Thank you to everyone who participated in the Holiday Cheer Week festivities last week. There were some phenomenal displays of Holiday Cheer throughout our Hospital. The winners for the Holiday Attire, Holiday Decorations and Holiday Trivia contests have now been notified.
A huge thank you to Edo Japan for donating our prizes for the contests, it is much appreciated.
Winners will be announced tomorrow on Your Daily Informed Newsletter, stay tuned and happy holidays!
The Communications and Engagement team at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) engages with staff, patients, partners and the public to communicate the right information at the right time, in alignment with the Hospital’s Strategic Plan. We combine multimedia with the Hospital’s corporate brand, expressed through the mandate of Patient Family Centred Care and our Strategic Plan 2026.
What we do
The objective of the Communications and Engagement Department is to enhance the public’s awareness and understanding of TBRHSC’s programs, services and facilities and the research happening at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute (TBRHRI). We work with every Hospital program and service to support both internal and external communication efforts. For example:
Meet the team
| Jennifer Wintermans VP, Quality & Corporate Affairs Jennifer.Wintermans@tbh.net Ext. 6016 | Sheila Brown Executive Assistant to Jennifer Wintermans, VP, Quality & Corporate Affairs Sheila.Brown@tbh.net Ext. 6018 | Marcello Bernardo Manager Marcello.Bernardo@tbh.net Ext. 6011 |
| Steve Coghill Senior Graphic Designer Steve.Coghill@tbh.net Ext. 6560 | Raiili Pellizzari Communications Specialist & Project Lead Raiili.Pellizzari@tbh.net Ext. 6926 | Gina Fata Cultural Communications Specialist GinaFata@tbh.net Ext. 6031 |
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.
Originally published in Milestones, a publication by the Provincial Council for Provincial & Child Health
Access to timely critical care transport services between hospitals is essential to achieve improved health outcomes for newborns and children requiring urgent or emergent critical care services. Currently in Ontario, the inter-facility transport of critically ill newborns and children is provided by highly specialized hospital-based transport teams situated at four tertiary paediatric health sciences centres in Hamilton (McMaster Children’s Hospital, MCH), London (London Health Sciences Centre, LHSC), Ottawa (Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, CHEO) and Toronto (SickKids), as well as the Child Health Transport Team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Hospitals in remote and rural areas of Northern Ontario, especially those inaccessible by land, are reliant upon air transport services provided by Ornge, with or without a specialized transport team depending on a patient’s needs.
To address existing system gaps and priority issues related to transport in Northern Ontario, the Provincial Council for Maternal and Child Health’s (PCMCH) Transport Committee convened a Northern Transport Strategy Work Group in 2020, consisting of 26 stakeholders directly and indirectly involved in the transport of urgent and emergent pregnant, newborn and paediatric patients in Northern Ontario. The Work Group recommended that a transport team be developed and positioned in the north to ensure that urgent and emergent high-risk newborn and paediatric patients receive care closer to home and, more importantly, receive a rapid response for transport to a tertiary centre in an emergency. Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) is the designated hospital site for this new specialized transport team.
“Having a specialized transport team based in Northern Ontario will ensure that children in the north will receive timely access to advanced care,” says Crystal Edwards, TBRHSC’s Director of Women and Children’s and Mental Health Programs and Director of the Transport Team. “The work we’re doing to establish this team moves us closer to aligning care in the north with other areas in the province. It will also allow for relationship-building between the team and the regional hospitals and remote nursing stations, which could result in some skills development.”
Currently, critically ill newborn and paediatric patients in Northern Ontario must wait for a specialized team to travel from Southern Ontario or Winnipeg to pick them up and transport them. Data from 2018 to 2021 shows that Ornge transported an average of 784 infants and children per year from northern facilities to tertiary hospitals. In addition, while up to four hours has been deemed the desired target for a specialized team to reach a patient, data indicates that team response times have ranged between six and eight hours. Once the team has reached the patient and stabilized them, it will also take some time before the patient arrives at a tertiary hospital in the south. The transport team based out of TBRHSC is expected to significantly decrease these wait times.
The progress of this initiative has been a team effort across the province. “TBRHSC has received overwhelming support from our partners,” Edwards says. “PCMCH supported the development of the proposal for this new transport team, as well as including TBRHSC as members of PCMCH’s Transport Committee and related working groups. Ornge has increased our understanding about requirements for aeromedical certifications and training and have also assisted in the procurement of standardized specialized transport equipment. In addition, Ontario’s four tertiary hospitals (MCH, LHSC, CHEO and SickKids) have offered support by sharing policies, procedures, medical directives and operational guidance. CHEO allowed members of the TBRHSC Transport Team to join online theory courses, and SickKids provided opportunities for the TBRHSC team to work alongside their teams to obtain hands-on training.”
TBRHSC will implement their specialized transport team using a phased approach, starting with 24/7 coverage to stabilize and transfer newborns and infants up to 12 months of age, with a future goal to transport a larger paediatric population.
“We have hired 11 Registered Nurses (RNs) and eight Registered Respiratory Therapists (RRTs) who will work as a team, with one RN and one RRT assigned to each transport,” explains Edwards. “The team is currently involved in significant training that will span eight months and include theory and certification courses and simulation sessions. The team will continue to participate in hands-on training with Ornge paramedics and the SickKids transport team and will undergo formal evaluations by way of Objective Structured Clinical Exams.”
Development and training of the team, as well as equipment sourcing, will continue into 2024. PCMCH looks forward to sharing more information on this initiative’s progress in the coming year.
Shared on behalf of on behalf of Andrea Raynak, Director, Nursing Practice
I am pleased to announce that Kaitlyn Veneruz has accepted the position of Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS), Cardiovascular Surgery. Kaitlyn graduated from Lakehead University with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and has spent her career thus far within the Intensive Care Unit. In this environment she has thrived, as evidenced by her exceptional clinical knowledge and associated skill(s), adaptability, attention to detail and her problem solving capabilities. She has had the opportunity to mentor new graduate nurses within this department and further, participate in regional education via the Regional Critical Care Response Team.
Kailtyn has been working as the CNS Medicine role in a temporary capacity functioning within the 6 core competencies of a CNS. Within this experience, she has demonstrated her ability to understand advanced practice nursing in the organization, and lead positive change to advance the profession of nursing as a whole. Kailtyn is also affiliated with Lakehead University in the capacity of a Clinical Instructor and she is working on her Masters of Nursing with Advanced Practice Nursing Specialization.
The aforementioned has provided Kailtyn with a strong foundation to be the CNS aiding in the development and implementation of the Cardiovascular Surgery Program at the Hospital.
When not at work, she enjoys road biking, skiing and spending time at camp.
Please join me in welcoming Kaitlyn to the role.
All of the gynecologists at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) are trained in minimally invasive surgery. Our team specializes in medical and surgical treatment of a wide range of benign (non-cancerous) gynecological issues including heavy menstrual bleeding, endometriosis, and pelvic organ prolapse.
They provide a wide range of innovative treatment options including hysteroscopy, endometrial ablation, vaginal surgery and laparoscopic surgery. These minimally invasive surgeries have shorter recovery times, less blood loss, shorter hospital stays, less scaring, and less pain than traditional abdominal surgery.
Congratulations to the latest draw prize winner of the Employee and Professional Staff Engagement Survey! Harold Mallari was randomly selected and has won a gift card to Fresh Air.
The Employee and Professional Staff Engagement Survey has accumulated a 56% completion rate. There is still time to complete your survey! A reminder will be sent to your email inbox if you have not completed the survey yet.
Want a chance to win a prize too? Consider completing your survey and be entered in the draw for a chance to be randomly selected for a prize.
Winter Solstice is a significant time for many Indigenous communities across the world.
This day marks the longest night of the year and is considered a time of reflection, renewal, and storytelling.
Indigenous storytelling during the Winter Solstice is an ancient tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation. Storytelling was and still is an essential part of Indigenous cultures, as it is a way to share knowledge, wisdom, and values with the community.
Join us on Thursday, December 21, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. for some hot chocolate, cookies, and storytelling! To register, please email Annette Klement at tbrhsc.culturalsafetyeducator@tbh.net.
‘Tis the season and we are challenging you and your department to join the Holiday Cheer Week Donation Challenge in support of the Renal Service Food Bank and the Patient Clothing Cupboard.
Renal Service Food Bank:
People living with chronic kidney disease require a specialized diet to maintain their health. This diet can be restrictive and difficult to follow, specifically for those who experience food insecurity as most foods available in food banks may not be safe for their specialized diet.
The Renal Food Cupboard is one of the ways in which we can support our patients who are in need. We want to spotlight this special initiative this holiday season. Please note, donations to the Food Cupboard can be made all year long.
Kidney Friendly Foods:
Patient Clothing Cupboard:
Everyday nurses, social workers and other Hospital employees make regular visits to the Patient Clothing Cupboard to find clean, new or gently used clothing for patients to wear and use in discharge situations when in need. This holiday season the Patient Clothing Cupboard is specifically looking for donations of women and men’s new underwear and socks.
A reminder that the Patient Clothing Cupboard accepts new socks and underwear and other gently used comfortable clothing all year long.
As we bid farewell to this year, we hope you take a moment to reflect on all the wonderful memories and the challenges you’ve overcome. We wish you a holiday season filled with warmth and happiness. However you celebrate, may this time be filled with the things that mean the most to you and fill your heart with hope and optimism for the new year ahead!
The Emergency Department (ED) at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre has continued their annual tradition of sponsoring a family through the Children’s Aide Society’s Holiday Hamper Program. Special thanks to Anna Oberg, RN, Charge Nurse for organizing the donations for the last 15 years.
Our ED staff has truly demonstrated their true spirit of the holiday season by giving to those in need. The team contributed $2,300 to help ensure this family has a very special holiday season.
For more information on the Holiday Hamper Program, visit https://www.thunderbaycas.ca/holiday-program.