During Nurse Practitioner (NP) Week, we will be spotlighting NPs to highlight the important roles they play at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. Meet Kristin Kovac, who works on our Nurse-Led Outreach Team.

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Kristen Kovac, NP, Nurse-Led Outreach Team

What is your education and training?

Before completing my education as a Nurse Practitioner (NP), I worked as a Registered Nurse in the Emergency Department (ED). I graduated from Lakehead University in 2011 with my Masters in Public Health and Nurse Practitioner certificate. I have had the opportunity to work at a few primary care clinics and am now working at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre with the Nurse-Led Outreach Team.

Tell us about your current role.

As one of the NPs on this outreach team we provide assessment, diagnosis and treatment to patients living in long term care, retirement homes or assisted living homes with the overall goal to help prevent avoidable ED visits. We also provide follow-up in the home once they have had an ED visit or hospital admission.

What is the most rewarding aspect of your profession?

Being able to work autonomously as a Nurse Practitioner and having the ability to assess and treat the geriatric population within their own home environments.

During Nurse Practitioner (NP) Week, we will be spotlighting NPs to highlight the important roles they play at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. Meet Jillian Runke, who works on our Regional Stroke Unit.

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Jillian Runke, NP, Regional Stroke Unit

Tell us about your current role.

I currently work as the Nurse Practitioner on the Regional Stroke Unit at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC). My role involves managing the inpatients admitted to the Regional Stroke Unit, collaborating with the attending neurologists, the interprofessional stroke team and organizing transfers and discharges from our Hospital.

What is the most challenging part of your profession? 

The most challenging part of my profession is assisting patients in their stroke journey who are transferred to our unit from throughout Northwestern Ontario. Our large geographical region has limited resources in regards to stroke rehabilitation and many patients are far from their family and communities for a lengthy period of time.

What is the most rewarding aspect of your profession? 

The most rewarding aspect is appreciating the immediate improvement with urgent interventions stroke care offers at TBRHSC, as well as observing the improvements patients can make in such a short time during their admission.

Nurse Practitioner (NP) Week is celebrated annually during the second week of November to recognize the exceptional care that these health care professionals provide to communities across Ontario.

At Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, NPs offer a comprehensive range of services, including ordering, performing, and interpreting diagnostic tests; diagnosing and treating acute and chronic conditions; prescribing medications and treatments; and managing overall patient care. They play a crucial role in various Hospital services, including but not limited to Cancer Management, Surgical Services, Cardiology, the Regional Stroke Program, the Hospitalist Program, and the Nurse-Led Outreach Team, which supports long-term care facilities in the community.

We invite you to join us in expressing gratitude to our past and present NPs for their commitment to our patients and their essential contributions to patient care.

Click HERE to complete today’s Treaties Recognition Week 2025 trivia question. 

Each submission will be entered into a draw to win prizes! Winners will be announced next week in Your Daily Informed Newsletter.

Transgender Parent Day is celebrated each year on the first Sunday of November to honour and recognize transgender parents and parents of transgender children. In 2025, Transgender Parent Day will be observed on Sunday, November 2.

First established in 2009, Transgender Parent Day serves as an opportunity to celebrate transgender parents who may feel excluded from traditional parent celebrations such as Mother’s and Father’s Days. Transgender Parent Day brings awareness to the experiences of transgender parents, as well as their courage and resilience.

Transgender Parent Day also highlights the importance of advocacy and inclusion. Transgender parents often face unique challenges, including discrimination within the healthcare system, and a lack of tailored support systems. Recognising these realities reminds us that inclusive practices—in healthcare and beyond—can help to ensure that all parents feel seen, supported, and respected.

To learn more about Transgender Parent Day, please go to: https://yvc-asiapacific.org/transgender-parent-day/

Local artist Jodi Afonso is on-site today and tomorrow with her heartfelt “Pocket Hugs”, small resin hearts designed to be kept in your pocket as a reminder of love, hope, and connection. Inspired by her grandparents, Irene and Saul, Jodi created Pocket Hugs to “spread love, kindness, and positive messaging throughout our community.”

Jodi is also showcasing select artwork, with most proceeds generously donated back to the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation. Weekly, she will be highlighting a new art piece that will be for sale. This week, Jodi is showcasing “Freedom”:

“Freedom is often envisioned as an unbridled sense of possibility, where one’s potential knows no bounds. Like a bird soaring through the sky, unencumbered by borders, walls, or barriers, true freedom is only limited by one’s own inner strength and resilience. This is why flight has long been a powerful symbol of liberation and the human quest for freedom.” ~Jodi Afonso

Thank you, Jodi, for helping our community feel supported, one small hug at a time.

Shared on behalf of Capital & Facility Services

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Please be advised that our engineering consultant will be operating a drone for a sensor survey of the main Hospital roof on Thursday, October 30, 2025, between 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. The purpose of this survey is to collect data on the condition of the Hospital’s roof to support in the design and planning of the remaining areas for the roof replacement project.

Key Details:

• The drone will fly approximately 200 feet above TBRHSC, and its flight path will be limited strictly to the rooftop area.
• The drone will not record any images or video; only sensor-based data related to roof condition will be collected.
• NAV Canada and ORNGE have been notified of this planned flight.
• Privacy will be maintained at all times.

If staff or patients have questions regarding this activity, please reassure them that the operation is being conducted safely, in compliance with regulations, and solely for infrastructure assessment purposes.

Thank you for your understanding.