Board Chair Message - November 2007

When Prime Minister Stephen Harper visited Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre recently, it was obvious that he enjoyed his time with everyone. He went out of his way to talk to people. He asked a lot of questions. More than that, he was impressed with the calibre of professional talent that we have here and our desire to serve patients. He learned that although we are located in Northwestern Ontario, we are at the centre of the action no matter how you assess it. He confirmed that Ottawa’s commitment to support us was a good decision. He recognized that our vision to be a patient care leader in teaching, research and quality acute care is achievable. The Prime Minister realizes we are about “getting it right in a culture of excellence”. For helping us achieve our goals, I want to tell each of you that your care beyond the call of duty makes us all proud.

It was only a month ago in October that I wrote about the great success of the newly launched Angioplasty service. A total of six procedures were performed on our first day. Congratulations to our healthcare champions who made all of that happen because only a couple of days after the procedures were performed, we heard from some of the Angioplasty patients who returned to TBRHSC to share their stories on how we made a big difference in their lives. That day in Auditorium “A” meant a lot to me. It was a huge celebration! The fundraising for the new Angioplasty Suite was launched at that time with Thunder Bay Telephone donating a total of $150,000 with additional funds for others to match. Within a few days of TBayTel’s announcement, the Fort William Rotary Club and RBC Financial Group came forward with large donations as well.

Last week I attended the Ontario Hospital Association Annual Convention. United States General Colin Powell addressed the capacity crowd. In his “no nonsense” address, he said that, “Vision without execution, is a hallucination”. It made me think how well everyone at TBRHSC continues to execute Strategic Plan 2010. It reflects on everyone’s good work. What it means as well, is that people are starting to believe in this town again. Medicine, education, and research are going to be huge economic drivers for our renewed economy. As the scientists take residence, a lot of great opportunities are going to unfold.

By the way, the sale of the McKellar site of the former Thunder Bay Regional Hospital brings to a close a long chapter in the story of healthcare in our community. The property will undergo significant change as business opportunities unfold and private retirement accommodations are developed.

One final note: when we celebrated the official opening of the Multifaith Centre at TBRHSC, it told me that we are caring for the “whole” person. When I heard that over 12,000 volunteer hours were put in last year helping people during a difficult time in their lives, I was convinced about the need to support our Spiritual and Religious workers.

Again, thank you for your continuing support.

Ron Nelson, Chair
Board of Directors

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