April, 2011

Message from: Angèle Brunelle, Chair, Board of Directors, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre

Recently, the TBRHSC Board of Directors chose a new Vision Statement to align itself with proposed strategic initiatives. Members of the Board clearly stated that they want to enable healthcare partners to engage TBRHSC at all levels. After careful consideration, “Healthy Together” was selected. The phrase fits our intentions well. It means that we are able to engage people everywhere and develop partnerships that are mutually beneficial; but, are also appropriate for our patients and families.

The Board believes that everyone will be able to remember the simplicity of the Vision, yet recognize how encompassing it is. We believe that others value that it is a good thing to be healthy.

Over the last few weeks, we have completed our initial phase of the Strategic Plan’s Engagement process. We met with a large group of members from the public. These people represented the economic and social diversity of our city and region. We also engaged our TBRHSC Managers and Internal Leadership groups. Then, we had a session with our Board members and physicians. We will meet again with the “public” group on April 16th to go beyond the initial education phase and explore what they think should be our key areas of service, while also integrating new initiatives into our Strategic Plan. The sessions are intense because people are being passionate about what they want from TBRHSC and its partners.

As I think about our progress, it is interesting that people are recognizing the complexity of delivering acute healthcare. We are a primary care provider since our Emergency Department is always receiving patients. Furthermore, we cover for the shortage of Family Physicians in the city. We are also a secondary and tertiary acute care centre serving the citizens of Northwestern Ontario. With time and distance as key issues for rural residents, the “continuum of care” has obvious challenges. I also believe that a similar issue is played out in Thunder Bay after people have received their acute care. Many people have nowhere to go once they are able to be discharged from our care. Hence, we are in Gridlock, which is having more patients than funded beds. People are acknowledging our difficulty.

That is why our Strategic Plan of Engagement is so important. We want people from all walks of life to help us design a plan that will be good for all of us. Our partnerships are by design. We are pleased about how responsive and interested people are by being willing to engage with us. People are now realizing that we are “not doing things to them, not doing things for them, but doing things in partnership and agreement with them”. As we integrate our plans and seek alignment with our participants, the Board and membership will endorse our “go-forward” strategy at the Annual Meeting of the Corporation in June. Then, we will begin implementation.

We are excited about proposed partnerships and innovative ways of accomplishing mutual goals. That is why our new TBRHSC Vision is so important. We are, “Healthy Together”.

Thank you for your continued support.

Respectfully,

Angèle Brunelle, Chair
Board of Directors