Shared on behalf of Dr. Adam Exley, VP of Medical Affairs                            

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I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Olexiy Aseyev to the position of TBRHSC Expanse (BridgeNW) Professional Staff Lead.

Reporting to Regional Chief Medical Information Officer and responsible to the Vice President Medical and Academic Affairs for operational leadership and the Chief of Staff for quality accountability, Dr. Aseyev will support and lead the engagement of TBRHSC Professional Staff throughout the implementation of the Meditech Expanse Program at TBRHSC. He will guide Professional Staff participation in system design and change management activities, ensuring alignment with clinical needs and priorities.

As the Lead, Dr. Aseyev will also oversee the work of the identified TBRHSC Professional Staff Leads and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) within the Program. His leadership will focus on integrating people, processes, and technology to deliver safe, efficient, and patient-centered care at TBRHSC.

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Aseyevto his new role.

  

To honour Pride Month this past June, several features were presented in the Daily Informed Newsletter throughout the month. If you missed any of the features, you can check them out by accessing the links provided.

Article 1 – Significance of Pride

Provides an overview of the significance of Pride Month, the history of pride in Canada, definitions of each of the identities in the 2SLGBTQQIA+ acronym, as well as the meaning behind each of the colours on the Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride Flag. You have view the article here.

Article 2 – Pride Flag Raising

Each year, the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre is proud to fly the Pride flag, and this year was no exception. The progress Pride flag was raised on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, and you can read about it here.

Article 3 – Pride Month Book List

A list of books written by 2SLGBTQQIA+ authors and activists, that reflect the diverse experiences of the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community. You can access the book list here.

Article 5 – Caring for the 2SLGBTQQIA+ Community

Contains a list of resources on how to provide safe, equitable care for members of the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community. Resources include a pronoun usage guide, tips on how to practice allyship with the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community, foundational courses, videos, and podcasts. You can access these resources here.

Pride Trivia

Throughout the month of June, Pride Month Trivia questions were posted weekly. You can find the questions and answers for each week of Pride Month Trivia here.

Thank you to all of those who participated in Pride Month Trivia. We are pleased to announce the winners:

Week 1: Justin Rob

Week 2: Cheryl Anderson

Week 3: Michael Uhryniuk

Week 4: Angela Murphy

If you have any questions, please contact the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Steering Committee via email at: tbrhsc.edisteeringcommittee@tbh.net

Unlock big savings on home and auto insurance. Co-Operators is offering TBRHSC employees exclusive summer savings. Go to coopgroup.ca for more information or call 1-800-387-1963 for a quote today.

Thank you to those who have completed the HSO Global Workforce Survey and congratulations to this week’s prize winners! 

• Samantha, Emergency – $25 Gift Card to Pizza Hut
• Jordan, Nursing Practice – $25 President’s Choice Gift Card
• Debbie, Bariatric Care Centre – $25 Gift Card to Pizza Hut 

Don’t miss your chance to win one of our weekly prizes, including 6 months free parking! 

To complete the survey click here. Once you have completed the survey, use the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HSO to enter into the prize draws. Once entered, your name will stay in for the remaining draws! 

A reminder that the survey closes July 18, 2025 or until a minimum response rate of 50% is achieved.

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A new program dedicated to supporting children and youth with complex medical needs has launched at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC).

Complex Care for Kids Ontario (CCKO) at TBRHSC is an outpatient program that aims to improve the care experience for children with medical complexity and their families by enhancing care coordination, continuity of care and effective communication between families and health care providers.

Led by a nurse practitioner working in collaboration with a paediatrician, the program helps establish clear goals of care for patients and families and develops comprehensive medical care plans to facilitate the sharing of critical patient information. Additionally, the nurse practitioner works closely with tertiary children’s hospitals to maintain continuity of care.

One of Thunder Bay CCKO’s strengths is its flexibility to meet children and families “where they are at,” offering care and coordination either within the Hospital or at community sites such as Thunder Bay Paediatrics or George Jeffrey Children’s Centre.

Currently, CCKO accepts referrals from local paediatricians for children and youth who meet specific criteria, including medical complexity, fragility, technology dependence, chronic conditions, and rurality.

We are pleased to welcome Kayla Santerre as the nurse practitioner leading the launch of the CCKO program at TBRHSC. Kayla joins our Hospital after three years of providing primary care in Geraldton, Ontario. She brings more than 15 years of nursing experience across a variety of rural settings, including primary, acute, and emergency care. Kayla will be working in close collaboration with Dr. Teresa Bruni, a valued member of the Department of Paediatrics since 1994.

The launch of the Complex Care program in Northwestern Ontario is a meaningful step toward bringing care closer to home for children and youth with complex medical needs. Having spent most of my career working in rural communities, I’ve seen the challenges families face when specialized care is far away. I’m proud to be part of this program and excited to help make a real difference for these kids and their families.

Kayla Santerre, Nurse Practitioner, TBRHSC

The Maternity Centre at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) provides prenatal care for the residents of Thunder Bay and surrounding region. Our team is committed to providing evidence-based maternity care that is safe, respectful and culturally sensitive.

Self-referral can be made to be seen by a Nurse Practitioner, Family Medicine Physician, Social Worker, Kinesiologist, Dietician, and Lactation Consultant.

To be seen by an Obstetrician, a referral is needed from your primary health care provider or midwife.

During pregnancy, you are welcome to call the Maternity Centre to schedule an appointment with one of our prenatal care providers. All of our programs are accessible with your Ontario health card.

TBRHSC’s Maternity Centre welcomes the 124 babies born at our Hospital during the month of June. Congratulations on the new bundles of joy!

Find out more about our services by visiting https://bit.ly/TBRHSC-Maternity-Centre-info

Stephane Herbert visited the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre as part of his incredible journey biking across Canada from Vancouver to Montreal.

As a proud living donor who donated a kidney to a friend four years ago, Stephane’s mission is to show that amazing things can still be accomplished after donation! He aims to raise awareness about organ donation, reminding us that every signature on a donor card can save lives.

He’s also raising funds for the Maison des Greffés Lina Cyr, an outstanding organization that provides critical housing and support for patients awaiting or recovering from a transplant. Since 1994, they’ve helped over 43,000 patients in Quebec.

Currently, there are not enough registered and available deceased donors to provide organs and tissues for all patients waiting on the transplant list. Living kidney donation presents a beneficial alternative for those needing a kidney transplant, as it allows recipients to avoid the long wait often associated with deceased donor lists. By opting for a pre-emptive living kidney transplant, patients can completely bypass dialysis. Additionally, the average lifespan of a kidney from a living donor is approximately 15-20 years, compared to 12-15 years for a kidney from a deceased donor. This means patients can enjoy a more normal life after their transplant.

To register to be an organ and tissue donor, click here.
To find more information regarding living kidney donation, click here.
Residents in the region who are interested in living kidney donation can also email Stacy Heerema at stacy.heerema@tbh.net for more information. 

The next phase of terrazzo repair work will be completed in three separate sections:

Area A is the middle section of the cafeteria.  Please refer to the below attached map P7A. This Section of work will take place from July 7-12.

Area B will be of the East Cafeteria Entrance. Please refer to below attached map P7B. This work will take place between July 10-13.

Area C will be the area in front of Elevator 1, and the patient entrance to Forensics. Please refer to below attached map P7C. This work will take place between July 11-16.

Work will begin the evening of Monday, July 7 and continue through to Friday, July 18.  As previously, work will occur overnight from 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. and fencing will be placed around the work area for the duration of the timeframe to protect the area and equipment, and to ensure the safety of staff, patients and visitors.  

IMPACTS:

• Access will be detoured around for staff entrance to I stair well door, from July 10-13
• Access to Elevator 1 will be detour to elevator 4 during the period of July 11 – 16
• Access for Forensic Patients and Staff will be detour to another entrance of the unit during the period of July 11 – 16

If you have any questions, please contact Darin Preto at Darin.Pretto@tbh.net or Kristi Judge at Kristi.Judge@tbh.net.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to all staff for the continued patience, support, and understanding throughout the recent construction activities for the CVS expansion.

Your cooperation has been key in helping us move through this phase as smoothly and efficiently as possible. We’re excited to share that the piling work has now been completed — marking the achievement of a major milestone for the project.

While this marks significant progress, there will still be ongoing construction noise and vibration impacts. These will be a lower magnitude and will include masonry removals, ground compaction, and structural steel installations.

We understand that any disruption can be challenging, and we are committed to keeping these impacts to a minimum. Your ongoing understanding and flexibility are greatly appreciated as we work to improve our hospital and community.

Thank you again for your remarkable support!