TBRHSC’s insurer Healthcare Insurance Reciprocal of Canada (HIROC) is offering a free webcast: Documentation Fundamentals and Practice Considerations for Healthcare Professionals, November 26, 2026

Clinical documentation is fundamental to the delivery of safe, effective, and evidence-informed care across the health care continuum. In response to requests from HIROC Subscribers, we are offering this session to support improved quality and consistency in clinical documentation. This interactive virtual session is designed to support documentation requirements, regulatory standards, and communication challenges encountered by frontline health care providers across all sectors.

When: Thursday, November 26, 2026
12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. (ET)
Platform – Virtual

This session combines theory bursts with practical application, drawing on lessons from HIROC’s extensive claims database. Interactive case studies will provide an opportunity to examine documentation challenges and consider practical approaches to managing risk.

Who Should Attend

The session is designed for frontline health care providers, clinical practice leaders, and patient safety professionals. To maximize the value of the interactive case discussions, participants will select the stream most relevant to their practice. 

Eligibility

Registration is complimentary (zero cost) and exclusively for HIROC Subscribers.

Register now using the link below:

Documentation Fundamentals and Practice Considerations for Healthcare Professionals, November 26, 2026

Your personal information is important to us…and yourself!

An integral part of our role in Human Resources is respecting your personal information and ensuring that your employee experience is a positive one. Your personal information ensures that you receive important communications from the Hospital. These can include calls to offer an extra shift, to inform you of an emergency affecting hospital services (fan out) or notices of important changes that you should be aware of.

You should update your personal information if:

• you have recently changed your name (professional registration should be completed first)
• you have recently moved or had a change of address and/or phone number
• change of marital status
• you would like to update your emergency contact

When was the last time you reviewed your beneficiaries?

Your benefits should be part of your estate planning for your loved ones.

Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP) reminds you of your beneficiary information every year on your Annual Statement or at your convenience through your HOOPP Connect portal.

If you are a regular Full-time employee you may be enrolled in Group Life Insurance, Accidental Death & Dismemberment and/or Voluntary Life Insurance. To update beneficiary data, a form must be signed in Human Resources.

The protection of your personal information is important to us. We recommend that you visit Human Resources to makes the necessary changes or contact us at TBRHSC.HumanResources@tbh.net through Hospital email, not a personal email address. Be prepared to show your ID and/or answer verification questions to ensure your identity.

The Mental Health Awareness Committee is a volunteer group of Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre employees who are passionate about bringing awareness to mental health and substance use health. They host engaging and inclusive events throughout the year that aim to break down stigmas surrounding mental health and substance use health. Bi-annually, in May and October, they plan events to recognize Mental Health and Mental Illness Awareness Weeks with activities that include guest speaker talks, information sessions, pet therapy, and an Expo that brings together community members and resources for everyone to experience. They also host monthly Mental Health and Addictions Resource Days where community groups visit to provide information to staff and visitors about the various programs and resources available.

This week, join the Committee for a variety of events and opportunities to win prizes. For a full list of activities, please click here.

Today’s event is online trivia. By completing the trivia, you will have an opportunity to be entered into a draw to win a prize! Trivia is posted on the intranet.

The committee actively seeks out new opportunities and ideas to advocate for mental health and substance use health. If you are interested in joining the Mental Health Awareness Committee, please reach out to the chair, Giulia Daniele (Giulia.Daniele@tbh.net).

It’s Fire Prevention Week! This year’s theme is “Charge into Fire Safety™”

As a general reminder, please continue to ensure that your work area and departments are compliant with our internal fire safety standards. Compliance is everyone’s responsibility and fire safety requirements should always be followed.

Did you know all equipment and medical devices acquired, leased, loaned, or transferred to the Hospital have to under go acceptance testing prior to operational use? Acceptance testing ensures that equipment and medical devices operate safely, meet manufacturer specifications, comply with regulatory and Hospital requirements, and are suitable for the intended environment, whether clinical or non-clinical.

Refresh your knowledge by reviewing the following:

• All equipment purchased by or used at the Hospital will comply with Equipment & Medical Device – Acceptance Testing (PP-100) and Requirements for Certification of Medical Devices and Equipment (PP-101).
• All staff or patient owned equipment will comply with policy Patient and Staff Owned Equipment (PP-301).

The Maternity Centre at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) provides prenatal care for the residents of Thunder Bay and surrounding region. Our team is committed to providing evidence-based maternity care that is safe, respectful and culturally sensitive.

Self-referral can be made to be seen by a Nurse Practitioner, Family Medicine Physician, Social Worker, Kinesiologist, Dietician, and Lactation Consultant.

To be seen by an Obstetrician, a referral is needed from your primary health care provider or midwife.

During pregnancy, you are welcome to call the Maternity Centre to schedule an appointment with one of our prenatal care providers. All of our programs are accessible with your Ontario health card.

TBRHSC’s Maternity Centre welcomes the 110 babies born at our Hospital during the month of September. Congratulations on the new bundles of joy!

Find out more about our services by visiting bit.ly/TBRHSC-Maternity-Centre-info.

National Health Care Supply Chain Week (October 4-10) is an opportunity to recognize health care supply chain professionals and honour their contributions to patient care and the organizations and communities they serve.

This year’s theme, “Powering Today, Preparing for Tomorrow,” recognizes the work of supply chain teams in meeting today’s needs while preparing for future challenges. At Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, our Purchasing and Stores teams help ensure staff have the supplies and equipment they need to provide safe, quality care. From sourcing products and managing contracts to maintaining inventory and delivering supplies, their work supports patient care every day.

Over the past year, our Purchasing and Stores teams have:

• Adapted to changing trade conditions and provincial procurement requirements, with greater emphasis on sourcing from Ontario and Canadian businesses.
• Placed 17,902 purchase orders covering 937,834 products from more than 870 suppliers.
• Managed inventory and coordinated supply deliveries from four warehouses stocking 1,518 unique products.
• Replenished 3,402,008 individual stock items across the organization.
• Placed 298 capital purchase orders, representing approximately $32.9 million in capital investments.
• Managed and participated in 1,461 contracts, including 263 local contracts, to support procurement compliance and deliver best value for money.
• Supported 223 departments across the organization.

Thank you to our Purchasing and Stores teams for their dedication, expertise and the essential work they do to support our staff, patients, and community.

Sonography Week (October 5-9) is a time to celebrate the skilled professionals behind the images that help guide patient care. Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ultrasound) plays an essential role in diagnosing, monitoring, and treating a wide range of health conditions, supporting patients of all ages throughout our community.

A sonographer uses an instrument called a transducer (or probe) on a patient over the area of the body under investigation. Sound waves are emitted and received and the ultrasound machine determines the size, shape and consistency of soft tissues which is then relayed in real-time to a computer screen producing an image.

Sonographers are medical detectives. They use their ultrasound training, technical skills, and understanding of the human body and its systems to decide if structures are normal or abnormal and adapt their investigation as they find clues throughout an examination. They also use patient history, lab work and previous studies in their role. The imaging information they obtain is then used by doctors to determine the necessary treatment or next steps for the patient.

The quality of an ultrasound exam is very dependent on the skills of the sonographer who completed the scan. As such, sonography is a growing profession and sonographers are in demand in hospitals, medical imaging clinics and tertiary health care facilities. Sonographers can also be employed as educators, researchers or application specialists.

At Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, sonographers are employed in the Diagnostic Imaging department and perform numerous general, vascular and cardiac ultrasounds.

For more information visit the Sonography Canada website.

During Health Care Nutrition and Food Services Staff Appreciation Week, we would like to acknowledge the valuable contributions of the Nutrition and Food Services team in keeping our staff and patients well-nourished and healthy.

Preparing healthy meals for patients with diverse backgrounds and health needs and nutritious meals for staff and visitors is an integral part of health care. Nutrition is a form of care, and our team at TBRHSC delivers it with skill, compassion, and heart.

This week, let’s take the time to thank the hardworking and dedicated Nutrition and Food Services team.

Occupational therapy is a health profession that empowers people of all ages to overcome barriers in their everyday lives so they can do more and live better.

Occupational therapists (OTs) provide personalized solutions to help people of all ages and abilities recover from an injury or illness, participate in day-to-day activities, and experience life to the fullest. By working with patients, their family members, and health care teams, OTs identify and address any barriers the patient may have with everyday activities. Together, the patient and their OT find solutions that will enable the patient to maintain function, regain skills, develop new skills, and much more.

For example, an OT may assess a patient’s ability to safely get dressed, use the bathroom, or complete a shower after experiencing a stroke or sustaining an injury. They may recommend adaptive equipment, such as a shower chair, raised toilet seat, or dressing aid, to make these activities safer and more manageable. An OT may also assess whether a patient can safely return home, identify potential fall risks, and recommend changes to the home environment. For patients who have experienced a decline in function, the OT may provide strategies to conserve energy, improve cognition and problem-solving, or compensate for changes in strength, balance, or coordination. OTs also work with families and the health care team to develop discharge plans and determine what supports or equipment a patient may need to safely transition home or to another level of care.

Please take a moment this month to express gratitude to all the amazing occupational therapists at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, St. Joseph’s Care Group, and other health care organizations across the country for their contributions to patient care.

To learn more about Occupational Therapy, visit the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists website at www.caot.ca. To reach an OT at TBRHSC, please call ext. 6271.