It is time again to open submissions for the 2027 Well-Being Calendar.
Show us how you or your team make your workplace healthier and happier! Scan the QR code below or click this link to submit yourself or your team as a feature, or to submit a recipe!
Together we can make 2027 the healthiest year yet!
We are launching a new open feedback portal called “What Matters to You?,” designed to identify fast, actionable ideas to improve your day-to-day work.
The focus is on small pebbles, the changes we can implement in the short-term.
Scan the QR code on the poster below and let us know:
Suggestions will be shared with the Staff Advisor Committee.
Thank you for helping us make meaningful, quick-win improvements!
If you have questions please reach out to Human Resources or any Staff Advisory Committee member.
The Employee Giving Program is looking for enthusiastic employee donors to join its committee.
Working alongside staff from the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation, committee members help guide decisions on medical equipment purchases funded through employee donations. This is a great opportunity to help make a meaningful difference in patient care at our hospital and in our community.
The time commitment is minimal, with only 2-3 meetings scheduled throughout the year.
If you are interested in becoming a Committee member or would like more information, please contact:
Laura Andricciola
Executive Coordinator
Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation
980 Oliver Road
Thunder Bay, ON P7B 6V4
Tel: 807-684-7276
Email: laura.andricciola@tbh.net
Shared on behalf of Dr. Rhonda Crocker Ellacott, President and CEO, TBRHSC, and CEO, TBRHRI
Over the past year, I have informed you about this HSSP (a multi-year plan for achieving financial and operational stability for the hospital sector, to enable continued high quality, connected and accessible care) work in my Blogs and through Town Halls. As we move forward with the next steps, I wanted to continue to keep you informed and let you know what we are about to engage in with designated supports from the Ministry of Health and Ontario Health.
Through our Hospital’s balanced budget plan submission, we put forward some strategies to support budget reduction where it did not impact quality, access or care programming to patients locally and regionally. Although these plans were well accepted and we were deemed as an efficient hospital, we continue to have financial burdens because of historical funding allocations not meeting our funding needs as a tertiary academic health sciences centre, and revenue increases not keeping up with inflationary/expenditure growth.
What we do know is that TBRHSC provides quality care that is accessible to Northwestern Ontario. We also know, through our preliminary HSSP review, that we are:
Late last week, we were made aware that the Ministry of Health has procured support with BIG Healthcare (consultants) to help support Hospitals path to further their HSSP work and help the hospital sector balance.
To that end, we will work to demonstrate our quality, efficiency, and access while informing on the North’s unique and different landscape that does not have the same supports and resources as other areas of our province.
This overall process is still being worked out, including timelines and what this will involve day to day. For now, we will maintain our commitment of quality care and access.
Thank you for all you do and for supporting beyond your responsibilities. We see the incredible care and dedication you bring day in and day out in the name of ‘Exceptional care for every patient, every time’. We thank you, for your understanding as we undertake this work, and I look forward to being able to update you on next steps as I am able.
Medical Affairs is pleased to announce that Dr. Hamed Alsagga has joined the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre as an Anesthesiologist with the Department of Anesthesia & Pain Management.
Dr. Hamed Alsagga brings extensive clinical experience and subspecialty expertise in cardiac anesthesia, complemented by broad experience across a wide range of complex surgical and clinical settings. Dr. Alsagga completed a Clinical Fellowship in Cardiac Anesthesia at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at Western University, following advanced clinical fellowship training in Anesthesia at Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network. He previously completed a Cardiac Anesthesia Fellowship at King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as well as his Saudi Board of Anesthesia training at King Fahad Medical City. He holds an MBBS from King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and is eligible for the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada Anesthesiology examination.
Throughout his career, Dr. Alsagga has developed expertise in cardiac anesthesia and the perioperative management of patients undergoing complex surgical procedures. His clinical experience spans general, regional, neuro, thoracic, vascular, obstetric, pediatric, trauma, transplant, congenital, bariatric, abdominal organ transplant, and robotic surgery. He also has expertise in ultrasound-guided regional blocks, transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), and invasive hemodynamic monitoring. In addition, Dr. Alsagga has demonstrated a strong commitment to medical education and research, contributing to simulation-based and clinical skills teaching at the University Health Network and Western University. His research includes studies examining cardiac surgery outcomes, echocardiographic assessment, perioperative complications, delirium, pain management, and critical care.
Please join us in extending a warm welcome to Dr. Hamed Alsagga as he joins Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. We look forward to the expertise, experience, contributions, and collaborative approach he will bring to our patients, colleagues, and the broader healthcare community.
Shared on behalf of Rachael Shaffer, Interim Director, Nursing and Health Professions
We are pleased to announce that this year’s Sharing and Caring Week will take place October 19–23, with the theme “17 Years of Making Every Voice Count.”
This year’s theme recognizes the collective impact of patients, families, staff, physicians, volunteers, and learners in shaping care. The theme provides an opportunity to celebrate key milestones, recognize the partnerships that have driven meaningful improvements, and reflect on the evolution of patient and family engagement. It also invites us to look ahead and reinforce our commitment to ensuring every voice continues to influence the future of care. The week will feature a variety of activities designed to be engaging and inclusive, while reflecting our organizational values of Diversity, Compassion, Excellence, Innovation, and Accountability. The main event, Sharing and Caring Expo, will take place on Friday,
October 23, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the Auditorium.
We invite teams to register a booth that highlights your initiatives, innovations, or improvements in patient care and experience. Booth ideas may include:
To register your booth, please email TBRHSC.PFCC@tbh.net or call ext. 7322 with the following details:
During the week of Sharing and Caring, Lunch & Learns and unit visits will be completed.
Please watch for the poster and additional information about the Lunch & Learn sessions, including specific times and details, as we get closer to the week of the events. Lunch will be provided at all Lunch & Learn presentations.
Thank you in advance for your support and participation in making Sharing and Caring Week a meaningful celebration of our collective efforts. If you have any questions or ideas, feel free to reach out.
As part of the Preceptor Recognition Program, Lisa Smith has been recognized as a preceptor who has demonstrated exceptional dedication to teaching and supporting others here at the Hospital. Read their nomination below, along with their perspective on what it means to be a preceptor.
Name: Lisa Smith
Profession: Registered Practical Nurse
Department: Adult Mental Health
Nomination:
Lisa’s hard work, growth, and achievements deserve recognition. Lisa is a kind, thoughtful nurse and exceptional mentor to future staff. Kind, driven, studious, hardworking, dedicated, approachable, humorous.
Dedicated nurse, leader, preceptor, and full-time BScN student.
Here is what Lisa has to say about being a preceptor:
I love watching students gain confidence throughout their preceptorship and learn what practice styles work best for them. It’s rewarding to see their growth and watch them become more comfortable and confident in their practice.
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 stakeholders (including 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 2026
World Patient Safety Day 2026 focuses on addressing one of the major health concerns affecting billions of people and accounting for 74% of deaths worldwide, namely non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Non-communicable diseases are long-term conditions, such as cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases that can affect people of all ages and often require ongoing care throughout life. Addressing NCDs is a global priority, reflected in the United Nations political declaration on NCDs and mental health, which calls for strengthened prevention and long-term management of NCDs. Achieving these commitments requires access to safe and quality care.
Globally, one in ten patients is harmed during health care, with around half of this harm being considered preventable. People living with NCDs are particularly vulnerable to harm due to the long-term nature of their conditions, ongoing treatment needs and frequent interactions with health systems. This repeated exposure increases the likelihood of harm over time. With some conditions, such as cancer, up to one in three patients experience adverse events during care. Many people also live with multiple chronic conditions, further increasing the risk of harm.
World Patient Safety Day 2026 is, therefore, focusing on safe care for non-communicable diseases, under the slogan ‘Safe care for life!’. It calls for multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder action to ensure that no one is harmed while receiving care for NCDs.
Objectives of WPSD 2026:
Stay informed. Stay engaged. Stay safe.
Find out more and watch a short video on ‘Safe care for life!’ here: https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-patient-safety-day/2026#
As part of the Preceptor Recognition Program, Morgan Jansen has been recognized as a preceptor who has demonstrated exceptional dedication to teaching and supporting others here at the Hospital. Read their nomination below, along with their perspective on what it means to be a preceptor.
Name: Morgan Jansen
Profession: Registered Nurse
Department: 3A
Nomination:
Morgan has been such a great preceptor to a new grad recently. She works tirelessly to ensure that the new grad is meeting the CNO standards, offers amazing constructive criticism, and has ensured patient safety is the number one priority. She has orientated this new grad through some very tough patient situations and just deserves to be recognized for all of the endless work that she does.
She is always approachable, displays patience and goes above and beyond to try and involve the new grad in as many situations as she can.
Her patience, willingness to take on a new grad, eagerness to teach, and enthusiasm set her apart as a preceptor.
Morgan has taken on the role of a preceptor very early on into her nursing career. She herself has only been working as an RN since June 2025!
Here is what Morgan has to say about being a preceptor:
What I enjoy the most about being a preceptor is seeing a learner/new grad nurse become more comfortable in their practice. I enjoy the conversations behind the care – why we make certain decisions, what can we do differently next time, and how to approach situations that may not have an obvious answer. What makes precepting meaningful is that it challenges me to reflect on my own practice and stay open to other perspectives.
Reflections From the Front Lines provides our health care professionals with an opportunity to share stories and experiences about their role in providing exceptional care for every patient, every time.
We feature these each month during our Town Hall — a virtual venue designed to keep staff, professional staff, volunteers and leaners informed about what’s happening at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute.
Check out our previous episodes below (or on the Hospital’s YouTube channel), and be sure to tune in to future Town Halls for more stories.