Join us for the Active Commutes Challenge from June 1–30! It’s a great way to stay active, reduce your environmental impact, and have some fun.A few quick things to know:
Register again this year—even if you’ve participated before.
Early bird commutes logged starting now are eligible for early bird prizes.
Every trip where you replace a solo car ride counts—walk, bike, roll, or take transit.
Be sure to log each trip separately for more chances to win!
Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) would like to congratulate Mona Khnanisho for being recognized as this month’s Hand Hygiene Champion.
Mona Khnanisho
Mona has been part of the Housekeeping team at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre for nine years, and says practicing good hand hygiene is second nature to her. She’s committed to protecting herself, her patients, and her family, and treats every patient like family of her own. For Mona, hand hygiene is a simple but important way to help keep everyone safe and healthy.
Clean hands are one of the simplest and most effective ways to prevent the spread of infection. Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) reminds all staff to follow proper hand hygiene practices as outlined in IPC-2-12 Effective Hand Hygiene.
Please remember to wash or sanitize your hands:
Before patient contact
Before a clean or aseptic procedure
After body fluid exposure risk
After patient contact and contact with the patient environment
A special shoutout to April’s winner, a staff member on 1A. Keep up the great work! Germs are everywhere, making regular hand hygiene one of the simplest and most effective ways to help prevent the spread of infection and keep patients, families, staff, and visitors safe.
Shared on behalf of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation
Employee Donors are Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) staff who donate through payroll deductions, helping to fund Hospital equipment and upgrades in the area that means the most to them. We’ll be featuring some of the incredible Employee Givers in the Employee Donor Spotlight! Today: Dianne Da Silva from Telemedicine. When asked why she gave, she answered:
“My name is Dianne Da Silva and have been an Employee giver for the past 14 years. I have been working at TBRHSC for the last 27 years since 1999. I work in the Telemedicine Department and have been here since 2013 as a Telemedicine Coordinator & Local Registration Authority (L.R.A.) for this facility. I believe it is important to give back to this Hospital and support the Facility. I realize local hospitals typically have a gap between government funding and the Hospital’s actual needs, and I feel it’s important to help out in this small way. I know money that is raised help to support patient care and medical equipment here at Thunder Bay Regional.”
Thank you to Tbaytel, who matches annual Employee Donor contributions up to $7,500!
Are you already an Employee Donor and want to be featured in the Spotlight? Email lindsay.puhalski@tbh.net, and you’ll receive a coffee card donated by Robin’s and a gift card donated by Sleeping Giant Biscotti!
Some members of TBRHSC’s Emergency Department team.
May 27 is recognized as Emergency Medicine Day. On this day, we celebrate the specialty of emergency medicine, and we salute all the amazing people that work in our Emergency Department, and those across the world.
To the dedicated health care professionals who are always there to provide emergency care for us no matter the circumstances, thank you for your commitment to caring for patients, their families, and the community.
Over the next couple weeks, you will see Flavours Café transition into a new brand called “EAT”. The goal is to refresh the area and bring in some new menu items. Come on down to the cafe to check out our seasonal “Limited Time Offer” menu deals. Don’t forget – our Deli Bar and Salad Bar are made to order and fresh every day!
Grab & Go items vary day by day so be sure to stop and see what we have each day….. dill pickle pasta salad is a must try!
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 Megan Dysievick.
Hometown: Kakabeka Falls, ON
Program: Doctor of Pharmacy at the University of Waterloo
What does an average day during your placement look like?
I am currently completing a placement in the Specialty Pharmacy within the Cancer Centre at TBRHSC. Each day brings something different, as the pharmacists here have a wide range of responsibilities. One of my primary tasks is performing dose checks on oral chemotherapy medications. The oncologists send the pharmacy team different regimens that they either want to start a patient on, or are considering as part of treatment. I review the regimen and provide a dosage that is appropriate for the patient based on their condition, lab values, etc. I review their other medications to check for any potential interactions, and if there are any present, determine how we manage them.
I also answer questions patients have about natural health products and whether they are safe to take with their chemotherapy, home medications, and medical conditions. I observe the pharmacists when they teach patients about their new oral chemotherapy meds, and help provide counselling on supportive medications they may be on during treatment. I also help provide follow up once patients are started on new oral chemotherapy regimens.
Is there a mentor of faculty member who has significantly impacted you?
One of my most influential mentors at the hospital has been Erika, a pharmacist in the main Pharmacy Department. She served as my preceptor during my co-op placement at TBRHSC in 2024. When I started that placement, I did not think that I was going to enjoy practicing pharmacy in a hospital setting, and I thought that I was going to practice in a community setting when I graduated. Erika was so encouraging and inspiring every day that I was here, and I ended up falling in love with hospital pharmacy practice. She goes above and beyond in her duties as a pharmacist, and I truly look up to her.
What is one interesting fact others might not know about you?
I have been teaching myself to crochet! I wanted to be able to create personalized gifts for my loved ones. I recently finished a baby blanket to gift a baby that’s joining the family mid-May.
Shared on behalf of Jennifer Gadioma, Interim Manager Practice and Learning
I am pleased to announce that Kyla Gauthier has accepted the position as an Interprofessional Practice and Learning Lead. In this position, she will support practice development, staff learning, and interprofessional collaboration across the organization, specializing in Forensics and Mental Health services.
Kyla brings strong clinical and educational experience to the role. She worked as a Registered Nurse on the Adult Mental Health Unit for four years and recently completed her Master of Nursing through Lakehead University. She has also supported student learning as a laboratory instructor for Personal Support Worker students and as a Clinical Instructor for Nursing students.
Kyla is passionate about mentorship, education, and supporting healthcare teams through meaningful learning opportunities.
Outside of work, Kyla enjoys staying active through running, hockey, and softball.
Please join me in welcoming Kyla into this exciting new opportunity and congratulating her on this well-deserved role.
