TBRHSC Board Chair Message - The Year in Review

One year ago, acute care in Thunder Bay was delivered at Thunder Bay Regional Hospital. It was delivered on two sites, McKellar and Port Arthur. The Emergency Department at the Port Arthur site was not open over-night. Patients were shuttled back and forth to receive treatment as required. The CT Scan was on one site; the MRI was at the other. Physicians, hospital staff and volunteers were doing heroic service often traveling from one site to the other and then back again to care for patients. SARS hit us. So did Norwalk, and C-difficile. A lot of people did not have, and still do not have, family physicians. Consequently, our Emergency Department was overrun with people seeking care. Meanwhile, new computer systems and electronic medical record strategies were being launched. Meetings were being held at all times of the day and night to contend with all of this activity. It is hard to imagine that things could be more complicated. But they were. At the same time, final preparations were being made to move to the new site.

We will remember the year 2004 as a year of change. On February 22, 2004, senior citizen, Doris Sparks was honoured as the first patient to be admitted to Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. On that day, we began a new journey - acute care on one site. We resolved not to turn back on our plans and aspirations for acute healthcare in our city and region. Now, we are more than ever hopeful for the future. Just think about it. Next, we are going to see medical students in our facility. The Medical School will change the healthcare landscape for decades to come.

Our partnership with Lakehead University has lead to the Medical School and the Institute of Cancer Research Discoveries. Both of the projects are formidable accomplishments that will lead to significant economic development for our region. Moreover, our partnership with St. Joseph’s Care Group establishing the patient electronic medical record and picture archival communication system, which digitizes images, places us in the elite of acute care providers. In addition, our telehealth strategies are enabling specialists to work with patients who may be located hundreds of kilometers away. In a short period of time, telehealth has cumulatively saved patients and families living in the region millions of dollars. In fact, because of all that we have accomplished in a short period of time, the Ministry of Health is asking that we lead the province in innovative healthcare strategies in a number of areas.

We have good reason to celebrate. We have accomplished what most hospitals only dream about. We have a state-of-the-art acute care health sciences centre. We have leveraged $54 million into a world-class facility. As a community with many partnerships - our Foundation, Volunteers, and numerous friends that we now share, we have done it. We have reached an enviable status. A project leader from a major hospital in southern Ontario wrote to us and said it succinctly: “To say that we are green with envy would be an understatement”!

So, as we celebrate this holiday season, let us reflect on the many things that we can be thankful for, especially those healthcare workers who continue to serve us in our time of need. As Chair of the Board of Governors at TBRHSC, I have grown to appreciate our healthcare workers more than ever.

One final thought. I was reminded of what we are about and what this season is about when I heard that members from the Department of Surgery are providing for musicians to entertain our staff during the holiday season; caring, compassionate, and considerate.

Best of the Season to everyone. Thanks for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Ron Nelson,
Chair, Board of Governors