Voting is now open to select the winners of the 2025 iCare Impact Awards.

The iCare Impact Awards are peer-to-peer recognition, aimed at highlighting the behaviours and initiatives that support our mission, vision, and values and strategic directions. The Awards recognize outcomes and impacts, and the people who made those outcomes possible. When placing a nomination, keep the impact front-of-mind, looking through the lens of our strategic vision; exceptional care for every patient, every time!

Click here to vote!

Have your voice heard by voting for the winners of the following award categories:

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Award: Awarded to a member or members of the hospital community who contributed to a strategic initiative that embodies the goal of “we all belong”. This individual or team embeds diversity in all they do and ensures the provision of a culturally safe experience to staff and/or patients. 

Patient Experience Award: Awarded to a member or members of the hospital community who contributed to a strategic initiative that embodies the goal of “empathy, compassion and respect in every encounter”. This individual or team embeds empathy, compassion and respect into their interactions with others, is focused on quality, and is an expert in caring for patients with complex needs.  

Staff Experience Award: Awarded to a member or members of the hospital community who contributed to a strategic initiative that embodies the goal of “this is where we want to work, grow and thrive”. This individual or team works diligently to ensure that staff experience a psychologically safe and just work culture, and supports the ongoing development of employees and leaders alike. 

Research, Innovation, and Learning Award: Awarded to a member or members of the hospital community who contributed to a strategic initiative that embodies the goal of “prioritizing our research efforts”. This individual or team works to ensure that we support staff capacity and capability for research and success, and creates an environment supportive of research, innovation and learning. 

Sustainable Future Award: Awarded to a member or members of the hospital community who contributed to a strategic initiative that embodies the goal of “ensuring our healthy future”. This individual or team embeds the principles of sustainability into their daily work and interactions with others.

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. 

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This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Diagnostic Imaging department at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre sponsoring the Children’s Aid Society of the District of Thunder Bay’s Annual Christmas Wish Campaign, now partnered with Dilico Anishinabek Family Care.

In a combined effort, Diagnostic Imaging staff came together to fill the holiday wishes of eight children receiving care through the Children’s Aid Society and/or Dilico. Each child receives a personalized gift bag filled with their wish list items, clothing, and other essentials, ensuring each child experiences comfort, joy, and a sense of belonging during the holiday season.

Rose Harding, who has led this initiative in Diagnostic Imaging for all twenty years, shared: “The staff really look forward to supporting this initiative and spreading some Christmas cheer in our community. It has become a department tradition, with many staff asking in early October about the campaign. It’s a simple way to give back and, over the years, we have supported at least 25 families, a few youth living on their own who are aging out of care, and this year eight individual children.”

The department’s commitment to giving extends throughout the year. Their community dinners are funded through the generosity of Dr. Mehran Midia, who provides lunch for staff on occasion. In return, staff contribute a toonie or more, which has enabled the department to sponsor and cook three to four meals annually at Shelter House Thunder Bay for several years. On Saturday, December 6, approximately 154 people enjoyed a hot meal through Dr. Midia’s generosity and the ripple effect created by staff contributions.

Thank you to everyone in Diagnostic Imaging for your continuous dedication to supporting families, youth, and community members in need.

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

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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.

Karen Carlucci is joining us on site at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (across from Season’s Gift Shop) on December 9th and 11th. Stop by between 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and check out her beautiful handmade hats, perfect for the cold winter approaching. Proceeds from sales are donated to the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation’s Northern Cancer Fund.

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.