Join us in celebrating Medical Laboratory Week (April 9-15).
Medical Laboratory professionals at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre work tirelessly to support our Hospital’s programs and services by providing quality results for timely diagnosis and treatment. Caring for patients and families of Northwestern Ontario is their number one priority.
For Ethics Week, we are featuring a different TBRHSC department daily to see what sorts of ethics questions they encounter.
What does your department do?
Laboratory Services plays a big role in the ethical treatment of patients and their specimens. Together we are committed to treating all patient specimens in the same manner, with dignity and privacy!
Laboratory accreditation standards require that staff are trained with regards to the relevant legal requirements governing the treatment of human samples, tissue or remains. In addition licensed Medical Laboratory Technologists (MLTs) are regulated health care professionals and must abide by the College of Medical Laboratory Technologists of Ontario’s (CMLTO – our governing body) Code of Ethics. Under the Code of Ethics we have an obligation to patients to carry out our duties with competency and integrity, which includes obtaining informed consent, ensuring confidentiality, respecting diversity, promoting a culture of safety, and collaborating with other healthcare professionals.
What kind of ethical issues come up in your area?
Laboratory Services Staff face many ethical dilemmas. Specimens are tests, which leads to diagnosis and treatment decisions. Sometimes a patient will call for their results; however, we cannot provide directly so we gently redirect to the ordering physician. Other times, we have requests to rush specimens, knowing there are higher priority like-requests, but do our best.
We have a Quality Manual which standardizes ethical approaches and decision-making as best as possible; however cases are treated individually as well, i.e., Release of Products of Conception for Compassionate Burial, etc.
Laboratory Services performs 7,300 tests daily. All results must be secure and confidential; therefore strict reports distribution/reporting policies must be followed to prevent breach. Privacy and confidentiality are top priorities. Most importantly, lab staff treat all human samples with the utmost respect doing their best to provide timely accurate, quality results.
Shared on behalf of Peter Myllymaa, VP, Operations, Clinical and Support Services and CFO
I am pleased to announce the appointment of Roxanne Pycko as the Director of Cyclotron Operations effective April 10, 2023.
Reporting to myself, Roxanne will be responsible for ensuring the overall management of the Cyclotron facility, including safety, financial, human resources, regulatory compliance, radiation safety and support of researchers and industry partners. She will also oversee the facility’s role in producing radiopharmaceuticals for clinical use, research and commercial sale and for leading a sustainable enterprise.
Roxanne brings to the Director role tremendous knowledge with over fifteen years of experience in research, quality control management and auditing. Roxanne most recently joined Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (the Hospital) in January 2023 as the Manager of Quality Assurance of Cyclotron Operations. Prior to joining the Hospital, Roxanne worked for Lake Superior Centre for Regenerative Medicine (RegenMed) as the quality control manager and also as a research and teaching assistant for Lakehead University. Roxanne’s passion, experience and strategic thinking will be an asset to our team.
Roxanne is a Master of Science in Biology graduate from Lakehead University and an Honours Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Toxicology graduate from the University of Guelph.
Please join me in congratulating Roxanne and wishing her well in this new role.
As previously communicated, Agha Hasan’s final day at the Hospital is April 7, 2023 and we wish him success in his future endeavours.
No one goes through life without experiencing disappointments. With disappointment comes the opportunity to reframe a situation for your child, and focus on the positives of the situation rather than being stuck in the disappointment. Helping your child navigate the emotions that come with disappointment can help bridge the gap between accepting a challenge and not being overwhelmed when he or she has not been successful. Learning to deal with challenges and disappointment contributes to a child’s resiliency and the development of a healthy approach to life.
For more resources on healthy living or to learn more about TBRHSC’s Paediatric Healthy Living Program, please visit our website at https://bit.ly/Paediatric-Healthy-Living-Program.
For Ethics Week, we are featuring a different TBRHSC department daily to see what sorts of ethics questions they encounter.
What does your department do?
Our in-patient and out-patient paediatric units provide specialized care to our paediatric patients from across our vast region. Our dedicated team consists of Nurses, Social Workers, Dietitians, Child Life Specialists, Ward Clerks, Pharmacists, Respiratory Therapists as well as other support staff. It takes this whole team approach to provide the highest standard of care to the children and families we care for.
What kind of ethical issues come up in your area?
The state of the COVID pandemic and the required restrictions have been a very challenging time for paediatrics. We have recognized the need to balance the safety of all staff and patients against the disruption that the hospitalization of a child has on the entire family unit. We have continually had to assess and consider the needs of each family to make fair and safe guidelines for Essential Care Partner access. The specialized support of the paediatric patient and need to involve all key Care Partners in the delivery of the care has required thoughtful consideration of exceptions when deemed necessary.
As with other children’s hospitals from across the province, we have also had to restrict any visiting from siblings and other extended family. These restrictions can add to the anxiety and fear for all family members to be away from the ill child. It has also added an increased pressure on Parents to manage being in hospital supporting their child while still juggling needs at work and at home. Many of our patients and families have traveled far distances for care and may have limited supports and resources within the city including lack of child care for their other children. Again, it involves the support of our entire team and open dialogue with our families to be able to understand the needs specific to their situation and offer supports tailored to their concerns.
These challenges have had an emotional impact on our care team as it has forced a drastic change to our usual Patient and Family Centred care model. The team has gone above and beyond to advocate for our patients to ensure we can uphold the necessary restrictions without compromising the individual patient’s specific needs.
For Ethics Week, we are featuring a different TBRHSC department daily to see what sorts of ethics questions they encounter.
What do you/does your department do?
Social Work at TBRHSC is diverse. We provide service throughout most departments, as well as in the community and larger Northwest Region through outpatient services and programs. When supporting patients and families we consider the psychological, social, physical, spiritual, emotional and financial elements that influence physical and mental health. We strive to provide a safe and inclusive environment that promotes client centred care. As regulated health care professionals, we adhere to the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice set out by the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers.
What kind of ethical issues come up in your area?
Prioritizing ethical practice is inherent in the field of Social Work. While performing the duties and responsibilities of our roles we often encounter a variety of situations with competing priorities or values, and with multiple possible outcomes. These ethical issues may be brought forward by staff, families, patients or other service recipients/providers. Some topics most often faced are: Advanced Care Planning and Goals of Care; capacity and consent; autonomy and decision making; moral/religious/spiritual dilemmas, and confidentiality.
Case Example:
A social worker is working with a patient who has a terminal illness and is in the hospital for end-of-life care. The patient has expressed a desire to be discharged from the hospital and spend their remaining days at home. However, the patient’s family disagrees with this plan and wants the patient to remain in the hospital, receiving the highest level of medical care possible.
The social worker must navigate this situation while balancing the patient’s wishes with the family’s concerns. They must consider the patient’s right to autonomy and self-determination, while also ensuring that the patient is not being coerced or influenced by outside parties. The social worker must also consider the ethical obligation to provide the highest quality of care possible, while also respecting the patient’s wishes for end-of-life care.
In this scenario, the social worker may need to facilitate a family meeting to discuss the patient’s wishes and goals of care, and work collaboratively with the healthcare team to ensure that the patient’s physical and emotional needs are being met. The social worker may also need to explore community resources and support services to help the patient and family navigate this difficult time.
Shared on behalf of Kristin Shields, Director of Quality and Risk Management
I am pleased to announce the appointment of Tram Dao as Manager, Quality and Risk Management. Tram begins her new position with Quality and Risk Management on April 17, 2023.
Tram has been with our organization for 11 years, starting as a Registered Nurse and five years ago moving into a Clinical Manager role for 2B. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree with First Class Standing and has completed Masters level courses in nursing research. Tram has provided leadership through quality improvement projects, including the addition of personal support workers to the interdisciplinary care team; a model which was later spread to other inpatient units. She is a previous recipient/nominee for the Walk the Talk President’s and Respect awards and has made significant contributions to the advancement of acute care and to the nursing profession as a whole.
In this Manager, Quality and Risk Management role, Tram will be responsible to provide leadership and development of the TBRHSC’s quality framework and ensure quality improvement strategies align with best practices. She will also lead the Quality and Risk Management team by identifying and advancing priorities across the organization in the areas of patient safety, quality and risk management. This position will report to the Director, Quality and Risk Management.
Please join me in extending a warm welcome to Tram in her new role.
Beginning April 17th, Tram can be reached in Room 3007, by telephone at (807) 684-6251 or email at tram.dao@tbh.net.
Shared on behalf of Kristin Shields, Director of Quality and Risk Management
We are pleased to announce that Terry Fodë has accepted the position of Patient Safety Improvement Specialist effective Monday, April 10, 2023.
Terry began her career at Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute (TBRHRI) in 2011 and has been a key member of Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre’s Cyclotron & Radiopharmacy team since pre-construction in 2015, most recently as Quality Assurance Officer and Cyclotron Associate (Production) alternate. She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in languages and Certification in Quality Improvement.
Terry will oversee the Incident Learning System, and support related improvements, including the facilitation of Quality of Care Reviews. She will report to the Manager, Quality and Risk Management.
Please help me welcome Terry to our TBRHSC Quality and Risk Management team!
You can reach Terry in Room 3013, by telephone at 807-684-6754 or by email at terry.fode@tbh.net.
For Ethics Week, we are featuring a different TBRHSC department daily to see what sorts of ethics questions they encounter.
What does your department do?
Our obstetrical and postpartum program, which includes Labour & Delivery and Maternal Newborn, are responsible for the monitoring and care of an expectant person, safe delivery of newborn, and recovery and transition care.
What kind of ethical issues come up in your area?
Our area is deeply patient and family centred and this is reflected in the care our patients receive. During the COVID-19 pandemic, our staff continued to support our birthing parents during one of their most meaningful yet vulnerable life transitions. At a time when birthing without an essential care partner was the new normal, our staff, professional staff, and leadership maintained a compassionate approach to ensure our birthing patients were supported throughout and had a loved one by their side. Actively listening to our patients and families, to truly hear their perspective, allowed us to continually reevaluate how we could best support them. The care and dedication of our nursing staff, midwives and physicians contributed to this accomplishment.