TBRHSC Board Chair Report (June 2026)

As summer comes into view and the fiscal year wraps up, I want to share some thoughts about where we are and what comes next.

In spite of the systemic challenges of the past year, we have momentum. We broke ground on the Cardiovascular Surgery Program, which will bring complex cardiac care to Northwestern Ontario by 2028. The Bridge Northwest Program continued its work to connect twelve hospitals across the region on a shared electronic patient record. And, Indigenous health engagement deepened through Miskwaa Biidaaban and through new partnerships with Matawa Education and Care Centre, Anishnawbe Mushkiki, Grand Council Treaty #3 and Matawa Health Cooperative.

In November, the Foundation approved $22.8 million in funding for this Hospital. This is the largest single commitment in its history and those funds are being used to replace existing aged equipment, purchase vital new equipment and update patient rooms.

We are in the fourth and final year of Strategic Plan 2026 – Exceptional care for every patient, every time. The development of the next strategic plan starts this fall and the community engagement is essential. TBRHSC is not the Board’s hospital. It is not the staff’s hospital. It is yours. The people of Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario built this institution. They fund it, depend on it and must have a say in what it does next. If you live in this city or region, your input matters. Please participate as community engagement begins. We need to hear from you.

Serving on this Board, and on its committees, is one of the most direct ways residents of this city and region can shape the future of their hospital. Board members and community members on committees bring perspectives that the operational leadership side cannot. The Hospital welcomes applications from people across Northwestern Ontario who want to contribute their expertise and experience to the work of governance of the Hospital. If you have ever wondered whether it might be for you, I encourage you to visit the Hospital website for more information on the Board and committee opportunities.

To my fellow Board members, thank you for your expertise, your time commitment, and the hard decisions you’ve had to make. To Dr. Rhonda Crocker Ellacott, our President and CEO, to Dr. Laura Power, our new Chief of Staff and Dr. Brad Jacobson our outgoing Chief of Staff, our Senior Leadership, our professional staff and every employee across the Hospital and the Research Institute, thank you for showing up when it was hardest and doing the work that mattered most. Thank you to our donors who support us through the Foundation, your generosity makes the difference.

The annual meeting which will be held this June marks the end of my term as Chair. Serving has been a privilege. The work continues, and I leave the Board in very capable hands.