Trina Diner, Manager, Northwestern Ontario Regional Stroke Network (NWORSN), Neurology, Cardiac Diagnostics and Cardiac Rehabilitation, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC), is the winner of the 2023 RBC Innovation Hero of the Year award for the development of NWO Navigate Application: an app for navigating stroke care in Northwestern Ontario.

The annual awards, put on by the Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre, honour innovative businesses, projects and individuals in Northwestern Ontario.

Diner, with team members from NWORSN, Dr. Ayman Hassan and Keli Cristofaro, developed an app in collaboration with various organizations from TBRHSC, Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute, Lakehead University and ORNGE.

NWO Navigate is an innovative geomapping system that promotes evidence-based decision making to support conversations about the transfer of patients to the services needed in a timely manner, thus providing the best care opportunity for patients in Northwestern Ontario.

A coordinated system of care is essential to provide timely access to treatment for patients who present with a suspected acute stroke. In Northwestern Ontario (NWO) limited resources, dispersed geography, multiple transport and communication channels make stroke systems complex. Health care providers, often situated temporarily (locum) or providing care remotely, may lack sufficient knowledge of the most appropriate methods and locations to access care for time-sensitive conditions. This can lead to multiple transfers before reaching definitive stroke care, resulting in poor outcomes and additional cost to the health care system.

The interactive app NWO Navigate, can assist physicians and nurses working to support acute stroke care within health institutions in Northwestern Ontario in making stroke care decisions.

The app provides information to assist decision making when navigating the patient to advanced stroke care. It suggests fastest routing, most appropriate access diagnostic/treatment sites, maps and next steps for assessment and treatment opportunities. It combines all acute protocols, processes and resources into one impactful tool.

Congratulation Trina and the NWO Navigate team for being recognized with the award, and for your incredible work in improving outcomes for stroke patients in Northwestern Ontario.

View the news coverage of the awards here.

The NWO Navigate team was also nominated for 2023 Innovative Project of the year. This is a very competitive category and they did not win, but the team wanted to acknowledge the honour of being nominated.

Did you miss the Virtual All Staff Town Hall on November 22nd? A recording is now available for viewing here.

The informative session featured a patient story told by John Ross (Director of Patient Flow and Partnerships) an update on the implementation of the UKG Dimensions project by Dawna Marie Perry (Senior Director, Nursing, Academics & Practice Excellence and Co-Project Sponsor for UKG Implementation), Strategic Plan results for 2023/24 Q2 by Jessica Logozzo (VP, Strategy and Regional Transformation), and information on the Employee and Professional Staff Engagement Survey and the Hospital’s plans for the upcoming holidays by Jeanine Verdenik (VP, People and Culture).

If you have questions you would like answered, please send them to TBRHSC.GroupNews@tbh.net and we will do our best to address them at a future Virtual All Staff Town Hall.

If you’d like to access a recording or presentation from a previous Virtual All Staff Town Hall, visit the archive.

Thank you for your commitment to staying informed and engaged.

Congratulations to the latest prize winners for the Employee & Professional Staff Engagement Survey! Meaghan Parent and DawnaMaria Perry (pictured) were randomly chosen as the draw prize winners and each are going home with a gift card for completing their survey.

Want the chance to win a prize too? Don’t forget to complete your confidential Employee & Professional Staff Engagement Survey by Sunday, November 26.

A heartfelt thank you to the Volunteer Association for the recent donation that allowed us to purchase a commercial fridge for the Tbaytel Tamarack House at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC). This donation will impact the lives of patients and families from all across Northwestern Ontario coming to our Hospital for care, and reinforces our Patient and Family Centered Care philosophy.

The Volunteer Association to the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre was formed when the longstanding auxiliaries of the General Hospital of Port Arthur and McKellar General Hospital merged. Throughout its history, the Association volunteers have contributed significantly to fundraising for the development and expansion of new and innovative health care initiatives at the hospital, including cardiac care, cancer care, as well as the purchase of many pieces of vital medical equipment.

Thanks to funds raised through your purchases at Seasons Gift Shop, the members of the Volunteer Association continue this proud tradition of dedication to health care in Thunder Bay.

Happy National Nursing Students Week to all the incredible future nurses across Canada. During National Nursing Students’ Week we recognize the work and commitment of nursing students across Canada. 

Wishing you a week filled with appreciation and recognition for your hard work and passion in this vital field!

Attached is the Professional Staff Calendar for December 2023.

Any revisions made to the calendar will be posted to the Intranet and to the bulletin board in the Professional Staff Lounge.

The Spiritual Care department and Hospice Northwest invite staff at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre who are grieving this holiday season to attend a Candlelight Memorial Service on December 7 at the DaVinci Centre at 7:00 p.m. Please RSVP for this event at 626-5570.

Shared on behalf of Infection Prevention and Control

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An outbreak of COVID-19 has been declared on 3B Surgical unit as of November 20, 2023. All restrictions are in place.

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 department of Infection Prevention and Control 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.

FLU VACCINE

The influenza vaccine continues to be available in the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) department. Feel free to drop in anytime Monday – Friday between the hours of 8:15 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. to receive the vaccine.

Reminder to notify OHS if you have received your flu vaccine from your Health Care practitioner or another facility. Please email the immunization documentation proof to TBRHSC.OccupationalHealthandSafety@tbh.net to ensure we update your immunization records.

COVID VACCINE (Moderna XBB.1.5)

The COVID-19 vaccine clinic continues to be held every Friday in the OHS department with the last clinic date of December 15, 2023.

Hours of operation are 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Appointments can be booked by calling the OHS department at 684-6212. There are many spaces available

To be eligible for the vaccine, you must be a health care worker 18 yrs of age and a minimum of six months (168 days) since your last COVID vaccine dose or confirmed COVID-19 infection (whichever is later). A confirmed COVID-19 infection is one that has been confirmed by molecular (i.e. PCR) or a rapid antigen test, or where you experienced symptoms after contact with a household member who had a positive test.

Staff must bring a piece of government issued Identification in order to obtain the vaccine. Your Health Card or Driver’s License is acceptable.