Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre
THUNDER BAY – Health News – 2013 was a year to be remembered at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. With an ever-present goal in mind of providing Patient and Family Centred Care in an Academic Health Sciences Centre, we have had some remarkable achievements. Many have been made possible thanks to generous donations to the Health Sciences Foundation. Here’s a look back at some of the highlights of the year.
10. 100th Patient Family Advisory Enrolled
This year we recruited our 100th Patient Family Advisor. Our Patient Family Advisors, or PFAs, are involved in everything we do, from program planning, policy and procedure development, hiring practices, teaching our new employees and learners to strategic planning, board quality and all of our program and service councils. Patient Family Advisors are volunteers who have experienced care at TBRHSC within the preceding two years and want to be involved in improving the experience of other patients and families.
9. New Bariatric Services Program
The Honourable Deb Matthews, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care was at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre’s (TBRHSC) Bariatric Care Centre in January to announce $300,000 in funding to allow bariatric patients to enroll in a medical management program as an alternative to bariatric surgery. Launched in February, the program is comprised of a 12-week cognitive behaviour program or a 26-week program including 12 weeks of meal replacement.
8. MyCancerGuideTM Launched
In January, the Cancer Centre launched MyCancerGuide™, an online resource customized for patients and families of Regional Cancer Care Northwest (RCC NW). My Cancer Guide™ is an online educational tool developed for people affected by cancer. It provides support and information to make practical and difficult decisions throughout a patient’s cancer journey in nine cancer sites. Funding was partially provided through donors to the Northern Cancer Fund.
7. Xenon Polarizer in Place for Advanced Imaging Research
In April, a xenon polarizer was installed to support the research of Dr. Mitch Albert, Scientist at TBRRI and Research Chair and Professor of Chemistry at Lakehead University. Funded through a variety of partners, including the Province of Ontario and donors to the Health Sciences Discovery Fund, the polarizer is allowing Dr. Albert and his team the ability to advance their research into hyperpolarized gas MRI – which is new technology that greatly improves imaging for asthma, COPD, cystic fibrosis, pulmonary embolism, lung and breast cancer, stroke, atherosclerosis and diseases of the brain – giving much clearer images than current MRI.
6. Cath Lab Celebrates 25th Anniversary
Donors to the Northern Cardiac Fund have been instrumental in ensuring world-class cardiac care is available in Northwestern Ontario and, in March, we celebrated 25 years of cardiac catheterizations. Millions of dollars from generous community members has guaranteed 24/7 angioplasty and ongoing donations will contribute to a future with a cardiovascular surgery program here at TBRHSC. Present members of the TBRHSC Cardiac Catheterization Team, along with members of the original team of 1988 were on hand to mark the occasion.
