Skip the all staff email. Post your message on the Daily Informed Newsletter instead.

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The Daily Informed Newsletter is published Monday to Friday and distributed to all Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute staff via email (tbh.net accounts).

Why should I post my message in the Daily Informed Newsletter?

It’s the most effective way to reach all staff, professional staff, learners and volunteers electronically. It can also support a variety of content formats.

By the Numbers:

• Lifetime published articles: 4,802
• Lifetime visits: 1,433,395
• Visits, last 30 days: 37,440
• Visits, last 365 days: 350,936

Submission guidelines:

• All submissions to the Daily Informed Newsletter are sent to TBRHSC.GroupNews@tbh.net.
• Please use Word (.doc/.docx) for text-only submissions.
• To ensure all materials intended for the Daily Informed Newsletter (e.g. event posters, memos, etc.) adhere to our corporate branding and style standards, please contact a member of the Communications and Engagement team for assistance, use the pre-existing templates available to all staff, or view the Production of Publicly Distributed TBRHSC Promotional Materials (COMM-03) policy for more information.
• Please include a high resolution photo (.jpg or .png) to accompany your item. A member of the Communications and Engagement team would be happy to take the photo for you if needed.
• Indicate both the preferred date to start posting and the expiry date.
• Submissions about events include any education, information or awareness raising initiatives and activities happening in the community that support TBRHSC and TBRHRI’s Strategic Plan.
• Please ensure that content intended for the Daily Informed Newsletter has been endorsed by your department’s Manager/Director/VP prior to submitting.

Questions? Contact TBRHSC.GroupNews@tbh.net or any member of the Communications and Engagement team.

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Until recently, patients in Northwestern Ontario experiencing simple retinal detachment faced urgent trips to Winnipeg or Southern Ontario for treatment. The long journeys and the requirement of patients to travel by car after treatment were made even more difficult by winter highway conditions.

Now, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) can perform simple retinal detachment repair locally.

This important advancement means patients can receive timely care closer to home, reducing travel burdens, and helping protect vision when every moment counts.

This achievement was made possible through the collaboration of Dr. Alex Pisig, TBRHSC ophthalmologist and vitreoretinal surgeon, the TBRHSC Lions Vision Care Centre team, Hospital administration, and the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation, whose donor-funded surgical gas canisters helped bring this service to Northwestern Ontario.

“I want to help people here so they don’t have to travel to Winnipeg or elsewhere – especially in winter,” said Dr. Pisig.

The first patient to receive the treatment in Thunder Bay, Bob Campbell, was extremely grateful to Dr. Pisig and everyone who made it possible to receive this treatment locally.

“Without Dr. Pisig and those first gas canisters the Foundation funded two weeks earlier, I would have had to drive to Winnipeg and back,” Campbell said. “Thank you to everyone involved in expanding access to specialized care and improving patient experiences across our region.”

Click here to learn more.

Shared on behalf of Allan Korol, Manager Facilities & Biomedical Services

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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.

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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:

Get Started with SharePoint

With the transition to SharePoint, we want to make sure you’re ready!

Join one of our drop-in sessions or check out our training resources to get started on your SharePoint journey.

Learn About SharePoint

Visit M365Hub.tbh.net or nwohealth.sharepoint.com/sites/M365Training to check out our education resources.

Join SharePoint Drop-In Sessions

On Wednesdays from June 10 to December 9, ask questions and get support for SharePoint. Visit the M365Hub training page at M365Hub.tbh.net for links.

SharePoint Training [All Staff]

• Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

SharePoint Training [Leaders and Owners]

• Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Contact Us

Give us a call at 807-684-6411, email us at Help.Desk@tbh.net, or submit a ticket on our Help Desk Self Service app for support.

If you have any questions, please contact the Help Desk at Help.Desk@tbh.net.

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:

1. Red: Life
2. Orange: Healing
3. Yellow: Sunlight
4. Green: Nature
5. Blue: Serenity
6. Purple: Spirit

To learn more about the history of the Pride flag, please go to the Human Rights Campaign at: https://www.hrc.org/resources/lgbtq-pride-flags

Driving is one of the most sedentary ways to get around, and can add hours of sitting to your day.

Office workers often sit 70–80% of the day, making it especially important to reintroduce movement where possible.

Adding small bouts of movement can increase energy and lower long-term health risks. 

Sign up for the Active Commute Challenge and try one active commute this week.