Please join the next Virtual All Staff Town Hall on Wednesday, September 14, 2022 from 2:00 pm to 2:45 pm. Town Halls are an opportunity to stay informed on what’s happening at your Hospital and have your questions answered and comments heard. Your input is valued. Have a question or comment about our COVID-19 pandemic response, strategic priorities, and other areas of interest? Submit yours by emailing TBRHSC.GroupNews@tbh.net.

You can also submit questions in real-time during the session. Submitting questions in advance ensures the right people are available to respond.

To join, please visit https://tbrhsc.net/th/ Can’t make it? The All Staff Virtual Town Hall will also be recorded so you can view it anytime afterwards. The password for the meeting should populate automatically. If the password is not accepted due to settings on your computer, please enter the meeting password: townhall2022.

We look forward to seeing you all at the All Staff Virtual Town Hall. While your attendance is encouraged, it is not mandatory.

WORLD PATIENT SAFETY DAY – September 17, 2022
World Patient Safety Day, one of the World Health Organization’s global public health days, was established in 2019 by the Seventy-second World Health Assembly through the adoption of resolution WHA72.6 – “Global action on patient safety”. Its objectives are to increase public awareness and engagement, enhance global understanding, and work toward global solidarity and action by Member States to enhance patient safety and reduce patient harm.

For more information on the World Patient Safety Day, click here.

2022 Theme: Medication Without Harm

Medications are the most widely utilized interventions in health care, and medication-related harm constitutes the greatest proportion of the total preventable harm due to unsafe care, let alone the economic and psychological burden imposed by such harm. Acknowledging this substantial burden and recognizing the complexity of medication-related harm prevention and reduction, “Medication Safety” has been selected as the theme for World Patient Safety Day 2022.

The campaign is envisaged to provide the needed impetus to consolidate the efforts of the existing WHO Global Patient Safety Challenge: Medication Without Harm, emphasizing the need to adopt a systems approach and promote safe medication practices to prevent medication errors and reduce medication-related harm. Special consideration will be given to areas where most harm occurs. The key action areas are high-risk situations, transitions of care, and polypharmacy.

2022 Objectives:

1. RAISE global awareness of the high burden of medication-related harm due to medication errors and unsafe practices, and ADVOCATE urgent action to improve medication safety.
2. ENGAGE key stakeholders and partners in the efforts to prevent medication errors and reduce medication-related harm.
3. EMPOWER patients and families to be actively involved in the safe use of medication.
4. SCALE UP implementation of the WHO Global Patient Safety Challenge: Medication Without Harm.

TBRHSC Medication Safety
See the Required Organizational Practice (ROP) poster below on medication safety for reminders on how to ensure the safe use of high-risk medications at TBRHSC.

Webinar Title: Hardwiring Systems for Medication Without Harm – September 15, 2022 at 12:00 p.m. EST

In recognition of World Patient Safety Day, this free webinar from Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) examines how traditional approaches to medication safety continue to impede progress.

​What We’re Getting Wrong about the “Five Rights of Medication Use” and Other Safety Myths

Despite decades of focus, medication errors, which result from weak medication systems and human factors, constitute the greatest proportion of total preventable harm. Yet across decades of efforts to improve medication safety, a disproportionate burden continues to be placed on human performance, while examination and focus on improving systems and the cultures in which humans work is often limited and reactive.

In recognition of World Patient Safety Day, this free IHI webinar examines how traditional approaches to medication safety continue to impede progress. Interprofessional faculty with expertise in systems thinking and human factors engineering will share insights on reorienting our thinking and approaches to medication safety. This webinar will provide fresh ideas for engaging a cross-disciplinary, systems perspective and harnessing team members in the improvement of systems to support medication safety.

WORLD PATIENT SAFETY DAY

World Patient Safety Day, one of the World Health Organization’s global public health days, was established in 2019 by the Seventy-second World Health Assembly through the adoption of resolution WHA72.6 – “Global action on patient safety”. Its objectives are to increase public awareness and engagement, enhance global understanding, and work toward global solidarity and action by Member States to enhance patient safety and reduce patient harm. For more information on the day, click here.

A mock Code White drill will take place the evening of September 13, 2022.

All clinical departments are requested to send one staff to participate.

Responders and observers are encouraged to participate in a hot wash debrief at the conclusion of each drill.

See the below memo and safety huddle for more information.

Memo – Code White Update

Code White Update Safety Huddle

Please reach out to Mēsha Richard, Lead, Emergency Preparedness (ext. 6552 or mesha.richard@tbh.net) if you have questions.

Shared on behalf of Dr. Rhonda Crocker Ellacott, President and CEO, TBRHSC, and CEO, TBRHRI

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As you know, our Hospital achieved an impressive 99.19% compliance rating on Accreditation Canada’s standards and criteria, earning us “Accreditation with Exemplary Standing”.

The external surveyors highlighted our Hospital’s commitment to improving the health care services we provide in partnership with many of our community and regional partners. As well, they made mention of our ongoing work focusing on patient and family centred care and our health care improvement for Indigenous people.

We want to use this opportunity to celebrate and appreciate YOU, and the incredible hard work and commitment from each and every one of you to achieve this recognition and award.

Please join us during one of the following times and we encourage you to invite the members of your team to enjoy complimentary ice cream:

Wednesday, August 31

11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., in Auditoriums A and B
7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., in Auditoriums A and B

Wednesday, September 7

11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., in Auditoriums A and B
7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., in Auditoriums A and B

Saturday, September 10 **NEW TIME**

9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., in the Cafeteria

All staff will also be entered in two prize draws for six months of free parking, and 10 prize draws for gift cards from various vendors.

Thank you for your commitment to excellence in care for the patients and families of Northwestern Ontario.

Shared on behalf of Infection Prevention and Control

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An outbreak of COVID-19 has been declared on 1A Medical Inpatient Unit (FRONT HALL) as of September 6, 2022. All restrictions are in place.

Please share this information with the appropriate staff.

As always, our number one priority is the safety of patients and their families, staff and visitors. All patients identified as having an exposure to this outbreak will require isolation with appropriate additional precautions.

The department of Infection Prevention and Control encourages everyone to keep applying the routine practices of hand hygiene, proper use of PPE, equipment cleaning, and the appropriate admission screening of all patients. Please set an example for staff and students and assist us by maintaining compliance and due diligence.

For more information, contact:
Infection Prevention and Control, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre at 684-6094

The PKD Foundation of Canada and TAP are pleased to partner together to enhance and expand kidney patient support programs nationwide. Please see the poster below for the opportunity to learn about TAP’s Ambassador Directory, and their newest online service, ‘Patients Seeking Donors.’

Shared on behalf of Infection Prevention and Control

An outbreak of COVID-19 has been declared on the 3A Surgical Inpatient Unit as of August 11, 2022. All restrictions are in place.

Please share this information with the appropriate staff.

As always, our number one priority is the safety of patients and their families, staff and visitors. All patients identified as having an exposure to this outbreak will require isolation with appropriate additional precautions.

The department of Infection Prevention and Control encourages everyone to keep applying the routine practices of hand hygiene, proper use of PPE, equipment cleaning, and the appropriate admission screening of all patients. Please set an example for staff and students and assist us by maintaining compliance and due diligence.

For more information, please contact Infection Prevention and Control at 684-6094.