Hello, Boozhoo, Bonjour.

I bring you this month’s Blog on a significant day, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. For our Hospital it is more than just a moment or day to reflect. It represents as a reminder of our work to date and the work to come on providing culturally safe, respectful care for Indigenous patients and families across Northwestern Ontario. This year our annual Truth and Reconciliation report is focused on Call to Action #23 a call for increasing the number of Indigenous professionals working in health care and ensuring cultural competency training for all health professionals. It is a strong account of the work done here over the past year and signifies our commitment. I invite you to read the report and reflect on what it asks of us as individuals and as an organization serving communities across this region.

As most of you know, capacity and flow pressures were significant through the month. Many of you felt that in the Emergency Department, on inpatient units, across our diagnostic departments, and across every area affected by downstream pressures. We thought we were ahead of the curve as July and August showed substantial improvements with our metrics on time to inpatient bed and physician initial assessment. This great progress is not lost, and the team-driven work will guide our planning as we approach our upcoming respiratory and influenza season. Please know that the earlier gains were real and recognized.  

The Transitional Care Unit will close on October 22 and transition to long-term care under the leadership of St. Joseph’s Care Group. Occupancy at the unit is currently below 50 per cent and we expect the closure to proceed on schedule. I have been clear about my concerns regarding the impact of this change on capacity and patient flow across our region. Our discussions with Ontario Health remain active and we are working together to identify supports that will help maintain patient flow. I will continue to keep you informed as we progress with this transition.

On September 28th, Special Constables have been added within the Emergency Department to support the safety and well-being of staff, patients and caregivers. Through partnership with Thunder Bay Police Services, this pilot project will complement our existing work on preventing workplace violence and enhancing the safety and well-being of the environment for all.  

The Meditech Expanse Fair was held on September 25 and I was pleased to see so many staff and professional staff attending to check out the new look and functions of the new system. I witnessed many “aha” moments as participants explored the new system and the elements of how the flow of information will support their work for improved patient care. It is exciting yet difficult, as any change of this scale is. If you were able to attend, I hope the fair provided you a positive first look at what is coming.

Strategic Plan engagement continues, with opportunities for both staff and members of our community to share their perspectives. Here at the Hospital, you can still have your say by scanning one of the QR codes posted throughout the building to complete the survey, or by stopping by our onsite booth. Members of the public can also share their feedback through our online survey. The questions remain the same: What should we keep doing? What should we start doing? And what should we stop doing? There is still time to share your perspective and help shape our next Strategic Plan.

I encourage you to take part in the many activities happening over the next month within our Hospital, Research Institute and the healthcare community as a whole. Together, we are all making a difference on the care provided in our community. Thank you for taking the time to read this Blog and staying informed about some of the key activities that matter.

I welcome any feedback about this blog or any other topics you would like to discuss. You can reach me at rhonda.ellacott@tbh.net. I appreciate hearing from you