Shared on behalf of Adam Vinet, Executive Vice President, Patient Experience & Chief Nursing Executive and Regional Vice President, Cancer Care Services, North West Region

---

First and foremost, I would like to recognize and thank you for what you have done already to weather our current pandemic wave. We have seen – and mastered – many challenging moments over the past months and your commitment makes all the difference.

In my first update of 2022, I want to acknowledge that although our priority has been to manage our current crisis, we have continued to consistently move this project forward – although perhaps at a slower pace.

Below are a few highlights of the work since my last update, as well as some activities that are planned in the next few months. 

Progress Updates:·    Approval received for funding a new automated scheduling system that will allow for greater autonomy, ability to view schedules from home, and improved scheduling efficiencies. Staffing Office internal process improvements are in progress or complete including a dedicated clerk per program, daily clerk huddles, improved office ergonomics, additional space to support increased FTE, improved internal communication, updated call in lists, electronic tracking of daily vacancies. ICU Clerk scheduling trial where immediate needs and sick calls are managed at unit level is now complete. An evaluation is in progress to determine viability and suitability to expand to other areas.   Updates to the Staffing Office iNtranet page are in progress and will include tools and resources to support the interpretation and understanding of scheduling processes, including clarity regarding individual roles, responsibilities, and timelines. Master rotations reviewed to ensure adequate balance of staff.  Three areas including TCU, Ambulatory Care, and NICU have been updated and additional master rotations are under review.

Next Steps:·   Scheduling software project implementation. Project kick off to choose and implement a real-time acuity tool/workload management system and leverage this tool to assess patient acuity and inform staffing requirements/gaps at the start of every shift. Finalize recommendations for NRT, Spring Hire, and Unit Care Aide program scope and structure. Continue to implement smaller process improvements (quick wins) as identified.

Lastly, I want to thank everyone who completed the Scheduling Staff Experience survey. We received 281 responses and will use the results to measure the impacts of the staffing and scheduling improvement initiatives over time. Your feedback is highly appreciated.

For more information, please contact any member of the Staffing Project Planning Team:

Dawna Maria Perry, Director, Nursing Practice, perryd@tbh.net
Angela Kutok, Performance Improvement Consultant, kutoka@tbh.net
Jordan Stokes, Practice Coordinator, Nursing Resource Team, stokesj@tbh.net
Laura Macgowan, Manager, Labour Relations, macgowal@tbh.net
Lori Neri, Staffing Coordinator, neril@tbh.net
Michael Del Nin, Director, Strategy and Performance, delninm@tbh.net
Rita Grenier Buchan, Manager, Nursing Resource Team and Staffing, grenierr@tbh.net

Adam Vinet, Executive Vice President, Patient Experience and Chief Nursing Executive and Regional Vice President, Cancer Services, North West, Ontario Health

---

I am pleased to announce that David McConnell has accepted the position of Program Director, Regional Cancer Care Northwest.

David joined the Cancer Program leadership team 2014 as Manager of Radiation Therapy and Surgical Oncology. His leadership role has expanded over the years to include operational oversight of Tbaytel Tamarack House Lodge as well as the Radiation Therapy Treatment Planning department.

In addition to David’s management role at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, he is also the Person Centred Care lead for the North West Region and is a member of several provincial advisory committees at Cancer Care Ontario. In these roles, David is a key leader in advancing the provision of care within the province and specifically in the Northwest. David has led the implementation of numerous quality improvement projects including the implementation of the prostate brachytherapy program, which enables patients to receive highly specialized care closer to home.

In his role as the Director of the Regional Cancer Program, David will be responsible for providing direction and leadership to continue to provide exceptional cancer care.

Join me in congratulating and welcoming David into his new role, commencing March 7, 2022.

This month’s Thunder Bay 50/50 jackpot was a whopping $657,208 and the winning ticket was purchased by two friends, Don Zimak and David Traynor of Thunder Bay.

Glenn Craig, President and CEO of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation, phoned Don earlier today to let him know that his name was on the winning ticket, and Don was in disbelief that he was receiving the famous phone call this month. After confirming that the phone call was not a joke, the excitement set in.    

“I always see you on the news, giving people the phone call, and I think… I wonder what it would be like to be on the other end of that,” explained Don. 

Don retired in January, and his wife’s last day of work before retirement is today, and he told Glenn that they were just imagining if they won the 50/50 draw on her last day of work. 

The Thunder Bay 50/50 is a monthly draw in which proceeds go towards improving healthcare at the Thunder Bay Regional Heath Sciences Centre.  February is Heart Month, so this month’s proceeds are going towards funding a portion of a new Cardiac Cath Lab Suite.  The Cath Lab is the heart of our cardiac program, and is where most heart attack patients pass through for procedures like angiograms and angioplasty.  One of our Cath Lab Suites needs to be replaced as the equipment is nearing the end of its useful life, and without it, patients may need to travel away for treatment instead of receiving it in Thunder Bay. 

March 2022 Draw Now Open

Tickets for the March 2022 jackpot are now are available!  March’s draw features a special St. Paddy’s Day Early Bird Blitz, with $10,000 in extra prizes.  Tickets are available online only at www.thunderbay5050.ca:

• $10 for 5 numbers
• $20 for 30 numbers
• $50 for 150 numbers 
• $75 for 300 numbers  (Best Value)

** Tickets must be purchased by 11:59 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 24, 2022 to be eligible for the Grand Prize draw on Friday, March 25, 2022.

Questions about the draw can be sent to info@thunderbay5050.ca. Ticket purchasers must be present in Ontario to purchase and 18 years old or older. The Thunder Bay 50/50 continues each month with the Grand Prize drawn on the last Friday of the month.

Photo Caption – Don Zimak and David Traynor are the winners of the February Thunder Bay 50/50 jackpot. 

Video Caption – Glenn Craig, President and CEO of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation contacts Don Zimak, letting them know that he and David Traynor have won the February Thunder Bay 50/50 Jackpot.

Access the video here:

• YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIEbw6zvey0
• Google Drive – https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MXQkOJYtQIOzb87E0d4aB3MnmgKu9pPq/view?usp=sharing 

2022 Lottery licence RAF1222518

Please be advised that T4 tax slips for 2021 tax year are now available for viewing and printing through the ESS (Employee Self Service) Portal.

To access your T4 tax slip, please log into your ESS portal and select the “Tax Slips” option.  

Reminder:  If you would like to access your T4 from home you must enroll in Cisco Duo first to support multi factor authentication. If you have not done so already, please contact the Help Desk at 684-6411 or help@tbh.net.

Please note that certain employees will have two T4 slips issued for the same tax year. Please review carefully to determine if you have been issued two T4 slips, as both will be required for income tax preparation.

Should you have any questions or concerns, please to contact Michael Iorianni, Manager, Payroll & Accounting by phone at 684-6917 or by email at ioriannm@tbh.net.

New series helps to understand and respond to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action.

---

Lakehead University is launching a community-based education series to support those seeking to understand and respond to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action.
 
Featuring Indigenous Elders and knowledge keepers, the five-week series, Truth and Reconciliation: Community Dialogues, will focus on learning truths related to Indigenous histories and contemporary experiences in Canada, and discussing how reconciliation can be enacted in meaningful ways in our communities.
 
“Our responsibility lies in dismantling the biases and beliefs in and around us,” said Dr. Cynthia Wesley-Esquimaux, Lakehead’s Chair on Truth and Reconciliation and one of the speakers in the series.
 
“The truth is buried beneath inaccessible advantages and lurks in the darkness of denial where it will not allow change. Shining a light on truth allows us all to move forward together, heal injustice, and ensure an inclusive and equitable future.”
 
Developed through a partnership between Wesley-Esquimaux and Lakehead’s Office of Community Engagement and Lifelong Learning, the series is geared toward youth and adults who are ready to engage with truth and participate in reconciliation.
 
“People want to be allies, but there is still uncertainty about how to start, sustain, and further work through these processes,” explained Dr. Linda Rodenburg, Director of Community Engagement and Lifelong Learning. “We hope that this series helps them answer the question ‘what can I do?’.”
 
Supported in part by funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, this free series will be held over five weeks from March 1 to 29 on Tuesdays via Zoom. Register at www.lakeheadu.ca/cell.