Indigenous Nurses Day (May 6)

On the first day of National Nursing Week, we celebrate Indigenous Nurses Day.

Indigenous Nurses Day acknowledges the dedication and achievements of First Nations, Inuit and Métis nurses and recognizes their invaluable work in improving the health and well-being of all people in Canada.

Indigenous nurses play a vital role in the health care system, providing culturally relevant care in communities across the province.

In honour of Indigenous Nurses Day, we would like to highlight the achievements of Indigenous nurses and their home communities. The expertise and dedication of Indigenous nurses have made an impact on the lives of many patients and their families, not only inspiring others but also raising awareness of the role that Indigenous nurses play in promoting wellness and healing for Indigenous communities. 

Thank you to the Indigenous nurses who work tirelessly to provide exceptional care to the people of Northwestern Ontario.  

Martina White was born in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Martina and her family are from Pays Plat First Nation. Some of her happiest memories as a child are of her family and being in the outdoors.

Since Martina was a young age, she knew she wanted to have a job helping people. During middle school, her class went to a long-term care home and she was moved by the experience. “The way we were able to put smiles on their faces, just by talking to them and reminiscing, I knew that this was what I wanted to do,” said Martina.

Martina graduated as a Registered Practical Nursing in 2018. Following graduation, Martina worked in long-term care for five years, “some of my best memories are from those years and I will cherish those memories forever,” Martina continued.

In January, Martina accepted a job at Anishnawbe Mushkiki as an Indigenous Care Coordinator for the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. After seeing the effects on the Indigenous population in long-term care, Martina knew she would love being a part of supporting and advocating for Indigenous people during their hospital stay, and assisting with their discharge home. “These transitions are very difficult for most and I love to make the transition as easy as possible,” said Martina.

Martina White, RPN & ICC

Naomi Sinclair was born in Princeton, BC, to her father, who is of Cree descent, and her mother, who is of Ukrainian descent. Naomi’s community is York Factory First Nation, Manitoba. At the age of 10, her family relocated to Thunder Bay, ON, to be closer to family.

Naomi says, “It was my compassionate heart and desire to help others that inspired me to pursue a career as a Registered Practical Nurse.” After graduating from the Registered Practical Nursing (RPN) program at Confederation College in 2014, Naomi’s hard work and dedication gave her the opportunity to be a RPN in the Emergency Department at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. “As I worked in our fast-paced ER, I began to develop an interest in the field of mental health and addictions. In 2018, I joined the Adult Mental Health Team,” said Naomi.

Working as an Indigenous RPN has allowed Naomi to become more aware of the difficulties that Indigenous Peoples encounter in the hospital environment. “I see the importance of providing culturally sensitive care which is essential to helping our Indigenous peoples feel safe and respected,” said Naomi.

Naomi Sinclair, RPN & ICC

Nikkita Michano is from Biigtigong Nishnaabeg First Nation. “I am very proud to be an Indigenous Nurse, and hopefully a role model to Indigenous youth,” says Nikkita.

Nikkita Michano, Nurse

Cyanne Sandau is a 23-year-old Practical Nursing student at Oshki-Wenjack. She has lived in  Thunder Bay all her life, but her community is Constance Lake First Nation. Education and forging meaningful connections are some of Cyanne’s passions. Nursing isn’t just a career choice for her; it’s a deep calling to support others during their most vulnerable times. Cyanne has always felt drawn to healthcare, especially the personal, one-on-one patient interactions. While working as PSW, she realized that she wanted to deepen her understanding and involvement in patient care. Cyanne says, “Nursing offers me the opportunity to be a trusted companion on each person’s healthcare journey, providing not just medical expertise but also emotional support, reassurance, and hope. I cherish the deep connections I form with patients, understanding their fears, joys, and dreams of striving to ensure they receive the best care possible.” Cyanne love seeing patients beyond their ailments and witnessing their resilience and progress. “Nursing is about making a meaningful difference and being part of a profession that values compassion, resilience, and dedication to health. It’s a challenging yet profoundly rewarding journey that reaffirms my choice every day,” Cyanne adds.

Cyanne Sandau, Nursing Student at Oshki – Wenjack

Claudette is a nursing student at Oshki-Wenjack. “The reason I wants to be a nurse is because it’s a much-needed profession. I want to help those in need. Helping people to understand what takes place within the hospital. The Nurse is the middleman that links the doctor with the patient,” says Claudette. In addition, Claudette says that helping to be the cure or the crutch is such a happy feeling.

Claudette, Nursing Student at Oshki-Wenjack

Shalon Adams lives Kenora Ontario with her family. Her home community is Big Grassy First Nation. Nursing provides Shalon the opportunity to interact and provide care to patients on a deeper level. “Connection is such an important thing. I hope to work in home care, contributing to a patient’s safe return to their community, and home environment,” says Shalon.

Shalon Adams, Nursing Student at Oshki-Wenjack

For more information on Indigenous Nurses Day click here!

Emergency Preparedness Week (May 5-11)

This week is Emergency Preparedness Week! This year’s theme is “Be Prepared. Know your Risks”. The intent of the theme is to encourage us all to understand the risks in our area and learn what actions we can take to protect ourselves, our families, and our community.

Emergency Preparedness at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC)

At TBRHSC, our Emergency Preparedness Committee (EPC) works to ensure that we have the capacity to effectively prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies. The EPC is comprised of representatives from various programs and services and is responsible for providing oversight and leadership related to hospital emergency preparedness.

Current EPC members include:

  • VP Operations, Clinical and Support Services and CFO (Committee Senior Leader Executive Sponsor)
  • Senior Director, Nursing, Academics and Practice Excellence
  • Director, Capital & Facility Services
  • Director, Cardiovascular, Medicine, and Stroke Program, and NWO Reg. Stroke Network
  • Director, Human Resources
  • Director, Information Technology
  • Director, Medical Affairs
  • Director, Medicine, Patient Flow, and Partnerships
  • Director, Nursing Practice
  • Director, Quality and Risk Management
  • Director, Regional Cancer Care North West
  • Director, Support Services
  • Director, Surgical and Ambulatory Services
  • Director, Trauma, Prehospital Programs, Emergency, Critical Care, Respiratory, and Nurse Led Outreach Team
  • Director, Women & Children’s and Adult & Forensic Mental Health Programs
  • Manager, Emergency Preparedness, Switchboard, and Security (Committee Chair)
  • Manager, Occupational Health and Safety
  • Manager, Communications & Engagement
  • Lead, Emergency Preparedness
  • Patient Family Advisor

TBRHSC follows the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) standardized Emergency Colour Code system. Each colour code (as well as Alert 99 and Lockdown) has an Executive Sponsor (who is also a member of the EPC) and working group assigned to maintain the associated policy, review key incidents, and identify training and exercise opportunities. The Manager, Emergency Preparedness, Switchboard & Security and the Lead, Emergency Preparedness work closely with all these groups.

See the EPC’s Terms of Reference document via the link for a better understanding.

If you have questions, please reach out to your manager or Mēsha Richard, Lead, Emergency Preparedness (ext. 6552 or mesha.richard@tbh.net)

2024 Spring Market: TODAY, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Our Hospital is hosting a variety of local vendors just in time for spring. Visit the far end of the Cafeteria (by the east entrance) and the main lobby (outside of Season’s Gift Shop and the Foundation donor wall) on Thursday, May 2nd, between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.

Maternity Centre Mondays: moreOB

As a part of our commitment to safe, quality patient care, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) participates in the Managing Obstetrical Risk Efficiently (moreOB) program.

moreOB is a comprehensive performance improvement program that improves team dynamics, reduces risk, promotes best practice, and ultimately improves the patient experience on our Labour and Delivery unit. This program involves all members of the Labour and Delivery team; doctors, midwives, and nurses and allows us to keep up-to-date on new advances in care of pregnant patients and their newborns.

moreOB empowers all members of the team to make positive changes within the Hospital to improve communication and creates a culture of patient safety. It is also really fun and is a great way for all the members of the team to get to know each other better, and improves trust, respect, communication, and ultimately strengthens the relationships between team members.

𝗡𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲.

For more information on the programs and services available visit our website at bit.ly/TBRHSC-Maternity-Centre.

Shadow a Volunteer

Our organization highly values the contributions of our volunteers, who play a vital role in connecting with our patients and their families. This week, we ran the ‘Shadow a Volunteer’ program to showcase the incredible impact of our volunteers. The program highlighted the contributions of our volunteers to our patients, visitors, and staff. Senior leaders participated in 30-minute shifts and shadowed volunteers to see firsthand the impact they make every day. They worked with a volunteer in one of our service areas and gained valuable insights into how our volunteers make a positive impact every day. Thank you to everyone that participated!


Dr. Christopher Mushquash, Vice President, Research and Chief Scientist with Doug Brown, Wayfinding Volunteer

Jessica Logozzo, Vice President Strategy and Regional Transformation with Marian and (Haley) Ryks-Szelekovszky, Pet Therapy Volunteer

Miranda Lesperance, Vice President, Indigenous Collaboration, Equity & Inclusion, with Michelle Kivi, Child Life Volunteer

Peter Myllymaa, Vice President Operations, Clinical Support Services & Chief Financial Officer, with Halen Kovacs, Surgical Daycare Volunteer

Glenn Craig, President and CEO of Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation with Marian and (Haley) Ryks-Szelekovszky, Pet Therapy Volunteer

HELP Volunteer: Dougie Newhouse

The Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP) of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre is proud to highlight volunteer Dougie Newhouse. 

HELP is a delirium prevention program that aids in the improvement of cognitive and functional outcomes in patients 65 and older. HELP achieves this by having trained volunteers facilitate interventions that prevent delirium, which includes orienting patients to their surroundings, facilitating activities that keep them cognitively active, encouraging fluids and keeping them mobile within the limitations of their physical condition.

After he completes his studies on human physiology to the PhD or MD level, Dougie looks forward to a long career in healthcare serving Northwestern Ontario. With those academic and professional goals in mind, he began volunteering with the HELP program. However, he says he soon found the experience personally rewarding as well, from supporting and interacting with HELP patients, hearing their unique perspectives and doing what he could to aid in their care.

“My experiences volunteering for the HELP program have facilitated my development of communicational, organizational and professional skills to draw from while navigating a prospective career in healthcare, particularly when working with vulnerable populations.”

HELP, Elder Life Coordinator, Marielle Dysievick, says Dougie demonstrates dedication and effectiveness in helping improve patients’ experience here at the hospital. “Dougie truly makes everyone he meets feel comfortable and has empathy for patients and their families.”

“Dougie is friendly, kind and truly enjoys getting to know each patient. These qualities were evident from his first shift with HELP.  He possesses all the qualities of an outstanding volunteer. Thank you for your commitment and dedication to our patients Dougie!”

>