As part of our commitment to keeping staff engaged and informed on the 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 May 10th, 2023 Operational Updates and Strategic Planning Meeting featured a presentation on Workplace Violence Prevention.
Visit the Strategic Plan 2026 page on the Hospital’s corporate intranet, where these presentations, along with other resources,
Photo (L-R): Stephen Gibbons, Scott Hlady, Superintendent, North West Region, O.P.P, Aleksis Penna and Bryan Opaski.
Three nurses from Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) have received recognition from the OPP with a Commissioner’s Commendation. This award is presented to citizens who have provided exceptional assistance to the OPP.
In this case, Aleksis Penna, Bryan Opaski and Stephen Gibbons, put their personal safety at risk to assist the OPP and prevent serious injury.
Nipigon OPP officers were attending a person who was in our Hospital receiving medical assessment while in police custody on New Year’s Eve, 2020.
The individual received medical clearance, and was advised he would be returning to the District Jail. This resulted in a physical outburst that the officers struggled to contain. Nurses Aleksis Penna, Bryan Opaski and Stephen Gibbons stepped up and helped the officers de-escalate the situation, putting themselves in harm’s way to protect those around the situation, including the officers.
If not for the assistance and courage of Aleksis, Bryan and Stephen, injuries could have resulted to the officers, Hospital staff, other patients in the area, or to the person in custody.
Our most heartfelt thank you goes out to these individuals for your efforts that day and every day, for putting your own personal safety at risk to go above and beyond your required duties to protect and provide care to those around you.
Health care workers and first responders face risks every day providing an essential service. Thank you all for your courage and endless drive to help others for a safe and healthy community.
We are happy to share that four new U-shaped bike racks have been installed outside of the Cancer Centre. The old comb-style rack that was previously in this location has been removed.
A reminder to all staff, professional staff, learners, and volunteers to lock up their bicycles at designated bike racks. Please see the attached poster for directions on how to properly lock your bikes to help avoid theft.
We wanted to remind all staff about the need for caution when receiving emails and other communications that may be phishing attacks or contain malware when opened, even from known contacts!
A potential infection to our network can cause data theft, and service disruption, with the likely outcome of disrupting patient/client care. Information Technology has taken many steps and precautions in the background to protect our networks, systems and delivery of care but we count on you to be our first line of defense.
If you receive a suspicious email, maybe even one that has come from a company you know and trust, report the email to the Help Desk and we would be more than happy to provide guidance.
And remember….Think Before You Click!
Never share usernames & passwords in a link received within an email
Don’t share personal, financial or business information
Approach links (including images) & attachments in emails with caution
The lucky winner for the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Week gift basket that included a number of local items as well as a gift certificate to STRIDE is Michelle Gale from Radiation Therapy.
Stride also had a draw during their time at our booth for the chance to win a new pair of running shoes and the lucky winner is Rhonda VanderZwaag from Laundry.
Congratulations to both and thank you to the staff of TBRHSC for coming out to check out the OHS booth and connect with the members of the JOHSC team.
Shared on behalf of Peter Myllymaa, Vice President, Operations, Clinical & Support Services & CFO
Emergency Preparedness Week has been a national awareness event for over twenty-five years. This year, it’s being acknowledged on May 7-13, 2023 with the theme “Be Prepared. Know Your Risks”. Emergency Preparedness week hopes to encourage us all to understand the risks in our area and learn what actions we can take to protect ourselves, our families, our colleagues and our community.
At Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (the Hospital), we have response procedures for each emergency code captured in policy. Some of these emergency codes (e.g. Code Green), require detailed response area specific plans. Be #ReadyforAnything by annually reviewing emergency code policies and your departmental sub-plans. All emergency code policies are located:
For more information, view the following message on iNformed or reach out to Mēsha Richard, Lead, Emergency Preparedness (ext. 6552 or mesha.richard@tbh.net)
From monthly fire drills, to participating in mock codes, to debriefing after incidents, I want to thank everyone for your ongoing dedication to emergency preparedness at the Hospital. I’d also like to encourage you to continue to take actions throughout the year to help us all be more prepared.
On the first day of National Nursing week, we celebrate Indigenous Nurses Day. Indigenous Nurses Day acknowledges the dedication and achievements of First Nations, Inuit and Métis nurses and recognizes their invaluable work improving the health and well-being of all people in Canada.
Today we’d like to highlight Edith Anderson Monture (April 10, 1890 – April 3, 1996) – the first First Nations registered nurse in Canada. Born on Six Nations reserve near Brantford, ON, Edith, a gifted student, attended day school and received her high school diploma at Brantford Collegiate Institute. She struggled to be accepted to a Canadian nursing school as most excluded Indigenous women and Indigenous Peoples faced involuntary enfranchisement (loss of Indian status) for pursuing higher education. She was accepted to the New York’s New Rochelle Nursing School, where she graduated first in her class in 1914. She worked as a public health nurse and volunteered for duty with the Unites States Army Nurse Corps in World War I, eventually returning to Six Nations where she continued to work as a nurse and midwife until the 1960s. Her daughter, Helen Moses, also became a nurse and is one of the founding members of the Canadian Indigenous Nurses Association. Edith Monture is considered a pioneer in Indigenous health care in Canada.
Indigenous nurses play a vital role in the health care system, providing culturally relevant care in communities across the province. Thank you to the First Nations, Inuit and Métis nurses who work tirelessly providing exceptional care to the people of Northwestern Ontario.
This week is Emergency Preparedness Week! This year’s theme is “Be Prepared. Know Your Risks”. The intent of the theme is to encourage us all to understand the risks in our area and learn what actions we can take to protect ourselves, our families, and our community.
Emergency Preparedness at TBRHSC
At Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC), the Emergency Preparedness Committee (EPC) works to ensure the organization has the capacity to effectively prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies. The EPC is comprised of representatives from various programs and services and is responsible for providing oversight and leadership related to hospital emergency preparedness.
TBRHSC follows the Ontario Health Association (OHA) standardized Emergency Colour Code system. Each colour code (as well as Alert 99 and Lockdown) has an Executive Sponsor (EPC member) and working group assigned to maintain the associated policy, review key incidents, and identify education and training opportunities. The Manager, Emergency Preparedness & Security and Lead, Emergency Preparedness work closely with all these groups.
Be #ReadyforAnything by reviewing emergency code policies and your departmental sub-plans. Emergency code policies are located:
Happening soon! Vested Designates Drop In Sessions. These optional sessions will be hosted by the Lead, Emergency Preparedness virtually and in-person to provide Vested Designates with additional guidance as related to their valuable role. The first virtual sessions will be hold on:
