Effective immediately, our Hospital has moved its Internal Pandemic Responsive Level from Red (Control) to Orange (Restrict). This is a result of rising vaccination numbers in our community, and a sharp decrease in COVID-19 positive cases in our city and across Northwestern Ontario. It’s yet another positive sign that we are trending in the right direction. Please note that moving to Response Level Orange does allow us to reduce restrictions on both learners and volunteers as well as some of our external care partners. We must continue to be cautious with our COVID-19 pandemic response. The safety of patients, staff and the community remains our utmost priority. In the coming weeks, new guidelines from the Province and the Ministry of Health are expected that will allow us to reduce pandemic restrictions even further. Until then, it is imperative that we stay the course together. We appreciate everything you do.

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

Who’ll be taking home this month’s Thunder Bay 50/50 jackpot? It could be you.

June’s take-home jackpot has passed $430,000 cash, and will continue to rise until ticket sales end tonight at 11:59 p.m. Over $2.5 Million has been won since the 50/50 launched in January, through many Early Birds and 4 Grand Prize draws.

Today is the final day to purchase tickets at www.thunderbay5050.ca, with sales closing at 11:59 p.m. ET sharp.

Each Thunder Bay 50/50 ticket helps fund the highest priority equipment needs at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. Along with the three specialized ICU beds, a BiPAP ventilator, and a defibrillator announced in past months, recently a new dental x-ray machine for the Operating Room was also funded thanks to supporters of the raffle. The higher the jackpot rises, the more equipment can be funded to bring better healthcare to the people of Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario.

When asked why they support the Thunder Bay 50/50, ticket purchasers shared the many reasons they take part:

“My Dad & brother were both sent to Thunder Bay’s hospital from Dryden to help care for heart issues & you helped them. Many people from Dryden have to go to Thunder Bay for care.” – Pamela M.

“My husband was successfully treated for stage 3 colorectal cancer at TBRHSC. I have travelled to Thunder Bay for surgery & care as well. We have always been impressed by our treatment at this hospital so we want to support it.” – Judith P.

“It is an excellent way to raise money for the hospital, it’s a good cause and the money that is raised stays here in Thunder Bay.” – Marilyn B.

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

• $10 for 5 numbers
• $20 for 30 numbers
• $50 for 150 numbers (best value)

** Must be purchased by 11:59 p.m. ET tonight (Thursday, June 24^th) to be eligible for the Grand Prize draw on Friday, June 25th, 2021.

Questions about the draw can be sent to info@thunderbay5050.ca. Ticket purchasers must be 18 years old or older and present in Ontario at time of purchase. The Thunder Bay 50/50 continues each month with the Grand Prize drawn on the last Friday of the month.

Session 1 (Friday, June 18, 2021 / 8:30 am – 9:00 am): https://thunderbayhospitals.webex.com/webappng/sites/thunderbayhospitals/meeting/download/1468c9f0be7a4f41bcbbe99914c03830?siteurl=thunderbayhospitals&MTID=me2cff6162c45dc34f90853b8847434b2

Session 2 (Thursday, June 24, 2021 / 4:00 pm – 4:30 pm): https://thunderbayhospitals.webex.com/thunderbayhospitals/j.php?MTID=m9262f534de92177544a31519376f5c56

We want your input – again!

The Canadian Patient Safety Survey (Can-PSCS) tool was recently completed by 467 staff. This tool is used to evaluate staffs’ perceptions of how the organization approaches patient safety and reports safety incidents. The common themes from the results are provided in the below chart.

In follow up to the survey, Quality and Risk Management will be taking the lead to address concerns raised by staff through focus groups and survey. The feedback will inform the action plans which will be deployed in the summer, evaluated and scaled up. The results will be compiled in the Patient Safety Report, a required document to be submitted to Accreditation Canada, prior to the on-site survey.

Patient Safety focus groups will be facilitated in several areas the week of June 21^st. Managers involved will notify their staff of dates/times.

In addition to focus groups, a survey has been created to reach more staff. Please provide your feedback on the survey by Monday, June 28.

www.surveymonkey.com/r/PatientSafetyPlan

Themes	Responses
Valuing safety	Limited confidence in leadership support for patient safety- decision making and associated risk
State of safety	Poor evaluation of incidents at the unit level and lack of proactive approach to prevent errors
Fear of repercussions	Negative responses: judgmental, disciplinary action
Supervisory leadership	Insubstantial support to staff and the suggestions they provide to improve patient safety. Productivity is expected; safety is often overlooked

If you have questions, please contact Katherine Mayer (mayerk@tbh.net) or Chitra Jacob (jacobc@tbh.net).

To make an appointment, contact Madeline Fabiano at fabianom@tbh.net.

Key messages for participants:

• Bring a bike that requires a tune-up only (not a makeover).
• 1 bike per person; the bike has to be your own.
• Bring a bike lock if you cannot pick your bike up before 1:30 pm.
• Please follow proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) guidelines. Wear your mask and goggles and follow physical distancing measures.

Test your knowledge by participating in this week’s Stroke Month Trivia. There are four questions and should not take longer than 5 minutes complete. The grand prize winner will receive 3 Floats at Afloat!

Get started by clicking https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LM7MS59

National Indigenous History Month Activities

Check this post each day to access daily activities and participate for a chance to win a prize on Monday, June 21, National Indigenous Peoples Day. Note: Don’t worry if you miss a day, you have all week to complete the activities and enter into the draw!

Monday, June 14 – Word Match Game (click title to download)
Test your knowledge of Indigenous language with this Word Match game. Match these common Indigenous words to their meanings in English. Submit your answers to Julie Creamer at creamerj@tbh.net, or through Interoffice mail (Julie Creamer, Communications & Engagement). Those with correct answers will have their name entered into a prize draw.

Tuesday, June 15 – Traditional Foods Knowledge
Share your knowledge on traditional foods of Indigenous people in Northwestern Ontario (NWO). We are looking for at least 10 answers of what you think the traditional foods are. Submit your answers to Julie Creamer at creamerj@tbh.net. Those with at least 10 correct answers will have their name entered into a prize draw on Monday June 21, 2021, National Indigenous Day

Wednesday, June 16 – Indigenous Culture Survey (click title to access the survey)
Test your general knowledge about Indigenous culture with this survey for a chance to be entered into a prize draw on June 21, 2021, National Indigenous Day.

Thursday, June 17 – How to Make Bannock Video (click title to view)
Do you want to learn to make bannock? Watch this video for how to make fried or baked bannock, and try it yourself at home!

Friday, June 18 – Scavenger Hunt
Take part in a scavenger hunt to find the office locations of the hospital’s Indigenous Patient Liaisons, Indigenous Patient Navigators, the Senior Director of Indigenous Collaboration, and the Indigenous Spiritual Care Provider. There are 5 posters for you to find. When you find one, snap a photo and submit to Julie Creamer (creamerj@tbh.net) for a chance to be entered into a prize draw on June 21, 2021, National Indigenous Day.

Monday, June 21 – National Indigenous Peoples Day Ceremony

National Indigenous History Month

National Indigenous History Month is a time for learning about, appreciating, and acknowledging the contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis people.

At the start of Indigenous History Month we learned of the discovery of the undocumented deaths of 215 children at the former Kamloops residential school site. Our hospital recognized this horrific event by lowering our flags for 215 hours, 1 hour for each child found.

We share in the anger and grief of residential school survivors, their families, and all Indigenous peoples and communities, including our colleagues, neighbors, and the 69 First Nations in Northwestern Ontario (NWO) that our Hospital serves. Our Hospital is committed to actions to support the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action.

During the week of June 14-18, 2021, there will be a number of activities in our Hospital you can participate in, have some fun with, and showcase or increase your knowledge of Indigenous people’s culture of NWO. These activities will be posted in the daily Informed newsletter. Staff who participate will have a chance to be entered into a prize draw.

At 11 a.m. on National Indigenous Peoples Day, Monday June 21, 2021, the Hospital will host a ceremony at the front of the Hospital near the water feature. On the same day, prize winners will be announced.

We encourage you to wear orange on June 21 in recognition of the harm the residential school system did to children’s sense of self-esteem and well being, and as an affirmation of our commitment to ensure that every child matters. You can read more about the orange shirt and Phyllis Webstad’s story here: https://www.orangeshirtday.org/phyllis-story.html.

Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) has developed lists of resources to learn more about Indigenous culture, which includes a recommended list of books. To learn more, please visit https://www.aptnnews.ca/ourstories/indigenoushistorymonth2021/. We encourage you to take the time to learn about the vibrant culture of Indigenous people of Canada.

To register please use the link below (through Eventbrite):
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/bls-renewal-course-june-tickets-156113903889