Shared on behalf of Allan Korol, Manager Facilities & Biomedical Services
I am pleased to announce that Scott Fraser has accepted the position of Assistant Manager Physical Plant & Mechanical effective June 9, 2026.
Scott will contribute with over 20 years of private sector experience including team leadership, staff Supervision, equipment diagnostics, repairs and preventative / corrective maintenance.
Prior to joining TBRHSC, Scott’s employment included Toromont CAT Thunder Bay Heavy Equipment Technician and Lead Hand, Heavy Equipment Technician (Mining Division).
Scott’s training includes Canadian Red Seal Certification for Heavy Duty Equipment Technician, various Health and Safety and First Aid Courses.
Scott Fraser will be training with the current Assistant Manager of Physical Plant & Mechanical (Arnold Bylund will retire on June 26, 2026).
Please join me in congratulating Scott on his new role. He can be reached at Scott.Fraser@tbh.net and by calling extension 6356.
Clinical placements play a vital role in a health care learner’s journey, bridging academic learning with real-world practice and helping students build confidence, competence, and professional identity. Through hands-on experience, learners develop essential clinical skills, teamwork, and an understanding of patient-centred care.
As an academic health sciences centre, our Hospital is proud to support learners by providing a safe, supportive, and enriching placement environment where future professionals can learn, grow, and contribute meaningfully to patient care.
We want you to meet some of the learners at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) who are currently on that journey — such as Molly Kunnas.
Hometown – Thunder Bay, ON
Program – Speech-Language Pathology at Western University.
What does an average day during your placement look like?
Our day typically begins with reviewing patient charts and any new swallowing assessment referrals that have come in. My preceptor and I then discuss our caseload and prioritize patients we’d like to see that day. One aspect of my placement that I have particularly enjoyed is the opportunity to work within the cancer centre, where we see head and neck cancer patients for swallowing assessments and follow-up appointments during and after radiation therapy. Much of our day involves conducting swallowing assessments, determining whether patients are swallowing safely, and developing recommendations to support safe and efficient oral intake. We work closely with registered dietitians and other members of the interdisciplinary team to ensure patients are not only eating and drinking safely but are also able to meet their nutritional needs. We also assess and treat patients with speech, language, and cognitive-communication difficulties.
Is there a mentor or faculty member who has significantly impacted you?
I’ve been really fortunate to have such amazing support from my preceptor Emily Hill. As a student entering an acute care placement, there is a learning curve, and Emily has been consistently supportive and encouraging throughout my placement. It’s been great to watch and learn from her as well as the other amazing speech-language pathologists at TBRHSC. I feel very grateful to have had this as my final placement working alongside such wonderful clinicians!
What is one interesting fact others might not know about you?
I’m a former student athlete and played for the women’s hockey team at University of Manitoba.
In partnership with the University Health Network’s Peter Munk Cardiac Centre (PMCC), Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) is preparing for the 2028 launch of its new Cardiovascular Surgery Program. This initiative will bring life-saving cardiac care closer to home for patients across Northwestern Ontario. As part of this effort, a phased staffing and training strategy has begun.
“We are building a highly skilled and sustainable cardiovascular surgery team that will be ready to safely support patients when the program launches,” said Ron Garon, Manager, Perioperative Services at TBRHSC.
As part of the preparation process, staff from various departments will attend PMCC for hands-on training. This includes (but not limited to) operating room-trained nurses, a Registered Nurse First Assistant and an Anaesthesia Assistant.
Additionally, through a proactive “grow your own” staff model, cardiovascular perfusion team members will complete the two year Cardiovascular Perfusion Program at the Michener Institute of Education followed by a transition into clinical practice at PMCC, where they gain hands-on clinical experience, at a high-volume cardiac centre, before returning home to Thunder Bay to support the program’s launch. Currently, two of TBRHSC’s cardiovascular perfusionists are working at PMCC, with a third starting this summer. The fourth team member is starting her first year of studies at the Michener Institute of Education in the Cardiovascular Perfusion program.
Once trained, these staff members will take a lead role in educating and onboarding of future cardiac surgery personnel in collaboration with TBRHSC’s Clinical Nurse Specialists, helping to ensure the program’s long-term sustainability.
To support both the new cardiac surgery service and broader needs, the Clinical Nurse Specialist offers a perioperative training course for staff working in the operating room. Recruitment efforts align with anticipated staffing demands while also considering existing vacancies, retirements, maternity leaves, and sick leave coverage.
“The investment in both people and infrastructure will significantly improve access to care for patients who currently must travel long distances for complex cardiac procedures,” stated Garon.
For Garon, the importance of local access to cardiac surgery is deeply personal.
“My father has a complex medical history and required an aortic valve replacement that could only be performed at PMCC,” he shared. “The care he received was exceptional. However, because we do not have family in Toronto and because of the restrictions in place at the time, he had to spend five days recovering alone in hospital.”
Garon recalled waiting in a nearby hotel throughout his recovery in case an urgent issue arose.
“When he was discharged, we had to travel home on a commercial flight. He was in pain, exhausted, cold, and generally unwell. If he could have had this procedure at home, there would have been family support throughout his recovery and only a short 10-minute drive home afterward instead of the long journey from Toronto back to Thunder Bay.”
The upcoming Cardiovascular Surgery Program is expected to transform care for patients and families throughout Northwestern Ontario by reducing travel burdens and allowing more residents to recover closer to home and loved ones.
“Our community members are extremely fortunate to soon be able to receive this care closer to home,” Garon stated.
Pride Month Trivia starts today. Throughout the month of June, Pride trivia questions will be posted weekly on the Intranet. This is a great opportunity to learn more about Pride, while also having the chance to win prizes. Click here to participate, or scan the QR code below:
Happy Pride Month! Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) is proud to fly the Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride flag and celebrate the diversity and resilience of the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community throughout the month of June. We recognize the ongoing inequities faced by gender and sexually diverse individuals, particularly within the health care system. TBRHSC’s 2SLGBTQQIA+ Subcommittee and Pride Working Group, on behalf of the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Steering Committee invite you to celebrate Pride, and work towards a more inclusive future for 2SLGBTQQIA+ patients, families, staff, and community members. TBRHSC is committed to integrating equity, diversity, and inclusion into our patient care, as emphasized in our Strategic Plan 2026.
What do the colours of the Pride flag represent?
The Pride flag is one of the most recognized symbols of the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community. First created by Gilbert Baker in 1978, the original Pride flag featured eight colours: hot pink, red, orange, yellow, green, turquoise, blue, and purple.
Since its inception, the Pride flag has undergone many changes. This includes the removal of the pink and turquoise stripes, followed by the addition of black and brown stripes to represent communities of colour, with black also representing the lives lost during the HIV/AIDS crisis. Light blue, pink, and white were subsequently added to represent the Trans community; and a purple circle on a yellow background represents the Intersex community.
The current Pride flag is the Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride flag, which was developed in 2021 by Valentino Vecchietti. The six rainbow colours represent:
Shared on behalf of Dr. Adam Exley, VP Medical Affairs
To all professional staff:
Please find the attached Call for Internal Applicants for Medical Director, Emergency Medicine (Temporary 6 Month Contract).
The Opportunity
Working in a program management model and reporting to the Vice President, Medical Affairs, the Medical Director, Emergency Medicine, works in partnership with the Director of Pre-hospital, Emergency and Critical Care Services to lead the program of Emergency Medicine at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre.
The Medical Director is responsible for advancing the program’s clinical vision, strategic priorities, and quality performance metrics. The Medical Director works collaboratively with physician leaders, administrative leadership, and partners to support program performance, evidence-informed practice, quality improvement metrics, patient flow, and ensuring services align with Hospital goals and evolving community/regional needs.
While the Medical Director, Emergency Medicine does not report to the Chief of Emergency/Trauma, they maintain collaborative and ongoing communication with the Chief. The Medical Director will keep the Chief informed of program directions, operational decisions, and initiatives that may have a material impact on the Department and will work in partnership to support the effective delivery of Emergency Medicine.
A full role description is available upon request.
Interested applicants are invited to forward their curriculum vitae and cover letter, in confidence, by June 11th, 2026 at 1600 hours to:
Medical and Academic Affairs Email: TBRHSC.MedicalAffairs@tbh.net Attention: Jennifer Fawcett, Director Academic and Medical Affairs
