Hello, Boozhou, Bonjour,
Despite it being summer, there’s been a lot going on the past few weeks that I felt was worthy of a summertime blog to all of you to keep everyone current.
Accreditation Update
Some of you may have seen the earlier internal memo, but I wanted to start this month’s blog with an update on the exciting news surrounding our Hospital accreditation.
For the first time in our history, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) has achieved Exemplary Standing from Accreditation Canada. This is not an easy achievement at the best of times, let alone during a global pandemic. You all should be proud of the work you have done to reach this level of achievement. As well, be proud that you have continued to sustain providing safe and quality care throughout the last few years, amidst the extra burden that COVID-19 has presented. I am proud of our entire team. There hasn’t been much to celebrate the past two-plus years, but this is one of those moments. This award is the highest level awarded to organizations going through the Accreditation process and the result of our collective commitment to providing our patients with safe, high-quality care.
The assessment process used by Accreditation Canada utilizes a rigorous process to review our operations against world class evidence-based standards of safety and effective care. Having worked closely with you and seeing your commitment first-hand during the challenges of a global pandemic, I am not surprised we have achieved this level of accreditation. It is reassuring to know that our quality and standards have, in fact, continued to see improvements and our commitment to safe and effective care is evident. Thank you for your exceptional effort and commitment to quality and safety. I am incredibly proud of the teamwork and accomplishments of each and every one of you.
To celebrate this success, and in appreciation for the exceptional work you do each and every day, next month we will celebrate together with ice cream and other giveaways — in appreciation for your ongoing commitment to quality and safety. Details on these celebrations will be communicated in the next week.
Violence in the Workplace
Not unlike other hospitals, we are also experiencing increased and unacceptable patterns of violence and abuse. We have responded by increasing the presence of our security within the Hospital at all times including the Emergency Department (ED). We have dramatically increased our security efforts and added police presence. We have added 13 new security positions and now have a total of 46 full-time equivalent security roles at TBRHSC. We have four security personnel in the ED at all times. We have also increased our presence by collaborating with local police to hire two police officers to have on-site during our busiest times of the day. As well, we are providing additional security during times that our past experiences show the level of violent incidents may be higher. I know this won’t solve all of our problems, but it’s a solid start. We continue to monitor and assess our needs to adapt our services and ensure our environment is safe. As well, our Workplace Violence Prevention Committee continues to work on strategies to improve the overall safety of the ED and our Hospital as a whole. In the meantime, please know that no level of violence is acceptable in the workplace. We hope you feel a difference in your workday with the implementation of some of these strategies. We have more work to do but we will get there.
Cellular Network Outage
As you all likely know, on July 8 we experienced an unprecedented cellular network outage that created a need to establish some quick and creative ways to manage some of our operational supports to ensure clinical services were not compromised. Our staff and professional staff were amazing and did some excellent work in a short period of time to combat the effects of the cellular outage. Thank you for all your extra work and support to these activities. Once again, you have excelled in your dedication to ensure we provide exceptional care, for every patient every time.
Vaccination Update
As of last week, the Ontario government is allowing anyone over the age of 18 to get their 2nd booster vaccine. At the same time, it is encouraging people who got their first two vaccines but not the 1st booster, to consider doing so right away as it is proven to help lower the probability of getting COVID-19. I would like to echo that sentiment with all of you as I know some have not received their 1st booster and we are currently experiencing an uptick in cases. Additionally, children aged six months to under five will now be able to receive their first dose, which will further protect us and our families. As you may know, the region we serve has some of the highest per capita rates of COVID-19 cases in Ontario – and those people are counting on us to be there for them when they need us. Details can be found here.
Final Thoughts
I would like to wrap things up by ending where I started – and that’s with our accreditation standing. While I know it may seem like boring bureaucratic talk, please understand that this third-party assessment is the most independent and non-partisan assessment of the job we all do here at TBRHSC. And, to receive the highest possible accreditation for the first time in our Hospital’s history at a challenging time like this is truly a reflection of your professionalism and the job you do serving our communities. So, take a bow and raise a glass for a job well done.
Please try to enjoy some downtime this summer when you get it and know that you are always welcome to comment on this blog or connect with me for any other matter. You can reach me at: rhonda.ellacott@tbh.net.
