It is National Nursing Week and Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) is highlighting a few of our nurses and their achievements. Meet Erika Whatley, a Registered Nurse at our Hospital.

Erika Whatley’s journey in nursing began here, working as a unit care aide while completing a diploma in Practical Nursing. In 2019, she graduated as a Registered Practical Nurse (RPN) and developed a passion for surgical nursing. However, she felt a strong drive to continue advancing in her career.

In 2020, Erika returned to school to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing through Nipissing University’s bridging program, all while balancing full-time work. After a challenging but fulfilling journey, she graduated with Honours in December 2023 and successfully completed her NCLEX in March 2024. Erika felt fortunate to secure a permanent part-time position in Hemodialysis, where she could continue to grow and make a meaningful impact.

Over the past year as a Registered Nurse, her drive to push forward has only strengthened, and she now serves on the Nursing Practice Council and as the Policy and Political Action Executive Network Officer for the RNAO Lakehead Chapter. Florence Nightingale’s words, “I attribute my success to this – I never gave or took any excuse,” continues to resonate with Erika as she remains committed to advancing nursing, constantly pursuing further education, and aiming toward a future where she can earn a Master’s degree and make an even greater difference in health care. This unwavering drive to keep learning and improving has been the foundation of her career, and Erika looks forward to the many opportunities ahead to continue pushing herself and the profession forward.

Starting May 17 until September 2, 2025, Seasons Gift Shop will be operating under summer hours as follows:

• Monday to Wednesday 9:00 a.m. – 3:45 p.m.
• Thursday to Friday 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
• Saturday and Sunday (CLOSED)

Andgo Shift Bidding Update – For Staff Scheduled by the Staffing Office Only

Effective May 12, 2025, a new shift bidding process will apply only to full-time staff scheduled by the Staffing Office.

Key Change: Full-time staff will now receive shift notifications only after premium pay has been approved.

How It Works:

Shifts are first offered to part-time and casual staff.
If unfilled, they are reposted for all eligible staff (including full-time) with premium pay details noted.
These changes aim to reduce unnecessary notifications and clarify shift availability.

For more information, please see the full memo or contact Rita at 684-6746 or Rita.GrenierBuchan@tbh.net.

(Via TBNewswatch.com)

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Dr. Bruce Pynn said he’s glad he decided to stay in Thunder Bay after arriving in the city 30 years ago.

“This is quite an honour,” said Bruce Pynn, one of three University of Toronto graduates to receive Alumni of Influence awards this year.

U of T’s faculty of dentistry describes the recipients as having sky-high goals, being technically precise and impressively innovative, and demonstrating a deep level of care for their patients. 

Dr. Pynn is chief of dentistry/oral and maxillofacial surgery at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre while also running a private practice and teaching at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. 

An online article posted by the U of T outlines a host of accomplishments and contributions, and credits him with building “a meaningful career in a community where the needs are palpable,” but adds that he remains modest about his work.

“I came to Thunder Bay from Toronto 30 years ago. I’m super glad that I stayed,” he says.

In an interview with Newswatch, Pynn said he was a little older as a graduate from the U of T because he focused on research in a plastic surgery lab for years before going into dentistry.

“I came to Thunder Bay for a year to just make some money, and then I met Dr. (Bill) Dowhos, the oral surgeon.  We were kindred spirits, so I stayed.”

He said the most rewarding aspect of his job is “fixing up” trauma patients.

“There’s up to 10 fractured jaws per week, so it’s among the busiest services in the province for the fewest number of oral surgeons.  There are 200-plus in the province, and only three up here looking after an area the size of France.”

Pynn said he’s received requests to care for patients from as far away as Timmins.

He called the award “very special” because he puts a lot of effort into treating his patients, and sometimes even goes to their homes to do a consultation or post-operative check.

“That’s following in the footsteps of Dr. Dowhos. You have to be helpful, because the next place for big oral surgery in Ontario is Toronto. Not everyone wants to go, so I take the effort to see people and spend time with people.”

Pynn also supervises dental students at Confederation College, and travels to Toronto monthly to oversee U of T oral surgery students.

Next month, he will take a long flight overseas to deliver a talk about his professional experiences in Thunder Bay at a meeting of the International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons in Singapore.

Join Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and St. Joseph’s Care Group for an Indigenous Nurses Panel, on May 12, to celebrate Indigenous Nurses Day. See poster below for more information!

Skip the all staff email. Post your message on the Daily Informed Newsletter instead.

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The Daily Informed Newsletter is published Monday to Friday and distributed to all Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute staff via email.

Why should I post my message in the Daily Informed Newsletter?

It’s the most effective way to reach all staff, professional staff, learners and volunteers electronically. It can also support a variety of content formats.

By the Numbers:

• Lifetime published articles: 3,704
• Lifetime visits: 1,059,851
• Visits, last 30 days: 23,450
• Visits, last 365 days: 250,300

Submission guidelines:

• All submissions to the Daily Informed Newsletter are sent to TBRHSC.GroupNews@tbh.net.
• Please use Word (.doc/.docx) for text-only submissions.
• To ensure all materials intended for the Daily Informed Newsletter (e.g. event posters, memos, etc.) adhere to our corporate branding and style standards, please contact a member of the Communications and Engagement team for assistance, use the pre-existing templates available to all staff, or view the Production of Publicly Distributed TBRHSC Promotional Materials (COMM-03) policy for more information.
• Please include a high resolution photo (.jpg or .png) to accompany your item. A member of the Communications and Engagement team would be happy to take the photo for you if needed.
• Indicate both the preferred date to start posting and the expiry date.
• Submissions about events include any education, information or awareness raising initiatives and activities happening in the community that support TBRHSC and TBRHRI’s Strategic Plan.
• Please ensure that content intended for the Daily Informed Newsletter has been approved by your department’s Manager/Director/VP prior to submitting.

Questions? Contact TBRHSC.GroupNews@tbh.net

Shared on behalf of Jennifer Fawcett, Director of Academics and Academic Family Health Team

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I am pleased to announce that Cassidy Tackacs has accepted a contract position as Physician Retention and Relations Specialist covering for Samantha Olsen during her leave. 

Cassidy most recently worked as a Human Resources Officer – Recruiter at Dilico Anishinabek Family Care and is a graduate of Lakehead University with an Honours Bachelor of Commerce (Marketing and Human Resources Management).  She brings with her experience in full cycle recruitment and retention activities and exceptional administrative skills. We are thrilled to welcome her to our Medical and Academic Affairs portfolio where she will work alongside Laurel Knowles, Physican Recruitment Specialist and Dr. William Harris as he transitions to the role of Associate Vice President, Physician Recruitment and Retention.

Cassidy begins on Monday, May 12, 2025. Some of her early priorities will be updating and strengthening our physician orientation processes and follow up, and continuing to expand retention activities in a strategic way. She will continue to support physician payment processes as well and we hope to lean into her marketing background to continue improving our communication opportunities. 

Please join us in welcoming Cassidy to our team!

Shared on behalf of Chad Johnson, Director – Pre-hospital and Trauma, Emergency, Critical Care, Respiratory Services, and NLOT

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We are pleased to announce that Jill Douglas will be joining our team as an Administrative Assistant in the Emergency Department starting Monday, May 12, 2025.

Jill brings over 15 years of experience in administrative roles, with a strong background in both healthcare and business administration. Most recently, she served as Assistant Office Manager at Sullivan + Associates Clinical Psychology, where she managed office operations, coordinated schedules, processed payroll, and maintained confidential medical records.

Contact information:

Workspace location	ED Administration, office # 2847
Telephone – internal	# 6115
Telephone – external	# 807-684-6115
E-mail	Jill.Douglas@tbh.net

As we welcome Jill to her new position, please join me in celebrating Lisa Begin’s great accomplishments and upcoming experiences in retirement.  Lisa has worked at the Hospital for 25 years, and her final day of work is Friday, May 30, 2025.

Shared on behalf of Human Resources

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Do you have a favourite memory from working in healthcare? A story that brings a smile to your face? Whether it’s an accomplishment you’re proud of, a touching moment with a patient or a kind gesture from a coworker – we want to help you share it!

From May 5 to May 18, enter our Voices of Healthcare contest on Instagram by sharing a story from your life at work. You’ll get a chance to win a $100 Sobeys gift card and the joy of reliving your special healthcare moment.

Learn more here.