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 Sarah Miller, Registered Dietitian.
I am worried that after bariatric surgery I won’t be allowed to eat anything “good” again. Is this true?
Bariatric surgery changes the way the body digests food. It is true that foods that are very high in sugar or fat can lead to stomach upset for some. It’s important to remember that in order to maintain good health, these foods should be minimized for all Canadians. However, a healthy diet and food relationship, can include eating all types of foods. After bariatric surgery, most foods can be enjoyed in moderation, such as having a smaller portion, or balancing with other foods. The bariatric team will help you consider your relationship with food, and teach you how to plan your favorite foods into a balanced meal plan.
Responding fast can make the difference between life and death
February is Heart Month, a time to bring attention to the importance of cardiovascular health. Heart disease affects approximately 2.4 million Canadian adults, and is the second leading cause of death in Canada. Each year, an estimated 35,000 cardiac arrests occur in Canada.
Survival rates double if someone performs cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and uses an automated external defibrillator (AED).Recognizing the signs of cardiac arrest and responding fast can mean the difference between life and death.
Cardiac Arrest vs Heart Attack Cardiac arrest is an electrical malfunction that stops the heartbeat, shutting down the heart. A person experiencing a cardiac arrest will collapse and be unresponsive. This is different from a heart attack, where a blocked artery slows or cuts off blood flow to the heart, but usually the heart continues beating. Typical heart attack signs are discomfort in the chest or upper body, shortness of breath, sweating, nausea and light-headedness. If you think you are having a heart attack you must call 9-1-1.
Cause of Cardiac Arrest Some types of arrhythmia, an irregular heartbeat that can short circuit the heart’s electrical system, can cause cardiac arrest. About one quarter of heart attacks actually trigger cardiac arrest – either immediately or within an hour or two. Other rare contributors to cardiac arrest include drug overdose, major electrolyte abnormalities, or large clots that block flow to the lungs. In most cases the only way to correct a cardiac arrest is to deliver high quality CPR and a shock from a defibrillator.
Warning Signs
If you have fainted, a physician should evaluate you, as it may be a warning sign for a rhythm disorder that could cause cardiac arrest. Although fainting is a relatively common occurrence, if it occurs during physical activity, when swimming or from emotional excitement, it can be a warning sign of sudden arrhythmia death syndrome (SADS). Also, since heart attack can precede cardiac arrest, it’s critical to be aware of heart attack signsand get medical attention immediately. If you experience tightness in your chest, you should be aware that it isn’t necessarily from a pulled muscle.
If someone has a cardiac arrest:
Phone 9-1-1 and shout for an AED.
Perform CPR pushing hard in the centre of the chest and then allow the chest to recoil fully before pushing again. Try to push 100-120 times a minute (fast!).
Use an AED if available. Apply the stickers to the person, turn the machine on and it will tell you what to do next.
Response Time is Critical
In cardiac arrest you typically have about five minutes to restore circulation. CPR can keep blood moving through the body for a short period. An AED delivers an electrical shock that can restore the heart’s rhythm. Performing CPR and using an AED until emergency medical services take over can double the chance of surviving a cardiac arrest.
To learn more about heart education and heart health tips including support, prevention and recovery, visit the Heart and Stroke Foundation website at https://www.heartandstroke.ca/.
There has been some debate about this around the office, but I am of the belief that you can wish people a Happy New Year anytime in the month of January. So, just in the nick of time, please allow me to wish all of you the very best for the upcoming year!
Here at the Hospital and Health Research Institute it has been busy so far toward the end of last year and into 2024. Firstly, we have been fortunate to receive funding for various clinical areas. Last month, it was announced that funding in excess of $1.2 million would be provided for use in supporting Alternative Levels of Care and patient flow initiatives, available here. Last week, we were informed of additional funding for the Paediatric Transport Program, a much needed care team for our Hospital and region. I want to thank all the staff and leadership team members who have worked hard on the proposals to help make our case for this funding we’ve received to better treat the communities we serve.
Throughout the months of December and January, we also had an influx of paediatric patients needing care and an increase in visits to our Emergency Department. Let me just say that the incredible teamwork of our departments to manage through these times did not go unnoticed. It is through the efforts of our front-line staff and professional staff, a contribution that gives us the ability to have our patient flow initiatives maintained; resulting in patients of all ages getting the care they need in a timely manner. Thank you for your work and leadership in care over these capacity pressure periods.
As I am sure you have heard me say before, we are unique and face challenges not encountered by other academic hospitals. The demand for acute care needs is higher than any other area in the province and the care we provide expands well beyond our community. As the only tertiary acute care and academic hospital, we support populations in areas that are remote and have limited care services. So, it was validating to see the Office of the Auditor General of Ontario substantiated many of the challenges and limitations we experience in our Northern Hospitals in a Value-for-Money Audit Report. The report provides recommendations to the Ministry of Health and Ontario Health for addressing hospital services in Northern Ontario to ensure there are more effective and appropriate health care services to manage the unique health care needs of our region. We have developed good relationships with our regional representatives in the provincial government and will continue to strongly advocate on your behalf.
In case you missed the latest Health Research Speaker Series that featured Dr. Hazem Elmansy, please know you can catch the next one on February 22 with Dr. David Savage, an Emergency Physician at TBRHSC and Assistant Professor at NOSM University. This Speaker Series is part of our commitment to bring awareness to the importance of clinical research and connecting to clinical practice.
One other note, Wake the Giant Training is a great way to learn more about creating a more inclusive space. The online training module provides insight into some of the realities that Indigenous Peoples may face when using our Hospital or coming to our city. I am happy to say that I have completed my training and found the learnings to be beneficial to my work and diversified my perspectives.
Finally, another thank you is well deserved to all who provided their meaningful input by taking the 2023 Employee and Professional Staff Engagement Survey. The survey was completed by all staffing and professional staff groups and our participation rate was just over 63% – a high rate of return in surveys. On first glance, the comments validate the challenges we know are part of our workdays, such as staffing. Please know that your participation in this survey provides us with the details needed to improve our workplace and make it a place you enjoy. We will be communicating the results over the next few weeks and engaging with you again as we build our action plans for addressing the key areas and also celebrating the successes. As always, your feedback on these blogs or any other matter is always welcome and valued. You can reach me at: rhonda.ellacott@tbh.net.
“Forensic” means related to or associated with legal issues. Forensic Mental Health (FMH) services provide care and support to people experiencing mental illness that have come into contact with the criminal justice system.
At Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, we provide both inpatient and outpatient forensic mental health services to patients from all across Northwestern Ontario.
Shared on behalf of Ryan Sears – Director, Capital & Facility Services
Please be advised the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (at the 980 Oliver Road location only) will execute a planned impairment of its entire Overhead Paging System and Fire System on Thursday, February 1, 2024 for approximately seven (7) hours – starting at 11:00 p.m. to facilitate deactivation of the fire system related to planned system upgrades.
Our Facilities and Security teams will be enacting and overseeing our Fire System Impairment and Fire Watch procedures, as included in the Fire Plan for our site.
During this impairment, no Hot Work will be authorized. Further, any high risk work that could result in an elevated risk of fire, heat, or smoke should not be planned – please review this within your department and plan to discontinue high-risk activities (i.e. construction, repairs, hot showers, etc.). Should you observe activities that may be of concern during the impairment, contact your Supervisor or Manager to discuss.
While the Hospital’s Overhead Paging System is out of service, alternate measures will be applied to notify the organization of Emergency Codes and Alerts. Staff will continue to activate all Codes using extension 55. Please see the attached policy for guidance (EMER-10-B-2 “Overhead Paging & Fire System Loss”).
Key things to remember during an outage:
Regularly monitor email for emergency code and alert notices issued by Switchboard.
Respond to emergency codes and alerts through alternate communication measures, e.g., paging, radios, emails, runners, etc., as appropriate – and activate response as required.
Be vigilant in reviewing department activities during the period of fire system impairment.
Clinical leads are encouraged to collaborate with their teams to consider alternatives to paging patients back to units, such as collecting Patients’ mobile phone numbers.
Further, in event of fire during this impairment, please execute all steps as outlined in Code Red Policy (EMER-30) and your area sub plan. Should you discover a fire – “REACT”:
R – Remove persons in immediate danger
E – Ensure doors are closed to confine fire or smoke
A – Activate the fire alarm by pulling the nearest pull station
C– Call Switchboard at Ext 55 to report the location of the fire
T– Try to extinguish the fire if trained to do so or continue to evacuate
The contractor for the fire system work is Troy Life & Fire Safety. The Building System Operator is onsite and reachable at cell number 629-7005. Further support will be provided by Security (684-6509) and the on call Facility Manager (cell number 629-3119) as required.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the above, please contact Ryan Sears.
To standardize GroupWise naming, GroupWise distribution groups need to be updated. The change involves replacing spaces with hyphens/dashes in the group name.
Starting January 31, when sending to a distribution group please ensure to use the GroupWise address book instead of the Frequent Contacts when selecting the group.
You can see the new names listed in the table below.
Current Name
New Name
HRM Discharge
HRM-Discharge
HRM RoomReadiness
HRM-RoomReadiness
SJCG All Staff
SJCG-All-Staff
SJCG Leadership Team
SJCG-Leadership-Team
SJCG Management Team
SJCG-Management-Team
SJCG Payroll Group
SJCG-Payroll
SJCG_Directors
SJCG-Directors
TBRHSC Director’s Group
TBRHSC-Directors
TBRHSC Executive Assistants
TBRHSC-Executive-Assistants
TBRHSC Group
TBRHSC-Group
TBRHSC Managers and Coordinators
TBRHSC-Managers-and-Coordinators
TBRHSC Quarterly Strategic Review Group
TBRHSC-Quarterly-Strategic-Review
TBRHSC Senior Leadership
TBRHSC-Senior-Leadership
TBRHSC Switchboard
TBRHSC-Switchboard
For more information, contact the Help Desk at help@tbh.net.
This 2023-2024 Interim Volunteer Services Report outlines the activities and contributions of Hospital Volunteers from April 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023.
Volunteers perform a vital role at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. They support the Hospital’s realization of its mission and strategic goals. They enhance the programs and services we offer and assist staff in providing exceptional Patient and Family Centred Care (PFCC). Volunteers provide services to patients, family members, caregivers, and staff in a number of different areas including patient care, reception, greeting, administration, and retail sales.
Communications and Engagement has available for use an array of promotional materials and resources. Quick-frame posters and staff lounge posters are located strategically throughout the Hospital and are typically used to highlight current campaigns and announcements. For use in events, both on and off-site, there are various roll up displays and tabletop hook and loop display board. These tools are used for conferences or to compliment additional promotional events for such things as program roll-out and co-sponsored workshops. For media events, there is a logo display wall, podium and media sandwich board. Please see images below
To inquire about these materials and sign-out for use, please submit a service request ticket.*
*Each staff member with a tbh.net account can access our ticketing system with their Novell credentials. If you’re having difficulty logging in, please contact a member of the Communications and Engagement team. We’ll help you reset your password or create a new account.
We’ll be sharing more in-depth information about our department and the services we provide. Keep an eye on the Daily Informed Newsletter and check out our toolkit for details.
Registered nurse Adrian McKee (left) and medic Jay Stewertson talk using the new intercom system inside the Emergency Department. The same unit is used out front at the first Triage Desk as you enter, one of the many items purchased thanks to your donations to the Family CARE Grant program.
Changes are coming to the Emergency Department at our Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, thanks to your donations to the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation’s Family Care Grant program. In fact, you can see some of those changes already in the waiting room.
The first thing you may notice is the new two-way speaker system at the front Triage Desk. The previous system could cut out, crackle, and pop with feedback. It was hard enough for someone with normal hearing to communicate in the busy Emergency Department. For those who have trouble hearing, it was very difficult.
The new two-way intercom system helps the triage nurse at the front door communicate with patients better. Sound is louder and clearer so patients can hear and understand the questions.
“I use the new intercom almost daily – I’m often at the Triage Desk,” said Adrian McKee, a Registered Nurse in the Emergency Department. “It’s so important to have the good communication with patients. But with the background noise, the overhead speaker, and the Plexiglas barrier, talking to patients when they first come in can be difficult. The new speaker system is definitely an improvement.”
Family Care Grant funded six new speakers including at the front Triage Desk and the Ambulance Bay.
Another item arriving soon is a charging station for phones and devices. Emergency Department visits often aren’t planned, so people may be arriving with low or no charge. That combined with constant communications with family members means batteries drain quickly. Staff would often lend patients charging cords, but that wasn’t ideal.
“This thing will be game-changing,” McKee said. “Phones are absolutely essential in everyday life, especially when there’s an emergency. The charging station will have all the different types of adapters, so there’s no worry about not having the right cord.”
The stations include a locker system so you can place your device inside and safely lock it up while it’s charging.
Perhaps the most visible change in the waiting room is the new water station. During the first COVID outbreak, the water fountain in the Emergency Department waiting room was removed due to the risk of transmission. Patients would often go to the reception desk asking for a glass of water.
“We’re always happy to get patients water,” McKee said. “But it’s a busy place, so there isn’t always someone available to get it for them right away. Finding a way for patients to safely get their own water is a much better solution.”
A Family Care Grant funded a new touchless water fountain to replace the old one. It also features a water bottle refill station so that patients can bring their own bottles from home. That station is 100% touchless as well – simply hold your water bottle under the spout and it automatically fills you up. It’s a cleaner, greener solution.
“It’s a great idea in a hospital waiting room even without COVID,” McKee said. “Thanks to all the donors who helped fund this new water filling station and all the items we were able to purchase to improve patient care.”
Sometimes it’s the little comforts that make a big difference. You can help frontline staff like Adrian McKee fund more projects in our Hospital that will improve patient care. To find out more and to donate, please visit: https://www.healthsciencesfoundation.ca/familycare
