Shared on behalf of Infection Prevention and Control
An outbreak of COVID-19 has been declared on Unit 3A in TBRHSC as of January 4, 2022. All restrictions are in place.
As always, our number one priority is the safety of patients and their families, staff and visitors. All patients identified as having an exposure to this outbreak have been isolated with appropriate additional precautions. New admissions will not be sent to 3A until the outbreak is declared over. Essential Care Partners will only be permitted on a case-by-case basis, following the process outlined in the Care Partner/ Essential Care Partner Guidance Document.
Infection Prevention and Control encourages everyone to continue applying routine practices of hand hygiene, proper use of PPE, cleaning shared equipment and the appropriate screening of all patients. Please set an example to staff and students and assist us by maintaining compliance and due diligence. Staff with questions regarding potential exposures on 3A should contact Occupational Health and Safety.
Notice will be sent when the outbreak is declared over.
For more information, contact:
Infection Prevention and Control Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre Tel. 684-6094
Shared on behalf of Dr. Rhonda Crocker Ellacott, President & CEO, TBRHSC, CEO, TBRHRI and Jennifer Wintermans, EVP, Communications and Corporate Relations, COVID-19 Lead
As the number of patients in our Hospital with COVID-19 increases, we are taking further actions to ensure the safest possible environment for patients and staff.
Our current medical / surgical Hospital occupancy is at approximately 96.9% and our ICU occupancy is at 86.4%. As of today, there are 14 patients admitted to TBRHSC who are COVID-19 positive. Of those, 3 are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
Here are some immediate updates aimed at supporting you during these challenging times:
We are working with our Clinicians to triage and pause non-emergent and non-urgent surgeries and procedures to preserve capacity, as per Ministry Directive #2. Further details on departmental impacts are forthcoming.
We have opened a dedicated COVID-19 Care Unit on 3B to allow patients to be cared for in a specific ward that keeps them and others safe.
In alignment with Ministry of Health Guidance, and in order to preserve our health human resources, we are adjusting our Assessment Centre operations to support our health care workers in high-risk settings, and specific setting populations.
In addition, the decision was made to declare an outbreak on 3A in collaboration with Thunder Bay District Health Unit (TBDHU) as per the Ministry of Health’s definition in a public hospital. This outbreak declaration will enable us to shift our resources and ensure increased infection prevention and control practices can be put in place swiftly to contain any further spread. We are conducting a thorough assessment of the situation and aligning our supports to enhance surveillance and testing activities. Anyone considered to be at risk will be notified. As a precautionary measure, there will be no admissions to 3A Surgical until further notice. Additional measures may be taken as needed to manage the situation.
Our Hospital’s internal COVID-19 pandemic response is at Red (Control). Plans are in place to shift our response activities to adapt our bed capacity and staffing needs as the situation requires.
We will keep you updated first on any changes or developments in what we all know is a fast-changing situation. Thank you for your continued efforts and adaptability as we work through these challenging times.
Shared on behalf of Dr. Rhonda Crocker Ellacott, President and CEO, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre; CEO, Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute
I wanted to send a note to acknowledge the fast action by staff tonight in dealing with a Code Green evacuation due to an issue with a sprinkler system and water damage in a patient room on 2C.
All of our 2C patients were safely evacuated to the surgical day care and recovery room — and 1C patients were evacuated as a precaution to the paediatric outpatient area.
A sincere thanks to all of the staff for your quick action to support our patients at this time. It was an incredible example of teamwork.
For now, housekeeping, maintenance and a local restoration company are working to clean up the water while a fulsome assessment of the damage is completed in the next day or two. At that time, we will plan for the safe return of patients to the impacted areas.
Again, despite everything else going on right now with an COVID-19 surge, this clearly demonstrated our staff’s ability to respond to a crisis and ensure seamless, safe and effective patient care at all times.
In response to the increase in cases of COVID-19 in our community and across the province, as well as the impact of the highly transmissible Omicron variant, our Hospital has moved its internal COVID-19 Pandemic Response Level to Red (Control). Effective Monday, January 3, 2022, our Hospital’s Care Partner (CP) and Essential Care Partner (ECP) guidelines will have the following changes implemented:
1. All inpatients will be granted one ECP unless indicated otherwise in the Care Partner/Essential Care Partner Guidance Document. Please refer to the Care Partner/Essential Care Partner Guidance Document for guidelines specific to specialty inpatient areas and certain patient populations.
2. All outpatients will be granted one ECP as required and as outlined in the Care Partner/Essential Care Partner Guidance Document.
3. Individuals visiting a COVID-19 positive patient facing end of life will be allowed in room access conditional on the completion of the Care Partner/Essential Care Partner Consent to Risk of Visiting Patient (COVID-19). Please refer to the Essential Care Partner Decision Making document for details outlining this process.
Essential Care Partner access balances the importance of patients having the support of their care partners while also maintaining safety within the departments. Exceptions to these guidelines will be considered on an individual basis and should be directed to the Unit Manager, or Administrative Coordinator, if after hours.
Screening is one of the infection prevention measures that can help slow the spread of COVID-19. In accordance with recommendations from the Ministry of Health, and effective immediately, the following changes have been made to the Hospital’s COVID-19 entrance screening questions on the Redcap app https://is.gd/tbrhsc_covid and the paper version self-screening tool.
The new symptom related question will now read as follows:
In the past 5 days, have you experienced one of the following: Fever and or Chills, Cough, Shortness of Breath/Difficulty Breathing, Decrease or Loss of taste or smell OR two or more of the following symptoms: Runny Nose/Nasal Congestion, Headache, Extreme Fatigue, Sore Throat, Muscle Aches/Joint Pain, Gastrointestinal Symptoms (ed. Nausea, Vomiting, Diarrhea).
The screening tool is the official and central tracking system for screening results.
All staff MUST perform self-screening before entering the Hospital. Please read each screening question carefully to ensure safe and accurate admittance and follow any failed screen protocols.
Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) continues to respond to COVID-19 protocols and as cases continue to increase, we want to ensure all measures continue to be upheld to reduce the spread of infection for the protection of all patients, staff, professional staff and the community.
The screening tool is the official and central tracking system for screening results. All staff MUST perform self-screening using the on-line screening tool before entering the Hospital. If upon completing the online screening tool you are notified of a failed screen, Occupational Health and Safety (OHS), will contact you by end of day (1600hrs) and provide instructions regarding how to proceed, which may include return to work, work self-isolation, self-isolation and/or testing depending on the circumstances of the failed screen and current guidance.
Please DO NOT contact OHS by phone or email following a failed screen as this results in a duplication of work. If a failed screen, you will also need to contact your Manager and/or Staffing per usual processes for reporting absences. Due to the high volume of calls and failed screens you can expect to be contacted by OHS by end of day (1600hrs) following a failed screen.
3. Your results will provide instructions to either: a. Proceed to work; or b. STOP; if you receive notification of a failed screen, do not enter the Hospital. OH&S will contact you upon notification of failed screen and for further instructions, which may include return to work, work self-isolation, self-isolation and/or testing depending on the circumstances of the failed screen and current guidance. If your screening is done after hours or on weekends, please contact the Admin Coordinator with any failed screens (call switchboard). Also follow your usual absence reporting process by contacting your Manager/Staffing person.
If you do not have on-line access (smartphone, tablet, or computer), you will be required to complete a paper copy of the screening assessment and provide daily to your manager/supervisor. Contact OH&S (call 684-6212) if you fail the paper-based screening tool. Hours of operation are Monday to Friday between 0730-1800. Contact the Admin Coordinator if after hours and follow your usual absence reporting process by contacting your Manager/Staffing person. Please know that we are required to audit screenings of all hospital departments to ensure compliance of entrance screening before attending a shift at TBRHSC. You will be flagged and reminded to complete screening by your Manager if not compliant.
Thank you for your continued commitment to keeping yourself and our Hospital safe. All Hospital COVID-19 updates are available on the iNtranet at https://comms.tbrhsc.net/covid-19-information/.
David Kamande from Thunder Bay won $2,340,035 in December’s Thunder Bay 50/50 raffle.
David Kamande of Thunder Bay is starting his 2022 with an extra $2,340,035 in his pocket! Glenn Craig, President and CEO of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation made the famous phone call notifying the winner earlier today, and this time it felt surreal letting them know what the Grand Prize amount totaled.
“Even though I’ve made these phone calls each month since the Thunder Bay 50/50 started, today’s phone call was extra special. I could not believe the support the community has had for the draw this month, and not only did we make someone a multi-millionaire today, but we also are going to be able to do some really wonderful things for the Hospital with this money in 2022.” says Glenn Craig.
“This couldn’t have come at a better time.” explained David, who has been suffering from some health issues and has been using the services of the Hospital. “I’ve had to have an MRI scan, and know that some of the 50/50 funds are helping to purchase a new one – that’s why I bought a ticket. New equipment will help everyone who needs the Hospital.”
What was the first thing that came to David’s mind when he heard the news? “It’ll be nice to pay off my mortgage and not have to worry about that!” He and his family will have to plan what to do with the rest of his winnings.
The Thunder Bay 50/50 started in January of 2021 as a way to raise money for the Hospital while regular fundraising efforts and events were put on hold due to the pandemic. The community support for the Thunder Bay 50/50 has been incredible, and millions of dollars of equipment purchases and infrastructure upgrades were made possible from proceeds of the draw. The Thunder Bay 50/50 is continuing for 2022, with the Grand Prize draw happening on the last Friday of each month.
January 2022 ticket sales now open
Tickets for the January 2022 jackpot are now 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, January 27, 2022 to be eligible for the Grand Prize draw on Friday, January 28, 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.
2021 Lottery licence RAF1199631
2022 Lottery licence RAF1222518
Video – Glenn Craig, President and CEO of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation calls the winner of the December 50/50 draw.
