Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) offers Patient Oriented Education Tools (POETs) for all patients at our hospital to support their transition from the hospital setting to home and the community. POETs are diagnosis-specific education tools designed to assist patients in identifying next steps when managing symptoms for their condition.

In collaboration with staff, physicians and Patient Family Advisors, the Patient Family Centered Care team has created 82 POETs to date, with the newest POETs focusing on Opioid Use Disorder and Problematic Alcohol Use and Alcohol Use Disorder. POETs also include important information about expected lifestyle changes and contact information for patients who require further assistance with their care.

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As patient education materials, POETs are available from the Print Shop and must be printed in color to promote a person-centred educational format. To find a complete list of the POETs available at TBRHSC, please go to Departments >> PFCC >> Resources on the intranet.

For more information about POETs, please contact Shannon Schiffer, PFCC Manager at ext. 6345, or Joanita Nakimuli, Discharge Transition Lead at ext. 4379

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This month, we recognize the role of Child Life Specialists at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC). These paediatric health care professionals work with children and families to help them cope with the challenges of hospitalization, illness, and disability. They provide children with age-appropriate preparation for medical procedures, pain management and coping strategies, and play and self-expression activities. They also provide information, support, and guidance to parents, siblings, and other family members. 

Join us in showing appreciation to the Child Life Specialists at TBRHSC today. 

March is Nutrition Month — dedicated to the significance of nutrition and health. It seeks to educate individuals about the importance of making informed food choices, developing consistent eating habits, and undertaking regular physical activity.

The theme for the month — Nourish to Flourish — focuses on the profound connections between food and overall well-being, emphasizing the transformative role of nutrition in our lives.

Make the most of Nutrition Month by following the recommendations in Canada’s Food Guide, such as planning meals, cooking more often and involving your kids in the kitchen. Include physical activity along with your nutritious eating habits, helping you achieve and maintain a healthy lifestyle. You can also subscribe to Canada’s Food Guide updates for health information and recipes to unlock the potential of food throughout the year.

Stay tuned! Later this month, we will highlight our team of Dietitians who support hundreds of patients and families each year.

The Thunder Bay District Health Unit also has information including resources on how we can build positive, supportive relationships with food – for ourselves and for others. Click here to learn more!

Shared on behalf of Michelle Addison, Director, Chief of Staff’s Office  

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We are pleased to announce that Kristin Spafford has accepted the Clinical Lead position in the Chief of Staff’s Office, effective March 9, 2026. She brings extensive clinical expertise, educational leadership and a passion for advancing quality collaborative care. 

Kristin graduated as a Medical Radiation Technologist (MRT) from Confederation College in 2015 and completed an Honours Bachelor of Allied Health Sciences from Ontario Tech University in 2025. She has worked at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre as a Medical Radiation Technologist for the past nine years, and prior to that worked as an MRT in the private sector. In 2017 Kristin became a Professor in the Medical Radiation Technology program at Confederation College, involved in teaching, developing curriculum and contributing to accreditation processes. 

In her free time, Kristin enjoys watching sporting events with her husband, reading, walking her dog, gardening, and attending concerts. Please join us in welcoming Kristin to the role. 

Join fellow health care workers across Ontario for the Your Health Space e-Learning Series – a hybrid learning experience tailored to the needs and experiences of health care staff.

Learn more about YHS e-Learning through this 1-minute video.

Click here to register, or see the poster below.

Shared on behalf of Capital & Facility Services

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Effective March 10, 2026, Turtle (I) Lot will have an additional 36 temporary parking spaces available for staff use until further notice. These additional spaces are accessible through the Turtle (I) Lot and located near the pedestrian path accessing the Hospital (G staff entrance). Drivers will enter via single-lane entrance and cross the designated pedestrian path. 

As a reminder, drivers and pedestrians are to exercise diligence, caution, practice situational awareness, and abide by posted signage. 

These temporary parking spaces are available for use over the next few months as site options are explored. Availability is subject to change upon future communication. 

Thank you for your continued understanding as we transform our campus to enhance our exceptional services for NW Ontario!

Shared on behalf of Quality and Risk Management

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Please be advised, we have revised the Hospital’s policy QM-60 Incident Learning System (ILS) Reporting, Investigation and Trending of Incidents and Near Misses. 

Actions Required        

Managers – Review this memo and the attached poster with your staff during Safety/Quality Huddles and post in your department. The updated policy will be circulated once approved. 

Key Policy Changes         

Purpose Change: Detail added to principles of a ‘Just Culture’.         

Policy Statement Change: Clarification that incidents involve patients and visitors.    

Scope Change: Categories updated.      

New Definitions Added:

• After hours: 1600 – 0800 hours Monday to Friday; 24 hours on weekends and recognized holidays.
• Incident Triage Team (ITT): A group of leadership who will meet within 48-72 hours of a critical incident to determine if a Quality of Care (QOC) Review is required, and if so, what type of review.       

Procedural Updates:

• Procedure 5.2 updated: To clarify who staff should contact when incident occurs.
• Procedure 5.3 updated: To add references to new appendices and to ILS downtime procedure.
• Procedure 5.6: Explanation of incident classifications.
• Procedure 7: References updated.

Key Process Reminders      

Please see the attached poster (below).

To report incidents causing harm to employees, please refer to OHS-os-207 Accident/Incident Reporting and Investigation – Employee.

Please also refer to the Incident Reporting Pathways Flowchart on the iNtranet.

If you have any questions, please email TBRHSC.QualityandRiskManagement@tbh.net.

Shared on behalf Bridge Northwest

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To access this survey, scan the QR code above or click HERE.

Last week, we celebrated Employee Recognition Week, a special time to honour the dedication and compassion demonstrated every day by the staff at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and the Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute. Your commitment to our patients and their families is what sets us apart and enables us to deliver exceptional care across Northwestern Ontario.

Thank you for the dedication you show throughout the year. We hope you enjoyed the week’s activities and the opportunity to spend time with colleagues. Please know how much each and every one of you is appreciated, not only during this special week, but every day.

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International Women’s Day is an opportunity to recognize the incredible achievements of women and girls while acknowledging the ongoing work needed to achieve true equality among all genders. This year’s theme #GivetoGain focuses on giving support to gain advancement for women and girls. As individuals, giving support means calling out stereotypes, challenging discrimination, questioning bias, celebrating women’s success, and more. Sharing our knowledge and encouragement with others is also key.

As health care workers, we can further our commitment by educating ourselves about the unique health needs of women. It is essential to recognize that a gender health gap remains, causing disparities in health outcomes and access to health care between genders.

Today and every day, we celebrate the remarkable women at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute.

Together, let’s work towards gender equality and a brighter future for all.

For more information about International Women’s Day, visit: https://www.internationalwomensday.com/ or https://www.internationalwomensday.com/Activity/15586/The-history-of-IWD.