May 1-7 is Emergency Preparedness Week at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC). This year’s theme is “Be Ready for Anything”. Throughout the week we will share information related to emergency preparedness at TBRHSC and tips for personal emergency preparedness.

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TBRHSC’s emergency and disaster plans involve collaboration with a wide variety of community partners. Thunder Bay Fire Rescue, Thunder Bay Police Service, Ontario Provincial Police and other external stakeholders help to inform hospital preparedness and response.

The Hospital regularly participates in exercises with external partners. For example, hospital representatives recently participated in a tabletop exercise simulating an emergency response following an ice storm alongside City of Thunder Bay Municipal Emergency Control Group members.

The Emergency Preparedness department is already planning collaborative exercises for 2022, including a tabletop exercise simulating a heliport emergency as well as a Code Red to Green drill involving mock patients and Thunder Bay Fire Rescue.

If you are interested in learning more about this or any other emergency preparedness activities, please reach out to your manager or the Lead, Emergency Preparedness.

Preparedness Spotlight:

The Emergency Preparedness team works closely with Interprofessional Education (IPE) on training initiatives.

We asked Interprofessional Education how they help to ensure that TBRHSC is Ready for Anything.

Bruno Tassone and Brittney McLaughlin (Interprofessional Educators):

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“Interprofessional Education (IPE) certainly does help to ensure that TBRHSC is Ready for Anything. Simulation is one method that we embed into many projects and initiatives. Simulation helps amplify a real experience as an educational tool to help develop knowledge, skills and attitudes. It is done in a safe learning environment where we uphold the basic assumption that “every participant is intelligent, capable, cares about doing their best and wants to improve”. Simulation can take many forms. Systems focused simulation (SFS) is certainly one way that we help to ensure that TBRHSC is Ready for Anything. The keyword is system; this form of simulation allows a proactive approach to test a system and/or process with an opportunity to identify any latent safety threats that may emerge. At the centre of SFS is patient safety, and it is through the identification of the latent safety threats that changes can be made to our current processes. An interprofessional collaborative approach is essential as everyone who participates in the SFS has a unique perspective and offers valuable insight in how we can improve patient care. Some examples of SFS that took place over the past year are: aggressive patient in the Emergency Department, the vaccine clinic and annually IPE takes part in the minimum staff drill, which in many ways takes the form of SFS.”

May 5 is Red Dress Day – the National Day of Action and Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Gender Diverse people. On this day, we remember the people who have lost their lives to colonial, gender-based violence, and their families and communities that live daily with the grief of losing loved ones. People are wearing red today to show their support. Wearing red raises awareness about this ongoing national human rights crisis and is a way to take action.

Click here to learn more https://www.mmiwg-ffada.ca/. The violence against Indigenous women, girls and gender diverse peoples is a human rights crisis and it must stop.

May 5 is the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit Peoples (MMIWG2S). Indigenous women and girls in Canada, regardless of age, socio-economic status, whether living on reserve or urban, are at least three times more likely to experience violence, and at least six times more likely to be murdered than any other woman or girl in Canada. Between 1980 and 2012, Indigenous women and girls represented 16 per cent of all female homicides in Canada, while constituting only 4 per cent of the female population. The violence against Indigenous women, girls and gender diverse peoples is a national human rights crisis and it must stop.

Racist and sexist stereotypes lead perpetrators to believe that they can get away with committing acts of violence against Indigenous women and girls. The many legacies of colonialism increase the risk of experiencing violence—from impoverishment to the lasting harm from residential schools to the disempowerment of Indigenous women and girls in their own communities. To learn more please visit https://www.canada.ca/en/women-gender-equality/news/2019/06/backgrounder–national-inquiry-into-missing-and-murdered-indigenous-women-and-girls.htm

Indigenous women and girls have the right to be safe and free from violence. In response to repeated calls from Indigenous groups, activists, and non-governmental organizations, the Government of Canada established a national public inquiry, the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, in September 2016.  The inquiry was completed and presented to the public on June 3, 2019.  A copy of the report can be found here: https://www.mmiwg-ffada.ca/final-report/

May 1-7 is Emergency Preparedness Week at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC). This year’s theme is “Be Ready for Anything”. Throughout the week we will share information related to emergency preparedness at TBRHSC and tips for personal emergency preparedness.

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Safety Huddle—Lessons Learned from January 3^rd Flooding Incident:

A Code Red to Code Green was initiated the evening of January 3, 2022. During routine cleaning, a sprinkler head was activated, triggering the fire alarm. Water deluge from the sprinkler head resulted in the need to evacuate patients from 2C, 2B, and 1C. Thanks to the efforts of responders throughout the hospital, all patients were safely transported away from the flooding and building damage was limited to these three units.

A formal debrief was conducted with input from staff and leadership involved in the incident to determine lessons learned. The following are a number of actions process reminders to improve future response efforts. Check out the Safety Huddle for more information on lessons learned and process reminders!  

Preparedness Spotlight:

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Every emergency code at TBRHSC involves the Switchboard team. When staff dial ‘55’ to report an emergency, it triggers a series of actions by Switchboard. Depending on the Code initiated, Switchboard may be responsible for multiple actions such as overhead paging, fielding calls to emergency services, connecting with the Senior Leader on call or Admin Coordinator.

We asked Switchboard how they help to ensure that TBRHSC is Ready for Anything.

Trina Diner (Manager):

“Switchboard operators are #ReadyforAnything! Between one and three operators take calls at any given time, connecting people over 1500 times per day. In addition to handling individual calls (from across the region, locally and internationally!), operators are integral parts of any emergency response. In 2021, 690 Codes were called, each Code requiring its own process and duties for operators to perform.”

There is not a day that goes by without our physicians going above and beyond to care for our patients and build a healthier community. In recognition of their commitment to patients and the entire health care system, National Physicians’ Day is celebrated on May 1st. This designated day for physicians provides an opportunity to appreciate the dedicated and compassionate care that physicians provide.

This year on National Physicians’ Day, we reflect on the work and sacrifices made by physicians and express our most sincere appreciation for the care they provide in normal and in extraordinary times. Our physicians have demonstrated exceptional skill and endless compassion towards others, even throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Thank you for your professionalism, perseverance and the attention you have provided to countless patients during these demanding times. Thank you for your unwavering commitment to care, and your practice. Thank you for saving lives in our community and region; you are truly making a difference every day. Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre would like to sincerely thank every physician for all that they do and for helping us provide exceptional care for every patient, every time.

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