Confederation College will be opening its first Pharmacy Technician Program in September 2024.
Pharmacy Technicians are employed in both community and hospital pharmacies and play an essential role in safe medication management processes and patient care.
Confederation College’s Pharmacy Technician program is a two-year program is designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills needed to provide essential pharmacy services.
The program is approved by the College of Pharmacists of Ontario, ensuring that graduates are eligible to apply for registration as Pharmacy Technicians in the province.
Did you know – Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre currently employs around 50 pharmacy technicians. If you want to learn more about the Pharmacy Technician role at our Hospital, you can reach out to Catherine Degiacomo, Pharmacy Operational Coordinator at catherine.degiacomo@tbh.net.
On November 1, 2023, Provincial Stroke Rounds was presented by Dr. Atif Zafar, Medical Director of St. Michael’s Hospital Comprehensive Stroke Program. The topic was Integrated Stroke Clinic: An Innovative Patient Centric Approach to Stroke Care For those who may be interested in viewing the archived event:
Photo (L-R): Dr Rylee Mose R1, Dr. Brienne Bodkin , Hannah Melchiore MS2, Dr. Deanna Buitenhuis in front of their research poster at CanSAGE 2023 conference in Toronto, ON.
The team of OBGYNs at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre are constantly working to improve access to high quality care for women and people requiring gynecologic care in our region. Research shows that hysteroscopic procedures under sedation are safe and well tolerated by patients. Dr. Buitenhuis, Dr. Bodkin, and Dr. Power conducted a pilot study to initiate a new hysteroscopy suite in our Hospital. The study showed that:
100% of all participants recruited to the pilot project had successful completion of their procedure,
93% of participants would recommend the procedure and rated the overall care as very good to excellent,
82% of participants reported experiencing minimal to no pain during or after the procedure, and of the patients who reported experiencing a significant amount of pain, and
81% of those would still rather have the procedure as an outpatient rather than going to the OR.
This is great news for our patients waiting for gynecologic surgery in our region. With the creation of our hysteroscopy suite, we can reduce wait times for patients waiting for all surgeries, but especially for those patients wanting minimally invasive treatment for heavy menstrual bleeding and for patients waiting for biopsies to rule out cancer.
Nine participating departments hosted 40 students on November 1 for Take Our Kids to Work Day. The dedication to educating and inspiring the next generation of healthcare professionals is truly appreciated.
Each of the departments, including the Operating Room, Medical Device Reprocessing Department (MDRD), Nutrition Food Services, Facilities and Biomedical Services, Laboratory Services, Simulation Lab and Practice Educators, Diagnostic Imaging Department, Infection Control, and Volunteer Services played a vital role in making this day a valuable and fun learning experience for our students.
Thank you to the participating departments for your time, your knowledge, and your enthusiasm. We look forward to future opportunities to collaborate and inspire more young minds.
This week, we’re celebrating Medical Radiation Technologists (MRT) and Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (DMS) who play an integral role in patient care.
Medical radiation technologists (MRT) and diagnostic medical sonographers (DMS) perform diagnostic imaging examinations and administer radiation therapy treatments. So, if you have ever had an x-ray, CT scan, MRI, nuclear medicine procedure, ultrasound or radiation therapy, you have been in contact with an MRT or DMS. They can be found in emergency departments, operating rooms, mobile breast screening vans as well as diagnostic imaging departments and clinics.
MRTs and DMSs provide service to both the public and private sectors within the Canadian health care system. Their key role is in diagnosis and treatment, and they serve as advisors to radiologists, radiation oncologists and other healthcare providers. Because they deal with patients on the front lines, they also serve as patient advocates and educators. Some of them are also health care researchers, technical and therapy specialists, and interdisciplinary consultants. MRTs and DMSs play as part of the healthcare team − an essential link delivering care through technology.
In hospitals and cancer clinics, radiation therapists are key members of the cancer treatment team. More than half of all cancer patients receive radiation treatments, which may be given in conjunction with other forms of treatment.
Radiation therapists use focused beams of radiation to destroy tumours, while minimizing harm to healthy tissues. Alternatively, treatment may involve placing radioactive sources directly into the patient’s body.
To destroy cancerous tissue, radiation therapy involves exposure to higher doses of radiation than are required for diagnostic imaging. It is therefore vital that the radiation be precisely targeted and the dose to the patient be carefully monitored.
The radiation therapist plays another important role: counselling patients on possible side effects from treatment and providing advice on how to minimize them.
Nuclear medicine technologists carry out diagnostic imaging and treatment procedures. They obtain the images that help pinpoint the nature of a disease and how it is affecting the body. Their work also enables doctors to monitor a patient’s response to treatment.
Nuclear medicine involves the use of radiopharmaceuticals to evaluate the function of specific organs in the treatment and management of disease.
Some of the main uses of nuclear medicine are to:
Evaluate coronary disease
Study how the brain, heart, lungs, kidneys and other organs are functioning
Determine the location of tumours
Monitor the progression of cancer and the results of cancer treatments
Diagnose hormonal disorders
Mammography to detect breast cancer in its earliest stages.
A magnetic resonance technologist produces diagnostic images using equipment that generates radio waves and a strong magnetic field. Extensive knowledge of physics, anatomy, pathology and physiology allows MRI technologists to obtain images, monitor and care for patients during scans that:
Detect subtle abnormalities within the brain and spinal column
Examine tissue of the joints muscles, ligaments and tendons
Provide detailed studies of major organs including the breasts, liver, spleen, kidneys, the urinary system and the male and female sexual organs
View the workings of the heart and vascular system
Study body chemistry and functions
Technologists work in computerized tomography (CT scans), producing detailed cross-sectional images of the body.
Technologists also work in interventional radiology, assisting with procedures that use imaging to guide catheters, balloons, stents and other tools through the body to diagnose and treat disease without open surgery.
At a physician’s request, the radiological technologist produces images of a body part or system using equipment that emits x-rays. The radiologist — a doctor who specializes in interpreting x-rays — studies the images and dispenses advice that helps the treating physician make a diagnosis and prescribe an appropriate course of treatment for the patient.
Technologists are responsible for the quality of the x-ray images and for providing the correct view of specific body structures or systems, whether on film, a computer monitor, or a television screen.
Some procedures require that barium and/or a dye called contrast medium be given to patients to highlight organs and structures that would not otherwise be seen.
Diagnostic medical ultrasounds are ordered by doctors, performed by sonographers and interpreted and reported by a radiologist or other medical specialist with expertise in the field of ultrasound. Sonographers are medical professionals, specially trained to perform these tests. Hospitals employ all categories of sonographer; Generalist Sonographers often work in general diagnostic imaging departments; Cardiac and Vascular Sonographers may work in the cardiology or vascular units of tertiary care facilities.
As an MRT in the cardiac catheterization lab you are primarily responsible for the safe operation of fluoroscopy, fostering ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable- in regards to radiation exposure) practices during procedures, assisting procedures in a sterile environment, and monitoring of patient hemodynamics during procedures. MRTs support coronary intervention by operating ancillary equipment for intravascular imaging, and coronary physiological testing. MRTs may also support research projects and participate in continuous quality improvement initiatives to enhance clinical care and operations.
For more information on these professions, you can visit the following websites:
It’s Patient Transport Week (November 5-11) and we’re thanking our Portering team for keeping Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre in motion by safely transporting patients to where they need to be. Porters move patients who are admitted, discharged, or need tests and procedures in other departments. They strive to create positive interactions and increase patient satisfaction. Please join us in recognizing these integral members of our health care system.
During the first week of November, the Canadian Bioethics Society promotes health ethics by encouraging organizations across Canada to highlight and share stories of ethics in health care.
Take a moment this week to engage in conversations with your colleagues about ethical issues that you encounter at work and share your stories of ethics in health care.
Answer the Question of the Week on the iNtranet, and
Visit the Ethics Services display on Wednesday in the cafeteria.
Ethical questions arise in all areas of our hospital. Anyone in the organization – including patients & families – can request ethics support at any time.
For National Health Care Ethics Week 2023, learn about some ethics questions that come up in departments at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre.
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
What does your department do?
Our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit provides care to infants up to 4 months of age who require Level 2C care. We are responsible in ensuring infants transition to extrauterine life as smoothly as possible. We provide care to infants who are 30 weeks old and above. These are infants who may need resuscitation, respiratory support or are stable but need to feed and grow well, before being discharged home.
What ethics questions come up in your area?
Patient and Family Centred Care is at the core of all our actions. While we may be confronted with critical care situations, the NICU team ensures that baby is receiving safe and quality care. For parents, an admission to the NICU is oftentimes unexpected and can be quite stressful. If needed, newborns are transferred soon after birth causing early separation of the infant from the parent which increases strain on the infant-parent relationship. This can be especially challenging for families dealing with longer NICU stays. Parents may experience a wide range of emotions from feelings of happiness and sense of relief of the birth of their new baby to increased anxiety and fear of what is to come. Parents are encouraged to be at their baby’s bedside as much as possible and to be involved in their infant’s care. Parenting rooms are offered as part of the plan of care and to support parents during their transition towards bringing baby home. Taking time to listen to our families to understand their needs and how we can best assist them is key to supporting them.
The team is available to support parents and families during their NICU journey. The dedication and commitment of the NICU team comprised of nursing staff, social worker, dietitian, physicians and Leadership assist to ensure parents are active participants and involved in their infant’s care and well-being.
Quality and Risk Management
What does your department do?
Quality and Risk Management encompasses a wide range of activities within the organization. Some of those include:
Patient Safety
Quality
Risk Management
Patient Relations (compliments and concerns)
Ethics
Litigation
What ethics questions come up in your area?
Ethical questions arise frequently in the work of our department and when supporting others. Some examples include:
Quality of Care Reviews: These reviews are conducted to identify systemic issues for improvement rather than the actions of any one person. Reviews are required for any critical incidents, but can be requested for any case. During a critical incident review, we include feedback from the patient or family, clinical information and the perspectives of the multidisciplinary team participating in the meeting to identify recommendations for improving patient care experience and outcomes in similar future cases.
Ethics Consultations: Ethics consultations can be requested by any member of staff, patient/family, learner or volunteer. The bioethicist can help you make difficult health care related decisions especially when the answer is not clear, or complicated by differing values or priorities. In 2022/23, 51 consultations were completed at TBRHSC. Common situations where ethics consultations are requested include clarification on consent/capacity/substitute decision making, Medical Assistance in Dying, safety, and best interest.
Risk Management: Risk management at TBRHSC encompasses all types of risk—those that have the potential to affect patients, staff and the organization. We have begun to use a Risk Register to identify, rank and monitor key risks and identify mitigation strategies. In addition, we are using risk assessment checklists created by our insurer to implement leading practice for over 30 key risks identified nationally for hospitals.
