Honouring Emancipation Day 

Emancipation Day is observed annually on August 1, to mark the day in 1834 when the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 came into effect; however, full emancipation for enslaved peoples in Canada would not be realized until several years later, on July 31, 1838.    

Although slavery was abolished in Canada, Black and Indigenous communities, including the descendants of those who were enslaved, continue to experience systemic racism and discrimination, and social and health inequities that contribute to disparities in health outcomes, and negative impacts to physical and mental health.  

Many Canadians remain unaware of Canada’s participation in the transatlantic slave trade, and the enslavement of Indigenous Peoples. This day is therefore an important opportunity to acknowledge Canada’s history, and to commit to addressing anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism.  

Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) recognizes the importance of providing culturally-safe and responsive care, and fostering an inclusive environment for our patients, their families, and our staff. In order to embed equity, diversity, and inclusion in all that we do, TBRHSC will: 

1. Develop a Black Health Action Plan. The Black Health Action Plan will be a roadmap to creating equitable health conditions for Black populations 

2. Continue to advance culturally-safe care through staff education and training, and cultural activities and initiatives at TBRHSC 

3. Provide culturally safe services. Indigenous Care Coordinators, the Traditional Wellness Coordinator, Spiritual Care Associates, and Patient Advocates support patients’ unique preferences, needs, values, and culture throughout their care journey 

To learn more about Emancipation Day, please go to: https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/emancipation-day.html 

To learn more about the social determinants and inequities for Black populations, please go to: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/health-promotion/population-health/what-determines-health/social-determinants-inequities-black-canadians-snapshot.html 

With the move to a Microsoft 365 environment, we have gained access to multiple applications and features. As you begin to implement these new tools into your current workflows, we want you to be aware of what’s acceptable and why – especially when it concerns our data!

Our Microsoft 365 environment stores most of our data in Canadian datacenters. While OneDrive
and SharePoint are completely covered, there are some exceptions that do not store data within
Canada.

Microsoft Teams is approved for:

• Patient and Client Meetings
• Sharing Personal (or Health) Information through Teams Chats with other @TBH.net accounts ONLY

If you have Teams with AI-Generated notes, it is NOT acceptable to record a meeting that involves personal (or health) information.

Microsoft Forms is approved for:

• Gathering Data that does not include Personal (or Health) Information.

Microsoft Forms is NOT an acceptable method for collecting personal (or health) information since it sends data to U.S datacenters.

Outlook is approved for:

• Sending Personal (or Health) Information to other @TBH.net accounts.
• Sending Personal (or Health) Information to external emails where encryption has been turned on.
• If you need assistance encrypting an email, please view KA 14354: Sending an encrypted email in Outlook 365 in our Knowledge Base or contact the Help Desk.

Outlook should ONLY be used when required, as there is always a risk that the recipient could forward the information.

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If you have any questions regarding acceptable usage of other M365 applications, please contact the Help Desk at Help.Desk@tbh.net.

If you have questions regarding organizational privacy policies, please contact your Privacy Officer at: SJCG, SJCG.Privacy@tbh.net and TBRHSC, TBRHSC.Privacy@tbh.net.

Always be safe and double-check what you are sending, sharing or recording!

Shared on behalf of Dawna Perry, Interim Chief Nursing Information Officer

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Devices supporting our transition to MEDITECH Expanse have begun arriving at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre.

Over the coming months, infrastructure work will continue, and new equipment will be deployed throughout the Hospital. This includes monitors, docking stations, workstations on wheels (WOWs), printers, barcode scanners, and other devices required to support the new electronic health record.

During this time, staff may notice equipment deliveries, installation activities, or changes to workspaces. The deployment team will work with managers to coordinate installations in each area and communicate any steps needed to prepare workspaces before deployment.

If you have concerns about equipment placement, workspace configuration, accessibility, or ergonomics that cannot be resolved with the installation team, please contact:

Dawna Perry Interim Chief Nursing Information Officer
Email: dawnamaria.perry@tbh.net
Phone: 807-684-6562

Erin Kilar-Bearman Project Manager
Email: erin.kilar-bearman@tbh.net

Please do not move, disconnect, remove, or refuse newly deployed equipment without first discussing your concerns with us. We are committed to working with you, to identify an appropriate solution while ensuring the equipment required to support MEDITECH Expanse is available and ready for go-live.

Thank you for your cooperation and flexibility as we prepare our organization for the implementation of MEDITECH Expanse. Your support is essential to ensuring a successful transition to our new electronic health record.

For general questions or inquiries about the MEDITECH Expanse project, please contact at TBRHSC.MeditechExpanse@tbh.net.

Shared on behalf of Patient and Family Centred Care

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Ashley Hill has been a member of the team at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre since 2007, serving as a Registered Practical Nurse in a variety of clinical roles. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated a strong commitment to patient-centred care, advocacy, and improving the healthcare experience for patients and families. Ashley is now stepping into the role of Patient Advocate, where she will work collaboratively with patients, families, and healthcare teams to ensure patient voices are heard and care experiences continue to inform quality improvement across the organization.

In addition to her clinical practice, Ashley is a Certified Clinical Instructor with extensive experience educating nursing and Personal Support Worker students. Throughout her career in education, she has worked closely with Indigenous communities and learners, promoting culturally safe and inclusive learning environments while advocating for barrier-free access to education. Her background in education, mentorship, and community engagement reflects a longstanding commitment to supporting both patients and healthcare providers. This combined with her dedication to quality improvement and patient-centred care, will be instrumental in strengthening partnerships between patients, families, and care teams while supporting excellence in healthcare delivery across our region.Ashley is proud to be Métis and values the importance of community, connection, and lifelong learning—principles that have shaped both her personal and professional journey. Outside of work, she is the proud mom of two children who keep her busy, cheering them on from the football sidelines, at the hockey rink. When she has a chance, you’ll find her reading, planning her next travel adventure or exploring outside on a paddleboard and hiking the next trail.

Ashley believes that some of life’s best moments are found in nature, with family, and through meaningful connections with others.

Whether she’s supporting patients, mentoring students, or exploring the outdoors with her family, Ashley brings curiosity, compassion, and a genuine appreciation for people and their stories to everything she does.

Shared on behalf of Medical Affairs

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Medical Affairs is pleased to announce that Dr. Christopher Smith has joined the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre as an Interventional Radiologist with the Department of Diagnostic Imaging.

Dr. Christopher Smith earned his Doctor of Medicine and Master of Science from Saba University School of Medicine after completing a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and Chemical Biology at Wayne State University. He completed a Preliminary Internal Medicine Residency at The Christ Hospital, followed by a Diagnostic Radiology Residency with Early Specialization in Interventional Radiology (ESIR) through Northeast Ohio Medical University. He then completed a Fellowship in Vascular and Interventional Radiology at Loma Linda University Medical Center, where he developed expertise in minimally invasive, image-guided procedures with interests in trauma, oncology, and hepatobiliary interventions.

Beyond his clinical training, Dr. Smith has demonstrated a strong commitment to research, medical education, and physician leadership. He served as Chief Resident during his Diagnostic Radiology Residency, mentored medical students and residents, held leadership roles with national radiology organizations, and has authored peer-reviewed publications and presented research at regional and national conferences. His contributions to radiology research were recognized with the RSNA Roentgen Resident/Fellow Research Award in both 2022 and 2023.

Please join us in extending a warm welcome to Dr. Christopher Smith as he joins Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. We look forward to the expertise, innovation, and collaborative approach he will bring to our organization and to the patients and families we serve.

Shared on behalf of Dr. Laura Power, Chief of Staff

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We are pleased to announce that Dr. Mike Scott’s appointment as Chief of Critical Care has been extended until June 30, 2027.

Dr. Scott has been providing exceptional leadership as Chief of Critical Care since 1998 and we are fortunate to see him continue in this role for another year. Other leadership experience includes Medical Lead for Critical Care, Critical Care NWO LHIN Lead, Medical Program Director for Emergency/ Trauma/Critical Care and Medical Lead Northwest Regional Critical Care Response (RCCR) Team.

The contributions Dr. Scott has made to quality patient care at TBRHSC, regionally and provincially are significant. He has advanced ECMO cannulation and transfer model in collaboration with Ornge and TGH; and supported provincial and interprovincial surge management with his involvement in the Ontario Critical Care COVID Command Centre. In 2014 he led the creation of the RCCR Team, improving critical care responses for patients in the region through telemedicine. From 2006-2012 Dr. Scott helped transform ICU care delivery to create Intensivist led models of care across the province. In addition to the impact Dr. Scott has had through his leadership, he is an Assistant Professor at NOSM University and has maintained a clinical practice, with over 30 years’ experience as an anesthesiologist, critical care physician, intensivist and coroner.

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Scott on his extension as Chief of Critical Care.

Shared on behalf of Dr. Laura Power, Chief of Staff

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We are pleased to announce that Dr. Kyle Lansdell has been appointed to the role of Acting Chief of Emergency/Trauma Services effective July 18, 2026 to March 31, 2027.

Dr. Lansdell has extensive leadership experience, as the Chief of Emergency/Trauma Services from 2021 to 2026, Trauma Team Leader for the past nine years, and Thunder Bay Emergency Associates Board Chair. His efforts in these roles have been instrumental in advancing key initiatives to improve patient flow and enhance patient safety. Dr. Lansdell has been an Emergency Department physician at TBRHSC since 2013. Over the past few years he has also worked with the Ontario ED Peer Support Program, and across the region, at Dryden Regional Health Centre and Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre.

Dr. Lansdell is committed to ongoing learning, as demonstrated by his current enrollment in a Master of Science degree in Organizational Leadership at John Hopkins University. Past professional development includes health care project management with Six Sigma, and courses with the Physician Leadership Institute. He is an experienced educator, having been on faculty as an Assistant Professor at NOSM University since 2013.

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Lansdell on his appointment as Acting Chief of Emergency/Trauma Services.

Shared on behalf of Dr. Laura Power, Chief of Staff

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We are pleased to announce that Dr. Rosie North has been appointed to the role of Chief of Emergency/Trauma Services effective July 1, 2026.

Dr. North has worked in the Emergency Department at TBRHSC for seven years, demonstrating consistent clinical excellence, sound judgment, and a strong commitment to patient-centered care. She has significant leadership experience, having served as the Medical Lead and Interim Medical Director for the Emergency Department and Interim Chief of Emergency/Trauma Services. In these roles she has made meaningful contributions to departmental operations and strategic planning.

Dr. North has contributed to the development and implementation of initiatives that have improved patient care, safety, and flow within the Emergency Department. She is an Assistant Professor at NOSM University, has been involved in research and has received NOSM’s Educator of the Year on two occasions, recognizing her expertise in academics.  As she steps into the role of Chief, Dr. North looks forward to strengthening relations within the Emergency Department and across the organization through open communication, regular engagement and ensuring the perspectives of healthcare providers are represented.

Congratulations to Dr. North, who is currently on maternity leave, and will return to resume her role as Chief of Emergency/Trauma Services on April 1, 2027.

Please join me in celebrating Dr. North on her appointment.

Do you know someone in our organization who consistently demonstrates exceptional Patient and Family Centred Care (PFCC)? Someone who takes the time to truly listen, who includes patients and families in care decisions, and who ensures everyone feels respected, safe, and valued? We want to hear about them.

Each month, the PFCC team is accepting “PFCC Shout Outs”—recognizing staff across all departments who go the extra mile to make the patient and family experience better. Whether it’s a small gesture of kindness, a meaningful conversation, or an example of true collaboration and compassion, we want to celebrate those moments.

What does a PFCC Shout Out look like?

• A nurse who takes time to explain care options in a way the patient understands
• A porter who makes a patient feel comfortable and less anxious during a transfer
• A unit clerk who warmly greets families and helps them navigate the hospital
• A physician who ensures the family is included in rounds and decisions
• Any team member who prioritizes dignity, respect, and collaboration

How to nominate someone:
Anyone—staff, patients, families, or volunteers—can nominate a staff member by sending a quick email to TBRHSC.PFCC@tbh.net.

Just include the staff member’s name, department, and a brief description of what they did that deserves recognition.

Monthly winners will receive a small prize, have their photo featured on the PFCC intranet page, and be highlighted in The Informed newsletter.

Let’s celebrate the people who make this a truly patient and family-centred organization.