If you’ve ever wondered where confidence, competence, and a bit of clinical magic are made, look no further than the Ibn Sina Simulation Lab — the beating heart of hands-on learning at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC). This immersive, high-energy space is where students and clinicians step into realistic scenarios and sharpen their skills in ways that truly bring health care education to life.

Photo 1: Leanne Baird, Manager of the Ibn Sina Simulation Lab (Sim Lab) invited us in for a closer look at this dynamic space. Her passion for experiential learning and patient-centred training was contagious from the moment she welcomed us in. When asked what she likes about her job, she exclaims “Everything! My job is the best. Let me show you why!”

Photo 2: Baird starts by explaining that the Sim Lab is a learning hub for students, clinicians, and allied health care teams. Continuing professional development takes on a new level of excitement when professionals can refresh skills, trial new procedures, or participate in high-energy scenario training. In a field that evolves daily, simulation ensures health care providers stay sharp, confident, and ready for anything.  “The Sim Lab is hopping,” smiles Baird. “The schedule changes every week. We are a teaching Hospital, so we have every type of health care learner.” The photo shows an example of a training schedule for the week.

Photos 3, 4, 5: “It’s a high-impact, no risk environment,” shares Baird. “Imagine walking into a room that looks and feels exactly like a real hospital room with monitors beeping, equipment ready, and a patient [a high-fidelity mannequin] that can talk, breathe, bleed, and even give birth. We can set the space up like an operating room, a birthing suite, whatever is necessary for the specific medical skill the instructor is teaching.” This is where learners get to try, fail, try again, and ultimately master essential skills without ever putting a real patient at risk. “It’s hands-on learning at its most dynamic and empowering.”

Photos 6 and 7: From the control room, Leanne controls various aspects of the high-fidelity mannequin, including pupil dilation, chest movement and voice.  She demonstrates by speaking through the microphone and the mannequin suddenly comes to life, blinking and talking. The blend of realism, innovation and teamwork, creates a dynamic and exciting learning environment.

Photos 8, 9, 10: Some clinical events happen only a few times in a clinician’s entire career, but when they do, there is no margin for error. The Sim Lab allow teams to rehearse skills that are High Acuity, Low Occurrence (HALO) until they can respond with calm precision. It is all about building muscle memory, confidence, and clinical excellence that directly translates into safer patient care.

Photo 11: After every scenario, teams come together for structured debriefing, providing a safe, supportive space to reflect, share insights, and refine performance. These conversations are where breakthroughs happen. Learners unpack what went well, what could be improved, and how to elevate their practice. It’s the heartbeat of a culture focused on continuous growth and excellence.

Shared on behalf of Information Technology

---

As we introduced Microsoft Teams and are transitioning to OneDrive and SharePoint, additional applications or add-ins can be requested. At this point in time, only Microsoft applications or add-ins are being approved, like Forms and Polls.

Requests for non-Microsoft applications will be reviewed at the conclusion of the project in late spring of 2026. This timeline is necessary since these integrated applications require a thorough review for contract alignment, licensing, and compatibility, which is a time-intensive process.

If you have any questions, please reach out to the Help Desk at Help.Desk@tbh.net.

Clean Hands, Bright Holidays!

Spread cheer—not germs. Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) wants to remind staff to perform proper hand hygiene – see IPC-2-12 Effective Hand Hygiene.

Members of the IPAC team will visiting departments from December 8 – 31, handing out draw tickets to staff seen washing their hands. Prizes will be drawn weekly.

Remember to wash or sanitize your hands:

• Before patient contact
• Before a clean/aseptic procedure
• After body fluid exposure risk
• After patient and patient environment contact

Let’s wrap the year with excellent hand hygiene!

To support campus safety, there are 20 emergency blue poles across the property. These poles provide 24/7 two-way communication with Security for immediate assistance during emergencies. 

How they work: Activation automatically directs nearby cameras to the pole. Security Control receives an immediate alert for two-way communication and then dispatches Security or emergency services as required.

These poles are tested bi-weekly by the Security Team to ensure proper operation. Below is a map outlining emergency blue pole locations. 

Jeannine Verdenik, VP People & Culture and Justin Garofalo, VP Facilities, Capital Planning, Support Services & CFO

---

Parking lots can provide opportunity for safety risks such as slips, falls and personal security concerns. As a reminder for all employees, please prioritize personal safety when walking to and from parking areas—especially during early morning or late evening hours.

Here are a few safety practices to keep in mind:

• If you ever feel unsafe, please contact Security for assistance by using the emergency blue pole in the parking lot or calling 807-684-6509.
• Avoid walking to the parking lots alone. Whenever possible, leave with a co-worker or group of staff or request a Security escort.
• Do not leave your vehicle running or unlocked. The recent incident involved someone approaching cars that were running.
• Stay alert and aware of your surroundings. Avoid distractions such as using your phone while walking.
•  If you have a personal alarm – don’t hesitate to use it.
• Report any suspicious behavior immediately to Security at 807-684-6509. Consider saving this number in your personal device.
• In cases of imminent danger – call 911.

Your safety and well-being is important and we want you to feel supported. By following the above tips, we can reduce risks and ensure a safer environment for everyone.

If you have any concerns or would like to report a situation then we ask that you contact Occupational Health and Safety 807-684-6240.

As an academic health sciences centre, our Hospital is committed to educating the next generation of health care providers and advancing medical research. We are proud to share a snapshot of our learner activity for December 2025. Thank you to all departments at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre for your ongoing support in fostering an exceptional learning environment.

Below are the numbers of learners who completed placements at our Hospital across a variety of programs and disciplines.

• Health Professions: There were a total of 53 students on site in December, representing the following programs: Child and Youth Worker, Dietetics, Echocardiography, Kinesiology, Medical Laboratory Technologist, Medical Radiation Technology, MRI, Pharmacist, Physiotherapy, Primary Care Paramedic, Psychology-PHD, Recreation Therapy, and Social Work.
• 169 Nursing Students: There were a total of 169 Nursing students on site completing their placements in December, including students from Lakehead University, Confederation College, Confederation College Eastern Campus, Oshki-Pimache-O-Win: The Wenjack Education Institute, Nipissing University, and the National Institute of First Assisting.
• 86 Residents: NOSM University postgraduate medical learners currently completing core or elective rotations in Thunder Bay, as well as visiting elective learners from medical schools across the country.
• 30 Medical Students: In December, there were 30 UGY3 and UGY4 medical students on site completing clinical rotations, along with visiting elective learners from across the country and one visiting elective from Trinity Medical Sciences University in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
• Six Physician Assistants: Some of the Physician Assistant students have been here since September and are now completing their final Thunder Bay–based placement. We will be welcoming a new group of Physician Assistant students in January.
• Three Midwifery Students: Midwifery students are currently completing clinical placements, with some on site until April 2026.

*All learner data was taken from NirvSystem and the Learner Database.

Our Tuition Reimbursement Program is now accepting applications. We are proud to be a learning organization that encourages education, growth, and ongoing development for employees

For full details, please refer to the poster and the Tuition Reimbursement policy or visit click here.

Drywall repairs will take place in the cafeteria during the week of December 8–12.

Work will occur nightly from 6:30 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. During these hours, please use caution when entering or moving through the cafeteria.

The cafeteria will remain open, and day-to-day operations will not be affected.

The affected area is highlighted in red below.

As the holiday season approaches, many of our teams at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre are finding ways to give back — from fundraising drives to food and clothing collections for those in need.

If you or your department are organizing an initiative to support the community this season, the Communications and Engagement team would like to help you spread the word.

Sharing news about your efforts increases participation, inspires others, and celebrates the generosity and compassion of our Hospital community.

Submit a service request ticket, or contact us at TBRHSC.GroupNews@tbh.net by December 16 with details about your initiative so we can help celebrate your good work in upcoming editions of the Daily Informed Newsletter, Town Hall, and on our social media channels. Need a photo of your team to accompany that content? We can help with that too!

Thank you for helping make the season brighter for others.

Shared on behalf of Ryan Sears, Director, Capital & Facility Services

---

As you are aware, our Emergency Department (ED) is one of the busiest in Canada. To enhance our capacity and efficiency, we’re excited to share that construction is now underway. This renovation will focus on expanding administrative areas and improving the registration and triage zones at the ED entrance. This upgrade aims to streamline patient entry and flow, enhance staff safety, and create a more accessible and flexible triage environment, while supporting TBRHSC’s broader goal of a dedicated Mental Health Emergency Support Area (MHESA) internal to the ED that will follow as a separate project.

This project will be executed in three main phases, please refer to the attached diagrams. Throughout all phases, public and staff access to Emergency Department Triage, Labour & Delivery, and access to the Emergency Department will remain open and accessible.

Mobilization for construction will begin the week of December 1, 2025. Work will continue until the Fall of 2026 throughout the various phases. You will notice construction fencing near the entrance to Labour and Delivery and construction hoarding throughout the Emergency Department corridor – this is subject to change as the Work evolves and to support each phase.

Access to the ED will remain open and we will minimize the impacts to the extent possible. Wayfinding signage for alternate routing will be posted. For the safety of all patients, visitors, and staff, it is important that everyone adheres to construction fencing, barricades, and wayfinding signage. Access to construction areas is limited to authorized personnel only. This TBRHSC Project Team will communicate the progress and impacts as we navigate through each phase together.

Thank you for your cooperation and continued support during this important renovation project. We recognize that these changes pose challenges and we thank you for your patience and flexibility. If you have any questions or require further information, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Phased Approach: The project will be implemented in three (3) Phases:

Phase 1A: New Administration Area construction (no impact to patients), this will become the temporary Triage Area for Phase 2.

Phase 1B: New Reception, Registration and Security Area (impact to ED Waiting area size).

Phase 2: Triage Area construction and temporary relocation of Triage to the new Administration Area (impact to patient flow)

Phase 3: Renovation of Administration Area to final state, including new MPC doors (minor impact of flow to hospital from ED).