.

Chrysta was working in Diagnostic Imaging when she noticed that the Meditech order for MRI indicated that the patient did not have a pacemaker when, in fact, the patient did.  Unknowingly scanning a patient with a pacemaker can result in serious injury or even death. Chrysta notified the Emergency Department nurse regarding the error and further investigation was completed of the MRI compatibility with the pacemaker.

Rose is a PSW on the 3A Surgery Inpatient Unit. While performing vital signs on an in-patient she noticed he was becoming more agitated. Aware of an empty bed adjacent to another patient assigned 1:1 supervision, Rose advocated for the patient and suggested to the Primary RN that he might benefit from a bed move so the 1:1 could notify the nurse of any escalating behaviour. The bed move was approved and a couple of hours later, the 1:1 notified staff of escalating aggressive behaviour requiring a Code White.  The team acted quickly and the patient was settled, without any harm to him or the staff involved.

On his way home at the end of his shift, Security Parking Guard Azhar noticed a gas smell coming from behind the Medical Building.  He returned to work and alerted a security roamer guard and then the two guards returned to investigate and determined that an immediately noticeable smell was coming from grey pipes next to the generator. The Manager of Facilities and the Tom Jones superintendent were contacted and it was determined there was no immediate emergency. Enbridge was notified and on site within four hours to inspect and repair loose screws on the connectors at the regulator on the pipe system.

Thank you to all for your diligence and dedication to safety. Each recipient 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).

It’s National Nursing Week and Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) is highlighting a few of our nurses and their achievements. Meet Lelo Dlamini, a nursing student at Oshki-Wenjack.

Lelo Dlamini, is originally from the Kingdom of Eswatini. She is a proud mother of three wonderful children. Recently, Lelo embarked on an exciting journey to Canada, embracing new opportunities and experiences. As a newcomer to this country, Lelo is eager to immerse herself in its diverse culture and community while building a bright future for herself and her family.

Lelo decided to pursue a career in nursing after being deeply moved by the exceptional care that her mother received during her struggle with diabetes. “The nurses who attended to her showed clinical proficiency, remarkable empathy, and kindness,” says Lelo. “Their support greatly influenced our family’s journey through a challenging period. I aspire to become a nurse, so that I can offer the same compassionate care and support to others during their moment of need.”

May is National Physiotherapy Month and we would like to acknowledge the role of physiotherapy in Ontario’s health care system. Physiotherapists and Physiotherapy Assistants use their knowledge of how the body works to assist patients in restoring strength, movement & function. As an integral part of a patient’s health care team, we thank all Physiotherapists and Physiotherapy Assistants for their hard work and dedication.

As part of our year-long 20th anniversary celebration, we asked the leaders in our Hospital to share their stories and highlight the growth and evolution of their team, program and the services they provide.

This week’s feature: Health Records

Submitted by:

Shannen Pudas, Coordinator Health Records

Marcia Gillies, Coordinator, Health Records

Christina Bayko, Manager, Health Records

1. Briefly describe your program/service.

Health Records oversees the collection, disclosure, storage and retention of patient health records at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. Health Records also oversees transcription, coding, scanning and release of information workflow and activities.

2. How has your program/service grown or evolved over the past 20 years?

Over the past 20 years, Health Records has seen the transition from traditional manual and paper based workflow in support of a more electronic and automated world. This includes:

• Implementation of scanning functions in 2014 for Inpatient, Emergency, Surgical Day Care and select Outpatient charts. These patient charts are now available in the Meditech Hospital Information System (HIS).

• Transformation of traditional dictation platforms using recordings from tapes to dictations with voice recognition. Medical Transcription has shifted from traditional typing to editing.

• Support of Cancer Centre patient health records made electronically in the Mosaiq Oncology system.

3. What is your most cherished accomplishment, milestone or memory?

Implementing and supporting the availability and accessibility of patient health records in the Meditech and Mosaiq systems, enabling an electronic patient chart for improved patient and family centered care.