The Changing Face of Healthcare

As Chair of the Board of Governors of Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, I have come to appreciate how complex the business of Acute Care is. I know that during a time of limited resources, managing capital and operating budgets is a difficult task. I know, too, that inflationary pressures extract a toll. Furthermore, it is essential that we compensate our highly trained, coveted healthcare workers.

With these things in mind, earlier this year, the Board of Governors embraced a comprehensive Accessibility strategy to ensure that we are doing everything possible to make it easier for people to receive care. We concluded that cultural complexities as they relate to race, religion, and language must be addressed as well. So, recently the Board held a special retreat to explore various cultural traditions and practices of people living in our area. To accomplish our goal, we sought the advice of various social agencies including City Police, Diversity Thunder Bay, Ambulance Services, Shelter House, and Aboriginal representatives. There are increased expectations that cultural sensitivities be understood and strategies implemented at TBRHSC to address the diversity of people in our city and region. It comes as no surprise that people coming to TBRHSC are not from a homogeneous group. Our multicultural society seeks compassionate care, which is more than just intervening with clinical methods of care. For example, as part of our retreat, we visited the Anishawbe Mushkikki Aboriginal Health Centre to learn more about the large Aboriginal population we serve. We wanted to find out more about their treatment and traditions. We listened, participated in a ceremony, and ate some fabulous food.

TBRHSC is diligently addressing language translation needs. We know that translation services are required for deaf and hard of hearing individuals. This service is offered through an agreement with the Canadian Hearing Society and an American Sign Language translator living in Thunder Bay. Because of advanced technology at TBRHSC, assistive hearing devices are made available to people who need them. Besides utilizing translation services from professional staff working at TBRHSC, we also seek assistance from Aboriginal groups, Diversity Thunder Bay, and from L’Accueil Francophone De Thunder Bay.

On that note, there are a number of communities in Northwestern Ontario that have a significant French speaking population. I am proud to announce that our Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre web site (www.tbrhsc.net) is now able to translate – using text and voice – in a number of languages, including French. This is a major step forward.

Concurrently, as we deal with cultural and language issues, I want to remind you that the Multi-Faith Centre has been officially opened. The Opening Ceremony, held in October, included prayers and blessings from a few faith groups including Baha’i, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, Native Spirituality, Hindu, and Unitarian. Located on Level Two of TBRHSC, the Centre provides a place for meditation and respite for all faith groups. The Multi-faith Centre represents a significant cultural statement to our City and Region. It is a statement of cooperation and recognizes that faith issues are cultural issues and an important part of the healing process.

I commend everyone at TBRHSC for coming together to seek better understanding with all cultural, faith, and language groups. I know that seamless cultural care will lead to better healthcare.