We each play a vital role in advancing our strategic priorities and achieving our vision of Exceptional care for every patient, every time. To increase awareness of the progress we are making on Strategic Plan 2026, we are sharing highlights of each strategic priority every quarter. The full list of each “Quarterly Strategic Initiative Highlights” can be found on the intranet.
Researcher Staffing and Recruitment
Key initiatives underway include:
Joint Nurse Researcher Appointment with Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute. This appointment is one full-time, tenure track faculty appointment in the Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences/School of Nursing. The successful candidate(s) will work towards expanding the current state of nursing research, build capacity, and enhance community and other partnerships.
Lakehead University/Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute (LU/TBRHRI) Chair in the School of Nursing at Lakehead University and at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre/Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute. One full-time, tenure track faculty appointment in the Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences/School of Nursing. This is a 5-year renewable appointment; the successful candidate will engage in a combination of teaching, research and service duties.
The review of applications will start September 2024 and will continue until the positions are filled. Please visit www.lakeheadu.ca for further details.
**Update January 29** The area in front of Volunteer Services will be blocked off starting at 2:00 p.m.
There has been a delay to the start of the repairs, and they will now begin Wednesday, January 29
Over the next several months, we will be completing repairs to the terrazzo flooring in the Main Lobby and in the Cafeteria. Work will occur overnight between 8:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. but the work area will be closed off 24-hours/day to protect the area and equipment and to ensure the safety of staff, patients and visitors.
This Monday, January 27, we will be starting the repairs in the space in front of Volunteer Services. Please see the attached map (below). The work is expected to span the week.
This work area will impact access routes to:
the main doors to Adult Mental Health via Level 2 —> access should be via Elevator-01 (at the East Entrance)
the main door to Volunteer Services —> access will be via Office 2008 during daytime hours
access to the east doors to the Cancer Centre (at the north end of the main corridor) —> access should be via the Level 3 bridge from Health Records to Supportive Care
the Grand Staircase will be closed off between Level 1 and Level 2; they will remain accessible between Level 2 and Level 3
Support Services and Pharmacy – it’s suggested that staff utilize the first floor to travel to Elevator-01 then up to Level 2 to get to AMH
Code Response – alternate routes to AMH should be worked out in advance and communicated clearly to response teams
We will be providing updates via the Informed newsletter as construction continues throughout the Main Lobby and Cafeteria.
New cardiovascular surgery program at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre will connect more people to care in Northwestern Ontario
(From L-R): Kevin Holland, MPP for Thunder Bay – Atikokan; Dr. Stephen Adams, Chair, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation Board; Dr. Rhonda Crocker Ellacott, President and CEO, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and CEO, Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute; and Christine Bates, First Vice Chair, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre Board.
The Ontario government is celebrating a key milestone connecting more people in Thunder Bay and across Northwestern Ontario to life-saving cardiac care by awarding the construction contract and investing over $93 million to build the new Cardiovascular Surgery Program at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. This new funding builds on the over $5.7 million the government has previously invested to support early planning and design for this transformational project.
“Today marks a significant milestone for Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario with the announcement of the new Cardiovascular Surgery Program at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre,” said The Hon. Kevin Holland, MPP for Thunder Bay – Atikokan. “This $93 million investment will bring life-saving cardiac care closer to home for thousands of residents, eliminating the need for travel to Toronto for surgery. Since I was elected in 2022, I’ve worked closely with local healthcare providers to as of today secure over $263 million in life-changing funding for the healthcare sector in Thunder Bay – Atikokan. This is a testament to our government’s commitment to improving access to care and investing in the health of every Ontarian. I look forward to the great impact this transformative project will have on our community.”
Through this investment, over 76,000 square feet of space will be renovated and expanded to accommodate a new comprehensive Cardiovascular Surgery Program that will allow Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre to complete vital cardiac procedures, reduce wait times for urgent and elective procedures and ensure timely access to essential services in the region.
This transformative project will include:
14 new cardiovascular surgery inpatient cardiac care unit beds
6 coronary care unit beds
A new, state-of-the-art surgical suite equipped with C-arm imaging technology and recovery area
An expanded ambulatory care and pre-admission clinic
A new vascular lab
Renovations to medical devices reprocessing and biomedical departments
This cardiovascular surgery program would be the first of its kind in Northwestern Ontario and will help save patients in the region from travelling over 10 hours to receive surgery in Toronto. By offering these lifesaving cardiovascular services in Northwestern Ontario, the program will also help to increase capacity and address surgical wait times in other hospitals across the province that currently perform cardiovascular surgeries for patients from Northwestern Ontario.
“Our government is making record investments to modernize and expand hospitals across the province to connect people of all ages to the care they need, no matter where they live,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “The addition of this new cardiovascular surgery program at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre will allow people across Northwestern Ontario to access state-of-the-art cardiac care, in their community, when they need it.”
Construction on this project is scheduled to begin in early 2025 and is expected to be completed in late 2027.
“This investment in Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre is great news for the people of Northwestern Ontario. It brings us closer to establishing a Cardiovascular program – meaning patients can look forward to receiving lifesaving treatment right here at home,” said Dr. Rhonda Crocker Ellacott, President and CEO of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Science Centre. “We are committed to evolving to meet the needs of our community and this funding helps us do just that. We appreciate the support in making high quality care more accessible and the government’s dedication to invest in our future.”
Through Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, the Ontario government is expanding and modernizing Ontario’s hospitals, making it faster and easier for people of all ages to connect to the high-quality care they need, where and when they need it.
QUICK FACTS
Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre is a world-class, 375-bed acute care facility that serves over 250,000 people in Thunder Bay and across Northwestern Ontario.
In December 2024, the Ontario government also announced an investment of $9.3 million to support the expansion of Thunder Bay Regional Health Science Centre’s cancer care services by expanding the linear accelerator (LINAC) service from two to three units, connecting more people in Northwestern Ontario to life-saving radiation therapy, closer to home.
Over the next 10 years, Ontario’s investments will lead to nearly $50 billion in health infrastructure across the province, building 3,000 new beds in addition to over 3,500 critical care, acute and post-acute beds our government has added since 2020.
Through Your Health, Ontario is getting shovels in the ground for over 50 hospital developments across the province.
The Ontario government is investing more than $228 million this year to support critical infrastructure upgrades and repairs at 129 hospitals and 58 community health care facilities across the province, a 10 per cent increase from last year. In 2024-25, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre received a total allocation of $33,868 through the Health Infrastructure Renewal Fund program.
The construction of a new cardiac care wing is expected to be completed in late 2027.
(From L-R): Kevin Holland, MPP for Thunder Bay – Atikokan; Dr. Stephen Adams, Chair, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation Board; Dr. Rhonda Crocker Ellacott, President and CEO, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and CEO, Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute; and Christine Bates, First Vice Chair, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre Board.
A $93 million new cardiovascular surgery program is coming to the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre.
“It’s incredible. It’s monumental,” said Rhonda Crocker-Ellacott, president and CEO of the TBRHSC.
“We’ve been waiting a long time, it’s about 10 years in the making, and being able to move forward with this is now incredibly exciting for the patients and families across Northwestern Ontario, not having to travel to Southern Ontario to receive essential services (and) essential care.”
Today, the hospital sends about 300 patients out of Northwestern Ontario to receive life-saving care, Crocker-Ellacott said. By the end of 2027, that care should be available much closer to home.
“The hope is that Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre will be able to provide all essential services right here at home in Northwest Ontario.
“We essentially have the full spectrum of services here in Northwest Ontario with the exception of cardiovascular services. This is really that missing piece of the puzzle in order to provide that comprehensive care as a hub in the Northwest, so patients and families don’t have to travel outside of our region to receive essential care services.”
Crocker-Ellacott said the contract to build the new wing has been awarded and construction is expected to take 35 months.
Some existing areas of the hospital will be renovated and there is a large area being added on to the current building, she said.
“It’s 76,000 square feet,” She said. “The space is just incredible in terms of what it means to our hospital.”
This new expansion will also create 100 new jobs at the hospital, said Crocker-Ellacott.
“There are so many amazing elements of this that will really enable us to be able to deliver critical care services – cardiovascular care services right here at home.”
The project includes 14 new cardiovascular surgery inpatient cardiac care unit beds, six coronary care bed units, a new surgical suite equipped with C-arm imaging technology and recovery area, an expanded ambulatory care and pre-admission clinic, a new vascular lab and renovations to medical devices reprocessing and biomedical departments.
“With the renovations to some of our existing operating rooms and the development and build of a new hybrid operating room, we will be able to offer cardiac surgical services. We’ll see coronary artery bypass grafting, combined bypass grafting and simple valve replacements as well,” said Wayne Taylor clinical director for the cardiovascular medicine and regional renal program at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Science Centre.
This $93 million from the province builds onto the more than $5.7 million the government has previously invested to support early planning and design for this project.
The hospital began reviewing bids for the project late Oct. 2024.
CERAH, Lakehead University, is hosting a half-day workshop open to all health care professionals in Northwestern Ontario on March 19, 2025, at the Superior Inn, Thunder Bay.
“Supporting the Grief Journey of Health Care Providers: It’s in the Work” is designed to support health care providers in navigating the impact of grief in the workplace. With specialist Keynote, Eugene Dufour, this workshop will provide tools to understand grief, develop coping strategies, and practice self-care.
Registration includes a hearty networking breakfast, nutrition break, keynote sessions with Eugene Dufour, and your choice of concurrent self-care session: Mushkiki Box Painting with Kimberly Ramsbottom, or Vagal Yoga & Breathing with Erin May.
Resources will be provided for each participant to take home!
Please see the attached poster for more information and to register, or visit the CERAH website.
Share the love this February with the Share a Heart Floral Fundraiser!
$40 bouquets are available all month long, supporting the Our Hearts at Home Campaign. Pick one up at: 🌹 Grower Direct – 777 Red River Road 🌷 Rollason Flowers – 128 Frederica St E 🌺 Vaillant Florist – 178 Algoma St N
Want to send some love to someone staying in the hospital? Pre-order your bouquet with our volunteers across from Seasons Gift Shop on February 3, 4, or 5 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m..
Pictured (L-R): Rob S. (Employee Giving Committee), Terry F. (Patient Safety Improvement Specialist), Lindsay J. (Occupational Therapist), Dana L. (Employee Giving Committee)
Thanks to the generosity of our Employee Giving Fund donors, much-needed “skid-resistant slipper socks” have been purchased and are now making a real difference in the lives of our patients!
Non-slip socks! Made possible by the Employee Giving Fund through a Health Sciences Foundation Grant, this new initiative is improving patient safety and reducing fall risks. These non-slip socks have been a welcome addition to both inpatient and outpatient units as a safer option to be able to mobilize and support patients who arrived in hospital without appropriate footwear. These socks are not only useful in hospital but can also be taken home and used to reduce fall risk at home as well.
Members of the Employee Giving Committee and the Falls Prevention Committee proudly display the socks, a vital tool for enhancing patient safety and preventing falls. This is a wonderful example of how the Employee Donor program is directly improving care at our hospital. You made this happen—thank you for your support!
If you have any questions about your Employee Donations, or would like to sign up, please contact: Ryan Moore 684-7112 | ryan.moore@tbh.net.
If you are interested in joining the Employee Giving Committee, please contact Robert Srigley at robert.srigley@tbh.net.
