Board Chair Message - May 2006

I am excited about what is going on at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. Over the last few years, we have gone through an amazing transformation. And now, we are positioning ourselves to become a leader on three fronts: Acute Care, Academic/Teaching, and Research.

TBRHSC is recognized as a significant acute healthcare provider and economic engine in Northwestern Ontario. That is why we are grateful that some of our partners are willing to join us in our vision for the future. For example, a few weeks ago, Thunder Bay City Councillors endorsed our plan to develop a Molecular Imaging Cancer and Cardiac Research Centre at our Munro Street property. Then, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty came to Thunder Bay to announce millions of dollars of support for the same project. We stand on the threshold of something great that no one could have envisioned even a couple of years ago. We are confident that other announcements of initiatives will be made in coming weeks, as well.

That is why the TBRHSC Board of Directors has endorsed a Strategic Plan that will benefit acute care in Northwestern Ontario, and likely beyond, for years to come. The Plan is bold. It is innovative, and it is achievable. The idea is that we want to “Transform a Good Regional/Community Hospital into a Great Academic Health Sciences Centre meeting the needs of our present and future communities”.

The Strategic Plan breaks out into four key areas: (1) Teaching and research (2) Organizational transformation through enhanced work and social architectures (3) Regionally, improved services that include physician/specialist activities (4) Enhanced quality and continuity of patient care. The four demonstrate that the Board is confident that new standards of care will be set.

As TBRHSC moves toward becoming an Academic Health Sciences Centre, and a place where world-class scientists and specialist physicians come to work, opportunities for growth for our community and region will abound. Changing from a resource-based economy to a knowledge-based economy will facilitate economic advantages that benefit everyone.

Dynamic organizational transformation shows that we want our Health Sciences Centre to be a workplace of choice. We want physicians and other healthcare workers to declare TBRHSC as the number one destination among many they could choose from. Furthermore, we want to continue to improve our quality and continuity of patient care so that we are able to measure our performance against any hospital delivering acute care. We want to provide care that is exceptional.

Regional integration speaks to our healthcare partnerships. We want them to be stronger. Our plan of care will be expanded and comprehensive. For example, it is anticipated that specialists will be working in the region at various hospitals with great frequency as we move care “closer to home”.

We are moving ahead. Thank you for your continuing support.

Ron Nelson, Chair
Board of Directors

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