We’re celebrating 20 years of Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC). Throughout the year, we’ll be taking a trip down memory lane to revisit some of our most significant milestones.
Thank you to our dedicated staff, donors to the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation, community members and partners in health who have played a vital role in building exceptional healthcare for patients and families in Northwestern Ontario.
This week, we’re remembering 📅 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮 (📸)
1) TBRHSC launched a public campaign aimed at bringing awareness to the issue of workplace violence.
2) TBRHSC and Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute (TBRHRI) launched Strategic Plan 2026 – a plan that will guide both organizations along a path of growth and continued success for the next four years.
3) For the first time in the Hospital’s history, TBRHSC joined a group of select hospitals in Canada to receive the highest possible designation from Accreditation Canada, ‘Accredited with Exemplary Standing’.
4) A 20-foot tall tipi was raised on the grounds of TBRHSC to symbolizes the Hospital’s commitment to supporting and enhancing Indigenous Peoples’ healing journey while in our care.
Shared on behalf of Infection Prevention and Control
Please be advised that the COVID-19 outbreak has been declared over at TBRHSC 1A Oncology unit.
All restrictions have been lifted.
Please share this information with the appropriate staff.
As always, our number one priority is the safety of patients and their families, staff and visitors. 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 admission screening of all patients. Please set an example for staff and students and assist us by maintaining compliance and due diligence.
For more information, contact Infection Prevention and Control at extension 6094.
Thank you to those who participated in the Holiday Cheer Week activities.
Below are today’s prize winners:
Grocery Draw Winners ($100 President’s Choice Gift Card)
• Chris Hudema • Isabel Berardi • Vraj Purohit • Thien Phan • Timothy Todesco • Selena Owen • Talia Carroll • Nancy Gillespie • Sean McMillan • Cynthia (Jane) Grant
Trivia Winners
• Liezl Miran ( $50 Cheese Encounters Gift Card) • Jessie Goodman ( $50 Fresh Air Gift Card)
Best Holiday Attire Winners
• Patricia Madigan ( $50 Serenity Salon & Spa Gift Card) • Bonnie Beaulieu ( $50 Gear Up Gift Card)
Showcase Your Holiday Decorations Winners
• Elaine Milks ( $50 Fresh Air Gift Card) • Mandy Girvin ( $50 Cheese Encounter Gift Card)
Last Chance to Participate – Draw Ends Today!
Keep the Holiday Cheer alive by participating in today’s activities! Submit your photos, join the trivia, and spread the holiday spirit for a chance to win. Every entry counts!
So, don’t miss your chance to celebrate and win!
For more information on how to participate, please use this link for reference.
Additional funding to connect more people to high quality care, close to home.
The Ontario government is investing over $18 million to support staffing and operations at local healthcare organizations, helping them address financial pressures and meet the unique needs of the region’s population.
“I’m proud of the provincial government’s ongoing commitment to supporting our healthcare facilities,” said Kevin Holland, MPP for Thunder Bay – Atikokan. “By providing this substantial funding, we’re equipping our healthcare providers with the resources they need to tackle urgent challenges that are unique to our area. This investment will help ensure our healthcare professionals can continue delivering the highest standard of care to the people of Thunder Bay – Atikokan, now and in the years to come.”
Kevin Holland, MPP for Thunder Bay – Atikokan.
This funding will allow healthcare organizations to support and retain healthcare workers, improve access to care and better meet the specific healthcare needs of diverse and rural populations in the region. It represents an additional investment to each organization’s base funding, supporting both immediate needs and long-term improvements.
Atikokan Health and Community Services: $184,690
St. Joseph’s Care Group: $3,155,914
Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre: $14,874,513
Dr. Rhonda Crocker Ellacott, President and CEO, TBRHSC and CEO, TBRHRI, and Kevin Holland, MPP for Thunder Bay – Atikokan.
QUOTES
“We are truly grateful for this significant investment from the provincial government and the ongoing advocacy by MPP Holland. It acknowledges the unique challenges and cost pressures we face in delivering comprehensive healthcare across Northwestern Ontario. By ensuring more predictable and sustainable funding, this support empowers us to better serve our patients, strengthen our partnerships, and retain and recruit the dedicated healthcare professionals who care so deeply for our communities.”
Dr. Rhonda Crocker Ellacott, President & CEO of Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, and CEO, Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute
“We are incredibly fortunate to have some of the most talented and dedicated healthcare staff right here in Thunder Bay. This additional investment recognizes the unique challenges we face in Northwestern Ontario, helping us retain and strengthen our workforce, attract the next generation of healthcare professionals, and keep our focus where it matters most: delivering high-quality care to the people we serve.”
Janine Black, President & CEO, St. Joseph’s Care Group
“Atikokan Health and Community Services is thankful to the Ministry of Health as they demonstrate their continued commitment to supporting health care in rural, northern communities by providing this base funding to our facility. This funding will help to mitigate some of our staffing costs so we can continue to provide inclusive, comprehensive, quality care in our hospital and long-term care home. We appreciate the work that Kevin Holland has done on our behalf and would like to thank him for his ongoing support and advocacy on behalf of our organization.”
Jennifer Learning, CEO, Atikokan Health and Community Services
Thank you to those continue to participate in the Holiday Cheer Week activities.
Below are today’s prize winners:
Grocery Draw Winners ($100 President’s Choice Gift Card)
• Thomas Bulenga • Alexis Berry • Tessa Hargreaves • Margaret Aijo • Michael Conrad • Grace Jewett • John Sibi Thuniyampral • Dana Monty • Saird Ezack • Maria Yabar
Trivia Winners
• Tammy Mechis ( $50 Cheese Encounters Gift Card) • Laure Norris ( $50 Fresh Air Gift Card)
Best Holiday Attire Winners
• Samantha Spenrath ( $50 Serenity Salon & Spa Gift Card) • Kayla Nahkala ( $50 Gear Up Gift Card)
Showcase Your Holiday Decorations Winners
• 3A Surgical Inpatient Unit ( $50 Fresh Air Gift Card) • Pacemaker Clinic/Holter Monitoring Lab ( $50 Cheese Encounter Gift Card)
Keep the Holiday Cheer Alive and Participate Until December 20th!
For more information on how to participate, please use this link for reference.
Remember, every entry counts! Submit your photos, participate in trivia, and spread the holiday spirit for a chance to be featured as one of our winners. Additional winners will be announced daily so keep participating and celebrating the holiday season.
Samantha Spenrath won a $50 Serenity Salon & Spa Gift Card for submitting a photo of her holiday attire. Prize winner Nicole Rabachuk displays the $100 President’s Choice gift card she won.
As part of the Patient Experience strategic priority in Strategic Plan 2026, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) has begun the design and implementation of a co-design framework. This framework aims to foster a shared understanding of co-design among staff, patients, and families, ensuring it becomes a cornerstone of how we deliver care.
Over the past two years, tremendous effort has gone into defining what co-design means specifically for TBRHSC. A diverse committee of over 30 individuals—including frontline staff, physicians, administrative staff, and Patient Family Advisors (PFAs)—collaborated to craft a definition that reflects the values of our Hospital:
“Co-design is a collaborative partnership involving diverse groups of patients, families, allies, and hospital staff to improve quality, experience, and patient and family centred care. With trust, compassion, empathy, equity, and inclusivity at the heart of what we do, TBRHSC strives to create a welcoming environment where patients and families are full and equal partners in their care. This helps improve health services and involves listening and learning together.”
At its core, co-design embodies the value of collaboration of patient and family centred care, taking it to the next level by building meaningful partnerships.
Co-Design Framework: Laying the Foundation
Once the definition was finalized, the team developed a comprehensive framework to integrate co-design into the fabric of TBRHSC. This framework draws on Appreciative Inquiry and emphasizes person-centred communication principles, ensuring equity, relationship-building, and the inclusion of all voices. It establishes co-design as both a guiding philosophy and an actionable strategy for change.
Two Levels of Co-Design Implementation
The implementation of co-design spans two levels, macro- and micro-level co-design.
Macro-Level Co-Design: At the organizational level, co-design serves as a framework for large-scale projects and a change management tool. This structured approach ensures that initiatives across departments and programs are informed by the perspectives and insights of patients and families, creating a shared vision for improvement. The development of the macro-level framework has been completed, providing the foundation for this work.
Micro-Level Co-Design: At the bedside, co-design is about empowering patients to actively co-create their care. This involves applying person-centred communication principles to establish trust, foster mutual understanding, and ensure that care decisions reflect the unique needs and preferences of each patient. The micro-level work is now underway, focusing on embedding co-design into everyday interactions between staff, patients, and families.
By integrating co-design at both the macro and micro levels, TBRHSC is creating a culture where patients and families are truly equal partners in care. Together, we are making strides toward achieving the vision outlined in Strategic Plan 2026 and transforming the patient experience through collaboration, innovation, and trust.
Patient Family Advisors at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, alongside front line staff, physicians and administrative staff, have developed a framework for incorporating co-design into the care delivered at our Hospital.
On December 11th, the Hard Core Troubadours brought the music of Steve Earle to life for Oyster Night at Goods and Co. A portion of the evening’s proceeds were donated to the Northern Cancer Fund, and thanks to the generosity of those who attended, $170 was raised for better cancer care in Northwestern Ontario.
A big thank you to the Hard Core Troubadours for supporting this important cause!
Shared on behalf of Phil Thompson, Director, Support Services
Canada Post will restart operations today, Tuesday, December 17th, and begin the process of safely ramping up and stabilizing operations across the country.
Canada Post will start by working through the mail and parcels trapped in the system since the strike began on November 15th. New commercial volumes will not be accepted into the network until Thursday, December 19th. This means they will not pick up or accept mail or parcels at their plants or depots for the first 48 hours.
As new volumes are accepted, mail and parcels will be secured and delivered on a first-in, first-out basis. Customers should expect delivery delays through the remainder of 2024 and into January 2025.
TBRHSC Mail Room has resumed picking up Canada Post mail. However, with backlog and volume there may be delays. Please continue to use our courier or Purolator for any urgent items over the next few weeks.
Urgent items may be brought to Shipping/Receiving to be shipped Purolator via our standard process, or by using our courier who will deliver any local mail that requires delivery within a 2-3 day delivery window.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact: Jennifer Svane, Jennifer.svane@tbh.net ext. 6202
Thank you to those who participated in the second day of this year’s Holiday Cheer Week activities! Your enthusiasm and participation made the celebrations truly magical.
We are thrilled to announce today’s prize winners:
Grocery Draw Winners ($100 President’s Choice Gift Card)
Noah Sissons
Kristine Kopechanski
Heather Del Ben
Emma Mauro
Jaime Hatala
Chantal Hargreaves
Donna Kane
Savannah Wing
Brenda Lyons
Kayeleigh Larocque
Trivia Winners
Alexandrea Seggewiss ( $50 Cheese Encounters Gift Card)
Kelly Gollat ( $50 Fresh Air Gift Card)
Best Holiday Attire Winners
Julie Einarson ( $50 Serenity Salon & Spa Gift Card)
Paul Shewfelt ( $50 Gear Up Gift Card)
Showcase Your Holiday Decorations Winners
Jodi Lewicki ( $50 Fresh Air Gift Card)
Candyce McKinnon ( $50 Cheese Encounter Gift Card)
Keep the Holiday Cheer Alive and Participate Until December 19th!
For more information on how to participate, please use this link for reference.
Don’t wait—every entry counts! Submit your photos, participate in trivia, and spread the holiday spirit for a chance to be featured as one of our winners.
Additional winners will be announced daily so keep participating and celebrating with us. Let’s make this Holiday Cheer Week one to remember!
Sent on behalf of Dr. Miranda Lesperance, Vice President, Indigenous Collaboration, Equity & Inclusion
Effective December 16, 2024, the Indigenous Health Information page has been transferred and is now located under the Departments section with the new title: Indigenous Collaboration, Equity & Inclusion.
This update reflects our ongoing commitment to enhance collaboration and awareness around Indigenous health and Equity, Diversity & Inclusion within our organization.
Please take the time to familiarize yourself with the updated information and contact sheets throughout the page including:
TBRHSC Indigenous Care Supports
Cultural Education & Awareness
Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
Partners
First Nation Communities
Non-Insured Health Benefits & Jordan’s Principle
Discharge Planning and Palliative Care
Community Specific Resources
Self-Identification
Resources
We encourage you to explore these sections and make use of the valuable resources provided. Should you have any questions or require further information, please feel free to reach out.
