Click here to submit your vote: https://wttvoting.tbrhsc.net

Shared on behalf of Adam Vinet, Executive Vice President, Patient Experience & Chief Nursing Executive

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I am pleased to present my final update of 2021. It has been a challenging year in health care and beyond, yet I am astounded by the resilience of our staff, inspired by the commitment to patients and families, and encouraged by our willingness to collaborate in finding solutions to our challenges.

I am extremely proud of the successes achieved to date. Below are a few highlights of the work since my last update, as well as some activities that are planned in the new year.

Progress Updates:

• Increased Staffing Clerk FTE approved by SLC in order to reduce backlogs and improve timing of calls for advance shifts.
• Daily Staffing Clerk huddles at beginning of each shift to share information and ensure smooth transition between shifts.
• The Staffing Office regular weekend business hours will be extended to 10:00 p.m. beginning December 27, 2021.
• ICU Clerk scheduling trial from November 22 to February 22 where immediate needs and sick calls are managed at unit level.
• Development of a tool for Unit Care Aide requests that will allow for better tracking of UCA utilization as well as assist Managers/Unit Leaders, Admin Coordinators, and Staffing Office in the prioritization of filling
• UCA requests.
• Staffing Office leadership and clerks have identified and prioritized 27 internal process improvements and are co-designing and trialing solutions for many of these.
• Master rotation reviews for areas of highest need.

Next Steps:

• The current spring hire processes is under review; a proposal regarding improvements is forthcoming and will include recommendations such as extending the length of orientation for new staff.
• Finalize the approval of financing for a new automated scheduling system that will allow for greater autonomy and ability to view schedules from home.
• Formation of working group to choose and implement a real-time acuity tool and leverage this tool to assess patient acuity and inform staffing requirements/gaps at the start of every shift.

Advancement of the major initiatives as well as trials of small improvements will continue into the next year. I often reflect on the quote “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always gotten.” Although we may not always get it perfect the first time, we must never stop seeking continuous improvement. Whether that be in large steps such a introducing a new organizational scheduling software tool or by making small improvements in the way we perform our day to day tasks such as how we document and communicate an available shift. All these things matter, and will bring us a step closer to better communication, better work environments, and a more fulfilling work experience for all staff.

In order to measure the impact of these improvement initiatives over time, front line staff are invited to participate in a quick survey. The survey will be repeated periodically over the next twelve to eighteen months as we continue to implement changes.

The survey is open until January 21, 2022.

Survey Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/H9NFSQR

For more information, please contact any member of the Staffing Project Planning Team:

Angela Kutok, Performance Improvement Consultant, kutoka@tbh.net

Dawna Maria Perry, Director, Nursing Practice, perryd@tbh.net

Jordan Stokes, Practice Coordinator, Nursing Resource Team, stokesj@tbh.net

Laura Macgowan, Manager, Labour Relations, macgowal@tbh.net

Lori Neri, Staffing Coordinator, neril@tbh.net

Michael Del Nin, Director, Strategy and Performance, delninm@tbh.net

Rita Grenier Buchan, Manager, Nursing Resource Team and Staffing, grenierr@tbh.net

Prevention and Screening Clinical Services invites you to join the Healthy Living and Cancer Prevention & Screening Series on Thursday, January 20th at 2:00 pm for a presentation entitled ‘Healthy in 2022: What can I do? How do I start?’

Join Dr. Newhouse to learn about the benefits of physical activity and how you can start moving today. During this session, Dr. Remus will be sharing information on spinal health and guide you through some basic stretches to support good back health.

The Healthy Living and Cancer Prevention & Screening Series provides ongoing education and awareness about chronic disease prevention, cancer prevention and screening for Indigenous communities, partners and organizations throughout Northwestern Ontario.

Register for this virtual event at the following link: https://thunderbayhospitals.webex.com/thunderbayhospitals/onstage/g.php?MTID=ed15e285b6eeb6e799f4a03a64691e5f8

Christina Best, of Capreol, Ontario brought home $10,000 thanks to the Bonus Draw of the December Thunder Bay 50/50 this morning.  She purchased her tickets yesterday, after hearing about the draw from her mother in law.  

“After receiving the phone call that I had just won $10,000, I could not believe it! I started crying when I hung up the phone.  My hubby and I are so excited that we will be able to catch up on our bills as the pandemic hasn’t been easy on our family, and we still wanted to give our kids Christmas magic!” says Christina.

Tickets for the December Jackpot are still open until tomorrow at midnight

It’s the last chance to purchase tickets for the December Thunder Bay 50/50 December draw, and the jackpot is currently over $2 Million — officially the largest take-home prize since the draw’s inception earlier this year.  The grand prize draw is happening on Friday, December 31, with ticket sales open until tomorrow at midnight.

Tickets are available online only at www.thunderbay5050.ca:

• $10 for 5 numbers
• $20 for 30 numbers
• $50 for 150 numbers
• $100 for 500 numbers  (December only – Special Holiday Ticket Package)

** Tickets must be purchased by 11:59 p.m. ET on Thursday, December 30 to be eligible for the Grand Prize draw on Friday, December 31, 2021.

Questions about the draw can be sent to info@thunderbay5050.ca. Participants must be present in Ontario and 18 years old or older at time of purchase. Lottery licence RAF1199631.

Sites Affected	SJCG and TBRHSC sites
Services Impacted	Virtuo MIS system
When	Start Time: 18:00 hrs EST on Wednesday, Dec 29th, 2021 End Time: 22:00 hrs EST on Wednesday, Dec 29th, 2021
Action Required	Prior to Downtime:   Ensure that you logout and close out of every Virtuo application (IE: SC Requisitioning, DiscoveryXL, MM Reports, etc) by the start of the downtime.
Why	To apply software upgrade to the corporate Virtuo MIS system.

Questions or comments? Contact TBRHSC IT Service Desk.

(807) 684-6411   |   1-888-291-9636   |   help@tbh.net

The “Walk The Talk” Awards program is open to all employees, professional staff and volunteers of Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre to provide a forum for staff to recognize other staff, peer-to-peer, for their exemplary efforts.

With the intention of placing a greater focus on our organization’s core values, the Walk The Talk Awards will be presented in the following categories:

• Patients First Award: We are respectful of and responsive to the needs and values of our patients, families and communities. Patient values guide all decisions and actions to achieve the vision of Healthy Together.

• Accountability Award: We are responsible to advance a quality patient experience. We commit to social and fiscal accountability to internal and external stakeholders and for the delivery of services to our patients.
  
• Respect Award: We honour the uniqueness of each individual their experiences and views by being considerate and kind towards others.

• Excellence Award: We foster an environment of innovation and learning to understand and advance a quality patient experience to not only meet, but also exceed, patient expectations.

• Indigenous Cultural Safety Award: We celebrate inclusion of Indigenous culture, philosophy and/or health approaches in the workplace, addresses power imbalances inherent in the healthcare system, and fosters an environment of cultural differences by creating a climate for change and a safe place for all patients and families.
  

In addition to the categories above, the following awards remain part of the program:

• President’s Award
• Board of Director’s Award
• Professional Staff Award of Excellence
• Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation Award
• Volunteer Award

In order to broaden the peer–to-peer recognition beyond a selection committee, redacted nominations will be reviewed at the first level by our Patient & Family Advisors, shortlisted, and then shared with the organization, which reinforces and celebrates the values demonstrated by our staff. We will implement an organization-wide voting system, so that the program ensures that recipients are truly selected by their peers.

SUBMMISSION INTAKE IS DECEMBER 1, 2021 to JANUARY 6, 2022

For further details, please refer to Walk The Talk Fact Sheet. You can find this, along with the nomination form on the Hospital’s Corporate Intranet. https://wtt.tbrhsc.net/

Nominators will be eligible to win gift cards, which are to be randomly drawn throughout December and January.

The deadline for submission of nominations is January 6, 2022.

Shared on behalf of Jennifer Wintermans, EVP, Communications and Corporate Relations, COVID-19 Lead

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Fully vaccinated health care workers (including staff, professional staff, learners and volunteers) at our Hospital who have received their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at least 168 days (24 weeks) ago are eligible to receive their third dose by drop in or appointment at the Hospital’s onsite vaccination clinic.

The intent of the third dose is to increase protection that may have decreased over time and will provide added protection against new variants of COVID-19. Third doses will be administered at our on-site clinic, located on the 3rd floor foyer, outside of the Ibn Sina Simulation Lab, Monday to Friday, from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm until January 14^th (with the exception of some holidays between Christmas and New Year’s). An appointment may be booked online at https://tbdhu.canadaehs.com/tbdhu/hospital/ or by calling 684-6000 (extension 4585) and speaking with a clerk during regular clinic hours. Our clinic does have capacity this week to accommodate drop ins for those individuals who would like to receive their third dose prior to the holiday season.

A first or second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine is also available to unvaccinated health care workers at our Hospital. Appointments may also be booked using the above link. If there are Hospital health care workers who are hesitant to be vaccinated due to severe allergies or health concerns, they may be referred to our high-risk vaccination clinic through their primary care provider or a physician at the Thunder Bay District Health Unit (TBDHU)’s CLE mass vaccination clinic if they meet the eligibility criteria. Instructions for referral have been provided to all primary care practitioners as well as the TBDHU, along with the referral form. Health care workers who are looking for more information about the COVID-19 vaccine from experts and trusted sources may visit https://comms.tbrhsc.net/informed/learn-more-covid-19-vaccine/.

All health care workers coming to the clinic for their appointment are reminded to wear a mask and bring eye protection as there may not be enough space to maintain physical distance in the recovery area, bring a government-issued photo ID, and wear attire that allows for easy access to your upper arm. We recommend that those who receive their shot wait for 15 minutes immediately afterwards for safety monitoring, but must stay for a minimum of five minutes if you are remaining onsite for your scheduled shift. Please note that the Pfizer vaccine will be administered to all recipients. 

Be sure to send your vaccination receipt to Occupational Health and Safety (ohs@tbh.net) as soon as possible, whether you have received your first, second or third dose from the Hospital’s clinic or an external source such as your primary health care provider or the TBDHU.

All Hospital COVID-19 updates and resources are available on the iNtranet at https://comms.tbrhsc.net/covid-19-information/.