Shared on behalf of John Ross – Director, Medicine, Patient Flow, & Partnerships

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Please join me in welcoming Julia Bailey to her new role as Temporary Manager of the Infection Prevention and Control Department beginning January 4^th, 2022.

Julia brings to this position a wealth of knowledge and experience. She joined the Thunder Bay Regional Health Science Centre in 2013 as a Prevention, Screening and Assessment Intern where she planned and coordinated multiple staff wellness and chronic disease initiatives such as the Fresh Market. Julia has held many roles since then but most recently as the COVID-19 Assessment Centre Coordinator and then Hand Hygiene Coordinator/Infection Control Practitioner.

Julia is keen to continue enhancing Infection Control practices by engaging with stakeholders and working towards a successful Accreditation. Welcome Julia.

As the number of COVID-19 positive cases continues to increase significantly both locally and across the province, our ongoing diligence with public health measures is imperative.

On December 17th, the Ontario government released updated COVID-19 restrictions to be put in place throughout the holiday season. These restrictions were introduced, in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, due to the rapidly increasing cases of the Omicron variant within our province, as well as the significant transmissibility of the variant. In accordance, as we celebrate outside of work with family and friends, we must all adhere to the following guidelines:

For indoor gatherings (non-workplace):

• Maximum of 10 people.
• If the group is all fully vaccinated individuals, you may consider removing your mask if everyone is comfortable.

For outdoor gatherings:

• Maximum of 25 people.
• If the group is all fully vaccinated individuals, masks and physical distancing are not necessary. 

If you choose to gather this holiday season, please ensure you do so safely by following the provincial restrictions. Get fully vaccinated, as well your third dose when you become eligible, for the best protection against COVID-19. Practice physical distancing by maintaining a space of two metres from people outside of your household, indoors and outdoors. Keep your social circle small and avoid the 3 Cs: closed spaces, crowded places and close contacts.

For workplace holiday festivities, please remember that all current infection prevention and control (IPAC) guidelines for food consumption, distancing, hand hygiene, masks and eye protection are still in place. Please celebrate together safely.

Thank you for your continued admirable hard work and commitment to keeping our patients, staff and the community safe.

For more information, visit https://www.tbdhu.com/socializing or refer to the most recent Ontario Regulations for current rules, regulations, and guidance found here:  https://www.ontario.ca/page/celebrate-safely-during-covid-19

All Hospital COVID-19 updates and resources are available on the iNtranet at https://comms.tbrhsc.net/covid-19-information/.

Shared on behalf of Jennifer Wintermans, EVP, Communications & Corporate Relations, COVID-19 Lead and Amy Carr, Interim, CHRO Director, Human Resources

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Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) recognizes that the ability to travel can be an important part of celebrating the holidays and being with those you care about. If you plan to travel, please ensure you do so safely.

Ontario is currently facing a significant increase of positive COVID-19 cases. With this in mind, we need to remember to keep ourselves and others safe at this time. The rising number of COVID-19 cases, as well as the high transmissibility of the Omicron variant, has caused our province to introduce restrictions on gatherings, restaurant capacity, events and advisement against non-essential travel. We strongly encourage you to avoid travel if not essential and avoid any “hot spots” if possible. 

The Thunder Bay District Health Unit (TBDHU) has released their advisement against all non-essential travel outside of our region. If staff, professional staff, learners or volunteers at TBRHSC wish to continue with their travel plans over the holidays, please note that you must follow any guidelines put in place by either the TBDHU, the province of Ontario or any Federal ArriveCAN requirements upon return.

All staff and professional staff are reminded:

• To consider avoiding travel to areas deemed high-risk, refer to the Government of Canada travel resources at https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/advisories
• To follow all public health and federal guidelines while travelling: https://www.tbdhu.com/travel
• That if detained outside of Canada, additional required time off must be taken as extended vacation time if available or as unpaid time off.
• To complete the screening tool prior to each shift, monitor for symptoms, disclose any close contacts and follow instructions from Occupational Health & Safety (OHS) for a failed screen.
• To practice physical distancing, hand hygiene and wear PPE appropriate for the work environment. 
• That TBRHSC follows Federal, Provincial and local public health requirements and as such our guidelines and requirements are subject to change.

Thank you for your continued commitment in keeping one another, our patients, their families and the community safe.

All Hospital COVID-19 updates and resources are available on the iNtranet at https://comms.tbrhsc.net/covid-19-information.  

DEPARTMENT	HOURS OF OPERATION / NOTES
Academics & Interprofessional Education	Closed December 27 & 28 and January 3
Admitting	Full service
Ambulatory Care	December 25 – Closed January 1 – Closed December 26, 27, 28, Jan 2, 3 *Weekend service
Biomedical	Closed December 27 & 28 and January 3
Cancer Centre	Closed December 27 & 28 and January 3
Cardiac Cath Lab	Closed December 24 & 27 and January 3
Cardiac Diagnostics	Echo: December 25 – Day shift scheduled for Urgent IP; On call for the evening Stress Testing: December 27 to January 3 – Closed Holters: December 27, 28 and January 3 – Closed
Cardiovascular Rehabilitation	Closed December 27 & 28 and January 3
Clinical Genetics Program – Suite 300B, 984 Oliver Rd. (Prevention & Screening Clinical Services)	Closed December 27 & 28 and January 3
Clinical Research Services Department (including Trials)	Closed December 27 & 28 and January 3
Communications & Corporate Relations	Closed December 27 & 28 and January 3
Complex and Chronic Disease (Bariatrics, CCDC)	Centre for Complex Diabetes Care (CCDC) – Closed December 27, 28, January 3 From Dec 29 – 31, services will be limited to inpatient services and urgent outpatient needs and labs. Regional Bariatric Care Centre & Paediatric Healthy Living Program:  Closed December 27, 28, January 3
Complex Malignant Hematology (on Unit 1A)	Closed December 27 & 28 and January 3
COVID-19 Assessment Centre	December 25 & 26 – Closed January 1 – 8:00am – 4:00pm
Decision Support	Closed December 27 & 28 and January 3
Diagnostic Imaging	Radiology: December 25, 26, 27, 28 and January 1, 2, 3: Weekend staffing but 24-hour coverage Interventional Angiography: Closed December 25, 26, 27, 28 and January 1, 2, 3 CT: December 25, 26, 27, 28 and January 1, 2, 3: Weekend hours (0730-2330). Call after 2330 hours. Mammography: Closed December 25, 26, 27, 28 and January 1, 2, 3 MRI: Closed December 25, 26, and January 1: On Call 8am-4pm Nuclear Medicine: Closed December 25, 26, 27, 28 and January 1, 2, 3 Ultrasound: December 25, 26, 27, 28 and January 1, 2, 3 – ED and in-patient services 7am-11pm (on call 11pm-7am)
EEG (Electroencephalogram) Service	December 24, 27, 31 – Closed January 3 – Closed (Not open on weekend)
Emergency Preparedness	Closed December 27 & 28 and January 3 (Not open on weekend)
Endoscopy	December 26, 27 – Closed (Staff available on call) January 3– Closed (Staff available on call)
Finance	December 25 – Closed December 26 – Closed December 27 – Closed December 28 – Closed January 1st – Closed January 3rd – Closed
Foundation Office	December 24- Closed at 2:00 PM December 27 – Closed December 28 – Closed December 31 – Closed at 2:00 PM January 3 – Closed
Forensic Mental Health Services	Out-patient Department: December 25, 26, 27, 28 – Closed January 1, 2, 3 – Closed
Fracture Clinic	December 25, 26, 27, 28 – Closed January 1, 2, 3 – Closed
Health Professions and Collaborative Practice	Closed December 27 & 28 and January 3
Health Records	Main Health Records During STAT holidays, the primary contact for Health Records will be the Administrative Coordinator for urgent requests.  Dec 24 – 0700-1900 Dec 25 – CLOSED Dec 26 – CLOSED Dec 27 – Regular hours 0800-1600 Dec 28 – 0800-1600 Dec 29 & Dec 30 – 0700-2200 Dec 31 – 0700-1900 Jan 1 – CLOSED Jan 2 and on – Business as usual   ICP Health Records Dec 24 – Regular hours 0800-1700 Dec 25,26, 27, 28 – CLOSED Dec 29, 30 & 31 – Regular hours 0800-1700 Jan 1 – CLOSED Jan 2 and on – Business as usual
Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP)	HELP Coordinator, Clinical Nurse Specialist and Volunteers unavailable from December 25 – January 3 (inclusive)
Hospitalist Office	Closed December 27, 28 and January 3
Housekeeping	Regular Hours
Human Resources	Closed December 27 & 28 and January 3
Infection Prevention and Control	December 25 – On Call December 26 and January 1 – Reduced Staff
Information Systems/Information Technology	Dec 25 – No staff on site, after hours on-call emergency support only Dec 26 – No staff on site, after hours on-call emergency support only Dec 27 – No staff on site, after hours on-call emergency support only Dec 28 – No staff on site, after hours on-call emergency support only Dec 29 – Dec 31- Normal business operations, after hours through on-call emergency support Jan 1 – No staff on site, after hours on-call emergency support only Jan 2 – No staff on site, after hours on-call emergency support only Jan 3 – No staff on site, after hours on-call emergency support only
Internal Medicine Clinic (IMC) Anticoagulation Clinic and CHF/COPD Telehomecare	Anticoagulation Clinic and CHF/COPD Telehomecare: December 27, 28 – Closed January 3 – Closed   Anticoagulation Clinic will not accept new referrals for peri-bridging from December 13, 2021 – January 4, 2022. Anticoagulation Clinic – December 29-31 – Contact Dr. Lise Mozzon for urgent requests only, no scheduled NP appointments.
Laboratory	Cytogenetics and Molecular Testing: Send-out for Cytogenetics and Molecular is not available on Fridays due to courier times (standard protocol).This practice will not change over the Christmas or New Year Holiday period.Thursday, December 23, 2021 – Samples must be received in the lab no later than 1200 (noon)Friday, December 24, 2021 – Cytogenetics/Molecular not available Monday, December 27, 2021 – Cytogenetics/Molecular not availableTuesday, December 28, 2021 – Cytogenetics/Molecular not availableThursday, December 30, 2021 – Samples must be received in the lab no later than 1200 (noon)Friday, December 31, 2021 – Cytogenetics/Molecular not availableMonday, January 3, 2022 – Cytogenetics/Molecular not available   Histology/Pathology/Cytology: Monday, December 27, 2021 – Closed Tuesday, December 28, 2021 – Closed Monday, January 3, 2022 – Closed *Quick Sections still available with Pathologists on call.   Flow Cytometry: Friday, December 24, 2021 – Samples must be received in the lab no later than 1200 (noon) Monday, December 27, 2021 – Closed Tuesday, December 28, 2021 – Closed Friday, December 31, 2021 – Samples must be received in the lab no later than 1200 (noon) Monday, January 3, 2022 – Closed   Sample Send-out: Monday, December 27, 2021 – Closed Tuesday, December 28, 2021 –  Closed Monday, January 3, 2022 – Closed
Laboratory Out-patient	Monday, December 27, 2021 – Closed Tuesday, December 28, 2021 – Closed Monday, January 3, 2022 – Closed
Laundry/Linen Services	Regular Hours
Library	Library Services will be unavailable December 27, 28, 29 and January 3. Library remains accessible 24/7 with ID card as usual.
Mail Room	Closed December 27 & 28 and January 3
Maternity Centre	Closed December 24, 27, 28 & January 3
Medical Affairs	Closed December 27 & 28 and January 3
Medical Device Reprocessing Department	December 25 – regular hours December 26 – closed midnight shift only 2330-0730 December 27 – closed midnight shift only 2330-0730 January 1 -regular hours January 2 – closed midnight shift only 2330-0730
Medical Transitions Clinic (MTC)	Closed December 27 & 28 and January 3
Mental Health Services	Out-patient Areas: December 25, 26, 27, 28 – Closed January 1, 2, 3 – Closed
Northwest Region Pre-hospital Care Program	December 27, 28 – Closed January 3 – Closed
Nurse Led Outreach Team (NLOT)	December 27, 28 – No Coverage/Service January 3 – No Coverage/Service
Nursing Professional Practice	Closed December 27 & 28 and January 3
Nutrition & Food Services	No change to the operation’s hours. Open from 5:00 am till 7:45 pm
Occupational Health & Safety	Closed December 27 & 28 and January 3
Operating Room (SDC and PACU to staff to accommodate the OR)	December 20, 21, 22, 23 – 3 to 6 rooms running December 24 – 2 rooms running December 25, 26, 27, 28 and January 1, 2, 3 – non-elective only December 29, 30, 31 – 6 to 7 rooms running January 4 – Resume regular service
Pacemaker Clinic	December 24, 27 and 31 – Closed January 3 – Open
Paediatric Out-patients (POP)	December 25, 26 – Closed January 1 – Closed
Patient Billing (Cashiers)	December 24 7:30 – 5:00 December 25 Closed December 26 Closed December 27 9:00 – 5:00 December 28 9:00 – 5:00 December 31 7:30 – 5:00 January 1 Closed
Patient & Family Centred Care (PFCC) / Patient Advocate/Care Partner Laison (CPL)	PFCC & Patient Advocate: Closed December 25 – 28 & January 1 – 3 ED and In-Patient Care Partner Liasion: Modified hours 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM December 24, Closed December 25, 08:00 AM – 4:00 PM December 26 and full service December 27 & 28. No closures over New Years – full service.
Payroll	Closed December 27 & 28 and January 3
Pharmacy	December 24-28: 0800-1700hrs December 29-30: 0800-1800hrs December 31-January 3: 0800-1700hrs *Pharmacist on call after hours
Physical Plant/Maintenance	Closed December 27 & 28 and January 3
Portering	Regular Hours
Preadmission Clinic	December 25, 26, 27, 28 – Closed January 1, 2, 3 – Closed
Prevention & Screening Clinical Services – Suite 401, 984 Oliver Rd.	Closed December 27 & 28 and January 3
Print Shop	Closed December 27, 28 and January 3
Professional Practice	Closed December 27, 28 and January 3
Psychiatry Services	Closed December 20-31 inclusive No new ECT assessments except for emergency ECT or non-emergency ECT start-upsLimited access to: Out-patient Brief Intervention Treatment Team services and non-emergency Consultation-Liaison assessmentsReduced number of physicians covering multiple on-calls
PFT (Pulmonary Function Testing) Lab	December 25, 28 – Closed January 1 – Closed
Purchasing & Northern Supply Chain	Closed December 27 & 28 and January 3
Quality & Risk Management	Closed December 27 & 28 and January 3
Rapid Access Clinic (RAC)	December 25, 28 – Closed January 1 – Closed
Rehabilitation Services	December 25, 26, January 1 – Closed December 27, 28, January 2, 3 – Weekend service January 1 – Closed
Renal Program	Home Hemodialysis: Closed December 25 and January 1 Hemodialysis: Closed December 25 and January 1 (Open December 27, January 3 in place) Multi-Care Kidney Clinics: Limited coverage from December 21 – January 5 (scheduled clinics are closed) Peritoneal Dialysis (PD): PD Unit will remain open through the season
Research Department (TBRHRI)	Closed Dec 27 & 28 and January 3
Screen for Life Coach	December 23-28 inclusive – Closed January 1-4 inclusive – Closed
Seasons Gift Shop	December 24 – Open 9am – 1 pm December 25 to 28 – Closed December 31 Closed January 1 & 3 – Closed
Security	Continued 24/7 full service throughout the holiday schedule
Spiritual & Religious Care	Closed December 25-28 inclusive and January 1-3 inclusive *On-call only, available 0800-2300hrs
Staffing Office	Closed December 25 Weekend Hours December 26 Starting December 27 open 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM
Stores	December 25th and January 1st
Strategy & Performance	Closed December 27 & 28 and January 3
Stroke Prevention Clinic	Closed December 27 & 28 and January 3
Switchboard	Switchboard will be full service
Tamarack House	Closed December 24 at 1600hrs and reopens December 28 at 1600hrs Closed December 31 at 1600hrs and reopens January 3 at 1600hrs
Telemedicine	Closed December 27 & 28 and January 3
Utilization Management	No coverage December 25 and 26 no coverage January 1
Volunteer Services	Closed December 24 to January 3 inclusive

Julia was an OR Attendant at our Hospital who passed away on December 11th. The flags at the front entrance were lowered to half mast on Monday, December 20th in her honour.

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(Obituary via Sargent & Son)

It is with profound sadness we share the tragic, sudden passing of our cherished Julia DeLuca, age 56 years young. A beloved daughter, sister, wife, mother, Nona, aunt, godmother, friend and loved by many.

Julia was born February 3, 1965, to Assunta and Leo Van Teeffelen, she had 4 siblings and they lived on Mission Island for the majority of her childhood.

Her world changed when she met the love of her life Teddy DeLuca, their adventure began, together they had two children Krista and Tyler who they loved and adored. As young family they travelled in their motorhome on many adventures, creating amazing memories.

Krista was born first, 9 years later along came Tyler, Julia would not go anywhere without her children. Nothing meant more to her than her family, she was the best mother anyone could have. Ted, Krista and Tyler always felt unconditionally loved and cared for.

As a family, they opened DeLuca’s Family Restaurant, where they spent countless hours cooking, baking, entertaining large family dinners, for patrons who soon became regulars and then friends. While Teddy worked to prepare meals, Julia was the social butterfly serving and entertaining her guest with her witty, sarcastic, sense of humour. Her son in-law Ben worked side by side with Teddy and Julia. Julia held a special place in her heart for Ben, who she loved and adored, and they had a special bond like no other.

As the grandchildren were born Julia perfected being a Nona. Each grandchild had a special bond and place in her heart. Brooklyn liked to bake with Nona, Mason made pizzas, Theo was her shopping partner, and all loved their special sleepovers with their Nona.

No matter where Julia worked, she treated everyone with respect. Working with Julia was always fun but she demanded perfection and rewarded always with praise and laughter. She worked many fulfilling hours with Meghan who she loved and treated like a daughter.

She will be lovingly remembered and never forgotten by her husband Teodoro, her daughter Krista (Ben), Tyler (Meghan), her grandchildren Brooklyn, Mason and Theo, Father Leo Van Teeffelen, sister Trudy and brother John (Susan), father-inlaw Gennaro DeLuca, sister-in law Teresina (Pietro), Carmelina (Derrick), brother-in-law Pasqualino (Alison) and sister in-law Mary (Cyrus), as well as many nieces, nephews, relatives and lifelong friends.

Predeceased by her mother Assunta Van Teeffelen, sister Leona Van Teeffelen, brother Vince Van Teeffelen and sister-inlaw Julie Schelling and mother-inlaw Raffaela DeLuca.

Funeral Mass for Julia will be held on Tuesday, December 21, 2021 at St Patrick’s Cathedral at 2:00 p.m. celebrated by Msgr. Rev. P.M. Stilla V.G. Those wishing to attend the service are asked to register on Julia’s page at www.sargentandson.com or call the funeral home 345-5351. Those wishing to attend virtually may do so on Sargent & Son Funeral Home Facebook page. Visitation for family and friends will be held on Monday December 20, 2021 from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm at Sargent & Son Funeral Home, 21 N. Court Street. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Heart and Stroke foundation. Online condolences may be made at www.sargentandson.com.

To send flowers to the family of Julia DeLuca, please visit our Heartfelt Sympathies Store.

Shared on behalf of Dawna Maria Perry, Director of Nursing Practice, Rita Grenier Buchan, Manager, NRT and Staffing Office

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This memo is to inform all units serviced by the Staffing Office to replace vacancies, that the hours of operation on the weekend will be extended to 2200 hrs both Saturday and Sunday effective December 27, 2021. The new regular hours of operation will be 0600 – 2200 hrs. seven days per week.

Do not hesitate to reach out to Rita Grenier Buchan at grenierr@tbh.net if you have any questions.

December’s Thunder Bay 50/50 is underway with the largest jackpot yet, and it is the last chance to purchase tickets before Christmas.  Tickets can be purchased online at www.thunderbay5050.ca. The monthly jackpot is already over $1.4 Million with a $10,000 early bonus draw happening on Wednesday, December 29.

Tickets are available online only at www.thunderbay5050.ca:
•    $10 for 5 numbers
•    $20 for 30 numbers
•    $50 for 150 numbers
•    $100 for 500 numbers  (December only – Special Holiday Ticket Package)

Buying Tickets as Gifts

Buying tickets for someone else is easy! Simple follow these steps:

1.    Go to www.thunderbay5050.ca and click “Buy Now”
2.    Select a ticket package
3.    Write THEIR name & address in the Billing Information area
4.    Enter YOUR email if you’d like to send the tickets to them yourself, or enter THEIR email if you’d like the tickets to be emailed directly to them right after the purchase. Be sure to tell them they’re on the way!
5.    Pay with YOUR credit card and you’re all done! The tickets will now be in THEIR name.

** Tickets must be purchased by 11:59 p.m. ET on Thursday, December 30 to be eligible for the Grand Prize draw on Friday, December 31, 2021.

Questions about the draw can be sent to info@thunderbay5050.ca. Participants must be present in Ontario and 18 years old or older at time of purchase. Lottery license RAF1199631.

Share on behalf of Jennifer Wintermans, EVP, Communications and Corporate Relations, COVID-19 Lead

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To help ensure the safety and protection of our work environment and given the high level of uncertainty regarding transmissibility of the Omicron variant, all health care workers (including staff, professional staff, learners and volunteers) providing direct care or entering a room with a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patient are required to wear a fit-tested, seal-checked N95 respirator mask. This decision is based on new interim guidelines from Public Health Ontario which recommend additional protection on personal protective equipment (PPE) for health care workers that outline when medical/surgical masks are appropriate and when N95 respirators are preferred. 

The requirements are temporary at this time and we will continue to assess and provide evidence-based decision making to any updates or changes in protocols as more information is learned about this new variant or the situation should change. Any new details on changes will be communicated to you. 

Our Hospital’s Internal Pandemic Response remains at Level Orange (Restrict). It is important to know that throughout any response level we will continue to re-evaluate our activities and actions to ensure appropriate guidelines are in place that reflect our current needs and maintain the safety of all. The current guidance document for reference about N95s can be found here: https://comms.tbrhsc.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Guidance-Document-PPE-Requirements-for-COVID-19-Positive-or-Presumptive-Patients-N95-Use-December-17-2021.pdf

For further information on the guidance document please contact Infection Prevention and Control at 684-6040 or infectioncontrol@tbh.net. For further information about N95s please contact ohs@tbh.net. 

Thank you for your continued efforts.

All Hospital COVID-19 updates and resources are available on the iNtranet at https://comms.tbrhsc.net/covid-19-information/.

Shared on behalf of Dr. Rhonda Crocker Ellacott, President and CEO, TBRHSC, and CEO, TBRHRI

Dear Staff, Professional Staff, Learners, Volunteers, Researchers, and Board members — greetings, boozhoo, bonjour.

As you know, our community, regional and provincial COVID-19 numbers have been rising over the past week with the highly transmissible Omicron variant impacting through our populations. If you have not done so already, please make plans to get your third vaccination shot as soon as possible.

Without a doubt, this was not the message I wanted to be delivering in my last blog of the year – a year in which you and your colleagues delivered time and time again for the communities we serve. It’s not the message I wanted to deliver as most of you plan for some much-needed and well-deserved downtime over the holiday season. However, here we are again. And, as you have done time and time again, we will get through this by working as a team, supporting one another and being kind to each other. You are not alone. We are in this together, all paddling in the same direction.

As a young nurse, I remember a mentor saying to me that helping people is not what we ‘do’ but rather what we ‘are’ – it is who we are at our very core as people. And, never has that commitment been tested more than now. I know you are tired after almost two years of this – and while we have encouraging signs in our region with higher-than-average vaccination rates, the public needs you now more than ever for who and what you are – health care professionals who truly care.

While we have not experienced a dramatic surge in patient care admissions, we have seen a significant surge in the Hospital’s COVID-19 Assessment Centre activity in response to community outbreaks.

To that end, you may have noticed the opening of a complementary assessment centre to help support the public health testing requirements related to outbreak management. What was once viewed as an unconventional and rare reaction to an outbreak has now become part of our standard operating procedures as these variants continue to play havoc on our health system needs.

Ontario Health (OH) has communicated with all hospitals, asking us to actively support our Public Health colleagues in prioritizing COVID-19 vaccinations for eligible populations, understanding the need to effectively balance the provision of urgent and emergent care for all Ontarians.

Operationally, OH has re-established regional Incident Management System (IMS) structures with a focus on patient flow to support the system as it responds to the imminent wave of the Omicron variant. As in previous waves, the Ontario COVID-19 Critical Care Command Centre will coordinate capacity for acute and critical care. Meanwhile, among other preparations, OH is also asking hospitals to prepare to pause all ramp up of scheduled activity that would ordinarily occur after the planned seasonal slow-down period, prepare to defer non-emergent, non-urgent (scheduled) care on instruction from regional IMS/leadership structure, be ready to accept critical care and/or acute care patient transfers, and to plan for how the hospital will incrementally create capacity for staffed adult or staffed paediatric (where applicable) inpatient beds to care for COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients. We are being told hospitals may be asked to quickly achieve these surge capacity goals to support immediate regional or provincial capacity needs. I share this with you, so we all have the same information and are eyes wide open right now.

I want to ensure this end-of-year surge does not take away from the amazing work you have all done in 2021. It was one year ago this month that we delivered the first dose of vaccines. In partnership, our Hospital worked with Public Health and other partners to achieve the high vaccination rate in our district. Here at TBRHSC/TBRHRI, our voluntary vaccination rate among staff was one of the highest in Ontario – a testament to your commitment to your colleagues, our patients and the community.

Over the past year we have supported Long-Term Care (LTC) in early waves of the pandemic, and we made national news for accepting and managing the care of patients from both Ontario and Manitoba who were transferred here through the Critical Care Command Table. We have been there not only as a regional hospital but as an important player in the Ontario and Canadian health care system.

Our teams in all areas like the assessment centres, critical care, labs, paediatrics, emergency, and the list goes on, have, and continue to deliver the best quality health care one can get.

To support ongoing patient care needs, we have expanded surgery in the region to meet care needs and put together a responsive plan to meet urgent clinical needs.

You did all of this during a global pandemic, and I know you can keep delivering. We have the structures in place to manage this. We have the people and experience to respond.

I do recognize we are challenged, like other hospitals, with staffing issues. However, it is critical that we preserve and care for you through this holiday season. Not a day goes by that I am not in awe of how well we have persevered and achieved many milestones during this unique era. Please know that none of your efforts are taken for granted.

On a closing personal note, I want to express my sincere and heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported and helped me navigate my first year in my role as President and CEO. Each day has truly been a learning experience as I continue to lead an amazing health care facility and an amazing team during times of great challenge, great change and, at times, uncertainty. It has been a banner year – and I owe you all a debt of gratitude for where we find ourselves today.

Despite the challenges we face, each of you deserves some time to spend unwinding, reflecting and celebrating. The Kindness Carts are out on December 19th – let’s all do what we can to safely share some holiday spirit together.

I leave you all with genuine hopes for a safe, healthy and happy season with friends and family. Let us welcome 2022 with optimism and positivity as together, we look toward the fresh new year that lies ahead.

As always, I welcome comments on this blog or any other matter. You can reach me at: crockerelr@tbh.net