Shared on behalf of Joelle Macey, Manager, Adult Mental Health and Brief Intervention Treatment Team

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We are pleased to announce that Debbie Croswell has accepted the position of Patient Care Coordinator for the Adult Mental Health Program, effective September 22, 2025.

With over 25 years of clinical experience, Debbie brings a wealth of expertise and passion for early intervention, mental health, and supporting patient autonomy. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, and is certified by the Canadian Nurses Association in Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing Canada. Additionally, she has been an active member of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre Substance Use and Addictions Working Group since 2022. 

In her most recent role as Charge Nurse with the Regional Mental Health Assessment Team, she was instrumental in advancing process improvements and fostering collaboration across our services and throughout the region. Debbie is a well-respected colleague and leader, known for her fairness, deep understanding of leadership and community systems, and her commitment to improving patient care. 

We would also like to acknowledge and thank Jason Cooper, who has accepted a new position as Mental Health Coordinator for the Mental Health Programs. He has done an outstanding job as Patient Care Coordinator over the last several years, and we are grateful for his dedication and leadership. Staff will continue to work closely with him in his new role, ensuring ongoing collaboration and continuity of care.

Please join us in welcoming Debbie to her new position and in thanking Jason for his exceptional contributions and continued support.

Shared on behalf of Paula Vangel, Manager, Indigenous Collaboration, Equity & Inclusion

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I am pleased to announce that Dayna Foulds has accepted the Full Time Indigenous Care Coordinator (ICC) position effective September 8. 

We are thrilled to welcome Dayna as she steps into the role previously held by Carla Shawayhamaish, who is now embarking on a well-earned and exciting retirement journey! A heartfelt Miigwech to Carla for her incredible dedication and tireless efforts in advancing the health and well-being of Indigenous Peoples at TBRHSC. Her impact will be felt for years to come — congratulations, Carla! 

Dayna brings a wealth of knowledge from her experience as a Registered Nurse on 1A, Public Health Nurse at Independent First Nations Alliance, Community Wellbeing Nurse at Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority and Registered Nurse at Nipigon District Memorial Hospital. Working at these organizations she has developed strong advocacy skills furthering her passion for improving the health outcomes of Indigenous Peoples. 

As the ICC, Dayna will report to the Manager, Indigenous Collaboration, Equity, and Inclusion, where she will work in collaboration with the other ICCs in the Miskwaa Biidaaban – Indigenous Collaboration department to provide culturally safe care to improve health delivery and equity outcomes for Indigenous Peoples within the organization. 

Dayna will be located in the ICC administrative area inside Volunteer Services (room 2007). She can be reached via email TBRHSC.IndigenousCareCoordinators@tbh.net or dayna.foulds@tbh.net and by phone at 807-684-7363 or cell 807-630-8707. 

Please join me in congratulating Dayna on her new role.

Each year, living donor transplants save the lives of hundreds of Canadians awaiting a liver or kidney transplant. Living organ donation offers a shorter pathway to better health with a less wait time and better health outcomes than a deceased donor transplant. Yet many Canadians are not aware of living organ donation.

Living Donation Week (September 7-13) is a national awareness week focused on improving access and equity in living organ donation. This Week invites the living donor and transplant community to come together, celebrate and spread the word about this life-changing gift, and everyone who makes it possible. Launched by the Centre for Living Organ Donation at University Health Network (UHN) in 2020, Living Donation Week is now celebrated annually across Canada and beyond, starting the Sunday after Labour Day.

To learn more about living kidney donation in Northwestern Ontario, contact Tracey MacKay, MCKC/Transplant Coordinator for Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre at Tel. 807-684-6165 or tracey.mackay@tbh.net.

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 144 babies born at our Hospital during the month of August. Congratulations on the new bundles of joy!

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

What is World Patient Safety Day?

In 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) Member States endorsed the establishment of World Patient Safety Day (WPSD), to take place annually on September 17. The primary objective of WPSD is to enhance the understanding of patient safety on a global scale. This significant day encourages patients, families, health care workers, health care leaders, and policy makers to work collaboratively towards co-designing health care policies and safety interventions that truly reflect the needs and preferences of patients and families.

WPSD 2025

Recognizing the vulnerability of the newborn and paediatric populations when it comes to risks and harm caused by unsafe care, this year’s WPSD is dedicated to the theme of Safe Care for Every Newborn and Every Child. Specifically, WPSD 2025 aims to:

1. Raise global awareness of safety risks in paediatric and newborn care in all health care settings, emphasizing the specific needs of children, families and caregivers.
2. Mobilize governments, health care organizations, professional bodies and civil society to implement sustainable strategies for safer care for newborns and children, as part of broader patient safety and quality initiatives.
3. Empower parents, caregivers and children in patient safety by promoting education, awareness and active participation in care.
4. Advocate for strengthening research on patient safety in paediatric and newborn care.

By shining the spotlight on the significance of safe care for every newborn and child, this is helping to build trust and promoting the delivery of high quality care.

Webinar – Paediatric Pain Management

The Health Standards Organization (HSO) released the first national health standard for Paediatric Pain Management, which recognizes preventable, untreated, and unmanaged pain as a patient safety incident. Foundational to the principles of the standard are four transformative goals:

1. Make pain matter
2. Make pain understood
3. Make pain visible
4. Make pain better

Interested in learning more about paediatric pain management?

Register for the webinar below through the following link: Webinar Registration – Zoom

Webinar description: Explore how integrated, people-centred strategies can transform pediatric pain management across sectors and care teams. Look at new ways to manage pain for children, combining pharmacological and other approaches, with a strong emphasis on family involvement and co-design to ensure pain management is equitable and individualized. 

Children deserve equitable, consistent, and safe standards of care—right from the start. 

Due to ongoing construction of the CVS expansion, effective today (Friday, September 5, 2025), the Level 2 exit of Stairwell F will be closed for the remainder of construction. 

During this time, in the event of an emergency all personnel are instructed to proceed down to the Level 1 corridor and continue to the Stairwell G emergency exit at Level 2, see route depicted below – signage will be updated accordingly. Departmental sub-plans have been updated to reflect this change.

Following the terrazzo repairs in the cafeteria servery, Phase 8B repair work will occur in the area of seating at the west end of the cafeteria (near the grand staircase).  This will close off normal access from the East Entrance and within the cafeteria back to the main corridor.  Please see attached map.

To help reduce congestion during daytime hours, staff are asked to avoid travelling through the area via the servery, as much as possible.  To help with this, the card swipe on the Stair-I exterior door will be reactivated for staff entry (and exit, per usual).   Although the servery space can be used for circulation to the seating area, accessing seating via Elevator-01 at the East Entrance, would be appreciated.  Apologies for the inconvenience.

**Please note that access through the servery will only be available during the operating hours of the servery.  From 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 a.m., there will be NO ACCESS through the servery or cafeteria from the main corridor to the East Entrance.  Please use alternate routes during these hours.

Per previous, work will be occurring overnight from 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. and fencing will be placed around the work area for the duration of the timeframe to protect the area and equipment, and to ensure the safety of staff, patients and visitors.  

IMPACTS:
Daytime hours – 8:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.: Access from, to and through the cafeteria seating area is open
Evening hours – 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 a.m.: There will NO ACCESS through the servery or cafeteria to the East Entrance- Stair-I can be used as an entry and exit point from Monday, September, 8 at 8:30 a.m. to Monday, September, 15 at 8:30 a.m.

NO IMPACTS: Access to the Grand Staircase will remain open at all times

If you have any questions, please contact Kristi Judge is Capital Planning, at x.7031 or kristi.judge@tbh.net or Darin Pretto at x.6205 or darin.pretto@tbh.net.