New in-hospital emergency mental health and addictions area will provide quicker access to critical services

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The Ontario government is making it faster and easier for people in the Thunder Bay region to connect to high-quality, comprehensive mental health and addiction support services by building a new emergency mental health and addictions assessment and observation area at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre.

“Our government is making record investments to connect more people to the care they need, when they need it, no matter where they live,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “By building a new assessment and observation area at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, our government is ensuring people and families in Thunder Bay and across Northwestern Ontario have faster access to mental health and addictions support services for years to come.”

The province’s investment will build a new, state-of-the-art emergency mental health and addictions assessment and observation area, ensuring the hospital is better equipped to deliver responsive and comprehensive care to those in crisis.

Once opened, the new mental health area will include:

• A new space designed to provide care in a safe and private setting for patients and their families
• Modern, state-of-the-art space for nurses and physicians to assess patients
• Enhanced programming and care plan development that puts people at the centre of decision making on their treatment journey
• Direct access from the emergency department triage for improved patient experience

The ministry is working with Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre to complete early planning and design for this project. A construction schedule will be confirmed once future planning is complete and the project is tendered and awarded.

“The creation of this new mental health and addictions assessment and observation area in Thunder Bay represents a significant step forward in delivering the continuum of care our government is committed to providing,” said Michael Tibollo, Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. “This initiative will ensure individuals in crisis have access to critical services quickly and close to home, offering them the support they need to begin their recovery journey in a safe and compassionate environment.”

Through Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, the Ontario government is making it easier and faster for people of all ages to connect to care. In 2020, the province introduced the Roadmap to Wellness, a plan to build a modern, world-class mental health and addictions care system. The government continues to introduce and expand on innovative new programs to ensure access to connected and convenient care to support the health and well-being of all Ontarians.

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Quick Facts

• Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre is a world-class acute health care facility and a designated academic health sciences centre which is also a host training facility for students from Northern Ontario School of Medicine University, as well as other medical schools.
• 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.
• 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.
• Ontario is investing $3.8 billion over 10 years to fill gaps in mental health and addictions care, create new services and expand programs through Roadmap to Wellness.
• Through the Roadmap to Wellness and the Addictions Recovery Fund the province is adding over 550 new addictions treatment beds to build capacity across the mental health and addictions sector. This includes 34 additional addictions treatment beds in Thunder Bay and the surrounding region.
• In June 2024, Ontario announced funding to support the development of a Youth Wellness Hub in Thunder Bay, led by the Children’s Centre Thunder Bay. The hub will connect youth aged 12 to 25 and their families to convenient, culturally safe, and free mental health, substance use, primary care, and Indigenous healing and wellbeing services in a safe, youth-friendly space, beginning in 2025.
• Between August 2019 and September 2024, the provincial network of Youth Wellness Hubs have connected approximately 55,705 youth and their families to mental health, substance use, and wellness services, accounting for more than 300,000 visits to the 22 hubs across Ontario. Recognizing the success of Youth Wellness Hubs, Ontario is expanding the provincial network by adding 10 new hubs across the province, including the hub in Thunder Bay.
• As part of Budget 2024, Building a Better Ontario, the government is building on its work through the Roadmap by investing an additional $396 million over three years to improve access and expand existing mental health and addictions services and programs.

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Quotes

“With the steadily rising rates of mental health and substance-use related visits to our Hospital, this investment is vital to reduce health inequities and enhance both clinical care and service excellence for patients of Northwestern Ontario. These enhancements to the Emergency Department underscore our commitment to patient and family centred care by providing personalized care based on the unique needs of each patient, while upholding dignity and respect throughout the pathway of care.”

– Dr. Rhonda Crocker Ellacott
President and CEO, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and CEO, Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute

“I am proud to see our government making this critical investment in mental health and addictions care for the people of Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario. By creating a new emergency mental health and addictions assessment and observation area at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, we are helping to provide the resources for people in our community to have quicker, more direct access to life-saving support. This new addition will provide a safe space for patients and families, while also giving health care professionals the resources they need to deliver the best possible care. This is another important step in our ongoing commitment to strengthening mental health services close to home, so that everyone can get the help they need, when they need it.”

– Kevin Holland
MPP, Thunder Bay—Atikokan

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Additional Resources

• Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care

Occupational Health and Safety are giving away two, six-month parking passes to those who got their flu shot.

There will be drop-in appointment times taking place Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. in the Occupational Health and Safety office.

If you can’t make the drop-in times, vaccine appointments can be scheduled any day of the week.

Please notify Occupational Health and Safety if you have received your flu vaccine from your doctor or at another facility by emailing your immunization documentation proof to TBRHSC.OccupationalHealthandSafety@tbh.net to ensure your chart is updated.

Shared on behalf of Adam Vinet, Vice President, Patient Experience & Chief Nursing Executive and Regional Vice President, Regional Cancer Care & Justin Garofalo, Interim Vice President, Corporate Services and Chief Financial Officer

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We are excited to hear your feedback on the UKG Pro Workforce Management (UKG Pro) scheduling system we launched earlier this year!

Your experience with this tool is incredibly important to us, and we want to ensure that it truly meets your needs and supports your day-to-day work. Whether the system has helped streamline your scheduling, provided more flexibility, or offered other benefits, we want to know how it is working for you.

Please take a few minutes to complete the UKG Pro Scheduling System All Staff Feedback Survey. The survey will be open until December 20, 2024. Your input will help us make meaningful improvements for everyone.

We would also like to take a moment to recognize and thank everyone who contributed to the successful transition to UKG Pro. Your collaboration and dedication have been key to making this change smooth for the whole organization.

We depend on each other every day and it is nice to know we can continue to depend on each other even as we make changes to how we do our work.

Thank you to all staff for your ongoing support for improvements and for being an integral part of this change.

Click Here for Survey Link
Or scan the QR Code below:

Shared on behalf of Ryan Sears, Director, Capital & Facility Services­

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In light of the holiday season, we remind you to ensure that your work area and department(s) are compliant with the Ontario Fire Code. Compliance is everyone’s responsibility and fire safety requirements are expected to be followed at all times. Thunder Bay Fire Rescue is empowered to review our operations at any time. Some examples of Fire Code compliance include: Work Place:

• Flammable substances in the work place (i.e. paper, decorations, etc.) are in limited quantity as per CPO-01 Workspace Policy, Decorative materials shall not exceed 10% of the aggregate of wall surface area;
• The work place is maintained in a tidy and professional manner.  See CPO-01 Workspace Policy for a general overview of expectations;
• All signage conforms to ADMIN-25 Signage Policy;
• All ceiling tiles are in place to maintain the fire rating of the room.

 Fire Safety Devices:

• Items do not block access to or use of the fire hose cabinet or fire extinguisher;
• Items on shelves are not within eighteen (18) inches of a sprinkler head.
• Items are not suspended or hung from fire sprinkler heads or protective cages.

 Doors, Egress & Corridors:

• Door handles and door closures are working properly.  If not, please submit a work request to Maintenance;
• Fire separation doors are not obstructed, blocked, wedged open, or altered in any way to prevent the intended function of the door;
• Medical equipment, stretchers, carts, etc. are not stored near fire exits, hampering egress;
• Stairwells are unobstructed and not used for storage;
• Corridors are not obstructed and a width of at least 1650mm (65”) is maintained in corridors serving patients, and for all other corridors, 1100mm (43”);
• Broken equipment is sent to Maintenance for repair or disposal.  Garbage or recycling is removed by Housekeeping and other items for disposal are arranged for through Material Distribution.

Electrical Safety:

• Items are not being stored within one (1) meter of an electrical panel;
• Items are not stored in electrical rooms;
• Extension cords are not being used as permanent wiring (note: power bars that are approved by Maintenance can be used);
• Plugged-in electrical equipment or devices have been properly procured and inspected as per PP-100 Requirements for Certification of Medical Devices and Equipment Policy;
• Appliances have been properly procured, inspected, and are only located and used in designated kitchenettes as per CPO-01 Workspace Policy.

 Chemicals & Compressed Gases:

• Chemicals are properly identified and stored;
• In departments requiring spill kits, procedures are available as well as records of trained staff;
• All compressed gas cylinders are properly secured and stored appropriately;
• Staff are aware of the hazards within their department and have reviewed the MSDS for WHMIS controlled products.

 Knowledge:

• Staff review the Hospital Emergency Codes as part of their annual mandatory learning courses. If your departmental sub plans have changed due to space changes, please ensure reviews with staff are completed;
• Staff know where to find the Code Red Policy and their department sub plan;
• Staff know where their closest pull stations are located;
• Staff are familiar with the R.E.A.C.T. acronym as it relates to fire response.

The revised EMER-30 Code Red Policy is posted on the iNtranet. Please ensure that you are aware of any changes and that a physical copy of the policy is printed and available in your departmental Emergency Code binder, along with your department’s associated Code Red sub-plan. 

If you have any immediate fire safety concerns, please contact Nicole Moffett, Manager, Emergency Preparedness, Switchboard & Security.  For Maintenance or equipment concerns, please contact Allan Korol, Manager, Facilities & Biomedical Services.  For general questions, please contact me.

Thank you to all staff, professional staff, learners and volunteers for working with such dedication and compassion over the past year. I am inspired and I admire your professionalism and your genuine care for patients and families during a time when we are seeing high patient volumes.

Last month, we unveiled in our lobby a permanent plaque honouring the ancestral lands of Fort William First Nation, the Robinson Superior Treaty of 1850 and the First Nation communities within this Treaty. Having this plaque at the Hospital is an enduring sign of our commitment to Truth and Reconciliation. As identified in the Call to Action 10 (vii), which emphasizes the importance of respecting Treaty relationships, reconciliation begins with acknowledging the history and future of Indigenous Peoples in Canada. We remain committed to a collaborative future and creating an environment of inclusion, equity and compassion at our Hospital.

Other exciting news from this past month includes the announcement of $6.6M from the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation. The funds will be used to purchase essential equipment at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and regional hospitals. This includes $1.5M for Diagnostic Imaging to upgrade the 1.5T MRI, replace the Single Photon Emission Computer Tomography (SPECT) camera, and purchase a new Drager Fabius MRI-compatible anesthesia machine. These purchases are vital to maintain high-quality care close to home for patients who need access to diagnostic imaging. Thank you to the public for their incredible generosity through their donations, and to the Health Sciences Foundation for their dedication to helping us enhance care in our region.

To further enhance care, one of our goals within Strategic Plan 2026 is to build a Sustainable Future. As a part of this, we want to inspire the next generation to pursue a career in health care. To that end, our Hospital hosted two events – Take Our Kids to Work Day and Indigenous Career Experience. Take Our Kids to Work Day is an annual experiential learning opportunity for Grade 9 students across Ontario, where students tour various departments around the Hospital while learning about different health care fields and volunteer opportunities. Similarly, for the Indigenous Career Experience, students learned about the variety of careers within the Hospital and in health care while participating in hands-on activities. Our hope is that these events encourage students to find a passion for helping others and to envision themselves making a difference in the live of others by working in a health care field.

Finally, this month we celebrate International Volunteer Day (December 5). Volunteers play an integral role at our Hospital, lending their time and skills to support and improve lives of patients, families and staff across the organization. I would like to take this opportunity to celebrate and give a heartfelt “thank you” to our dedicated volunteers.

As the year comes to an end, I hope you take the time to find holiday cheer with your family and friends over this festive season, and I wish you all the best in 2025.

Patricia Lang
Chair, Board of Directors
Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre

On December 5 we celebrate International Volunteer Day. Volunteers play an integral role at our Hospital, lending their time and skills to support and improve lives of patients, families and staff across the organization.

Take a moment today to celebrate and say a heartfelt “thank you” to our dedicated volunteers.

Happy International Volunteer Day!

This holiday season, Perkopolis makes gifting easy with their ultimate gift guide! Discover handpicked favorites from the Perkopolis team to help you find the perfect present for everyone on your list—while enjoying exclusive savings.

Log in with your @tbh email to start browsing.

For more information, or if you have any questions please reach out to Human Resources at tbrhsc.humanresources@tbh.net.

Shared on behalf of Jennifer Wintermans, VP Clinical Services, Quality and Corporate Affairs

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I am pleased to announce Joshua (Josh) Cutting has accepted the position of Manager, Diagnostic Imaging (DI). Josh will oversee General Radiology, Interventional Radiology, Mammography, Ultrasound, DI Recovery Area and DI Nursing Resources. Josh will also assume the role of X-Ray Safety Officer.

Josh has been a registered Medical Radiation Technologist with Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre since 2012, working within various clinical roles, including a lead as a Patient Flow Unit Lead. He also holds certifications as an Interventional Radiology Technologist and Gastrointestinal Technologist. In this Manager role, Josh will provide leadership and oversight while creating an environment that fosters creativity, innovation and excellence in patient care, in addition to ensuring that all aspects of quality and safety are adhered to in the Diagnostic Imaging department.

With Josh’s 12+ years of experience he offers skills in problem solving, time management, and leadership. In addition to his clinical experience, Josh has succeeded in many continuing education programs including two Interventional Radiology programs through the Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists (CAMRT) and the Ontario Association of Medical Radiation Sciences (OAMRS).

Effective December 16^th, Josh will provide management alongside Katherine (Kati) Tuomi, Manager, DI who will now oversee CT, PET/CT, MRI, Nuclear Medicine, BMD, Clerical Support, Professional Practice Head for MRTS and DMSs and Radiation Safety Officer. Mike Sharma, Interim Director of Diagnostic Imaging will be departing from his role as of December 13^th 2024. We would like to thank Mike for his valued interim leadership and support throughout the last months.

Director oversight for this area is in the recruitment stages and we are hopeful to have this position filled in the next few weeks.

Please join me in congratulating Josh in his leadership role within the organization.

Take a drive by 753 Syndicate Ave (off Northern Ave) this December, tune your radio to 92.3 FM, and enjoy a magical light show featuring four singing light bulbs!

For the past 10 years, James Hill has been lighting up Thunder Bay with holiday cheer. After receiving two stents, James found a new lease on life and a mission to give back. For another year, he’s inviting everyone to help support the Our Hearts at Home Cardiovascular Campaign, raising funds to bring cardiovascular surgery to Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario.

Stop by to watch a song or stay for the full 20-minute show all from the comfort of your car.

🎄 Show Times:
Monday to Thursday: 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Friday & Saturday: 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Eve: 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.

Donations can be made throughout December at: www.healthsciencesfoundation.ca/lights.