Quality and Safety: A Team Effort Across Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre
At Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, quality and safety are not limited to a single department. From the frontlines to leadership, clinical to non-clinical spaces, and inpatient to outpatient settings, each staff member plays a vital role in delivering safe, high quality care.
Quality Huddles are departmental, leader and staff-led touch-points that provide a consistent platform for sharing innovative ideas related to safety and quality trends. What started with just seven clinical departments in 2023, has expanded to over 60 departments (including non-clinical and outpatient areas), with further plans for expansion underway. To date, over 1,575 huddles have been held, with more than 14,480 staff engagements. These gatherings have generated over 2,001 change ideas, with an impressive 1,283 already implemented.
This milestone is a testament to the hard work, collaboration, and dedication of TBRHSC staff. In alignment with our strategic goal to “focus relentlessly on quality”, the momentum behind the Quality Huddles initiative reflects how deeply a culture of quality and safety is embedded throughout our Hospital.
Congratulations to all of the award winners (below) who shared their innovative change ideas at this year’s Quality Huddle Excellence Awards. Each presentation highlighted original ideas generated from Quality Huddles that occurred in 2024.
Presenter
Department
Quality Improvement Idea
Tracy Peltier
Labour and Delivery
Operating Room Standardization
Jennifer Pearson
Radiology
MIS Recording Update
Rachel Lyon
IA Medicine/Oncology
Potassium Shifting PPDO
Taylor MacKenizie
2A Medicine
Acute Withdrawal Desk Revamp
Meghan Hill
3C Surgery/Neuro
Magnetic Butterflies
Joelle Macey
Adult Mental Health
New WPV Risk Assessments
Tara Posselwhite
Transitional Care Unit
Laminated Seating Tags
Jennifer Svane
Materials Management
Vendor Shipment Amalgamation
Nancy Baker
Medical Device Reprocessing
New Sharps Cards
Victoria Marks and Megan Valente
Patient and Family Centred Care
Afternoon Snack Cart
Ashley Dell
Portering
Teletracker Mandatory Isolation
Nicole Moffet and Christian Nielsen
Security
Emergency Department Improved Accessibility
A heartfelt thank you to the Quality Resource Management (QRM) team for their unwavering support in facilitating these huddles and guiding teams through the quality improvement journey. Together, we’re working towards our vision of exceptional care for every patient, every time.
Rhonda Crocker Ellacott, President and CEO, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and CEO, Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute (R) presents Tracy Peltier, Labour and Delivery (R) with a 2025 Quality Huddle Excellence Award for the change idea “Operating Room Standardization”. Rhonda Crocker Ellacott (L) presents Jennifer Pearson, Radiology (R) with a 2025 Quality Huddle Excellence Award for the change idea “MIS Recording Update”. Rhonda Crocker Ellacott (L) presents Rachel Lyon, Manager, 2B Medicine Inpatient (R) with a 2025 Quality Huddle Excellence Award for the change idea “Potassium Shifting PPDO”. Rhonda Crocker Ellacott (L) presents Taylor MacKenzie, Manager, 2A Medicine Inpatient, with a 2025 Quality Huddle Excellence Award for the change idea “Acute Withdrawal Desk Revamp”. Rhonda Crocker Ellacott (L) presents Meghan Hill, Administrative Manager 3A/B/C & 3C Neuro (middle) and Carrie Vita, Manager, 3C & 3C Neuro (R) with a 2025 Quality Huddle Excellence Award for the change idea “Magnetic Butterflies”.Rhonda Crocker Ellacott (L) presents Joelle Macey, Manger, Adult Mental Health (centre) and Danielle Reszitnyk, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Mental Health (R) with a 2025 Quality Huddle Excellence Award for the change idea “New WPV Risk Assessments”.Jennifer Wintermans, Vice President, Clinical Services, Quality and Corporate Affairs (L) presents Tara Posselwhite, Manager, TCU with a 2025 Quality Huddle Excellence Award for the change idea “Laminated Seating Tags”. Jennifer Wintermans (L) presents Jennifer Svane, Coordinator, Materials Management (R) with a 2025 Quality Huddle Excellence Award for the change idea “Vendor Shipment Amalgamation”. Jennifer Wintermans (L) presents Nancy Baker, Medical Device Reprocessing (R) with a 2025 Quality Huddle Excellence Award for the change idea “New Sharps Cards”. Jennifer Wintermans (centre) presents Victoria Marks, Patient Advocate, Patient and Family Centred Care (L) and Megan Valente, Manager, Volunteer Services (R) with a 2025 Quality Huddle Excellence Award for the change idea “Afternoon Snack Cart”. Jennifer Wintermans (L) presents Ashley Dell, Manager, Housekeeping, Laundry/Linen & Portering (R) with a 2025 Quality Huddle Excellence Award for the change idea “Teletracker Mandatory Isolation”. Jennifer Wintermans (L) presents Nicole Moffet, Manager, Emergency Preparedness and Security (centre) and Christian Nielsen, Supervisor, Switchboard, Security and Parking (R) with a 2025 Quality Huddle Excellence Award for the change idea “Emergency Department Improved Accessibility”.
