Webinar Unseen, Unheard: The mental health impact of stroke on women
June 6, 2023 from 12:00 – 1:00 PM ET

Presenters:
Dr. Lee-Anne Greer Psychologist
Rebecca Morrison, RN Person With Lived Experience of Stroke

Moderators:
Patrice Lindsay RN PhD, Director, Health Systems, Heart & Stroke
Stephanie Lawrence Senior Manager, Mission Communications, Heart & Stroke

Registration: To register for this webinar, please click here

Intended Audience
Health professionals across the continuum of care, people with lived experience of heart conditions, stroke and vascular cognitive impairment, family members and care supporters of persons with lived experience of heart disease. Heart & Stroke staff, members of the public, and system leaders may also find this webinar informative and helpful. All are welcome to join. This free event is an open invitation and may be forwarded to interested parties.

About this Presentation
Stroke disproportionately affects women –women have worse outcomes after stroke, more women are living with the effects of stroke and women face more challenges as they recover. June is Stroke Month and this year is focused specifically on the impact of stroke on women. This live panel discussion will take a deeper dive into how mental health can impact the experiences and recovery of women following stroke. Post-stroke mental health issues are reported to affect up to 30% to 60% of people in the first year after experiencing a stroke. Of equal concern is the large number of family members and informal caregivers who also may also experience mental health challenges during this time. Due to the disproportionate effects of stroke on women, it is important to raise awareness and understand their unique experiences, and to provide tools and resources that may aid in recognition, assessment, recovery, and self-management. The purpose of this webinar is to provide healthcare providers and women with lived experience practical tools and resources in order to promote better health outcomes for women after stroke.

Learning Objectives
Recognize the variety of mental health conditions that may present in women after stroke. Describe potential signs and symptoms of mental health conditions in women who have experienced a stroke. Discuss strategies and tools for healthcare professionals to apply for recognition, assessment and management of mental health conditions in women with stroke Summarize effective and personalized strategies that a woman with lived experience of stroke can utilize to support their mental health Identify strategies for family members and caregivers to apply while supporting women through mental health challenges following stroke. Discuss opportunities to improve health outcomes for women with lived experience of stroke throughout their mental health journey.

For any questions or to submit questions to our panelists beforehand, please e-mail KTHP@heartandstroke.ca

Please note that this webinar will be recorded and available for viewing on the Heart & Stroke YouTube Channel.

Please be advised the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (at the 980 Oliver Road location only) will execute a planned impairment of its entire Fire System and Overhead Paging System on Thursday, May 25, 2023 for approximately four (4) hours – starting at 11:00 PM to facilitate deactivation of the fire system related to the PET-CT project.

Our Facilities and Security teams will be enacting and overseeing our Fire System Impairment and Fire Watch procedures, as included in the Fire Plan for our site.

During this impairment, no Hot Work will be authorized. Further, any high risk work that could result in an elevated risk of fire, heat, or smoke should not be planned – please review this within your department and plan to discontinue high-risk activities (i.e. construction, repairs, hot showers, etc). Should you observe activities that may be of concern during the impairment, contact your Supervisor to discuss.

While the Hospital’s Overhead Paging System is out of service, alternate measures will be applied to notify the organization of Emergency Codes and Alerts. Staff will continue to activate all Codes using extension 55. Please see the attached policy for guidance. In preparation for the downtime, clinical leads are encouraged to collaborate with their teams to consider alternatives to paging patients back to units, such as collecting Patients’ mobile phone numbers.

Further, in event of fire during this impairment, please execute all steps as outlined in Code Red Policy (EMER-30) and your area sub plan. Should you discover a fire – “REACT”:
R – Remove persons in immediate danger
E – Ensure doors are closed to confine fire or smoke
A – Activate the fire alarm by pulling the nearest pull station
C– Call Switchboard at Ext 55 to report the location of the fire
T– Try to extinguish the fire if trained to do so or continue to evacuate

The contractor for the fire system work is Troy Life & Fire Safety. The Building System Operator is onsite and reachable at cell number 629-7005. Further support will be provided by Security (684- 6509) and the on call Facility Manager (cell number 629-3119) as required.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the above, please contact Ryan Sears.

Join via Zoom link: https://lakeheadu.zoom.us/j/91008775050

All Thunder Bay health care workers are invited to join MP Marcus Powlowski and the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Federal Minister of Health, for a free Health Care Worker Appreciation Event.

Where:             Da Vinci Centre, 340 Waterloo Street South

When:              Tuesday May 23 from 7:30 p.m. -10:30 p.m.

Pizza and Music Provided

RSVP is encouraged, but not required. Please RSVP to Marcus.Powlowski@park.gc.ca.

It’s time to dust off your walking shoes, tune up your bikes, and prepare for the Active Commute Challenge!

The Active Commute Challenge:

• is a month-long challenge happening this June
• encourages you to switch your ride and actively commute to / from work
• is a friendly workplace competition – sign up to be a part of the TBRHSC team!
• allows you to track your active commutes and see your progress
• has prizes for individuals and workplaces

You can track any active commute where you left your vehicle at home! Taking the bus to the grocery store, biking to your dentist appointment or walking to your meeting can all be submitted as an active commute

The Challenge kicks off with a launch event on Saturday, May 27, 2023 from noon-4:00pm at the Confederation College Wellness Centre.

For more information and to register for the June challenge, visit www.tbayonthemove.ca.

May 20th is International Clinical Trials Day. Each year, Clinical Trials Day is celebrated to recognize the day that James Lind started the first clinical trial in 1747.

Clinical Research at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre:

• 96 active clinical research studies through the Clinical Research Services Department (CRSD)
• 44 active clinical trials through the CRSD
• 144 patients enrolled in clinical trials last year
• The CRSD supports 57% of all research studies at TBRHSC.

See the attached poster (below) to learn more about clinical trials and International Clinical Trials Day.

Interested in conducting research but don’t know where to start? Learn more about ethics and institutional review and approval: https://tbrhsc.net/research/research-ethics-board/forms/

Considering participating in a clinical trial? Learn more about being a participant: https://itstartswithme.ca/

May 14-20, 2023 is National Biomedical Engineering Week and we would like to acknowledge the role of Biomedical Engineering Services in Ontario’s health care system.

Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre’s Biomedical Engineering Technologists and Technicians use their knowledge and training to maintain, repair and help with the selection of medical devices and health technology used for patient care at TBRHSC and in Northwestern Ontario.

As an integral part of the patient’s health care team, we thank all Biomedical Engineering Technologists and Technicians for their hard work and dedication!

Chief Nursing Executive Award Winner Cathy Bishop

Cathy Bishop has honorably served our patients and families of Thunder Bay and the district since 1984. Cathy has previously worked within the Surgical program and the Child and Adolescent Mental Health area. Currently, she is passionate about Maternal Newborn practice and brings this experience and enthusiasm to the workplace daily. With a strong work ethic, she exemplifies team work by regularly being the first to roll up her sleeves and lend a hand.

She has dedicated numerous hours to her union colleagues and constantly strives to improve this working relationship across the organization. She is dedicated and professional in all interactions and makes this organization a better place for us all to grow and learn.

Cathy appreciates acts of service for others and was one of the front runners in organizing a Christmas donation this past season for the Our Kids Count program here in Thunder Bay. Her giving nature exemplifies her innate ability to show care and compassion for others.

Congratulations, Cathy, on winning the Chief Nursing Executive Award.

National Nursing Week (May 8-14) annually falls during the second week of May, coinciding with Florence Nightingale’s birthday on May 12th, in recognition of the dedication and achievements of nursing professionals. Nurses make up the largest group of employees at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) and National Nursing Week provides an opportunity to recognize their clinical excellence and their ability to care for patients with compassion and professionalism.

Join us in once again thanking our nurses for their incredible contributions to positive patient outcomes. Also, thank you to the many local sponsors, community members and TBRHSC staff who helped to make this year’s edition of National Nursing Week a memorable one.