Shared on behalf of Crystal Edwards, Director, Women & Children’s and Mental Health Programs
I am pleased to announce that Shawn Seagris has accepted the position of Manager, Ambulatory and Child & Adolescent Mental Health effective October 12, 2022.
Shawn has a demonstrated passion for leadership and is currently working on his Masters of Nursing, Advanced Practice Specialty at Lakehead University. Shawn has recently been working as the Director of Care at Southbridge Lakehead. In this role, Shawn has led number of quality improvements that have resulted in a safer care environment for the residents.
Shawn initially joined Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre in 2014 as a Registered Nurse in the surgical program and then eventually moved to Adult Mental Health where he developed a passion for mental health. Throughout his career in acute care, Shawn also worked for Confederation College as a Clinical Instructor, Clinical Mentor and Sessional Instructor where he demonstrated his commitment to nursing practice and developed his mentorship skills.
In his new role, Shawn will provide operational oversight to the Mental Health Assessment Team, Assertive Community Treatment Team as well as the Child & Adolescent Mental Health Unit.
Please join me in congratulating and welcoming Shawn to his new role.
Shared on behalf of Crystal Edwards, Director, Women & Children’s Mental Health Programs
I am pleased to announce that Jenny Stewart has accepted the position of Manager, Supportive Services effective October 10, 2022.
During her time as Manager, Child & Adolescent Mental Health, Jenny has demonstrated strong leadership skills working across both inpatient and outpatient areas. She is a strong advocate for children and youth and is committed to improving patient care. Through her various roles, Jenny has successfully implemented a number of process improvements resulting in noticeable improvements to patient care, process fluidity and efficiencies. Jenny has created strong internal, community and regional partnerships resulting in improved services for children and youth in Northwestern Ontario.
Jenny joined Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre as a Social Worker in 2011 and worked in Surgery, Trauma & Emergency, Maternal Child Services and General Medicine before finally joining Child & Adolescent Mental Health in 2014 upon successfully completing her Masters in Social Work.
During her time as part of the Child & Adolescent Mental Health team, Jenny quickly demonstrated her drive and passion for the program as well as her strong desire to guide and mentor. Jenny readily stepped up on multiple occasions to support the Child & Adolescent Mental Health team having worked as the Transition Specialist, Program Lead and Interim Coordinator before taking on her management position. Jenny has also been the Psychosocial Practice Head supporting the professional practice of her colleagues.
In her new role, Jenny will provide leadership to Supportive Care, Social Work, Brief Intervention & Treatment Team (BITT) and Shared Care services.
Please join us in congratulating and welcoming Jenny into her new role.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Prevention & Screening Clinical Services at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) is launching a campaign that features stories from individuals who have gone through the breast cancer journey as a patient, advocate or supporter. This campaign aims to spread awareness about the cancer journey, encourage early detection and show support to others going through similar experiences.
“As primary care physicians, we speak from our perspective, but the patient is the one that goes through each step of the journey and each has a unique story,” said Dr. Nicole Zavagnin, Regional Primary Care Lead for Ontario Health – Cancer Care Ontario at TBRHSC. “It is invaluable for the public and providers to hear these survivor stories.”
For the survivors, this campaign provides an opportunity to connect with others, and share the advice and resources that helped them throughout their journey. “I shared my story for this campaign because it raises awareness and helps the cancer community feel seen,” explained one of the breast cancer survivors. “Being vulnerable and open helps others to feel safe to do the same. It creates a space for healing. Every cancer story is unique and it can feel lonely at times. If sharing my story helps one other person going through something similar to feel less alone, then it was worth it.”
These stories will begin to be shared in October and continue running for the remainder of 2022. They can be found on the Screen for Life Coach Northwest and TBRHSC social media pages, and in print.
One common theme throughout these stories is to be diligent about your health: be breast aware so that you can recognize changes in your breasts and stay up to date with your routine cancer screening appointments.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Northwestern Ontario women but it is also has one of the highest survival rates of all cancer types. Finding cancer early can lead to more treatment options and better outcomes.
“As primary care physicians, our role is to educate patients about early detection and cancer screening options, along with the risks and benefits,” Zavagnin explained. “We then allow the patient to make the best decision for them in terms of their life values and priorities.”
The Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP) recommends that:
Most people ages 50 to 74 who are eligible for the OBSP get checked every two years with a mammogram.
People ages 30 to 69 who meet the High Risk OBSP eligibility criteria get checked once a year with both a mammogram and breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (or screening breast ultrasound if MRI is not medically appropriate).
Talk to your family doctor or nurse practitioner about your breast health and breast screening options. To learn more, visit www.tbrhsc.net/cancerscreening. If you live in a First Nation community, contact your nursing station or health centre for more information.
Did you know simple, low-intensity activities such as standing, walking, taking the stairs, and stretching, done intermittently throughout the day is just as beneficial to your health as structured exercise!
We’re encouraging you to get active by taking part in the TBay on the Move Sit Less, Move More Challenge. The challenge runs the entire month of October. Sign up now at https://tbayonthemove.ca/challenges/.
Below are the steps you need to take to get active in this challenge and join our Hospital’s team.
Step 1: Sign up. Click the sign up button in the top right corner of the website and start by creating your profile.
Step 2: Find your team. After you sign up, you will search your workplace, ‘Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre’ (start typing Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and it should appear in the list as an option). Select ‘Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre’ to join the team.
Step 3: Track your progress. You can track your move minutes at anytime in your profile. Just select the date and enter the time moved throughout your work day and your progress will be tracked.
October is Healthy Workplace Month! Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and the Healthy Hospital Working Group invite you to learn about holistic wellbeing.
Virtually attend a variety of educational sessions on topics within Excellence Canada’s four elements of healthy workplaces:
Healthy lifestyles
Physical environment
Corporate social responsibility
Mental health and workplace culture
Attend the live/recorded sessions to be entered into prize draws. Each week has a unique prize! See the attached poster for details on each session. For more information, contact samantha.morris@tbh.net.
Mental Illness Awareness Week (October 2 – 8) is an annual, national public education campaign designed to help open the eyes of Canadians to the reality of mental illness. The week was established by the Canadian Psychiatric Association, and is now coordinated by the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health (CAMIMH) in cooperation with all its member organizations and many other supporters across Canada.
Stigma around mental illness is like brick wall, acting as a barrier for people who experience mental illness and their families. A lack of understanding and compassion can contribute to feelings of hurt and isolation. Education, compassion, and awareness can work as a hammer, as together we consistently break down at stigma.
At Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC), we have the Mental Health and Mental Illness Awareness Committee, which was formed to raise awareness of mental illness and mental health, and to reduce stigma and misinformation around mental illness.
As you know, today marks the annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada – a day to remember those children who never returned home and Survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities. This day of reflection is crucial to the reconciliation process as we continue to do better in learning about the unique history, language and culture of Indigenous peoples – to provide a better environment for those we provide care for.
Please take some time to reflect on what this day means, including learning about the rich and diverse culture, experiences, and histories of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis People.
As part of our commemorative activities, we are pleased that the construction of the Tipi on the east side of our Hospital property is now completed. The Tipi is a part of our commitment to supporting Indigenous peoples when a time of spiritual connectedness or special time with others is needed. We thank our community partners for assisting in the construction and for their guidance. Special thanks also go out to the generous donors in our community who designated their donations directly to the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation’s Family CARE Grant program, which was instrumental in funding the construction.
Today is also Orange Shirt Day in Canada. This is an Indigenous-led grassroots commemorative day intended to raise awareness of the individual, family and community inter-generational impacts of residential schools, and to promote the concept of “Every Child Matters”. The orange shirt is a symbol of the stripping away of culture, freedom and self-esteem experienced by Indigenous children over generations. People are encouraged to wear orange on this day to honour the Survivors of residential schools. You can learn more about Orange Shirt Day here: https://www.orangeshirtday.org/
As part of our Strategic Plan 2026 pillar, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion, we continue to improve and recognize the needs and expectations of diverse populations we serve. On September 25, we celebrated Franco-Ontarian Day and acknowledge the need to continue to embrace opportunities where we can improve and strengthen the services we provide to the Franco-Ontarian population.
Finally, please know there are mental health supports available for those impacted. Former residential school students can call 1-866-925-4419 for emotional crisis referral services and information on other health supports from the Government of Canada. Indigenous peoples across Canada can also go to The Hope for Wellness Help Line 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for counselling and crisis intervention. This service is available in English and French, and, upon request, in Cree, Ojibway, and Inuktitut. Call the toll-free Help Line at 1-855-242-3310 or connect to the online chat at www.hopeforwellness.ca.
COVID-19
As you know, restrictions continue to be lifted across the province and country – but here at the Hospital we will maintain our focus on keeping our measures in place that are needed to protect you and the most vulnerable patients we provide care to. We have done well throughout the past months as we managed through what we hope is the last wave. I ask that you be patient and keep up the great work as we continue to assess the current levels of risk and what’s coming next.
Final Thoughts
This is a busy time of year. Many of you are back in full force with work schedules, after work duties and chauffeuring kids to activities. And, despite the public narrative that the pandemic is over, we know it is not because we see the impacts every day. The contrast between narrative and reality can sometimes be confusing for those of us who work in health care. With that in mind, I want to encourage you to pay attention to your physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. Know that we have supports for you here at TBRHSC should you need to talk to someone. As well, I want you to give serious consideration to getting the new COVID-19 bivalent booster shot that’s now available.
I know it’s been more than 2.5 years and you’ve heard it a dozen times from me alone – but I want to say thank you again. Thank you for your ongoing professionalism, your endurance, and your compassion for your colleagues and the people we serve. You continue to amaze on a daily basis. Keep up the fantastic work that you do. As always, you are welcome to comment on this blog or connect with me for any other matter. You can reach me at: rhonda.ellacott@tbh.net.
Congratulations to Emma Koivu – winner 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.
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 ILS. Click on the ‘safety reporting’ icon from your Novell home page or go to the iNtranet and choose ‘Safety Reporting’ under ‘Informational’.
Emma Koivu, Pharmacist, was awarded a certificate and gift card to the Thunder Bay Country Market for her ‘near miss’ submission to the Incident Learning System (ILS). The details of the near miss are below:
The patient, John Smith*, was admitted to hospital for a staged PCI after receiving two drug eluting stents
John was started on clopidogrel (an antiplatelet to keep the blood slippery; among other medications) along with his home fluoxetine (an antidepressant/ anti-anxiety medication)
fluoxetine and clopidogrel should not be given together because fluoxetine inhibits the conversion of clopidogrel to its active form which carries the risk of clopidogrel failure, stent thrombosis and heart attack
The order was processed through the main pharmacy dispensary
This very serious drug interaction was not flagged for the floor pharmacist (Emma) to follow-up with
The pharmacist discovered the drug interaction when changing the order for fluoxetine on the floor the next day
John was going to be discharged later that afternoon on this combination of medications
If John had gone home on this combination, he would be at risk of very serious adverse events as outlined above
Upon detection of this very serious drug interaction, Emma spoke with John and they decided on a course of treatment that aligned with John’s goals of care and avoided the drug interaction (continue fluoxetine, change clopidogrel to an alternative antiplatelet medication)
*Patient information has been changed for privacy
WORLD PATIENT SAFETY DAY Emma’s ‘Good Catch’ also highlights the important theme for this year’s World Patient Safety Day; ‘Medications without Harm’. The theme brings attentions to the fact that medications are the most widely utilized interventions in health care, and medication-related harm constitutes the greatest proportion of the total preventable harm due to unsafe care, let alone the economic and psychological burden imposed by such harm. For more information on the World Patient Safety Day, click here.
For more information, contact Katherine Mayer, Patient Safety Specialist (mayerk@tbh.net).
