We’ve got great news that will protect the health and safety of individuals in our community who are living with certain underlying health conditions.
Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre’s COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic has been directed to offer vaccine appointments to individuals within the District of Thunder Bay with high risk health conditions, which include:
Organ transplant recipients
Stem cell transplant recipients
Neurological diseases where lung function may be compromised
Blood cancer diagnosed within the last year
Kidney disease
If you have one of these conditions, you may qualify to schedule an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccination at our clinic.
To find out more about your eligibility, or how to schedule an appointment online or by telephone, please visit: www.tbrhsc.net/vaccinations
The expansion oforthopaedic surgical services means more patients and families will experience the benefits of care close to home across Northwestern Ontario.
“Our population sees more musculoskeletal disease requiring a higher-than-average use of orthopaedic surgical services,” said Dr. Rhonda Crocker Ellacott, President and CEO of Thunder Bay Regional Health Science Centre (TBRHSC) and CEO of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute. “This collaboration is great news as our Regional Surgical Services program is now able to expand its reach, continuing to deliver the high-quality care to those that need it most.”
The expansion of the spinal surgery program was a collaborative approach that included leadership teams from both hospitals, surgeons, anaesthetists surgical nurses as well as the Northwest Local Health Integration Network (NW LHIN) and Ontario Health who enabled creative funding models to help clear the surgical backlogs created by the pandemic.
“We are very pleased to be selected as a spinal surgery site as part of the Regional Surgical Services program,” said Ray Racette, President and CEO, Lake of the Woods District Hospital (LWDH). “Offering this service closer to home and in doing so, helping reducing long wait times for spinal surgery, is critically important for the people we serve.”
The availability of this service for patients in Kenora and the surrounding area takes on greater significance when challenges created by COVID-19 such as travel, accommodation and care-giving, especially for children needing surgery are factored in.
“I am absolutely thrilled with our growing partnership with Lake of the Woods District Hospital,” said Dr. David Puskas, Orthopedic Surgeon at TBRHSC. Working together has enabled patients suffering from spinal pathology to receive surgical care and successfully recover closer to home.”
Since launching in April 2016, TBRHSC’s Regional Surgical Services has worked in partnership with the NW LHIN, as well as Dryden Regional Health Care, Riverside Health Care in Fort Frances, and LWDH in Kenora.
“This expansion ensures our patients, no matter where they live across our region are getting care as close to home as possible,” said Dr. Travis E. Marion, Orthopaedic Surgeon at TBRHSC. “It’s better for patients, the family who are looking after them and the recovery process.”
One of the main goals of the Regional Surgical Services program is improved access and a standardized level of care for patients throughout the region.
“A big congratulations to the Lake of the Woods District Hospital and Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre teams for their incredible leadership in this collaborative approach”, said Jessica Logozzo, Executive Vice President, Regional Transformation and Integration at TBRHSC. “It is impressive to see how partners have come together across the region to meet the needs of patients in these challenging times. This innovation and collaborative spirit will serve patients well.”
Both TBRHSC and LWDH have had patients wishing to share their experiences with this program. Below are a few brief stories to share, interviews with each person can be arranged.
Patient experiences:
Clayton Teeple recently underwent spinal surgery at Lake of the Woods District Hospital (LWDH) in Kenora, the first-of-its kind occurrence in the city. This surgery was made possible thanks to a partnership between LWDH and TBRHSC to expand access to spinal surgery for patients in Northwestern Ontario.
Samantha Cameron had been living with extreme pain for 8 months due to a disc herniation. An active and avid fan of the outdoors, Samantha’s usual summer of fun saw most of her time stuck inside with none of her usual activities like camping, boating sidelined. Dr. Puskas performed her surgery, and the results were obvious right away. An immediate relief of pain and all pressure on her nerves was gone.
“The pain episodes were so severe, I was barely walking, barely able to move. All I could think was I don’t want to live like this. At LWDH, the nurses were wonderful, they were absolutely amazing and took good care of me. This summer I will be able to enjoy time with my family.” ~Samantha Cameron
Shared on behalf of Aaron Skillen, Regional Director, North West Regional Renal Program
After 38 years in health care, most recently as the Manager of the North West Regional Renal Program, Mary Wrigley has announced her plan to retire.
Mary started her health care career on 6 South at McKellar Hospital in 1983. Within that same year, Mary moved to 3 South surgical, where she remained for eight years. In 1990, Mary began what would become a remarkable and impactful career in Renal, first in a research position and then as the Renal Outpatient Coordinator – a part of the new multidisciplinary team in Renal. Mary’s role as Outpatient Coordinator was one of the first in the province; and similar in Canada, at the time. In 2014, Mary moved into her current role as the Manager of the North West Regional Renal Program.
Mary has always strived to encourage a respectful team, grounded in the Patient Family Centred Care (PFCC) philosophy at TBRHSC; and in each of her roles, Mary has been dedicated to ensuring the renal patient is at the centre of every decision made about their care. She brought the patients voice to the leadership level advocating for their needs, including increased physical space and options for independent dialysis. Her advocacy efforts focused on the patient’s immediate needs while her strategic focus ensured they continued to receive great care in the future.
Mary’s achievements are numerous. Under her leadership; and the umbrella of the Ontario Renal Network (ORN), she has seen the expansion of the program both at TBRHSC and its satellite sites in Fort Frances, Kenora and Sioux Lookout. Mary has mentored and inspired many and is well respected and loved by her team. She has been nominated not once, but twice for the TBRHSC Walk the Talk Award in 2012 and 2016, which only further represents her dedication to the renal population. Her guidance, dedication, compassion and enthusiasm over the years has provided a solid foundation for the program for many years to come.
Mary is looking forward to spending time with her family, pursuing her hobbies – including some gardening this summer, and eventually doing some travelling. We wish her well as she embarks on this next stage in life. Thank you Mary for your years of dedicated patient care within the North West Regional Renal Program and at TBRHSC.
After spending the winter months in Thunder Bay, the Screen for Life Coach is ready to hit the road into the region this spring starting April 8th. This mobile health screening service visits more than 70 different locations in Northwestern Ontario throughout the year to provide breast, cervical and colon cancer screening.
“Our 2020 remote service season was cut short due to the pandemic, but in 2021 we are looking forward to a full travel schedule,” says Lauren Beach, Mobile Coach Coordinator at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC). “Our team is excited to get back out on the road and serving people across the region. We also want to assure clients that they can access cancer screening safely during the pandemic.”
The Screen for Life Coach’s travel season begins in Dryden and will travel from Wawa to the Manitoba Border, and everywhere in between, including many Indigenous communities. The season goes until November, with some appointments available in Thunder Bay. In Ontario, the cancer screening guidelines for average risk men and women are as follows:
Women, who are between the ages of 50 and 74 years, should have a mammogram every two years to screen for breast cancer.
Anyone between 21 and 69 years old with a cervix, who has ever been sexually active, should have a Pap test to screen for cervical cancer every three years.
Individuals, who are between the ages of 50 and 74 years, who have no first-degree family history of colon cancer, should complete a take-home colon cancer screening kit every two years.
All these cancer screening tests can be accessed on the Screen for Life Coach. Those who are eligible for screening do not require a referral from a health care provider to access services on the Coach. However, an appointment is required.
“Lauren and her team pride themselves on being there for our Northwestern Ontario communities and wants to assure that people know we are coming to them for safe cancer screening,” says Dr. Rhonda Crocker Ellacott, President and CEO at TBRHSC and CEO at Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute. “Especially during the pandemic, we are encouraging everyone to stay on top of their health and wellbeing. It’s important to get screened even when you feel healthy and have no symptoms.”
The following measures have been put in place on the Screen for Life Coach to ensure the safety of both clients and staff:
Clients are required to wear masks while attending their appointment and answer screening questions prior to entrance,
Staff wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE),
Appointment times have been extended to allow for thorough cleaning between clients,
All staff working on the Coach have received there COVID-19 vaccine.
Please book your cancer screening appointment on the Screen for Life Coach by calling 1-800-461-7031 or (807) 684-7777.
To see the complete travel season schedule, visit www.tbrhsc.net/screenforlife or follow us on Facebook by searching for ‘Screen for Life Coach Northwest’.
Doing some spring cleaning? Our hospital Patient Clothing Cupboard is in need of a few new or gently used clothing items for our patients. If you have anything we are looking for, please have them dropped off to Volunteer Services so that they can go through our quarantine process.
NEW Mens Underwear (Small, Large, X-Large & XX-Large)
Men’s Comfortable Bottoms/Pants (all sizes)
NEW Women’s Underwear (all sizes)
Women’s Comfortable Bottoms/Pants (all sizes)
Thank you for supporting our Patient Clothing Cupboard!
Sent on behalf of Infection Prevention and Control
A COVID-19 outbreak has been declared on 2B Medical at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. The hospital currently has 1 unit in COVID-19 outbreak:
2B Medical
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 are isolated on the appropriate Additional Precautions. The department of Infection Prevention and Control encourages everyone to keep applying the routine practices of hand hygiene, proper use of PPE, equipment cleaning, and the appropriate screening of all patients. Please set an example for staff and students and assist us by maintaining compliance and due diligence. Notice will be sent when the outbreak is declared over.
For more information, contact: Infection Prevention and Control at Tel. (807) 684-6094
When she got the call last Friday that she’d won $664,885 in the Thunder Bay 50/50, Edna Parsons was in total disbelief.
“I had to ask for the amount to be repeated,” she laughed. “And I asked for my ticket number to be confirmed because I honestly couldn’t believe I’d won.”
“I purchased tickets in the February draw, and again at the very beginning of March, but I had this thought that I should buy again on March 18thand so I bought another 30 tickets for $20, and it was that set of tickets that won!” she exclaimed. “I would encourage everyone to grab a second set of tickets.”
“Of course I’m delighted with my win, but it makes a big difference where the rest of the money goes. I’m very happy that the Foundation gets its share to help pay for new equipment at the Hospital,” she added.
Parsons is a long-time resident of Thunder Bay and taught at many schools throughout the city. When news of her win was announced, she had over 100 Facebook messages congratulating her, many from former students. Even a friend from Quebec called, after hearing the news through the grapevine. “It was overwhelming, in a wonderful way,” she said.“
We were, once again, thrilled with the success of this draw and excited to give Edna this huge amount of cash,” said Glenn Craig, President & CEO, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation. “Over the past two draws, we’ve given away over $1.6M in cash thanks to the incredible support of our ticket purchasers. Not only do we have big winners in our community, but our Hospital wins too, as proceeds from these draws goes directly to the purchase of much-needed equipment so the healthcare professionals here can provide the best care for our families and friends. With draws continuing every month, there are still lots of winners out there!”
About the Thunder Bay 50/50 This month’s take-home prize is already at $80,000 and rising fast! Every Thunder Bay 50/50 funds vital medical equipment right here at our Hospital, bringing better healthcare to Thunder Bay & Northwestern Ontario. There is a new Thunder Bay 50/50 Grand Prize draw on the last Friday of every month! Anyone 18 and older and who is in Ontario at time of purchase can participate! Note: Tickets do not carry over from monthly draw to monthly draw.
