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 April 26th Operational Updates and Strategic Planning Meeting featured a presentation on System Partnerships (Sustainable Future).
Stay tuned for an enhanced Strategic Plan 2026 resource page on the Hospital’s corporate intranet, where these presentations, along with other resources, will be posted for staff to access.
Congratulations to Lis Gesch & Kellie Rapino – winners of the quarterly ‘Good Catch’ Awards.
Good Catch Awards highlight individuals, groups or departments who demonstrate their commitment to keeping patients safe by reporting a near miss. A ‘good catch’ (or near miss) is an event or situation that could have resulted in harm, but did not reach the patient because of chance or timely intervention. Reporting these events can help to identify gaps in order to prevent future adverse events from happening.
Lis and Kellie, both from the Pharmacy, were each awarded a certificate and gift card to the Goods & Co Market.
New winners will be randomly selected every quarter. Continue submitting your near misses for a chance to win! Near miss reports are submitted through the Incident Learning System (patient safety incidents). Click on the ‘safety reporting’ icon from your Novell home page, or go to the iNtranet and choose ‘Safety Reporting’ under ‘Informational’.
For more information, contact Terry Fodë, Patient Safety Improvement Specialist (terry.fode@tbh.net).
In April, staff were challenged to create healthy habits and share what they’ve been reading as a part of our monthly Health and Wellness challenge. Thank you to everyone who participated and submitted a book title! See results attached.
Patient experience surveys are an important tool for our organization to hear the voices of our patients and community utilizing our services. It helps us understand what we are doing well and where we have opportunities to do things differently.
We are excited to announce that our new survey vendor, Qualtrics XM has gone live as of May 1, 2023. Qualtrics is a global leading Experience Management (XM) vendor that provides a digital platform for patient experience surveys (e.g., email, text messages, QR Code) that effectively and efficiently captures patients’ perceptions of their health care experience. Electronic surveying is a method where the invitation to participate is sent via email or SMS using a URL link embedded in the email/message that allows the patient to go directly to the survey.
What you need to know
The process for collecting email addresses/phone numbers in Meditech will be streamlined.
Asking the patient if they would like to participate is a mandatory field. The email, phone and consent date will be saved for future visits to limit data entry required should the patient want to participate again.
It is very important that email/cell phone numbers are captured during registration, we will be auditing registration points and following up with further education if needed.
If you require further information or education please contact Bonnie Nicholas, Manager of Patient and Family Centred Care, Patient Experience, Engagement & Advocacy at 684-6345.
For additional information, and for messaging to help with responding to any inquiries you may receive from patients and their families, please see links below.
Be a healthy role model. The best way for children to learn healthy habits is through watching examples set by their parents and loved ones. Children are more likely to make healthy choices when they see their caregivers doing the same. A family environment that provides support, encouragement and structure promotes healthy behaviours. Talk with your children about the importance and benefits of healthy habits. Invite them to participate in exercise and meal planning along with you. Provide a range of healthy choices and encourage your child to choose from these.
‘Spice Up Your Life’ is the theme for your Health and Wellness Challenge for the month of May. Herbs can do more than simply add flavour to your culinary dishes. They are easy to grow, cost effective and provide many health enhancing benefits such as boosting your immune system and improving digestion.
Throughout the month of May, share what you are growing in your garden this year to be shared with staff at the end of the month. You may submit your responses to haley.shipston@tbh.net by Wednesday, May 31, 2023.
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 April 12th Operational Updates and Strategic Planning Meeting featured a presentation on Leadership Development (Staff Experience)
Stay tuned for an enhanced Strategic Plan 2026 resource page on the Hospital’s corporate intranet, where these presentations, along with other resources, will be posted for staff to access.
Shared on behalf of on behalf of Dr. Rhonda Crocker Ellacott, President & CEO, TBRHSC and CEO, TBRHRI
Hello, Boozhou, Bonjour.
I would like to speak with you this month about change – something that has been a constant for all of you the past few years, and yet we still continue to see the landscape shift.
In much the same way it appears Mother Nature is having challenges changing the weather to spring-like, change in health care is often not easy.
I saw this first-hand with some of the changes to our COVID-19 response protocols as we enter what some are calling an endemic, where COVID-19 will simply have a constant presence. I was shadowing a volunteer at our main entrance during a very busy time. Many patients were coming and going, and to say the volunteers at the desk were amazing would be an understatement. They adapted to traffic flows effortlessly and calmly. In what appeared at times to be a chaotic storm, they were a calming voice of reason and information for everyone who approached them.
I tell this story because I feel these volunteers I spent time with epitomize the adaptation and change we are seeing across the Hospital. This level of transition is not easy. It requires endurance, dedication and commitment on your part, and you are all delivering on that day in and day out. I can’t say enough about how you have all adapted and modernized your thinking and work to the current situation.
While the legacy of COVID-19 will likely be with us for some time, it has been refreshing to see us getting back to other aspects of our operations. For instance, in talking about positive change, we are making progress with our Emergency Department (ED) renovations, which will improve the staff and patient experience. The renovations are multi-step and require many stages to be approved through the Ministry of Health process. Our current plans include a redesign to allow for appropriate assessments for those individuals entering our ED who may require mental health and addictions care. This newly constructed, designated area within the ED with direct access from triage will improve the care provided in these types of emergencies.
In concert with those renovations, we are making some positive changes to the waiting area and will be enhancing the observation areas, streamlining registration and creating an environment that allows for a more confidential triage.
All in all, the renovations will improve the way patients move through our ED and allow more area to support patients and supportive care partners, while providing a safer environment overall for both staff and patients. This is an example of combined innovative thinking by many departments, including support from the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation.
Along with these renovations, we are also moving forward with the detailed planning for our Cardiovascular Surgery Project. There are a number of stages that must be approved, and the result will be a 70,000 square foot addition off our main entrance, adjacent to the renal doors. This project is critical to providing cardiac services, allowing us to provide lifesaving treatment within our community that is of the highest quality of cardiovascular care, and done in spaces that support innovation.
As we upgrade to provide better health care services, it is widely recognized that having state-of-the-art digital supports is a fundamental need to ensure we can exchange and coordinate information electronically when sharing information amongst those involved in patient care for efficient and better-managed care. The change and transformation to a new electronic health record has been initiated and involves a multitude of steps at every stage. To ensure everyone realizes the benefits of this change, it is critical to have those using the system engaged at the early stages to champion changes and support innovative solutions. Please watch for more details soon.
So, while change can be challenging, change can also be positive and, in our case, absolutely necessary to stay modern and provide the best possible care for the people we serve. All of these projects are well supported by excellent teams and with many stakeholders and community partners. They all require varying degrees of change and innovative thinking, which is positive and leads to improvements.
We have all come a long way and the acceptance of needing to change is what makes us better and provides the open door to improve how we do things, innovation at its finest. Thank you for all your adaptability as we work through new projects and whatever else comes our way. I look forward to keeping you up to date on these initiatives and am excited to see what these improvements will lead to.
As always, please feel free to reach out to me if you have comments on this blog or connect with me for any other matter. You can reach me at: rhonda.ellacott@tbh.net.
Shared on behalf of Wayne Taylor, Director Cardiovascular, Medicine & Renal Programs and Chris McNaughton, Administrative Manager – 2A, 2B, TCU
We are pleased to announce that Meghan Hill has accepted the position of Patient Care Manager – 2B Medical Inpatient Unit.
Meghan brings 15 years of clinical experience to this role and will officially join our leadership team with the Cardiovascular, Medicine & Renal Program effective Monday, May 8, 2023.
Meghan has spent the majority of her career in critical care, initially starting in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Ottawa Hospital – General Campus before returning to Thunder Bay where she has worked in critical care services at TBRHSC since 2009. Within this time Meghan developed a high level of competency and expertise as she took on additional roles with the Medical Emergency Team (MET) and Regional Critical Care Response (RCCR). More recently, Meghan assumed the role of clinical lead for the Regional Paediatric, Neonatal and Infant Transport initiative gaining valuable experience with project development and implementation with a regional focus.
As a critical care nurse, Meghan incorporates evidence-based practice to inform clinical decision-making and this has been the standard and expectation of her practice throughout her career. As a mentor to novice staff and students, she has consistently promoted a supportive and safe environment for learning and professional development.
Meghan will be a welcome addition to our leadership team as she brings her skills, knowledge and experience to 2B Medical Inpatient Unit.
Please join us in welcoming Meghan to her new role.
The Northwestern Ontario Regional Wound Care and Limb Preservation Conference aims to unite clinicians in the unique wound care and limb preservation field by providing two and a half days of accredited and non-accredited education, knowledge sharing, and networking. This conference is being offered in person at the Delta Marriott in Thunder Bay on June 2-4, 2023.
Many of our clients have unique concerns surrounding equitable access to care, and exciting things are happening to address these challenges and others. You’re invited join us as we partner with the region to bring you sessions that offer a variety of learning opportunities, hands-on skills, and networking opportunities as we explore innovation and partnerships to address challenges unique to Northwestern Ontario.
We are bringing together local and regional experts dedicated to adapting learning and services to address the needs of the north while providing the best care close to home.
