Join us for a LAST BASH at the Fort William Curling Club on April 12th and 13th, where sheets one and two will be transformed into the Pepsi Party Zone for the Power of Hope Curling Bonspiel!
Grab a beverage at the Pepsi Party zone bar, watch some curling, play some yard games, and much more down on the ice level. This fun event will be packed with intense curling games, and is in support of the Mental Health services here at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre.
Shared on behalf of Jennifer Pugliese, Director, Information Technology
We are pleased to announce that Erin Kilar-Bearman has accepted the position of Administrative Assistant, Information Technology, for Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, effective April 8, 2024.
In this role, Erin will provide vital support to myself in Information Technology and Adrianno Copetti, Director of Information Systems, and our respective portfolios in their daily operations. She will be located in Suite 401, 1040 Oliver Road and can be contacted at ext. 7356 or Erin.Kilar-Bearman@tbh.net.
Erin comes to us with over ten years of professional experience supporting and leading people and projects. She is currently working on obtaining her Project Management Professional (PMP) designation.
She is eager to contribute to the Information Technology and Information Systems portfolios.
Please join me in welcoming Erin into her new role.
With heavy hearts, we learn of the recent passing of Georgina (Georgie) Hari. Georgie was a true leader and passionate advocate for advancing healthcare in Thunder Bay and across Northwestern Ontario.
Under Georgie’s leadership the hospital foundation undertook the bold campaign to raise funds for a new, centrally located hospital – our wonderful Health Sciences Centre. Alongside the hospital’s leadership she worked tirelessly to make our community’s collective dream a reality. After the opening of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, Georgie continued in her mission until her retirement in 2008. We will be forever in her debt.
Always a trailblazer, prior to becoming a staff member at the Foundation, Georgie had a distinguished career in telecommunications – retiring as the General Manager for Bell Canada in 1998.
We extend our deepest condolences to Georgie’s family and loved ones. May you find comfort knowing the lasting impact Georgie had on healthcare in our community. Thank you.
It’s hard to believe that it’s been 12 years since the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation launched the Exceptional Cancer Care Campaign (ECC). A success by any measure, that campaign helped ensure that more cancer patients could get more services right here in Northwestern Ontario, closer to family and friends.
Time and again, we’ve seen how important that’s been. Samantha Frade, who had cancer treatments in Thunder Bay and in Toronto, tells us firsthand how important it is to have those services here. “There is something about being at home that allows all your support system to be more accessible to you,” Samantha said. “It’s… home.”
She also told of the time when the ageing PET/CT unit, which helps pinpoint tumours, broke down in the middle of her scan.
“I was disappointed, but I was more heartfelt for the three people behind me. Two were from out of town and would have to come back again,” she said. Anyone who has driven the roads in Northwestern Ontario during winter knows how stressful rebooking an appointment in Thunder Bay can be.
The fact is, most of that equipment our Cancer Centre purchased 12 years ago is ageing and needs to be replaced.
“Twelve years is the distant past in the world of cutting-edge cancer care,” said Dr. Joseph Del Paggio, our new Chief of Oncology at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. “New advancements and ageing equipment mean we need to replace and upgrade our equipment now.”
Not only that, we need to increase our capacity to meet the growing need. The number of cancer patients we treat every year has also gone up since ECC. That means adding a third linear accelerator (LINAC) to Radiation Therapy, and replacing the other two in the next few years. These units are the heart of radiation therapy, delivering targeted doses to cancer tumours while sparing healthy tissue. The Cancer Centre is rearranging its space to accommodate the new LINAC and new PET/CT scanner.
Our Cancer Centre has a plan. But it relies on one other key component: community support. Donors are vital to bringing this plan to life, and without them, those plans are just a dream. Twelve years ago, the community and region came together during ECC to ensure we had the best equipment available. Now, Dr. Del Paggio said, we need to come together again to carry on that legacy.
“Our donors built an incredible cancer program right here in our backyard,” he said. “Exceptional Cancer Care closer to home saves lives, reduces fear and anxiety, and provides world-class treatment to the beautiful people of Northwestern Ontario. I’m hoping we can count on community support again to maintain that high level of care we worked so hard to get.”
You can help ensure the legacy of the Exceptional Cancer Care Campaign lives on! Your donation today to the Northern Cancer Fund will bring new and upgraded equipment to our Cancer Centre. That means more people getting treated right here in Northwestern Ontario, and fewer patients travelling to southern Ontario or elsewhere for the care they need.
Please give online at healthsciencesfoundation.ca/donate or call our Donation Centre at 807-345-HOPE (4673) to make your donation by phone.
This is a free in-person workshop to educate staff on structural stigma, working to change policy free from stigma, empowering staff to be leaders in changing the conversation, and the importance of lived experience in policy and program changes.
We all must be aware of any outdated language being used around stigma. Everyone can be a champion against stigma when advocating for the use of accurate and respectful language.
The below table can be used as a guide to assist in changing your language to ‘Persons First’ Language.
‘Persons First’ Language recognizes the patient as a whole, and removes stigma related to their illness or disorder.
It’s time to get screened for cancer! The Screen for Life Coach is beginning its travels across Northwestern Ontario this month.
The Screen for Life Coach (Coach) is a mobile cancer screening bus that will deliver breast, cervical and colon cancer screening services to more than 30 locations across the region between April and October. The first stop will be in Dryden at the Dryden Regional Health Centre on April 8.
“The Coach provides an excellent opportunity for those who do not have screening services available in their community,” explains Vanessa Masters, Mobile Coach Coordinator at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. “For communities in Northwestern Ontario, getting to the nearest cancer screening site for an appointment may mean long travel times. To help address this barrier, the Screen for Life Coach travels extensively throughout the region, bringing these services closer to home.”
Cancer screening is important as it detects pre-cancerous changes or cancer at an early stage when there is a better chance of treating it successfully.
Who should get screened?
Anyone who is eligible for breast, cervical or colon cancer screening can visit the Coach.
In Ontario, the screening guidelines for average risk individuals are as follows:
Those who are eligible for screening can visit the Coach, even if they have a primary care provider. A referral is not required to access services on the Coach.
Where to find the Coach
The Coach travels to communities across Northwestern Ontario throughout the summer months and services the Thunder Bay area during the winter months. For a list of dates and locations where the Coach will be parked, visit www.tbrhsc.net/screenforlife.
How to make an appointment
A physician referral is not required. To book your breast, cervical or colon cancer screening appointment on the Screen for Life Coach call (807) 684-7777.
Today, we are celebrating International Infection Preventionist Day (April 5)!
Infection Control Practitioners (IPCs) play a crucial role in keeping our staff, patients, families, care partners, and volunteers safe. The role of an IPC includes much more than conducting swabs or requesting isolation. By providing their expertise and promoting best practices, IPCs are involved in many areas, including construction, product evaluation, reprocessing practices, environmental cleaning, and hand hygiene. These knowledgeable and skilled professionals must also complete an Essentials of Infection Prevention course followed by writing an exam to receive their Certification in Infection Control (CIC®).
We appreciate the dedication and commitment of all ICPs in keeping our Hospital safe from the spread of infections. Join us in thanking them for all that they do!
