Via Anishinabek News

Fort William Chief Michele Solomon, Long Lake #58 Chief Judy Desmoulin, and Pays Plat’s Chris Mushquash were featured on the first day of the NNADAP Conference 2024, held November 5-7 in Thunder Bay. Hosted by the Ontario Regional Addictions Partnership Committee, the NNADAP (National Native Alcohol and Drug Abuse Program) conference also featured a range of workshops and presentations at the Best Western Plus NorWester Hotel and Conference Centre.

“I was excited to have the opportunity to give welcoming at the NNADAP conference — it’s kind of like a coming home for me because I spent most of my career working an a NNADAP treatment centre, Dilico,” Chief Solomon says. “I have a very heartfelt connection to that treatment centre because my mother, Rochelle Johnson, was very instrumental in the development of the treatment centre. So I have a very deep connection to the NNADAP conference and all that NNADAP is.”

Chief Solomon says there was a time when she knew all the NNADAP workers across the province.

“If anybody had their finger to the pulse of what was happening in treatment for Indigenous people, it was NNADAP workers,” Chief Solomon says. “You could call any of them and they really knew what the resources were out there and it was really a network of helpers for our community, a network of people who could get people to the right place to get help.”

Chief Desmoulin delivered a Healing with Strategy presentation at the conference, where she stressed that there has always been an attack on First Nations children and families.

“Healthy and strong children and families are the reason different races of people survive and thrive, so my talk today is based on strategies, but I just want to stress that government had a strategy as well to try and make us disappear,” Chief Desmoulin says. “They had their strategies through powers and procedures, laws, but obviously that didn’t work, we’re still here, we’re still sitting here and learning from each other, sharing with one another and just motivating each other to keep inspiring one another to keep going.”

Chief Desmoulin says the whole purpose of the government’s strategy with the Indian Residential Schools was to take the Indian out of the child.

“The government had a strategy to try and get rid of us, so I thought, OK, we need strategies to get out of this as well,” Chief Desmoulin says. “We need plans in how we’re going to get back on track and go past that period of time where we were taken off our healthy road.”

Chief Desmoulin says she recently met with a youth who had not used any drugs or alcohol for nine weeks after participating in Long Lake #58’s Better Together Wellness Strategy.

“He said, ‘One of things that you guys talked about [during the Better Together Wellness Strategy sessions] was you need to change your friends, you need to change some of your environment,’” Chief Desmoulin says. “‘I really did it,’ he said, ‘I changed my friends, I didn’t answer their texts anymore, I didn’t respond to their invites to come out and do those things. For the first few weeks, I just hung out with my mom.’ He said, ‘I’ve got my part-time job now, I just come to my job, do my [job] and go home and find ways to keep busy.’ And he said, ‘Give me a few more weeks and I’ll be able to come and be on your team to help.’”

Mushquash, Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Mental Health and Addiction, professor at Lakehead University and Northern Ontario School of Medicine University and clinical psychologist at Dilico Anishinabek Family Care, delivered a Trauma Informed Care and Intergenerational Trauma presentation during the conference.

“It’s important that we look very carefully at these questions of intergenerational trauma and how to be trauma-informed but also really look to the strengths and knowledge inherent within our communities and within our cultures to address the challenges that we have and continue to have the belief in our ability to work on that together,” Mushquash says.

Mushquash says during his presentation that he tries to use some of the stories he has heard from others as well as those he has experienced himself to organize his thinking.

“I always say that if you’re paying attention to your culture, if you’re paying attention to who you are, to what your responsibilities are, if you understand your identity, you know what your role is, the universe shows things to you,” Mushquash says. “It reminds you of those things, it helps you understand them in a new way sometimes when you need those lessons at the very moment.”

We understand that it can be challenging to find time during the day to step away from work. We are excited to invite you to an evening session titled “Repairing the Sacred Circle: An Indigenous Cultural Awareness and Education Primer.”

Join us for an insightful experience that fits your schedule! Plus, a complimentary and delicious dinner will be served.

Date: November 27, 2024
Time: 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Location: ICP Main

To register for a session, please use the following link: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/a5db56b571c540038f53374ea23c4a23

(All sessions will be featured in the link. To register for the evening sessions, please ensure that you select the November 27 session.)

This opportunity is available to all Hospital and Health Research Institute staff, professional staff, learners, volunteers, PFAs and students. This is a free training session, there is no cost to attend. The session is 3 hours long and takes place in-person.

The session will introduce participants to an enriching way of thinking about truth and reconciliation. This training allows for cross-cultural discussion and create awareness and inclusiveness within TBRHSC. Participants will learn how health inequities for Indigenous Peoples within the current heath care system are driven by: colonization, race and racism, stereotypes.

Please note that staff will not receive compensation for their attendance.

We look forward to seeing you there!

How Elaine Hrominchuk’s Legacy Gift Inspired a Calm, Quiet Area in the Cancer Centre

Elaine Hrominchuk was a woman who got things done. Her step-son Lance Reid recalled how one day she was on him about a house project like she was the foreperson on the job.

“Mom wanted to make sure I had all the materials for the safety rails for the bathroom,” Lance said with a laugh. “She wouldn’t let it go.”

Mike Foreman, a close family friend who also called Elaine “Mom,” remembered the time when she wanted to help them when they built her sauna deck. She was 84 and going through cancer treatments, but she was raring to go.

“She couldn’t stand if we were doing something without her – she wanted to get in there and get dirty,” Mike said.

“When Mom wanted something done, she wanted it done now,” Lance said. “At the start of every project, I’d have to say, ‘Mom, first thing you have to do is sit down and have a cup of tea.’ She was go-go-go – it was hard to get her to stop and take a breath.”

Lance or Mike would often accompany Elaine to her chemotherapy treatments at our busy Cancer Centre. Lance would sometimes take her away to the window in the corner, where they could sit and talk together quietly.

“It’s a nice, sunny spot. Very quiet and calming,” Lance said.

After weeks of treatments, Elaine finally rang the bell to celebrate her last chemotherapy treatment.

“When Mom got to ring that bell, she was so proud,” Lance said. “Mom never talked about her cancer being terminal. I’m not sure she even knew. She was convinced she was going to beat it.”

The bathroom project was the last project Elaine ever oversaw. After her long cancer journey, Elaine succumbed to her disease the day after her safety rails went in.

Elaine wanted to make sure other patients in Northwestern Ontario have the best care possible to help them through their ordeals, too. That’s why she left a large legacy gift in her Will, split equally between the Northern Cancer Fund, the Northern Cardiac Fund, and the Emergency Department.

Lance and Mike, co-executors of her Will, wanted to find a way to celebrate her gift – and her life. They commissioned local stained glass artist Jack Floyd to create the installation, rooted in Elaine’s love for the outdoors. The result was a four-panel installation representing the seasons.

“The real challenge was, how do I represent each season properly?” Jack said. “For example, spring is a messy season, but it doesn’t have to be. That’s why I put the flowers around the base of the birch tree and a flock of bluebirds flying by.”

“Mom would be over the moon with it,” Lance said.

“They would have been blown away,” Mike added, referring to Lance’s father Lawrence as well, who passed away several years before Elaine.

Today, the sun pours through the four stained-glass panels, celebrating Elaine’s life and legacy gift. Lance, Mike, and Jack hope patients in the Cancer Centre will find peace and enjoyment from the stained glass for years to come.

A gift in your Will allows you to support a cause that is important to you at a level you perhaps never thought possible. You can leave a touching legacy by improving the quality of patient care and saving lives. To learn more, contact Lee-Anne Camlin, Manager of Legacy Giving at the Health Sciences Foundation, at 807-684-7110 or lee-anne.camlin@healthsciencesfoundation.ca

Please note that the COVID-19 vaccine clinic in OHS has many openings on its last two dates November 22 and 29. The Pfizer KP.2 vaccine is offered to all staff, professional staff, learners and volunteers of TBRHSC.

Please call OHS at 684-6212 to book your appointment.

Staff must bring a piece of government issued identification in order to obtain the vaccine. Your health card is preferred.

Shared on behalf of Infection Prevention and Control

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An outbreak of COVID-19 has been declared on 3C unit as of November 16, 2024. All restrictions are in place.

Outbreak # 2262-2024-00123 

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 Infection Prevention and Control department 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. 

For more information, contact Infection Prevention and Control at extension 6094.

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Lack of access to a family doctor is a common concern for patients living across Ontario. To support those who require a primary care provider, the Lakehead Nurse Practitioner Led Clinic (LNPLC) is providing comprehensive, accessible and coordinated care to unattached patients (those without a primary care provider) living in our community. Patients are connected to care in a more seamless manner, instead of having to search for a primary care provider through other avenues, such as the emergency department or walk-in clinics.

LNPLC houses an interdisciplinary team of nurse practitioners, social workers, kinesiologists, a dietician, a pharmacist, a system navigator, administrative staff, and nursing staff (registered nurses and registered practical nurses). With ten nurse practitioners on staff, each with a roster of 800 patients, this busy operation offers an array of primary health care services for people of all ages including acute conditions, chronic disease management, cancer screening, and pre-natal care. It also focuses on three main areas for unattached patients: breast screening follow up, well-family clinics for those with children under the age of five and care for those who require home care for chronic conditions.

LNPLC will take on unattached patients who have been screened at an Ontario Breast Screening Program site and have received an abnormal result which requires additional testing /imaging. The nurse practitioners will ensure appropriate follow up tests are coordinated and if needed, will refer to a specialist.

“It’s important that breast screening patients with abnormal results have access and coordinated care,” explains incoming Executive Director of LNPLC, Crystal Kaukinen. “Early identification of breast cancer means that there is a better chance of treating it successfully.”

With the breast screening age lowered to include those who are between the ages of 40 to 49, there is likely to be an increase in referrals and as such an increased need for assistance for unattached patients.

Another clinic available to unattached patients is for babies and children up to age five and their mother (up until the child is a year old). Care includes vaccinations, and identifying any developmental problems before the child enters the school system.

Through partnerships with other community organizations, LNPLC is also able to offer care to those who are unable to leave their homes and managing conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or congestive heart failure, or the frail elderly.

In addition to providing care to patients, LNPLC gives back to the community by operating a food bank for their patients who are experiencing poor access to food.

“Access to food is a growing need in our community,” shares Kaukinen. “Our food bank operates on donations so it can often be a challenge to fund, but our goal is to provide our patients in need with a food bag up to once a month.”

For more information about services offered by Lakehead Nurse Practitioner Led Clinic by visiting https://lnplc.ca. Learn more about breast cancer screening at https://tbrhsc.net/cancerscreening.

Yesterday, we proudly unveiled the Robinson Superior Treaty of 1850 plaque at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC). This permanent plaque honors the ancestral lands of Fort William First Nation and the First Nation communities within this Treaty to reaffirm our commitment to Truth and Reconciliation. It stands as a powerful symbol of our respect for Treaty relationships and our dedication to Call to Action #10 (vii), marking an important step toward a more collaborative future.

We’re grateful to have been joined and supported by Fort William First Nation Chief Solomon and Elder Sheila DeCorte on this special occasion. Together, we reflected on the past, built our understanding, and envisioned a future where continued education and dialogue to enhance relationships for all who access our services. This plaque stands as a reminder of the importance of Treaties, raising awareness, educating our community, and helping debunk common misconceptions about the rights and responsibilities they represent. We recognize that reconciliation must start by acknowledging the history and ongoing presence of Indigenous Peoples in Canada.

Our deepest thanks to Fort William First Nation Chief Michele Solomon and Councillor Bess Legarde, Red Rock Indian Band Chief Allan Odawa Jr. and Corey Fowler, Pays Plat First Nation Chief Mushquash, and Animbiigoo Zaagi’igan Anishinaabek Chief Yvette Metansinine that joined us.

Visit the Robinson Superior Treaty of 1850 plaque (located on the second level, across from Seasons Gift Shop), to reflect on this important Treaty and our shared journey toward reconciliation.

The new Cancer Therapeutic and Diagnostic Research Northwestern Ontario (CANCARE NWO) research group formed only a few months ago, but it already has an impressive head start with several studies underway.

Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim, a medical oncologist at the Cancer Centre and the group’s founder, said that the new research group provides an opportunity for researchers to collaborate within the region and potentially with other research groups around the world.

“CANCARE NWO is a group that combines physicians and scientists,” Dr. Ibrahim said. “It’s a platform for conducting cancer research in all its types including clinical and pre-clinical (lab) research. It’s the first group of its kind in Northwestern Ontario.”

Dr. Ibrahim is engaged in multiple collaborations focused on advancing treatments for different types of breast cancer. He and Dr. Nishigandha Burute, a breast radiologist at the Hospital, are partnering with Dr. Thanh Le and his team at Laurentian University to enhance chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer patients in Northern Ontario by analyzing immune biomarkers. Additionally, he collaborates with Dr. Jinqiang Hou, Research Chair at Lakehead University and the Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute, to identify new therapeutic targets for treating triple-negative breast cancer, the most aggressive subtype of breast cancer.

Tissue biomarkers play a crucial role in advancing new approaches to breast cancer treatment. By analyzing specific markers, cancer researchers can better understand the biological characteristics of a tumour. This can lead to more personalized treatment plans.

For example, HER2 is a protein that promotes cancer cell proliferation and is present in some breast cancers. There are targeted therapies that directly attack HER2-positive cancers, which improve results for patients.

Additionally, identifying these unique markers has paved the way for immunotherapy, which uses the body’s immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells. As research finds new markers, more individualized treatments like these will improve patient results and quality of life.

“Potentially, we will find a new approach to treat triple-negative breast cancer,” Dr. Ibrahim said.

Currently, Dr. Ibrahim is conducting research to develop new approaches to treat triple-negative breast cancer and identifying new biomarkers for breast cancer. His expertise in this area stems from his doctoral thesis work at Dublin City University in Ireland. His ongoing investigation could potentially lead to more effective therapies for this aggressive subtype of breast cancer.

Dr. Ibrahim is furthering his research by collaborating with the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute on the REthinking Clinical Trials (REaCT) model, which offers an innovative approach to conducting clinical trials by comparing standard care practices. So far, ten clinical trials have been completed, allowing patients and physicians in Northwestern Ontario to participate in important pragmatic studies that can change clinical practices.

One notable trial demonstrated that five doses of an immune-boosting injection after each chemotherapy cycle is as effective as providing ten injections, but with fewer side effects and lower costs. Not only does this improve patient care, it reduces workload on staff to make it a win-win.

Cancer research is important to ensure patients get the absolute best treatments possible. The Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation provides funding to CANCARE NWO for a full-time research assistant to help scientists and physician researchers with a variety of important – and time-consuming – tasks such as grant writing and applying for research approvals. Your donations to the Northern Discovery Fund directly support this and other local research.

You can help fund tomorrow’s treatments. Donate today by selecting, “I want to support Discovery Fund” from the drop-down menu at: healthsciencesfoundation.ca/cancer

As part of our commitment to keeping staff engaged and informed on our 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 October 9th Operational Updates and Strategic Planning Meeting featured an update on Staff Experience: Staffing, Vacancy Reporting, & Recruitment and was presented by Amy Carr, Director, Human Resources and Dawna Maria Perry, Senior Director, Nursing, Academics & Practice Excellence.

Visit the Strategic Plan 2026 page on the Hospital’s corporate intranet, where these presentations, along with other resources can be found.

The theme for World Diabetes Day (November 14) is Diabetes and Well-being. With appropriate access to diabetes care and support for their well-being, everyone with diabetes has the chance to live well.

Millions of people with diabetes face daily challenges managing their condition at home, work, and school. They must be resilient, organized, and responsible, impacting both their physical and mental well-being. A new global survey conducted by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) reveals that 77% of people living with diabetes have experienced anxiety, depression, or another mental health condition because of their diabetes. Diabetes care often focuses only on blood sugar, leaving many overwhelmed. This World Diabetes Day, let’s put well-being at the heart of diabetes care and start the change for a better diabetes life.

To learn more about diabetes care in Northwestern Ontario, visit bit.ly/TBRHSC-CCDC.