Board Chair Message - September 2006

It has been an amazing summer at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. At a time when many organizations relax a little during our wonderful Northwestern Ontario summer season, our agenda has been full. Over the last couple of months, we have witnessed an impressive array of accomplishments. Our healthcare teams are to be commended.

Just the other day, officials from the world-renowned Philips Corporation came to Thunder Bay to announce their support for the new Molecular Medicine Research Centre. Besides positioning us among the world leaders in molecular medicine research, the partnership renews the vigor of our desire to help rebuild our local economy.

Also this summer, Tony Clement, the Federal Minister of Health and Minister for Fednor came to tell us the first of two funding announcements for the Molecular Medicine Research Centre. With support already from the City of Thunder Bay, the Province of Ontario, and now Philips Corporation, Mr. Clement is preparing for a second major funding announcement in the near future. What this all means is that TBRHSC has been repositioned at the leading edge of national and international research and healthcare. The research and teaching divisions at Lakehead University benefit greatly from this as does the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. Millions of dollars of equity is pouring into Thunder Bay to support hundreds of new jobs in our diversified and developing knowledge-based economy.

There were other great things this summer to reflect on, too. For example, George Smitherman, the Ontario Minister of Health and Long Term Care, came to TBRHSC to invite us to apply for Angioplasty service. Many people in Northwestern Ontario have been anxiously waiting for this support. Now that it has been offered, teams of healthcare workers have put together a plan, which also includes support from Canada’s leading cardiac care facility, whose partnership with us will be announced this week. We know the Ministry will soon endorse our efforts.

The implications are enormous. Over 1,500 people from our area of the province seek cardiac care every year.However, at least a thousand of these people have to leave to go elsewhere for angioplasty and surgery procedures. It is hoped that many of these people will be able to receive care right in Thunder Bay. Importantly, when the angioplasty suite is completed and the cardiology teams are in place, people that have a heart attack and arrive in the Emergency Department will be quickly taken to the Angioplasty Suite for treatment. It is “stay-at-home care”. This is to be measured against our former attempts to stabilize a patient before being moved to a centre hundreds of kilometers away that may be able to provide additional cardiac care.

There is another major project to report from the summer as well. Our President and CEO, Ron Saddington has lead a group of partners from the public and private sectors to develop a SAN (storage area network). With the blessing of Premier McGuinty and his cabinet, a pilot project is being undertaken where a number of corporations in Thunder Bay are collaborating on a central data centre. There are a number of advantages to this strategy including long term cost reduction and increased efficiencies. What the government is suggesting is that if the project is successful in Thunder Bay, the strategy could be applied across the province with potential savings of tens, if not hundreds of millions of dollars. All this, and more as our Strategic Plan 2010 unfolds.

Congratulations everyone.

Ron Nelson, Chair
Board of Directors

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