February, 2009

Message from: Ingrid Parkes, Chair, Board of Directors, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre

At a recent meeting of the Quality Management Committee, members were apprised of our Accreditation Plan status. Accreditation Canada requires that all hospitals address a number of healthcare issues including hand hygiene and falls, to name two. Common to hospitals, these issues require a lot of attention. I was surprised to learn recently that falls are the 6th leading cause of death among older adults and that falls are the leading cause for injury admissions to Ontario Acute Care Hospitals. When caring for elderly people especially, we want to be diligent in ensuring a safe environment. Our goal is to offer the best hospital experience possible. Our physicians, staff and volunteers are doing a terrific job at addressing all of Accreditation Canada’s Required Organizational Practices (ROPs). Kudos to our healthcare workers, patients and families, for agreeing to be careful about care.

All across Northwestern Ontario, people are receiving progressive healthcare. When you think about it, each of us has the privilege of walking into a medical facility and can expect to receive care. I say that knowing that many of the smaller, remote communities do not have “large city” resources. Yes, we know that distance and time can take a toll on someone’s health if their journey to care is too long. But, it is for these reasons that I want to challenge everyone involved in providing care, no matter where they might be employed, to embrace the new Patient and Family Centred Model of Care that is being rolled out at TBRHSC. As part of our desire to serve the citizens of Northwestern Ontario, it is exciting to watch some of our specialists, for example, go to communities that have until now, only received primary care. Seeing patients “closer to home” solves a lot of problems for everyone.

I was reminded of that at our Board meeting in January when we heard how our Base Hospital Program is responsible for training over 300 Paramedics in Northwestern Ontario. The Program is comprehensive and includes land and air modalities. We should not overlook how important “patient transfer” is since patients are at risk when on the move. Members of the TBRHSC Board want to congratulate Dr. Andrew Affleck, Program Medical Director, and his team members, as they oversee this important role in care provision. When you see a Land Ambulance, a Medical Helicopter or a Fixed-Wing Medivac Flight, just know that we rely on the skills of these important healthcare providers.

On another matter, on behalf of the Board of Directors, I want to welcome Hamilton Health Sciences Centre CEO, Murray Martin and his team to Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. They are examining our acute care mandate, combing our books, and looking at our plans to care for residents in the City of Thunder Bay and the region of Northwestern Ontario. We trust that Mr. Martin and his team will be encouraged by what they find. I know they will find that we are excited about our ability to offer “best practice” acute care even when we are challenged for resources and space to care for people. Coincidently, I am told that TBRHSC is once again in “Code Gridlock” which means that we have more patients than space to put them in.

Finally, as we implement our new Patient and Family Centred Model of Care, members of the Board of Directors are confident that TBRHSC is being transformed to meet the needs of patients and families. We know that the outcomes will reflect our desire to present acute care at the highest level possible.

It is the flu season. Take good care of yourself.

Thank you for your support.

Ingrid Parkes, Chair
Board of Directors