Treaty Recognition Week highlights the importance of Treaties and the relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities in Ontario. Treaties are agreements established between Indigenous groups and the Government of Canada, provincial and territorial governments.

They outline the ongoing rights and responsibilities of all parties involved and are central to the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. Treaties may seem like historical documents, yet the obligations and commitments within them remain just as relevant today. The land we live and gather on is Treaty land, and everyone in Canada shares the rights and responsibilities related to upholding Treaties. We are all Treaty People.

The Indigenous Collaboration, Equity & Inclusion team will host a Lunch and Learn on November 7 & 8 to share information on Treaties. Each session attended will quality you for 1 ballot entry for a prize basket. For more information, or to register, click here.

You can contribute to reconciliation by completing training including Wake the Giant Training or Repairing the Sacred Circle. For more information, please contact TBRHSC Cultural Safety Educator at TBRHSC.CulturalSafetyEducator@tbh.net.

For more information about Treaty Recognition Week, click here.

Happy Ethics Week!

As part of our Ethics Week celebration, we’re excited to highlight the role ethics plays in various areas across the organization with a feature called “Faces of Ethics.” Ethics is for everyone, and together, we can make decisions that matter.

Faces of Ethics: Ethics Committee

1) What is the role of the ethics committee?

The ethics committee is a dedicated group made up of staff from all areas of the hospital, including clinical and non-clinical members, along with patient and family advisors (PFAs). Their role? To discuss, review, and reflect on ethical issues across our organization. They provide support with education, decision-making, consultations, and policy reviews.

2) What type of ethical issues does the ethics committee discuss?

The ethics committee dives into a wide range of scenarios—both clinical and non-clinical. For clinical cases, this might include questions about patient consent, treatment decisions, or respecting patient and family wishes. On the non-clinical side, they look at issues like workplace fairness, resource allocation, and policy decisions that impact staff and patients alike. The committee is here to ensure that everyone’s values and perspectives are considered, helping find solutions that align with our organization’s commitment to exceptional, ethical care.

Join Us!

We’re looking for enthusiastic new members to bring fresh perspectives to the table! If you’re curious about what we do, or interested in joining, reach out to the Bioethicist (michelle.allain@tbh.net) to learn more. Ethics is for everyone! Join us in making a difference.

Ethics Affects Us All. If you’re facing an ethical dilemma or have questions, reach out to the Bioethicist, or a member of the ethics committee for support.

Bioethicist: Michelle Allain – michelle.allain@tbh.net | 807-630-0406

Shared on behalf of Quality & Risk Management

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On Sunday, November 3, 2024 at 2:00 a.m., clocks and watches fall back one hour to 1:00 a.m. to local Standard 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 back to Standard 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.
 

The Patient and Family Centred Care team would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who participated in Sharing and Caring Together 2024. Your participation is what made this event such a success! A special thank you to our Patient Family Advisors and Patient and Family Centred Care team for all the planning and work they put into this event. 

We’d also like to recognize Enbridge for supporting Sharing & Caring Together 2024 through the vibrant community grant. Your generous contribution helped make this event a success, fostering community spirit and connection. Through Fueling Futures, Enbridge continues to energize communities by promoting safety, vibrancy, and sustainability. We are grateful for your commitment and partnership in strengthening our community.

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Congratulations to grand prize winners Shawn Agostino (Thunderwolves season tickets) and Steven Potec (laptop and accessories).

Congratulations to all our draw prize winners:

• Anne Purves
• Carrie Vita
• Megan Lipinski
• Steve Dolasinski
• Tammy Bjorklund
• Tony Scopacasa
• Alyssa Cuglietta
• Teresa Cirillo
• Armour Boake
• Angela Kutok
• Brittany Crupi
• Michelle Towell
• Kristin Shields
• Michael DelNin
• Jenn Madahbee
• Sherri Donatis
• Becky Miele
• Ethan Kubinec
• Rachel Reed
• Tracy Smith
• William White
• Tessa Evans
• Whitney Kendall
• Dawne Gleeson
• Sara Cicchitano
• Erin Venn
• Danielle McLean
• Taylor MacKenzie
• Dylan Bulloch
• Louie Deleon
• Brian Mellis
• Julia Herman
• Siobhan O’Malley
• Corrie Poulin
• Kathy Furioso
• Alanna Cattani
• Carli Raynak
• Karen Bolduc
• Dawn Gilliatt”
• Wendy Lange
• Carolyn Gagnon
• Erica Vidotto
• Lisa Goodman
• Raveena Aakumalla
• Noah DiFranco
• Jennifer Elvish
• Brooke Bodak
• Toria Baranyk
• Shania Horvath
• Amanda Stewart
• Dan Taylor
• Crystal Koski
• Liezl Miran
• Gina Fata
• Tracey Maticic
• Evan O’Connor
• Deb Croswell
• Linda McDonald
• Tracey Roy
• Nikki Cooper
• Mike Kordek
• Michael Gwaruya
• Stephanie Needham
• Emily Brown
• Sally Milani
• Meghan Hill
• Marita Mauro
• Kyllie Makinen
• Sharon Stout
• Pascal Rivest
• Daniel Taylor
• Lisa Campbell
• Blake Rathje
• Renee Vachon
• Reshelle Valley
• Jocelyn Karusewicz
• Laura Jurimae
• Teresa Bruni
• Noelle Vita
• Kelly Jo Gillis
• Angela Murphy
• Andrea Langraff
• Matt Shonosky
• Carly Veltri
• Scott Middlemiss

TBRHSC’s 15th Annual Sharing and Caring Together Event

Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) is celebrating 15 years of Sharing and Caring Together, taking place from October 21 to 25, 2024. A collaboration between our Patient Family Advisors (PFAs) and Patient and Family Centred Care (PFCC) department, this week-long event celebrates the hard work and dedication to advancing the patient experience at TBRHSC.

PFAs are volunteers who contribute their time, knowledge, and personal experiences of care, to help the Hospital understand what working is well and where there are opportunities for improvement. Their involvement is integral to shaping a truly patient-centered approach.

This year’s event will feature a variety of engaging activities, including educational lunch-and-learns and coffee rounds, where PFAs and staff will share stories and insights. The week concludes with a full-day exhibition, showcasing the work of departments from across the Hospital, and how they bring the principles of patient and family centred care to life.

New this year, PFCC, along with Volunteer Services and Human Resources, is hosting a recruitment event at Goods and Co. on Wednesday, October 23, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. All are welcome to attend—whether you’re interested in chatting with one of our PFAs or volunteers or exploring career opportunities at TBRHSC.

This event is thanks to the hard work of our PFAs and our community donors. A heartfelt “thank you” for their support and overwhelming generosity, which have been vital in ensuring the success of this year’s Sharing and Caring.

This week is an important opportunity to reflect on the power of patient-centered care, celebrate our achievements, and continue building on our efforts to improve the patient experience at TBRHSC.

The iCare Impact Awards are peer-to-peer recognition, aimed at highlighting the behaviours and initiatives that support our mission, vision, and values and strategic directions. The iCare Impact Awards recognize outcomes and impacts, and the people who made those outcomes possible.

The iCare Impact Awards program is open to all members of the Hospital Community; employees, professional staff, and volunteers of Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute.

Submit your iCare Impact Award nomination today by visiting https://icare-awards.tbrhsc.net/.

Nominations close today!

The Health Sciences Foundation Family CARE (Care Advancement Recommended by Employees) Grants are here to help you — the family of health care providers that make the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre the excellent facility it is. Family CARE grants can be used to improve the care you give every day. Listen for patient and family suggestions when brainstorming ideas. Initiatives that improve the care we can provide benefit us all!

Download the form (or see below) and submit your completed application to the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation (Foundation President’s Office, Room 2232) by Friday, October 18, 2024 at 4:00 p.m. EST.

If you have any questions, please contact Laura Andricciola, Executive Coordinator at ext. 7276 or by email at laura.andricciola@tbh.net.