Meet Keri Gerlach, Registered Kinesiologist and Smoking Cessation Counsellor at the Maternity Centre at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC).

Keri is available to assist pregnant clients and their partners with quitting or cutting back on smoking. She will assist with developing a plan based on your specific smoking habits and provide support to reach your goal.

“Pregnancy is a great time to create a healthier lifestyle,” says Gerlach. “I am grateful that I can assist clients and their partners with quitting or cutting back on smoking as a way to improve their overall health.”

Call the Maternity Centre today for an appointment with Keri at 807-684-6228.

No referrals are necessary to access care at the Maternity Centre.

For more information on the programs and services available visit our website at bit.ly/TBRHSC-Maternity-Centre.

Beginning March 25, 2024, all staff will be required to punch in and out of UKG to capture your time key points:

• Three ways to punch.
• Punch in at the beginning and the end of every shift.
• All staff will be required to punch in and out starting March 25, 2024.

Open the attached documents to learn how to punch. A time clocks location map as well as a time capture FAQ is also included.

Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) presents “Ask an Expert”, a series where team members from our Bariatric Centre of Excellence answer questions they commonly encounter. For more information on our Regional Bariatric Care Centre, please visit bit.ly/TBRHSC-RBCC. This month’s question is answered by Tanya Burgess, Registered Nurse.

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Is bariatric surgery right for everyone?

Bariatric surgery may not be the right treatment for everyone. The interdisciplinary team at the Regional Bariatric Care Centre will work with you to decide if surgery is a good option for you. The process the team uses to determine if surgery is the right treatment for you will also help you to make an informed decision. The team will encourage you to you consider the benefits and risks of surgery, to make important lifestyle changes as needed, and to commit to maintaining these healthy lifestyle habits. Information about other treatment options will be reviewed with you if they are determined to be more appropriate and successful for you long-term.

There has been an increase in measles cases globally, including countries in Europe and outbreaks in the United States. There have been five confirmed cases in Ontario to date. In order to ensure staff are protected, the Occupational Health and Safety Department is reviewing all staff immunization records on file. Letters will be sent out to TBRHSC employees, outlining if additional immunizations are required or bloodwork to confirm immunity. Should you receive such a letter, we strongly recommend that you promptly attend to the necessary action outlined.

As per the OHA/OMA Communicable Disease Protocols, the following is required of Health Care Workers:

• Health care workers are recommended to have two doses of vaccine (regardless of their age) OR proof of immunity against measles (i.e. lab confirmed immunity).

If you have any questions feel free to email the Occupational Health and Safety Department at TBRHSC.OcccupationalHealthandSafety@tbh.net

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 March 13th Operational Updates and Strategic Planning Meeting covered EDI Policy & Procedure and EDI Truth & Reconciliation and was presented by Dr. Miranda Lesperance, Vice President, 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.

On March 14, 2024, the World Kidney Day call to action is “Kidney Health for All: Advancing equitable access to care and optimal medication practice” to improve the quality of life and delay disease progression for people living with kidney disease.

As people connect worldwide on World Kidney Day, emphasizing equal access to care is essential. This focus ensures access to treatment and fosters efficient, informed, and effective kidney health management on a global scale. The journey ahead involves navigating these obstacles with a commitment to making optimal kidney care accessible and affordable for the well-being of people living with kidney disease everywhere.

For more information, visit https://www.worldkidneyday.org/.

Sent on behalf of Phil Thompson, Code Brown Executive Sponsor & Director, Support Services

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Shared on behalf of North York General Hospital

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NYGH Psychiatrist, Dr. Neil Levitsky, will present a webinar on improving sleep and working on insomnia in recognition of World Sleep Day (March 15).

This talk will provide an overview of the physiology of sleep, and the factors that can interfere with getting enough good quality sleep and then focus in on the using CBT (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy) to deal with insomnia. Attendees will be provided with practical advice that can be used for sleep struggles and by the end of the talk you will know how you can work on getting better sleep.

Date: Wednesday, March 20, 2024

Time: 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. EST

Microsoft Teams Webinar – Registration is required (click here to register)

Shared on behalf of Andrea Raynak, Director, Nursing Practice

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The goal of the EDI Steering Committee is to foster an organizational culture of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. The Committee will drive work by creating and implementing an action plan that will address racism of all forms, discrimination, phobias, biases, oppression, stigma, and other harmful situations that leads to inequities throughout our Hospital.

The scope of the EDI Steering Committee will be inclusive of all equity-deserving groups, with a particular focus on Indigenous Peoples and those within the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. This committee will be committed to advising and guiding other initiatives within the strategic plan from an EDI lens, as required.