Shared on behalf of Shawn Seagris – Manager, CAMHU, Ambulatory Mental Health, AMCS & Inpatient Social Work

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We are pleased to announce that Dr. Alexandra Drawson will be joining the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Unit (CAMHU) as our Psychologist, effective September 14, 2026. 

Dr. Drawson’s arrival represents an important milestone for CAMHU, marking the return of dedicated psychology services to our inpatient child and adolescent mental health program after many years without a psychologist. This role further strengthens CAMHU’s interdisciplinary model of care and our ability to provide comprehensive, evidence-informed services to children, youth, and families across Northwestern Ontario.

Dr. Drawson is a Registered Psychologist with the College of Psychologists of Ontario and brings extensive experience working with children, adolescents, and families with complex mental health and neurodevelopmental presentations. Her expertise includes psychological and differential assessment, diagnostic clarification, behavioural and emotional support planning, and evidence-based interventions including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and trauma-informed approaches. 

Most recently, Dr. Drawson has worked as a Psychologist with Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Services at St. Joseph’s Care Group, providing psychological assessment, consultation, treatment, and collaborative care planning for children and youth. Her work has included collaboration with families, schools, community providers, nursing, social work, and psychiatry to support continuity of care for youth with complex mental health needs. 

Dr. Drawson also brings a strong background in research, education, clinical supervision, and program development. She holds a PhD in Clinical Psychology from Lakehead University and has academic appointments with NOSM University and Lakehead University. Her research has focused on child and adolescent mental health, Indigenous health and wellbeing, and improving services for children and youth in Northern and rural communities. 

We are very excited to welcome Dr. Drawson to TBRHSC and CAMHU. Her experience and expertise will be a tremendous addition to our team and, most importantly, to the children, youth, and families we serve. 

Please join us in welcoming Alex to the team when she begins on September 14.

Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) is currently recruiting participants for focus groups to
support the development of our Hospital’s Black Health Action Plan.

The Black Health Action Plan is an initiative that was developed by Ontario Health in order to better understand the healthcare needs of the Black population throughout Ontario, and to help improve health outcomes for Black communities. This work aligns with TBRHSC’s commitment to health equity, culturally safe care, and reducing anti-Black racism at our organization.

What does participation involve?
• Completing a sociodemographic survey
• 2.5 hours in-person focus group

Candidate Criteria

We want to hear from community members, medical or healthcare trainees, physicians, and healthcare professionals who are:

• 18 years of age or older
• Live, work, and reside in Thunder Bay or Northwestern Ontario
• Have received healthcare services at a hospital in Ontario and/or specifically at TBRHSC
• Self-identify as Black

Participants will receive $125 as an honorarium. A meal will be provided at each focus group session.

To participate in the discussion groups, please fill out the registration form.

We’re developing our next Strategic Plan, and your feedback is essential. This is your opportunity to share ideas, identify priorities, and help guide the future direction of our organization.

We want to know:

• What can we do better and/or more efficiently?
• What can we do less of, or stop doing altogether?
• How can we better connect clinical care, research, education and everyday work so that they support each other more effectively?
• Looking ahead to 2031, what would make you proud to work here as an academic?

To complete the survey, click here or scan the QR code below.

Nishnawbe Aski Nation is hosting an International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD) Walk in Thunder Bay. The walk will be held on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, at the Marina Park Festival Grounds starting at 9:00 a.m. and will conclude at 11:00 a.m. at Intercity Shopping Centre. The Event Invite, Agenda, and Walk Route are attached below.

We hope you will join us at the opening ceremonies or for the walk as we help to raise awareness that drug overdose is preventable, reduce the stigma of substance use, and remember those lost to overdose death. The walk is in support of mothers, families, and friends who have lost loved ones.

For the walk, we are encouraging everyone to wear purple clothing, bring any signs with messaging related to IOAD, or bring a photo of a loved one who was lost to an overdose.

Regional Cancer Care Northwest celebrated a renewed focus on Your Symptoms Matter (YSM), a symptom screening questionnaire that gives patients an opportunity to share how they’re feeling with their health care team before their appointment. Responses are reviewed with the patient’s health care team to help guide conversations and decisions about how to best manage their symptoms.

Staff and volunteers marked the relaunch with balloons, cake, roaming YSM snack carts and “Ask Me About YSM” buttons, while encouraging patients to learn more about the tool and complete it before their appointments.

Moving forward, YSM completion rates will be reported monthly and tracked on thermometer displays in the chemotherapy and radiation waiting rooms, helping staff and patients see our progress as we work to make YSM a consistent part of the patient experience.

Medical Affairs is pleased to announce that Dr. Mahdi Montazeri has joined the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre as a General Cardiologist with the Department of Internal Medicine.

Dr. Mahdi Montazeri brings extensive clinical, academic, and research experience in cardiology, with particular expertise in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), cardiovascular imaging, and echocardiography. He completed his medical degree at Tehran University of Medical Sciences and his Cardiology specialty training at Tehran Heart Center. Dr. Montazeri subsequently pursued advanced training at the University of Toronto, including a Research Fellowship in General Cardiology, a General Clinical Cardiology Fellowship at St. Michael’s Hospital, and extensive fellowship training in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy at Toronto General Hospital.

Through this training, he developed significant expertise in the assessment and management of HCM, including echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, genetic cardiomyopathy, sudden cardiac death risk assessment, and the evaluation of patients for advanced therapies such as septal myectomy and alcohol septal ablation. He has reviewed thousands of echocardiographic studies and hundreds of cardiac MRIs and holds certification through the National Board of Echocardiography.

In addition to his clinical expertise, Dr. Montazeri has demonstrated a strong commitment to research and medical education. His research has contributed to the understanding of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, cardiovascular imaging, arrhythmia risk, hypertension, and other areas of cardiovascular medicine, with numerous peer-reviewed publications and presentations.

Please join us in extending a warm welcome to Dr. Mahdi Montazeri as he joins Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. We look forward to the depth of clinical expertise, academic experience, and collaborative approach he will bring to our patients and families we serve

We are launching a new open feedback portal called “What Matters to You?,” designed to identify fast, actionable ideas to improve your day-to-day work.

The focus is on small pebbles, the changes we can implement in the short-term.

Scan the QR code on the poster below and let us know:

• One thing that would improve your workday
• A small change we can implement soon
• Point out a process, tool, or practice to reduce friction
• What we should start, stop, or continue doing for more joy and well-being
• How you’d like to receive updates

Suggestions will be shared with the Staff Advisor Committee.

Thank you for helping us make meaningful, quick-win improvements!

If you have questions please reach out to Human Resources or any Staff Advisory Committee member.

Want to be Featured in the 2027 Well-Being Calendar?

It is time again to open submissions for the 2027 Well-Being Calendar.

Show us how you or your team make your workplace healthier and happier! Scan the QR code below or click this link to submit yourself or your team as a feature, or to submit a recipe!

Together we can make 2027 the healthiest year yet!

Shared on behalf of Dr. Laura Power, Chief of Staff

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We are pleased to announce that Dr. Deanna Buitenhuis has been appointed to the role of Chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology effective August 9, 2026.

Dr. Buitenhuis has worked in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at TBRHSC since 2020, after working for a year at Regina General Hospital. She is committed to quality patient care and excellence, as demonstrated by the clinical care she provides, organizations she is involved with and leadership roles she has taken on.

Dr. Buitenhuis is the Medical Lead for Gynecology Surgery at TBRHSC and is a member of the Network of Endometriosis Surgeons of Ontario Committee. She served as a Board member and Ontario representative/member of the education committee with the Canadian Society for the Advancement of Gynecologic Excellence in 2025 and continues to be involved as a member.  

Dr. Buitenhuis is an Assistant Professor at NOSM University, involved in teaching students and residents, as well as leading and participating in research initiatives and publications.

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Buitenhuis on her appointment.