Many events are happening in Thunder Bay to recognize Black History Month. We encourage each of you to take time to honour, reflect, celebrate, and learn about the many languages, cultures and immense contributions of Black Canadians throughout the month and every month of the year.
Check out the list below to see what is taking place throughout February. Please note this list will be updated as more events are announced. Are you aware of Black History Month events that we do not have listed? Feel free to submit event links for consideration, by email, to TBRHSC.GroupNews@tbh.net
Black History Month: Tuwii Business Market Where: Goods & Co – 251 Red River Road, Thunder Bay When: Friday, February 23, 2024 For more information: https://www.instagram.com/goodscomarket/?hl=en
Black History Month: Tuwiii Gala Dinner Where: Goods & Co – 251 Red River Road, Thunder Bay When: Saturday, February 24, 2024 For more information: https://www.instagram.com/goodscomarket/?hl=en
Staff members recognized for the Remote Treatment Planning initiative include (pictured L-R) Patrick Rapley, Mellissa Linke, Margaret Anthes, David McConnell, Isaac Tavares. Missing: Diane Brett, Melanie Zappitelli, Peter McGhee, Helen Norton, Joanna Vestby, Stacey Cervini, Cheryl Cummins-Holder.
Our Cancer Centre’s Radiation Therapy Department received a provincial innovation award from Ontario Health – Cancer Care Ontario for their Remote Treatment Planning initiative. This award recognizes significant contributions to quality and innovation in the delivery of cancer care in Ontario.
Each cancer patient coming to Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) for radiation therapy undergoes detailed treatment planning prior to beginning their radiation treatment. This complex process entails creating a unique radiation plan for each patient with the goal of maximizing dose to the target volume or tumour while minimizing dose to nearby organs.
“It is important to have health care services, like treatment planning, available in our region to avoid having to send our patients to other sites for treatment,” explains Dr. Margaret Anthes, Medical Lead for Radiation Oncology at TBRHSC. “However, there is currently a shortage of health care providers who are specifically trained and qualified in radiation planning in North America. The Remote Treatment Planning model demonstrates the success of creative solutions to health human resource challenges.”
The Radiation Therapy Remote Treatment Planning initiative was implemented to improve treatment wait times while keeping care close to home in Northwestern Ontario. The local team developed a sustainable infrastructure plan that would enable secure remote treatment planning. The initiative had two main components. The first component was hiring qualified treatment planners to perform work remotely. This meant that treatment plans could be developed by experienced planners who were living outside of the region and then treatment would happen at TBRHSC’s Cancer Centre in Thunder Bay. The second component was the development of workflow, training and infrastructure to ensure seamless execution of these treatment plans.
“Since implementing this model over one year ago, our Cancer Centre has seen positive impacts to access to care and wait time improvements,” shares David McConnell, Director, Regional Cancer Care North West. “Other cancer centres from across Canada have now expressed interest in this model and have been exploring its use at their sites.”
While introducing the novel solution of remote treatment planning, the Cancer Centre has continued with other strategies to improve wait times including hiring additional radiation therapists, training existing staff to fill these roles, and recruiting support from physics staff.
The team recognized for this award includes Isaac Tavares, Patrick Rapley, Diane Brett, Melanie Zappitelli, Margaret Anthes, Mellissa Linke, David McConnell, Peter McGhee, Helen Norton, Joanna Vestby, Stacey Cervini, Cheryl Cummins-Holder.
For the full list of Quality & Innovation Award recipients, visit https://bit.ly/3GM6FbN.
To learn more about cancer care at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, visit bit.ly/TBRHSC-Cancer-Care.
Shared on behalf of Infection Prevention and Control
A confirmed outbreak of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Outbreak number: 2262-2024-00033 has been declared on 2A medical unit as of February 11, 2024. All restrictions are in place.
Please share this information with the appropriate staff.
As always, our number one priority is the safety of patients and their families, staff and visitors. All patients identified as having an exposure to this outbreak will require isolation with appropriate additional precautions.
The department of Infection Prevention and Control encourages everyone to keep applying the routine practices of hand hygiene, proper use of PPE, equipment cleaning, and the appropriate admission screening of all patients. Please set an example for staff and students and assist us by maintaining compliance and due diligence.
Shared on behalf of Carina Desramaux, Manager, Pharmacy and Andrea Raynak, Director, Nursing Practice
In follow-up to the memo circulated on February 5, 2024, please note that new protocols have been implemented based on guidance with The Safe Pharmaceutical Handling Evaluation Collaborative newly created framework.
The updated guidance has been incorporated into our existing policy SAF-2-04 and renamed to Hazardous Drugs – Safe Handling (see attached).
The revised policy is in accordance to recommendations and best practice and includes:
Categories and Definitions of Hazardous drugs with direct links to the most up to date list
Risks and Labelling
Detailed information on the safe handling of hazardous drugs (i.e., associated personal protective equipment, disposal and emergency management).
A complete list of All Hazardous Drugs are included with this memo (see attached).
To support this change in practice, a Quick Reference Guide has been created and is attached. Additional educational materials have been created and will be distributed as we initiate hospital wide education beginning on Monday, February 12, 2024.
Any questions about this memo can be directed to your Manager.
We thank you for your cooperation throughout these updates.
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 Mondays post welcomes the 110 babies born at TBRHSC during the month of January. Congratulations on the new bundles of joy!
Each year on February 11, we celebrate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. This Day is a reminder that women and girls play a critical role in science and technology communities and that their participation should be strengthened.
This year, we connected with Dr. Brianne Wood, Social Accountability and Learning Health Systems Associate Scientist, NOSM University and Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre/Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute for an informal Q&A..
Dr. Wood’s research focuses on the development, implementation, and evaluation of learning health systems research in Northern Ontario and supports the integration of educational and health systems research.
Why did you decide to get into science?
I found my way into research through mathematics and statistics, which I realized was a strength of mine in high school. It helps that my parents were math and science teachers! I love using a logical approach to problem solving, to follow a robust system or a process to get to an answer, and to recognize that the process itself is as important as the outcome. I learned that there is a need to apply some of these theoretical concepts in the health field to help make people’s wellbeing and health care better, which is how I ended up in epidemiology.
Tell us about your research — what are you currently working on?
I am lucky to have a lot of cool projects on the go right now. A few highlights — working on bringing evaluation and feedback activities into health system work in Northern Ontario, like the digital health transformation in the North West, or Ontario Health Teams. I’m also working with health care professionals, decision-makers, community leaders, public health and researchers to figure out ways to bring artificial intelligence into health systems work.
What is the most challenging part of your job?
Meetings. So many meetings.
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
I love when people that I partner with — patients, health system leaders, health care professionals — reference the work that I do in their own work lives. To know that some of the work that I do has helped Northern Ontario organizations receive additional attention or funding to help them address things that are important to them, that feels good.
Any advice for other women/girls considering a career in science?
I think a lot of girls and women are already excited about STEM and making important impacts! So it’s about promoting STEM opportunities in gender-diverse and inclusive ways and highlighting the accomplishments of people in STEM from different backgrounds (e.g., gender, ethnicity, class). We need to move away from the discourse that STEM is more boys and men, because there are already so many women and gender-diverse people in that space . We need to celebrate them but also recognize some of the challenges they have faced, and work to make system change. My advice is to find a mentor (or maybe even a network) of supports to check in with, to run ideas by, to help you through the inevitable challenges, and to appropriately celebrate your successes.
Shared on behalf of Dr. Bradley Jacobson, Chief of Staff
I am very pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Joseph Del Paggio to the position of Chief of Oncology.
Dr. Del Paggio has been an Assistant Professor at NOSM University and a Medical Oncologist at TBRHSC since 2018. Please join me in welcoming Dr. Del Paggio to his new role.
I would like to extend my appreciation to Dr. Nicole Laferriere for her role as Chief of Oncology for the past 8 years. Her contributions have been greatly appreciated and most notably her commitment in providing the best possible patient care. We wish Dr. Laferriere all the best in her future endeavours.
Shared on behalf of David McConnell, Director, Regional Cancer Care Northwest & Prevention and Screening Services
I am pleased to announce the appointment of Franca Pellegrino as the Manager, Outpatient Clinics, Nursing, Systemic Therapy, Palliative and Supportive Care, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre-Regional Cancer Care North West.
Franca brings to this position a wealth of knowledge and experience in oncology nursing, and outpatient clinic operations related to cancer services. Franca graduated from Lakehead University’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program in 1995. She began her career in the United States working on an oncology unit, and subsequently a bone marrow transplant unit, where she served as the charge nurse for 3 years. Returning to Canada, she joined the Cancer Program team and has worked in the outpatient Cancer Program for the past 25 years in a variety of roles in all clinical areas, including charge nurse, and most recently Coordinator Outpatient Nursing and Quality Initiatives.
Franca will be responsible for overseeing the Management of the outpatient clinics in the Cancer Program, as well as leading and participating in many Quality Initiatives through Ontario Health-Cancer Care Ontario. Franca’s well-rounded experience will make her a valuable asset in this position. Please join me in congratulating and welcoming her to her new role.
Shared on behalf of David McConnell, Director, Regional Cancer Care Northwest & Prevention and Screening Services
Please join me in wishing our colleague Karen Roberts, Manager, Outpatient Clinic Operations, Nursing, Systemic Therapy, Palliative and Supportive Care all the best as she enters into retirement, April 30th.
Karen graduated from Lakehead University and started her nursing career as a Registered Nurse in 1989 at Port Arthur General Hospital in General Medicine where she worked until 1995. There she found her passion for oncology nursing and began her career on the Acute Oncology inpatient unit. She took on many roles during her time working in Oncology including, Outpatient Chemotherapy Nurse, Clinical Oncology Educator, Primary Nurse in Hematology as well as Hemophilia Nurse Coordinator, until finally becoming Manager in August 2014.
Karen has been instrumental in leading many projects and quality improvement initiatives over the years. She helped lead the Regional Cancer Care team during the hospital amalgamation, implemented the non-same day chemotherapy model thereby improving patient safety and wait times, standardized the oral chemotherapy ordering process, and improved patient access to care and services by recently expanding to a 10 hour treatment day in outpatient chemotherapy as well as implementing a Triage Nurse and Clerk in the Regional Cancer Centre.
Karen has many strengths, but her focus on delivering exceptional cancer care sets her apart. Her passion for oncology nursing, equal access to care for all patients in our region, her dedication to providing care and service to patients and families across the cancer journey have truly made a difference. Please join me in wishing Karen well in her retirement.
Chair, Board of Directors, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre
As we begin 2024, I hope you were able to take time over the holiday season to relax, recharge and reflect on the triumphs and challenges of 2023. On behalf of the Board, let me state how grateful we are for our dedicated staff, professional staff and volunteers for all their hard work over the holidays and providing outstanding care to patients and their families.
The holiday season saw a lot of traffic around emergency departments across the province that experienced an influx of respiratory illnesses. Here at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC), we faced many challenges, especially around a surge of paediatric patients. The number of respiratory illnesses rose at the end of December and peaked at the beginning of January. I want to commend the outstanding professionalism and collaboration shown by our teams. Their incredible work in managing through this surge resulted in continued care for all patients coming through our doors.
The kindness demonstrated by our departments extended well into our community. Support Services and Capital Facility Services departments coordinated a food drive challenge for the St. Andrew’s Dew Drop Inn. In total, 11 departments participated in collecting 678 pounds of food. The Emergency Department and Intensive Care unit brought in over 500 non-perishable food items for a local food bank. Staff from Regional Cancer Care Northwest filled 40 bags of warm clothes and personal care items for Elevate NWO. The Radiation Therapy department sponsored four youths through the Children’s Aid Society’s Holiday Hamper program. These are just a few examples of the incredible generosity our staff give to those in need – and providing exceptional care for our community beyond their work at our Hospital.
I want to take the opportunity to thank all those who purchased tickets for the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation’s historic 50/50 December draw of $3,983,185. Donations support new medical equipment, technology and infrastructure upgrades in all areas of health care. This will lead to improved access to the best possible health care for patients and families in Northwestern Ontario. The Foundation’s work in making these draws a success does not go unnoticed and benefits our Hospital, and community in many ways.
I am also pleased to inform that we continue to see an upswing in attracting new Professional Staff to our Hospital. As an academic acute care hospital, these new appointments in various specialities allows us to grow our expertise and further attract new practitioners, auxiliary staff and learners. We have an incredible facility and we are increasingly becoming the facility of choice to all who want a place to work, grow and thrive – a pillar of our Strategic Plan 2026.
Finally, I am excited to share that we are recruiting new members for the Board of Directors from across Northwestern Ontario. The successful candidates will participate actively in governance activities for a three-year term. Interested candidates are asked to submit a resume and letter of interest by Friday, February 16, 2024. Further details can be found here.
On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to wish the people of Northwestern Ontario a great start to 2024 and I hope this year brings you good health, safety and prosperity.
