As of February 17, 2025, Cisco Duo Two-Factor Authentication will only be supported on iOS 16 and greater on Apple iPhones and iPads.
We encourage all iPhone/iPad users to always keep their devices up-to-date for both security and functionality. The current iOS level available from Apple is version 18.1
To always keep your device up-to-date and to automatically install updates when they are available, do the following:
Go to Settings > General > Software Update > Automatic Updates.
Under the Automatically Install menu enable iOS Updates.
Under Automatically Download menu enable iOS Updates.
Shared on behalf of Adam Vinet, VP Patient Experience, Chief Nursing Executive, Regional VP Regional Cancer Centre
We continue to experience impacts on our Inpatient Clinical Units and Emergency Department due to respiratory and influenza type illnesses. For that reason, masking requirements will increase effective Monday, October 28, 2024.
Please note that as of Monday, October 28, 2024 all Staff, Professional Staff, Learners, Volunteers and Essential Care Partners (ECPs)/Care Partners (CPs) will be required to wear a mask when entering a patient room for all Inpatient Clinical Units and when in the Emergency Department.
Please see the following details on masking requirements:
1A Inpatient Units
All Staff, Professional Staff, Learners, Volunteers and ECPs/CPs are required to wear a mask at all times while on units 1A Medicine, and 1A Acute Oncology. This includes when entering a patient room and when within the 1A clinical area.
All other Inpatient Units
All Staff, Professional Staff, Learners and Volunteers must wear a mask at all times when entering a patient’s room, when providing direct patient care, including transportation of patients and at any time they are unable to maintain 6 feet of physical distancing.
All ECPs/CPs visiting in an inpatient room must wear a mask when entering a patient’s room and whenever they are unable to maintain 6 feet of physical distancing standards within the unit.
Emergency Department
All Staff, Professional Staff, Learners and Volunteers must wear a mask at all times when entering a patient’s room, when providing direct patient care, including transportation of patients and at any time they are unable to maintain 6 feet of physical distancing.
All Patients and ECPs/CPs accompanying a patient must wear a mask at all times in the department
Public communication and signage will be provided to support the above requirements. Further communication will occur on this topic as required.
Thank-you for your commitment to keeping our patients, staff and Hospital safe. If you have any questions, please ask your manager or reach out to Infection Prevention and Control at 684-6094 for further details on best practices.
Meditech will be unavailable on Wednesday, October 30 from 2100h until 0630h on Thursday, October 31. Please follow departmental downtime procedures during downtime.
Once the system is available for use, any patient activity from the downtime event will be entered and forwarded to external systems as per normal operations. If there are any problems with the data received at this time, please contact our Help Desk at help@tbh.net and include this email for reference.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) can cause a serious respiratory illness that affects the airway and lungs which can lead to hospitalization in babies and young children. RSV is seen in more frequently in the fall/winter months.
Historically, the RSV protective antibody was limited to only high risk infants during the RSV season; however, the Ministry of Health of Ontario is transitioning to an expanded infant RSV prevention program for the 2024/2025 season that includes all infants born during and outside of the RSV season and children under 2 years of age with high-risk medical conditions.
Starting October 28, 2024 all babies born at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre will be offered a single dose of nirsevimab (BeyfortusTM), a monoclonal antibody that provides effective and sustained protection from RSV.
This offering will continue until the conclusion of the 2024-25 RSV season in the spring of 2025.
In addition, the RSVpreF vaccine (AbrysvoTM) will be available at the Maternity centre for pregnant individuals between 32 and 36 weeks of pregnancy if their baby’s due date is near the start of or during the RSV season.
Babies who were born in 2024, prior to the dose being available in hospital or babies who are born outside of the hospital are also now eligible to receive the RSV antibody through primary care providers. Parents are encouraged to connect with their primary care provider or the local public health unit for more information on how their infant can receive nersevimab (Beyfortus™).
If you would like further information on RSV, please visit the Provincial Council for Maternal & Child Health’s website at https://www.pcmch.on.ca or discuss with your health care provider.
The mobile cancer screening coach began touring Northwestern Ontario (NWO) in 1992 (top), offering mammograms to women who met the eligibility criteria for breast cancer screening. After more than 30 years and four coach upgrades, mammography is still offered in NWO on the current Screen for Life Coach (bottom).
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among females in Ontario. The good news: the five-year breast cancer survival rate is 89 percent according to statistics from Ontario Health – Cancer Care Ontario. Improvements in the survival rate can be attributed to increases in the number of people attending routine breast screening and improvements in treatment.
Routine breast cancer screening did not exist until the 1980’s. Mammography is the gold standard screening test used today to detect breast cancers early, when they are small and less likely to have spread. However, the mammogram that many of us are familiar with today is different from when breast imaging first became available.
The first device used specifically for mammography was introduced in 1966. It was essentially a tripod supporting a special x-ray camera. This model allowed images to be taken with the patient in a sitting or standing position which improved efficiency, but imaging was not done unless the patient had a palpable mass. Prior to this, the imaging process was tedious and slow. The patient would have to stand up and then lay down to get images from two different angles, which only allowed four to five patients to be imaged per day.
Next came xeromammography in the 1970’s, which provided better image quality and allowed physicians to see the chest and ribs. The downsides to xeromammography, included the higher dose of radiation compared to other imaging methods, manual compression of the breast resulting in inconsistent images, and the blue dye that was used for paper images created a mess.
Throughout the 1980’s, progress was made to improve the image quality by transitioning from paper images to film and compression became an automated process. In 1990, the introduction of the Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP), lead to greater routine participation in screening with mammography. The OBSP continues to be available for average risk women, Two-Spirit, trans and nonbinary people ages 40 to 74 with breast screening being done with a mammogram every two years. There is also a high risk OBSP for people between the ages of 30 and 69 who meet the eligibility criteria.
Organized screening has advantages, including systematized recruitment, recall and follow-up, ongoing quality assurance, quality control and evaluation. Today, breast screening is more easily accessible, with over 230 OBSP screening sites in Ontario, including five stationary locations in Northwestern Ontario and the Screen for Life Coach.
“It was unlikely in the early days of mammography, that people would have thought mammography units could be placed on a bus and moved from community to community to do breast cancer screening,” said Tarja Heiskanen, Manager of Prevention and Screening Clinical Services at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. “Since 1992, there has been a mobile cancer screening coach active in Northwestern Ontario. We’ve come a long way with imaging technology and our understanding of the importance of early detection.”
At the turn of the decade, we were introduced to digital mammography. Images were now read on computers rather than film. Further advances in technology resulted in the development of 3D imaging. While 2D imaging acquires two images of each breast, 3D captures up to 30 images per breast and can find about 30% more cancers. Modern mammography has made it possible to detect and treat cancer earlier, with less exposure to radiation than before.
As technological innovations are achieved and breast imaging radiologists continue to advance in their expertise, mammography is expected to remain a key player in early detection efforts.
For the month of October, our IT/IS team wants to highlight Cyber Security Awareness. The campaign aims to support staff with tools and knowledge on how to protect their digital assets, personal and work information, and online privacy.We’ll be posting information on cyber security every week along with a trivia question. Participants have a chance to win a $100 Amazon gift Card.
Snooping can be defined as the act of prying into someone else’s affairs, particularly in a sneaky or intrusive manner. This includes both casual observation and use of more sophisticated techniques involving technology.
What is considered Snooping in Health Care?
Accessing medical records on yourself, your family or friends is considered snooping and a privacy breach under the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA).
If you need access to records on yourself, your family or friends contact the Health Records Department Release of Information to process your request.
The ability to access does NOT equal Authorization. You are only authorized to access patient/client information required to perform your duties.
Consequences of Snooping/breaches include:
Damage to your reputation
Damage to hospitals reputation
Tangible and intangible harm to patients
Employment (Suspension or terminations)
Professional license repercussions
Up to $200,000 in personal fines
Legal action against you and the hospital
Criminal charges and jail time
Types of Snooping
Snooping can manifest in various forms:
Physical Surveillance: Observing individuals in person, such as looking over someone’s shoulder at their screen.
Accessing medical records of a patient even when you are not actively caring for them.
Man-in-the-Middle Attacks: Intercepting communication between two parties without their knowledge.
Key-loggers: Software that records keystrokes to capture sensitive information like passwords.
Prevention Strategies
To mitigate the risks associated with snooping, individuals and organizations can adopt several preventive measures:
Train employees on privacy policies and the importance of safeguarding sensitive information.
Terminating your session on the computer when you are not actively using it
We are excited to announce an opportunity for individuals to join the Staff Advisory Committee at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) and Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute (TBRHRI). This Committee plays a crucial role in advancing our Vision by gathering insights from stakeholders dedicated to enhancing the staff and patient experience.
Who We’re Looking For:
Individuals who:
Are committed to our Mission, Vision, and Values.
Adhere to our Code of Conduct.
Maintain a positive outlook towards improving the staff and patient experience.
Have the willingness and capacity to engage in committee meetings and activities.
Why Join?
Participating in the Committee offers a unique opportunity to:
Provide insight into decision-making processes.
Ensure diverse perspectives are represented.
Learn from colleagues and make new connections.
Develop and enhance your leadership skills.
Agenda Items to Date:
Reward and Recognition Program
Healthy Environment/Staff Spaces
Wellness Initiatives
Linking Behaviors to Values
Celebrating Our Team – swag, etc.
TBRHSC 20th Anniversary
Holiday Week Planning
If you are interested in joining the Committee, please submit a brief expression of interest (attached) outlining your skills and motivations by November 29, 2024.
For more details, including the Committee terms of reference and previous meeting minutes, please visit the iNtranet: Staff Advisory Committee.
