THUNDER BAY – Last Thursday the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre celebrated 20 years since the opening of its building on Oliver Road.
The health sciences centre opened the doors at its current location on Feb. 22, 2004, and it has grown steadily since then.
Hospital president and CEO Rhonda Crocker Ellacott said she vividly remembers opening day.
“When we think back to the last 20 years in this building, so many things have changed,” she said.
The hospital held a celebratory event for staff last week that Crocker Ellacott said helped staff recognize their contributions towards the hospital.
“There's been so many different things that we've done in every aspect of the organization, so we took last week to have a little bit of a walk down memory lane and really celebrate with our staff the amazing things that have happened. We celebrated the growth of the organization and how we've really come to adapt to reflect the needs of our patients across Northwestern Ontario,” she said.
Crocker Ellacot said even with all of the growth the hospital as a whole has seen, what she’s most proud of is the innovations, contributions, dedication and commitment shown by hospital staff throughout the years.
“Honestly, I think there's areas to be proud of in each and every program and service of the organization. So, I can go back and talk about the advancements in surgery,” she said.
Crocker Ellacot said there's plenty to celebrate -- "whether it be the programs that we put in place to help patients connect better with their surgeons and with their care team around Seamless MD, in cardiac, around our new cath lab and around being able to provide angioplasty, in renal and introducing home hemodialysis or in the service areas.”
