THUNDER BAY -- The city’s hospital has made the country’s top 10 most admired corporate cultures list.
On Thursday, the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre announced it had made the list, compiled by Waterstone Human Capital firm, in the broader public sector category.
“It’s quite a distinctive honour to be recognized as having such a profound culture,” said Rod Morrison, executive vice-president of health human resources.
“It’s been part of our strategy to be recognized for the exceptional work we do in terms of living our mission and vision and values.”
So when the opportunity to apply for the list came up, the hospital examined the criteria and felt they met them fully and submitted an application.
“We are a patient and family centred organization where we are a hospital that provides care to patients in support of the patient and the family,” said Morrison, adding that practice has been in place at TBRHSC for about seven years.
The hospital takes input from patients and families seriously and established a patient and family advisory council in 2008.
There about 90 patient family advisors (PFAs) who have had experience as a patient in the health sciences centre and Morrison said they play a meaningful role in the hospital.
“All of our management meetings, all of our major recruitment activities, a PFA is represented on the committee with the view of bringing an external patient and family view on whatever the decision is. They are absolutely essential to the patient family centred care,” he said.
Keith Taylor hasn’t seen many other hospital that have patients as their partners.
Patients aren’t treated like visitors at the TBRHSC, said the co-chair of the patient and family advisory council.
“Since patient and family centred care has been around, we get treated more like a fellow employee rather than someone who is coming in for care. There’s that definite change. There’s that feeling of having that partnership,” he said.
The other organizations in the broader public sector category are:
• Aboriginal Peoples Television Network – Winnipeg, MB
• Acadia University – Wolfville, NS
• BC Cancer Foundation – Vancouver, BC
• Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario – Ottawa, ON
• City of Edmonton – Edmonton, AB
• Covenant Health – Edmonton, AB
• Egg Farmers of Canada – Ottawa, ON
• United Way of Calgary and Area – Calgary, AB
• Winnipeg Airports Authority – Winnipeg, MB
