What is the Patient Experience Survey?

The Patient Experience Survey (PES) is a Patient and Family Centred Care (PFCC) engagement strategy that gives our patients a chance to provide feedback about their experience at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC). Responses from the survey provide valuable insight into how we can provide care that is respectful of, and responsive to, patient/family preferences, needs and values. Additionally, since survey collection happens across Ontario’s hospitals, participation allows us to ensure services meet both community and provincial standards of care.

Why is the PES important for patients, caregivers, and staff?

By focusing on the PFCC concepts of dignity and respect, collaboration, and participation, the PES helps staff gain a deeper understanding into how patient experiences vary across the different populations and areas in our organization. Feedback also provides an opportunity to integrate the patient’s voice into our practices, and ensures that we provide services which are guided by patient/family values in a meaningful way.

Where can we see this in action?

The PES is distributed through email or SMS and can be completed by any patient that has recently received care or services at TBRHSC. While signing in at any TBRHSC registration service desks, patients should expect to be asked if they would like to provide their email or phone number for the PES. Patients may also choose to sign up for a PES within 48 hours of discharge by emailing TBRHSC.PFCC@tbh.net or calling Patient Advocate (807-684-6211). The survey takes approximately 15 minutes to complete and the email address or phone number provided is only used for the patient’s most recent visit and is never shared with any third parties.

Find out more about Patient and Family Centred Care at https://tbrhsc.net/home/caring-for-patients-families/.

Shared on behalf of Wayne Taylor, Director, Cardiovascular, Medicine & Renal Program

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Effective immediately, Chris McNaughton, Administrative Manager for 2A, 2B & Transitional
Care Unit (TCU) will have an expanded role supporting the in-patient management team in
medicine with the addition of 2C Cardiology & Regional Stroke Unit.

In collaboration with the management team who report to him, Chris will provide additional
accountability in planning, coordinating, monitoring and evaluating activities of the in-patient
medical units in order to improve the staff experience, provide optimal patient care and the
delivery of high quality service in a fiscally responsible manner.

Please join me in thanking Chris for taking on this additional responsibility to support our
patients and staff.

As a part of Employee Recognition, a variety of businesses in Thunder Bay offer discounts on purchases or services to employees of Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. They have been compiled into a list known as the Affinity List (which is continuously updated).

We are excited to announce that a new business has been added to our Affinity List. Employees can now receive discounts at BJJFOURLIFE for 10% off monthly or 5% off seasonal memberships (6-month memberships).

On behalf of Allyson Hoard-Mann, and the renal staff, we are excited to share the news of Susanne Bubnick’s upcoming retirement. Susanne has had an outstanding 50 years of full-time dedicated service in nursing. Susanne’s unwavering commitment and exceptional skills have left an indelible mark on all the healthcare teams she participated on over the years.

Susanne’s journey in nursing has been one of resilience and excellence. Her career has spanned across various hospitals, demonstrating her proficiency in patient care and teamwork. After graduating from Toronto Western Hospital Atkinson School of Nursing in 1974, she worked in hospitals across the country including Notre Dame Hospital, Hearst Hospital, McKellar General Hospital, Calgary General Hospital, Vancouver General Hospital and landing back at TBRHSC for the past 36 years. Her organizational abilities, problem solving skills, and compassionate approach have truly set her apart as a role model for us all.

To honour Susanne and commemorate this milestone, we invite you to join us in the renal break room 2352 on Thursday July 11, 2024, from 1400 to 1600 for a drop-in retirement celebration. Please stop by and leave her a note of well wishes. 

Congratulations Susanne on a fantastic career!

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An integral part of our role in Human Resources is ensuring that your employee experience is a positive one. By having your current contact information, we can ensure that you receive important communications from the Hospital. These can include calls to offer an extra shift, to inform you of an emergency affecting Hospital services (i.e. fan out) or notices of important changes that you should be aware of.

You should update your personal information if:

• you have recently changed your name (professional registration should be completed first)
• you have recently moved or had a change of address and/or phone number
• you would like to update your emergency contact

When was the last time you reviewed your beneficiaries?

Your benefits should be part of your estate planning for your loved ones.

Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP) reminds you of your beneficiary information every year on your Annual Statement or at your convenience through your HOOPP Connect portal.

If you are a regular fulltime employee, you may be enrolled in Group Life Insurance, Accidental Death & Dismemberment and/ or Voluntary Life Insurance.

To update beneficiary data, a form must be signed in Human Resources.

The protection of your personal information is important to us. We recommend that you visit Human Resources to makes the necessary changes or contact us at TBRHSC.HumanResources@tbh.net through Hospital email, not a personal email address. Be prepared to show your ID and/or answer verification questions to ensure your identity.

The Ontario Association of Medical Radiation Sciences celebrated the best in the profession at their awards gala, held at the University Club in Toronto on June 21st. It was a red carpet event, hosted by Noor Ra’fat, a news reporter and weather anchor for Global News Toronto. Many awards were handed out, but we would like to highlight two awards given to staff from Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC).

Monica Young, an MRT at TBRHSC, is this year’s Recent Graduate Award winner. Known for her contribution as a peer tutor to her fellow students, Monica excelled academically at Confederation College with a First Class Standing. In 2023, Monica had the highest mark on the national certification exam out of more than 500 students. She is the recipient of numerous awards including the Student Union of Confederation College Award and the CAMRT Award of Excellence.

The Angiography MRT team at TBRHSC is the recipient of the 2024 OAMRS Team Award. The Angiography MRT team works in the only angiography suite in Northwestern Ontario. As a result, the team is versed in a large variety of procedures – many of them that were originally performed by physicians. Led by Christy Laatu MRT(R), the Angiography MRT team operates under enormous pressure and stress, yet their ability to co-ordinate and support one another is what makes this team outstanding. In fact, the team is responsible for developing TBRHSC’s aneurysm rupture pathway. No small feat, the procedure is the result of a multidisciplinary planning simulation involving 100 hospital professionals. Thanks to this team, patients who present from anywhere in Northwestern Ontario with a ruptured aneurysm can now be offered an endovascular repair for rupture, with the associated potential for increased survival over an open surgical repair. All of the MRTs have also been trained on TBRHSC’s new operating room C-arm – and the newest team member recently handled a middle of the night emergency using the C-arm and resulting in an excellent outcome for the patient. The team’s nomination comes with a recommendation from two vascular surgeons, and a charge nurse who describe how the work and cohesiveness of this team has played a significant role in helping the hospital to expand its cardiovascular services and cardiac surgery to a community where there can be innumerable geographic and organizational barriers to patient care.

For all award winners, and photos of the event please follow the OAMRS Facebook page or visit the website: www.oamrs.org

We are thrilled to announce that Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) participated in the Active Commute Challenge (ACC) for the month of June 2024. We were recognized as the 1st place winner in the ‘Extra Large Workplace’ category, a prestigious award acknowledging our commitment to creating a workplace where sustainability and community thrive. The ACC encourages individuals to rethink their ride (car) and replace it with something active like walking, cycling, jogging, rollerblading or using public transit.

Congratulations to our Individual TBRHSC Team Winners!

Let’s celebrate the outstanding achievements of our team members. Congratulations to Gajendra Dahiya, who was the top commuter and traveled a distance of 396.73 km in 30 commutes. Our second top commuter was Rajesh Talpade, who covered a total distance of 383.75 km in 30 commutes. Janet Sharun, our third top commuter, completed 31 commutes and traveled a total distance of 182.5 km. Each winner was awarded a prize for their efforts. Their dedication and participation have significantly contributed to TBRHSC’s success in reducing our environmental footprint and promoting sustainable commuting practices.

The ACC had a total of 61 teams participate this year. TBRHSC’s team included 31 participants who collectively covered 3157.89 km through their workplace travels. This effort resulted in saving 661.22 kg of greenhouse gas emissions. As part of our win, TBRHSC will receive another City of Thunder Bay bike rack, further enhancing bike storage on Hospital property. This achievement reflects our ongoing commitment to sustainability and our team’s dedication to making a positive impact.

Thank you to all our team members for your hard work, dedication, and commitment to making TBRHSC not just a workplace, but a community that cares about sustainability and excellence.

Welcome to our June babies!

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.

This week’s Maternity Centre Monday post welcomes the 118 babies born at TBRHSC during the month of June. Congratulations on the new bundles of joy!

Find out more at our website bit.ly/TBRHSC-Maternity-Centre.

Starting June 25, 2024, Medical Imaging Requisition Management (MIRM) is now available.

Regional Central Intake for CT (For Scheduled Outpatient Exams)

CT Central Intake will pair referred patients who are willing and able to travel to the soonest available testing location OR preferred location/community.

New eFax number is 1-855-461-3493.

Referrals can be made to CT Central Intake by all five Ocean sites via eReferral below or the new eFax number.

Note: Each of the following Ocean listings and eFaxes are for all modalities EXCEPT for CT referrals, which must be stent to the new CT Central Intake

Riverside Health

• New eFax number is 1-855-461-3562

• Ocean Listing: Diagnostic Imaging – La Verendrye Hospital

Lake of the Woods District Hospital

• New eFax number is 1-855-490-2241

• Ocean Listing: LWDH Diagnostic Imaging/ECG

Dryden Regional Health Centre

• New eFax number is 1-855-461-6931

• Ocean Listing: Dryden RHC DI

Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre

• New eFax number is 1-855-490-2287

• Ocean Listing: Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre – Diagnostic Imaging

Questions? Contact Nicole Brown at nicole.brown@fset.ca.

Shared on behalf of Caroline Fanti, Director, Regional Orthopaedic Program

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In order to best triage and prioritize the high volume of urology referrals received from across Northwestern Ontario, our Regional Surgical Services and Central Intake Program, along with Superior Urology have developed the Thunder Bay Adult Urology Referral Quick Reference. This document provides evidence-based guidance to support primary care with referral completion, enabling timely and equitable access to care for patients.

Every referral received at Central Intake is reviewed within 24 hours (excluding weekends), and actioned by the Central Intake team as directed by Superior Urology. Referrals are routed to support urgency, shortest wait time and care close to home. Surgeon choice is honoured whenever possible as determined by urgency and referral indication.

For any queries on referral requirements or referral status, please call Urology Central Intake at extension 7360.The Central Intake fax number is 1-855-975-2418.

Incomplete referrals will be declined back to the sender to request mandatory information if it is not provided. Referrals sent direct to Specialist instead of Central Intake will automatically be declined back.

Please share this resource and information with staff. If you have any questions, please reach out to Caroline Fanti at caroline.fanti@tbh.net.