When accessing care at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, there may be a lot of information being provided at one time, which can be overwhelming for patients and their families. This Patient Care Resource has been created to support the patient’s journey to accessing care at our Hospital.
In this free resource, patients and families will find information on topics from accessibility to Wi-Fi and everything in between.
The Patient Care Resource is available in a digital format. For those patients and families who don’t have access to internet or would prefer a hard copy, a limited amount of printed versions are available. Communications and Engagement will begin distributing printed copies to various locations and departments beginning this week.
Please feel free to share this resource widely to help patients and families learn more about the programs and services available and how we provide exceptional care to every patient, every time.
Attend this free, virtual, interactive session to learn more about intravenous immune globulin (IVIg) treatments.
Donna Berta, RN, BScN, Clinical Project Coordinator – Nursing, ORBCoN will present Intravenous Immune Globulin (IVIg): What’s So Unique? on March 22 from 2:30-3:00 p.m. and 9:30 – 10:00 p.m. EST
Learning Objectives:
To understand the nature o fthe indications for IVIg treatment
To define nursing actions to safely administer IVIg (cautions, dose, infusion rate, side effects)
Registration closes at 10:00 a.m. EST, March 21, 2023 – REGISTER HERE
Links to join this TEAMS event will be emailed to you the afternoon of March 21, 2023. Sessions will be recorded and posted on ORBCoN’s website. A link/QR code to the Evaluation Survey and Certificate of Attendance will follow the event.
Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS) Match Day for our current class of medical students is Wednesday, March 22. Match Day is a defining moment in a medical student’s career. It’s the day they learn which residency program they’ve matched with and where they’ll be spending the next several years training in their specialty.
In honor of that 10 day countdown, here are 10 things to know about Match Day.
Fort William Elder Sheila Decorte participated as the head female Elder during the Family Day Pow Wow 2023 on Feb. 20 at the Victoria Inn in Thunder Bay.
The Family Day Pow Wow 2023 was a hit with more than 100 registered dancers and a First Nations crafters market on Feb. 20 at the Victoria Inn in Thunder Bay.
“It was an overwhelming success in terms of attendance and participation,” says Biinjitiwaabik Zaaging Anishinaabek Elder Jim Mishquart, emcee at the Pow Wow. “Thunder Bay and surrounding area, this is a real strong pow wow city and after the last couple of years of hardly getting together, the families really looked forward to getting together.”
Mishquart says Anishinabek Nation Regional Deputy Grand Council Chiefs Mel Hardy and Travis Boissoneau attended the pow wow, as well as Thunder Bay Mayor Ken Boshcoff.
“A lot of children, a lot of parents [attended], it was well received,” Elder Mishquart says. “We had some people joining us from out-of-town.”
Fort William Councillor Michele Solomon says the pow wow was a beautiful way for families to come together on Family Day.
“There’s people from all communities here, it’s being hosted by the City of Thunder Bay and I think it’s just a really great thing to do on Family Day,” Solomon says. “[There were] lots of kids, lots of vendors – the vendors were great – and of course, they’re going to feed us this great meal, but mostly, it’s really nice to see the kids here in their regalia and having the opportunity to practice this way of life.”
Fort William Elder Sheila DeCorte, head female Elder at the pow wow, says there was “an amazing turnout.”
“I’m impressed with the number of dancers, the amount of people and the vendors,” DeCorte says. “I think we need a bigger venue next year.”
DeCorte says she was honoured to be asked to be the head female Elder for the pow wow.
“It was the first time I was asked to be the female Elder at a pow wow, so it was very humbling and I was quite honoured to do that,” Decorte says, noting that she did an opening prayer and shared some teachings during the pow wow. “As a Water Walker, I always bring back the very important teaching of water and how water is life and how we need to get that water moving within our bodies. We need to get that water in ourselves moving so that can help us heal and flush out any toxins.”
Biinjitiwaabik Zaaging Anishinaabek Elder Mike Esquega, head Elder and Family Eagle Staff carrier at the pow wow, says the pow wow was great.
“It’s awesome, good turnout, lots of dancers enjoying it,” Elder Esquega says. “When we hear the drums and the songs, some of them are healing, some of them are meant for family, so it’s a good time for it. As Anishinabek people, we need to do these things to understand who we are.”
Elder Esquega says he shared during the pow wow about how he used to ask high school students if they knew who they were when he was teaching them in school.
“You’ve got to go through life finding out who you are as an Anishinabek person,” he says. “So I think these are important and they’re going to help us, especially the kids. We’ve been through a lot as Anishinabek people right from the beginning, the assimilation tactics – Residential School, Indian Day School – taking away a lot of who we are as a people.”
The pow wow was sponsored by the City of Thunder Bay, Matawa First Nations, Confederation College, and Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre.
March 15, 2023 marks this year’s celebration of Dietitian Day in Canada. It celebrates dietitians as regulated health care professionals, committed to using their specialized knowledge and skills to translate the science of nutrition into terms everyone can understand to unlock food’s potential and support healthy living for all Canadians.
Dietitians are rigorously trained and regulated health care professionals and remain the most credible source of food and nutrition information. Dietitians can help cut through the clutter of fads and gimmicks. They provide ethical, evidence-based nutrition advice to help you eat in a way that works with your culture and traditions, preferences, nutritional and personal needs such as taste, food skills, budget, and health conditions.
Two of TBRHSC’s registered dieticians took the time to connect with us and give us a glimpse into their roles.
Sarah Miller Registered Dietitian, Certified Bariatric Educator Clinical Team Lead, Regional Bariatric Care Centre, TBRHSC
What does it take to be a registered dietitian?
To become a dietitian, you need to complete a degree in human nutrition and dietetics from a program that has been accredited by the Partnership for Dietetic Education and Practice (PDEP), supervised practical training and pass the Canadian Dietetic Registration Exam (CDRE), which is managed by the regulatory College in each province.
What inspired you to work in bariatrics?
Before I started practicing in the area of bariatrics (13 years ago), and before the science of obesity emerged (revolutionizing the way we approach treatment of obesity), I knew there had to be more to body weight regulation, than what I was taught during my training (in the 90’s-early 2000’s). When I first started working as a registered dietitian (2003), I met many patients who were frustrated by traditional approaches to weight loss. In most cases, despite their best efforts at navigating the toxic dieting culture and integrating public health messages, they continued to struggle with weight cycling/gain and with their eating patterns and food relationship. It was very clear to me, early in my dietetic practice that there is pervasive weight bias and stigma towards people living in larger bodies. Patients’ are blamed for their body size and their health concerns are often attributed to their weight alone. Research shows that this leads to many negative health consequences for the patient. What is unique about your role?
I work collaboratively with a multidisciplinary team of surgeons, internal medicine, Psychologist, social worker, nurses, kinesiologist and other dietitians. As a certified bariatric educator (CBE), I have achieved competency of evidence-based, specialized knowledge in the principles of obesity management. Achieving my Certified Bariatric Educator designation was very important to me to demonstrate my commitment to professional growth in the field of bariatrics. As the clinical team lead of the Regional Bariatric Care Centre, I practice my unique RD skill set while applying my specialized knowledge as a CBE to support my team. I endeavor to ensure that patients receive comprehensive, patient-centred care consistent with best practice guidelines outlined by the Ontario Bariatric Network (OBN), Obesity Canada and the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. I participate in provincial task force committees (Medical and Weight Regain) through the Ontario Bariatric Network, to help ensure consistent practice across the province. As a lifelong learner I have completed education and training in eating disorders, concepts of intuitive eating, Health at Every Size®, nutrition and mental health and am a certified Craving Change™ facilitator.
What do you love about your job?
It’s very rewarding to see people living healthier lives and experience a better quality of life!! I am also very grateful to work and collaborate with a multidisciplinary team.
Promoting a healthy lifestyle is part of your daily messaging to patients. Do you have any personal tips on how to stay healthy?
Be kind to yourself and practice self compassion daily. Remember, healthy bodies come in all shapes and sizes! Your weight does not define you.
Alison Donovan,Registered Dietitian Diabetes Health, St. Joseph’s Care Group and Regional Bariatric Care Centre, TBRHSC
What does it take to be a registered dietitian?
There are three main steps to becoming a registered dietitian. The first is the completion of an accredited university degree in nutrition & dietetics. The second is the competition of a highly competitive, one-year, supervised practical training program typically referred to as internship. Following internship, individuals must then sit & pass a national exam known as the Canadian Dietetic Registration Exam (CDRE). Once those components are complete an individual will meet the qualifications to be a registered dietitian with their provincial regulatory body, which is the College of Dietitians of Ontario (CDO) for dietitians working in Ontario. The CDO then ensures its members meet ongoing requirements for continuing education, as well as competent and ethical practice.
What inspired you to work in bariatrics?
I have always had an interest in the science of weight management. Weight management and obesity are extremely complex and nuanced, and often misunderstood by the public and even other health care professionals, leading individuals who live in larger bodies or with obesity to experience weight stigma and bias. My goal is to help support changing the narrative around obesity, weight, and body size. Additionally, I personally have lived in a much larger body than the one I currently present with and my own personal experience with weight, health, and nutrition influenced my decision to become a dietitian and inform my current work in bariatrics. I bring a unique perspective and lived experience to my role when working with our bariatric patients.
What is unique about your role?
As clinical dietitians, the work that we do is very specialized to the area we work in. Bariatric surgery patients have very specific pre- and post-op nutrition requirements. In my role at the bariatric clinic, I work with our interdisciplinary team to assess if patients are candidates for bariatric surgery from a nutrition perspective and provide ongoing counselling to these individuals following surgery. Additionally, I help to provide evidence-based nutrition education, recommendations, and support to individuals in our medical program.
What do you love most about your job?
I love it when I can help contribute to people changing their relationship with food from negative to positive. Witnessing a patient’s mindset change to no longer being fearful or scared of food is a really great experience.
Promoting a healthy lifestyle is part of your daily message to patients. Do you have any personal tips on how to stay healthy?
So many individuals look at foods as “good” or “bad”, which ultimately creates a sense of morality around food and increases feelings of guilt and shame when certain foods are consumed. However, no one food is inherently good or bad, some are simply more nourishing than others and all foods can fit in a nutritious, balanced diet. I encourage people to develop an add, don’t restrict mindset around food. Focus on what we can add versus what we feel we need to remove. For example, maybe we pair a portion of chips with some raw veggies + Greek yogurt dip or a frozen pizza with a homemade side salad for a more balanced snack or meal. When it comes to movement, don’t underestimate the benefits of going for a walk. And lastly, but definitely not least, make getting a good night’s sleep a priority!
On Sunday, March 12, 2023 at 2:00 a.m., clocks and watches spring ahead one hour to change to Daylight Saving Time.
The accuracy of time is very important to ensuring safety at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. It is of importance not only for scheduling procedures and staffing, but also for charting accuracy and medication dispensing.
At 2:00 a.m. all electronic clocks that are controlled by the system (NICU, ICU, etc.) will be moved ahead to Daylight Saving Time automatically. Any final adjustments will be completed by 5:00 a.m. If any of these system clocks are not updated by
8:00 a.m., please contact the Maintenance Department (ext. 6344).
All departments will be responsible for changing the time on any battery operated clocks in their area. Computers will automatically change to Standard Time.
Please ensure that your personal watches/devices are updated and that any clocks in your area are adjusted in a timely manner.
On Friday, March 10, the Screen for Life Coach will be parked at our Hospital to provide cancer screening services to our employees.
The Coach offers:
Mammograms to screen for breast cancer. Breast cancer screening is for women 50 to 74 years of age and is recommended every 2 years.
Pap tests to screen for cervical cancer. Cervical cancer screening is for individuals with a cervix who are 25 to 69 years of age who have been sexually active and is recommended every 3 years.
FIT kits to screen for colon cancer. Colon cancer screening is for individuals 50 to 74 years of age who do not have a family history of colon cancer and is recommended every 2 years.
Services can be accessed without a referral and are available even if you have a primary care provider.
If you’re due for breast, cervical or colon cancer screening, call 684-7777 to book your appointment.
Social Work Week, March 6 to 12, provides an opportunity to raise awareness of social workers as part of the health care team and acknowledge the critical role they have at our Hospital. Social workers help patients and families address the impact of illness and treatment. Tremendous stress often stems from hospitalizations that are sudden and, at times, related to catastrophic illness or injury. Social workers, as part of the health care team, provide assessment and appropriate interventions to aid the patient in achieving optimum recovery/rehabilitation and quality of life. Social workers often have specific expertise in areas such as general medicine, emergency work, paediatrics, geriatrics, oncology, neurology, psychiatry, and palliative and end-of-life care. Thank you to all of the social workers who make a positive impact on the lives of thousands of patients who receive care at our Hospital.
Learn more about the profession by visiting the Ontario Association of Social Workers website at oasw.org.
