Interprofsesional Education is hosting a variety of certificate courses designed to help you grow professionally and expand your expertise. With multiple courses running every month, there’s something for everyone re a variety of new certificate courses available for Fall 2026. Check out the avaliable courses below:
All staff, professional staff, learners, and volunteers are invited to tune in, stay informed, and get involved as in our monthly Town Hall. This is your chance to hear the latest updates from across our Hospital and Health Research Institute — from strategic priorities to day-to-day operations — and to have your voice heard.
Upcoming Town Hall Dates Via Microsoft Teams
September 16 @ 2:00 p.m.
October 21 @ 2:00 p.m.
November 18 @ 2:00 p.m.
December 16 @ 2:00 p.m.
January 20 @ 2:00 p.m.
February 17 @ 2:00 p.m.
March 17 @ 2:00 p.m.
April 21 @ 2:00 p.m.
May 19 @ 2:00 p.m.
June 16 @ 2:00 p.m.
Got questions or feedback?
This is your forum. Ask questions live during the Q&A segment or submit them in advance to ensure the right people are available to respond.
Submit your questions by:
Submitting questions in advance ensures the right people are available to respond.
Don’t miss it — we look forward to seeing you there!
If you’d like to access a recording or presentation from a previous Town Hall, visit the archive.
Congratulations to September’s Hand Hyigene Champion, Sabrina Bolt, RN on 2B.
Sabrina has worked at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre for a year and has made it a habit when entering/exiting a patient rooms to complete hand hygiene even when things get busy. She believes this important task protects both herself and her patients from the spread of disease and infections.
Hello, Boozhoo, Bonjour.
I want to close out August with a fuller update on where things stand across the organization.
First, a word about the month itself because August asked a lot of you. What I want you to know is that when we get challenged, the response I see from our teams and staff is steady and professional. I notice it, the leadership team notices it, and your work and care is impressive and not taken for granted.
Work on our next strategic plan is now underway. Engagement is happening inside and outside the organization and if you have seen the QR codes posted around the building that is your invitation to complete the confidential survey. It takes only a few minutes and the answers will help shape the next five years of this organization. Huddles with staff are in progress, along with sessions involving our leaders, the Board, physicians, community partners, and patient family advisors. As previously mentioned, the questions framing this plan are simple. What should we keep doing, what should we start doing, and what should we stop doing? The answers are now arriving, and I want yours in the mix. We expect Board approval of the new plan by December and a launch in early 2027. Click here for the survey.
The health system stabilization work I wrote about in June continues with the Ministry of Health and Ontario Health. Our current focus is on conservable bed days, with action plans targeted for September, and we are reviewing sick time and overtime for opportunities to improve. Sadly, overtime is an area where we do not benchmark well against our peers and we need to do better. I know how a line like that can read from the front line, so let me be clear about the intent. High overtime usually says more about how we schedule and staff than about the people working the hours. The point of this review is to fix what drives the hours, not to blame the people working them. If you are aware of what increases overtime or sick time in your area, tell your manager or email me. The Ministry expects gains in efficiency from every hospital in this work and our commitment has not changed since June. We will find those gains without compromising quality or access to care.
Construction continues on nearly every corner of the Hospital campus. The Cardiovascular Surgery Program sits at 38 per cent completion and remains on schedule, and the renovated ECG and phlebotomy areas have been handed over for clinical use. The new Emergency Department addition is complete, including the reception, registration and security areas, and the overall triage project is at 65 per cent with completion expected this winter. Demolition has started on Level 3 for the new central scope reprocessing space. Roof replacement is finished over 3C, 2C short stay and the ED perimeter, with the ambulance bay and OR administration areas to follow soon. The millwork for our Expanse workstations is nearly complete in the pods and has started in the ICU. On Expanse itself, the build is progressing well and we expect to set a go-live date later this fall as we review the remaining milestones. Once that date is set, details on training and preparation will follow.
Finally, I want to acknowledge something everyone driving to work has noticed. Traffic within the vicinity has been difficult, with our construction activity compounded by City of Thunder Bay road work in the surrounding area. We continue to assess the impacts and project timelines to reduce the congestion where able. Thank you for your patience.
I hope your September gets off to a great start, and you feel positive and refreshed for the months ahead.
As always, I welcome any comments or questions you may have. Please feel free to email directly at: Rhonda.Ellacott@tbh.net.
With the transition to SharePoint, we want to make sure you’re ready!
Join one of our drop-in sessions or check out our training resources to get started on your SharePoint journey.
Visit M365Hub.tbh.net or nwohealth.sharepoint.com/sites/M365Training to check out our education resources.
On Wednesdays from June 10 to December 9, ask questions and get support for SharePoint. Visit the M365Hub training page at M365Hub.tbh.net for links.
SharePoint Training [All Staff]
SharePoint Training [Leaders and Owners]
Give us a call at 807-684-6411, email us at Help.Desk@tbh.net, or submit a ticket on our Help Desk Self Service app for support.
SharePoint Training
Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre staff are invited to attend the upcoming Sickle Cell Awareness Event, hosted by NorWest Community Health Centres in partnership with the Sickle Cell Awareness Group of Ontario on Saturday, September 19, 2026, from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Davinci Centre, Thunder Bay.
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited blood disorder that affects red blood cells and can lead to serious health complications, including episodes of severe pain, anemia, infections, and organ damage. Although SCD can affect people from different backgrounds, it disproportionately affects people of African and Caribbean ancestry.
For TBRHSC staff, the event is an opportunity to learn more about sickle cell disease, available community resources and the experiences of individuals and families affected by the condition.
TBRHSC will also have a presence at the event as part of ongoing community engagement for the development of our Hospital’s Black Health Action Plan (BHAP). Hospital representatives will connect with members of Black communities and participating organizations, share information about the BHAP, and recruit eligible participants for upcoming focus group discussions.
Attendance is free, but registration is required. Registration: https://surveymonkey.com/r/DH2PJJ7
We encourage interested TBRHSC staff to attend, learn, connect and support greater awareness of sickle cell disease in our community.
We are excited to share an important milestone for our Neurosurgical team with the launch of our first-ever Neuro Simulation Education Days at Thunder Bay Regional Health Science Centre (TBRHSC).
As we continue to advance our Neuro Observation Unit to align with Ontario Health and Critical Care Services Ontario Level 2 Critical Care standards, we have increased the education, training and clinical skill development available to our nursing team. Level 2 neurosurgical patients require enhanced neurological assessment, monitoring, early recognition of deterioration and the ability to safely manage increasingly complex patient care needs.
To support our nurses in developing these competencies, staff have participated in a neurosurgical-focused online course through Conestoga College, complemented by our newly developed Neuro Simulation Education Days. These education days were developed and facilitated by our interim Neurosurgical Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS), Kayla Paoliello, NEON Educator, Kim Belluz, and our Neurosurgical Physician Assistant (PA), Victoria Lemay-Stirrup which provided staff with hands-on learning and realistic simulation scenarios specific to the care of higher-acuity neurosurgical patients.
This is an exciting step forward and a great new resource for our Neurosurgical team. Providing dedicated education and simulation allows our nurses to build their knowledge, skills and confidence while helping ensure our practice continues to meet the standards expected for Level 2 Neurosurgical care.
A huge thank you to our neurosurgical nurses for embracing this opportunity and continuing to advance the care we provide and continuing to deliver on TBRHSC’s commitment to providing Exceptional Care for Every Patient, Every Time.
September 8, 2026, to March 28, 2027
Beginning September 8, 2026, the Hospital will introduce a temporary Pay-for-Results (P4R) initiative to provide dedicated support for inpatient bed moves and patient transportation within the Emergency Department (ED).
Through this initiative, Inter-facility Transport Escorts will assist with moving patients within and between inpatient units to support timely bed placement and cohorting. Completing these moves promptly will help make inpatient beds available for patients waiting in the ED and support the movement of admitted patients to the appropriate inpatient care area.
When they are not completing inpatient bed moves, team members will assist with patient transportation within the ED. This added support will allow nurses to spend more time providing direct patient care.
The initiative is intended to:
Coverage will be introduced gradually as team members complete onboarding and orientation. The service is expected to provide full 24-hour, seven-day-a-week coverage beginning October 5, 2026.
If you have any questions about this initiative, please contact Chad Johnson, Director – Pre-hospital Program, Emergency & Critical Care Services.
Take It In Strides 2026, presented by Sullivan + Associates Clinical Psychology, is a community run/walk bringing people together in support of mental health and suicide prevention in Northwestern Ontario. In just three years, our community has helped Take It In Strides raise more than $150,000, supporting mental health programming and initiatives that make a difference right here at home.
While race day brings us together, the impact goes far beyond one day, funds raised help support programming and initiatives throughout the year. Every person who walks, runs, volunteers, donates, or simply shows up is helping remind someone in our community that they are not alone. It’s about creating connection, starting conversations, reducing stigma, and continuing to build a community where people feel supported when they need it most.
Whether you run, walk, or cheer from the sidelines, every stride we take together is a stride toward better mental health in our community.
