Report from Susan Fraser Chair, Board of Directors June, 2014

We often say that Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) is a leader in healthcare. It is not a statement made lightly. It is a position supported by Accreditation Canada, the organization responsible for assessing the standards at more than 1,200 organizations representing 5,700 sites and services across Canada.

In May, Surveyors from Accreditation Canada visited TBRHSC. Accreditation ensures we meet nationally endorsed standards, provides a formal process for ongoing evaluation, and allows for discussion of education and training. The preliminary results of the Accreditation visit are positive, and we look forward to providing details when they are available.

I take this opportunity to share congratulations to our important partners at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM), who also recently hosted an accreditation site visit. Two programs – General Surgery and Orthopedic – resulted in recommendation for full accreditation with regular survey by the accreditation team. We are so proud of this important milestone for NOSM and for TBRHSC in our journey as an Academic Health Sciences Centre. It is yet another demonstration of the value of patient and family-centred care and interprofessional cooperation that promises to offer even greater healthcare to patients and families in Northwestern Ontario.

TBRHSC is exploring another opportunity for advancement. This one is in the form of an engineering study to assess suitability to pursue CoGeneration. This refers to a combined heat & power system that would provide increased patient safety opportunities, including increased ability to operate during power outages, as well as savings in operating costs and reduced carbon emissions. TBRHSC is deeply committed to minimizing its environmental footprint, and I applaud these ongoing efforts to identify and pursue opportunities to be “green”.

Finally, I wish to thank patients, families and visitors for their cooperation regarding patient dropoffs at our main entrance, which is a dedicated fire lane. The challenge with this issue is finding a balance between making access to the hospital as straightforward as possible, while maintaining everyone’s safety and ensuring emergency services can have access at all times. As is usually the case, these issues are more complicated than they at first seem.

We know some of our patients require assistance getting into the building, so we’re working with Patient Family Advisors, as well as those expert in the Codes, to help identify an alternate solution which will be endorsed by the Fire Department and meet the needs of our patients and families. We know that, when we consult with stakeholders, decisions are reached that best meet the needs of everyone. This is how we will achieve our vision: Healthy Together.

Respectfully,

Susan Fraser

TBRHSC Board Chair