Farewell Message from Jean Bartkowiak

I write to you today with so many emotions. Pride. Nostalgia. A heavy heart. But mostly, I feel a tremendous sense of gratitude.

On November 20, 2020, I will officially retire as a senior health care leader and as President and CEO of our Hospital and CEO of the Health Research Institute. It seems like yesterday that I arrived in Thunder Bay, excited to take on a new challenge to lead one of the newest academic health sciences centres in Ontario and its blossoming health research institute. That moment was the culmination of a wonderful career and the crowning of a journey of a lifetime; it provided me with the opportunity to attract and mentor an outstanding group of senior leaders and to work alongside so many skilled and dedicated health care professionals and support staff. I take this opportunity to share the following reflections with the community I served for the last five years.

I’m very proud of our many accomplishments together these past 5 years. These include:

  • the development and expansion of several regional clinical programs that foster safe, quality, specialized care closer to home;
  • successfully advocating with the Ministry of Health for additional base funding allocation given our impressive performance as compared to our peers;
  • opening Transitional Care Units at Hogarth Riverview Manor to provide a more adequate care setting for our Alternate Level of Care patients;
  • organizational restructuring that brought, among other innovations, the creation of a Senior Director, Indigenous Collaboration position to engage and partner with Indigenous leaders and communities to have a better grasp of their health priorities, or the creation of a Patient Flow department that allowed us to improve significantly our performance for wait times of admitted patients in Emergency and our average length of stay;
  • the integration of the Northwest Health Alliance that allowed for the creation of a regional senior leadership role to support integration and transformation and the creation of a Regional Chief Information Officer role, to support the renewal of all Northwest Ontario hospitals health information system;
  • actively engaging in “smart health” research; and
  • an accreditation with distinction award from Accreditation Canada.

These are only a small fraction of our accomplishments. They were only possible thanks to your guidance as a cohesive Board, and to the dedication, expertise and will of our staff to imagine and try new avenues to deal with the challenges our Hospital and Health Research Institute must tackle every day. Without all of you, none of this would have been possible.

Dr. Rhonda Crocker Ellacott, as your new President & CEO will now lead you through the development of a new strategic plan and health system transformation. Her health system leadership experience, as well as her many accomplishments such as championing Patient and Family Centred Care, will be invaluable to the Hospital and the Institute. Furthermore, Rhonda brings specific knowledge of and passion for Northwestern Ontario that make her the ideal person to inspire and guide ongoing innovation in health research at our Hospital and Health Research Institute.

Rhonda inherits an extremely talented and knowledgeable senior leadership team and a dedicated Board. Our skilled and knowledgeable senior leaders provide strategic guidance to achieve safe quality care experiences and outcomes for patients and their care partners. Under their combined leadership and expertise, I am confident that our Hospital and Health Research Institute clinical, academic and scientific mission will evolve and thrive.

This will be an emotional transition, but I am looking forward to the next phase of my life. This is the first time I do not have a clear sense of what the future holds for me, but I look forward to spending time with my loved ones, here in Thunder Bay and in Québec.

Until we meet again.


Je vous écris aujourd’hui avec tant d’émotions: fierté, nostalgie, le coeur gros. Mais surtout, je ressens un immense sentiment de gratitude.

Le 20 novembre 2020, je prendrai officiellement ma retraite en tant que cadre supérieur du système de santé canadien et comme président directeur général de notre hôpital et directeur général de l’institut de recherche. Je me sens comme si j’étais arrivé hier à Thunder Bay, enthousiaste à l’idée de relever un nouveau défi en dirigeant l’un des plus récents centres universitaires en sciences de la santé en Ontario et son institut de recherche en plein essor. Ce moment a été le point culminant d’une merveilleuse carrière et le couronnement d’une vie consacrée à cette vocation; ça m’a permis d’attirer et de guider un groupe exceptionnel de hauts dirigeants et de travailler aux côtés de tant de professionnels de la santé et de personnel de soutien si compétents et dévoués. Je profite de cette occasion pour partager les réflexions suivantes avec la communauté que j’ai servie pendant les cinq dernières années.

Je suis très fier des nombreuses réalisations que nous avons accomplies ces cinq dernières années, dont notamment:

  • le développement et l’expansion de plusieurs programmes cliniques régionaux qui supportent l’offre de soins spécialisés plus sûrs et de qualité localement;
  • la représentation efficace auprès du ministère de la santé pour l’octroi d’un financement de base supplémentaire, compte tenu de nos performances impressionnantes comparativement à nos pairs;
  • l’ouverture d’unités de soins de transition au manoir Hogarth Riverview afin d’offrir un milieu de vie plus adéquat à nos patients requérant un autre niveau de soins;
  • une réorganisation qui a entraîné, entre autres innovations, la création d’un poste de directeur principal de la collaboration avec les autochtones, afin de s’engager et de s’associer avec les dirigeants et les communautés autochtones pour mieux comprendre leurs priorités en matière de soins de santé, ou la création d’un service de navigation des soins aux patients qui nous a permis d’améliorer considérablement nos performances en matière de temps d’attente des patients admis aux urgences et de durée moyenne de séjour hospitalier :
  • l’intégration de la Northwest Health Alliance qui a permis la création d’un poste de direction régionale pour soutenir l’intégration et la transformation, et la création d’un rôle de chef régional des systèmes et technologie de l’information, pour soutenir la modernisation du système d’information de la santé de tous les hôpitaux du nord-ouest de l’Ontario;
  • le développement accéléré de la recherche sur l’ »intelligence artificielle en santé” ; et
  • l’octroi d’une cote d’agrément avec distinction de la part d’Agrément Canada.

Ce ne sont là qu’une petite partie de nos réalisations. Elles ont été rendues possibles grâce au soutien d’un conseils d’administration cohésif, ainsi qu’au dévouement, à l’expertise et à la volonté de notre personnel d’imaginer et d’essayer de nouvelles façons de relever les défis auxquels notre hôpital et notre institut de recherche doivent faire face quotidiennement. Sans leur appui, rien de tout cela n’aurait pu se réaliser.

Dr Rhonda Crocker Ellacott, en tant que nouvelle présidente-directrice générale, guidera désormais les destinés de l’hôpital et de son institut de recherche dans l’élaboration d’un nouveau plan stratégique et dans la transformation à venir du système de santé. Son expérience et son expertise en matière de direction du système de santé, ainsi que ses nombreuses réalisations, telles que la défense des soins centrés sur le patient et la famille, seront d’une valeur inestimable pour l’hôpital et l’institut. De plus, Rhonda apporte des connaissances spécifiques et une passion pour le nord-ouest de l’Ontario qui font d’elle la personne idéale pour inspirer et guider l’innovation continue dans la recherche en santé à notre hôpital et son institut de recherche.

Rhonda hérite d’une équipe de direction extrêmement talentueuse et très habile et d’un conseil d’administration dévoué. Nos cadres supérieurs extrêmement compétents et expérimentés continueront de prodiguer leurs conseils stratégiques afin d’assurer à nos patients et leurs proches aidants des expériences de soins sûres et de qualité. Sous leur direction éclairée et judicieuse, je suis convaincu que les missions cliniques, académiques et scientifiques de notre hôpital et de son institut de recherche évolueront et prospéreront.

Ce sera une transition émotive, mais je suis anxieux d’entreprendre la prochaine phase de ma vie. C’est la première fois que je n’ai pas une idée précise de ce que l’avenir me réserve, mais je me réjouis à l’idée de passer du temps avec mes proches, ici à Thunder Bay et au Québec.

Au plaisir, sait-on jamais, de se recroiser.

Hospital’s President and CEO and CEO of the Health Research Institute Announces Planned Retirement

Jean Bartkowiak

Jean Bartkowiak, President & CEO of Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and CEO of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute, plans to retire at the end of his contract in January, 2021.

“Mr. Bartkowiak has always been transparent regarding his planned retirement and remains committed to providing effective leadership as he completes his term,” said Dr. Andrew Dean, Chair, Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute Board of Directors. “While we regret his upcoming departure, it provides opportunity to celebrate Mr. Bartkowiak’s significant contributions to our Hospital and Health Research Institute.”

The Boards of Directors are highly pleased by Mr. Bartkowiak’s performance and ongoing commitment to Hospital patients, their families and staff as well as to the Health Research Institute. His leadership has garnered an impressive list of achievements, including the voluntary integration of the Northwest Health Alliance, the development and expansion of several regional clinical programs that foster safe, quality, specialized care close to home, opening the Transitional Care Unit at Hogarth Riverview Manor to improve patient flow, organizational restructuring to better meet the needs of our Hospital, partnering with Indigenous leaders and communities to advance their health priorities, the fostering of “smart health” research, and an accreditation score of 98.4% from Accreditation Canada.

Mr. Bartkowiak is committed to leading several more important activities prior to his departure. His priorities for his next and final year include the development of the next strategic plan that will focus on enhancing patient journeys, fostering a safe culture for our Indigenous patients, improving staff engagement, building on system integration, enhancing the Hospital and Research Institute’s research and academic role, and ensuring the Hospital and Health Research Institute’s financial viability.

“Our skilled and knowledgeable senior leaders provide strategic guidance to achieve the best possible experiences and outcomes for patients and families. They will be instrumental as Mr. Bartkowiak fulfills his goals for the next year,” said Matt Simeoni, Chair, Thunder Bay Regional Health Science Centre Board of Directors. “Under their combined leadership and expertise, we are completely confident that our Hospital and Health Research Institute will continue to improve the provision of safe, quality, specialized acute care, and health care discovery during and after the transition period.”

Mr. Bartkowiak’s tenure is demonstrative that the Hospital and Research Institute’s CEO recruitment process results in strong, effective leadership. The comprehensive recruitment strategy will ensure the most suitable successor to help guide our organizations into a new era of health care.

To ensure a seamless transition, the recruitment process for a new President & CEO will begin in the spring of 2020, with the goal to welcome Mr. Bartkowiak’s successor in January, 2021.

Preparing for a New Era in Health Care

Message from the Board Chair and CEO

Message from the CEO and Board Chair

Normally when we think of medical research advances, we think of scientists in white coats developing new treatments in test tubes. This is often still the case, but there is a new era in health care research on the horizon where test tubes are traded for something a little more digital.

Smart health isn’t a method of treatment as much as it’s a way to improve access to health care and patient flow, while supporting patients to receive the right care at the right time. The Digital Age has brought us instant communications, more advanced computer modelling and data management, and ultimately more ways for health care providers to connect with their patients.

The possibilities with smart health are almost limitless; smart health has the potential to affect every area of health care today – including, crucially, improving access to care for rural and remote communities and in particular our Indigenous peoples. This past January, we welcomed Dr. Zubair Fadlullah as the Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute’s newest scientist and the first Lakehead University-Health Research Institute Research Chair in Smart Health Technology. As you’ll read in this year’s Annual Report, he has a plan to implement smart health technology in three different ways: implementing sensors, improving connectivity, and using artificial intelligence (AI) for decision support. His work in distance and smart health in Japan will be a tremendous asset to our Health Research Institute and to health care in Northwestern Ontario.

We also welcomed Dr. Jinqiang Hou to our team of scientists this year. Dr. Hou’s research into Positron-emission tomography (PET) imaging using fluorine-18-labelled radio isotopes will further advance our radioisotope program, taking full advantage of the cyclotron technology. His research will lead to new ways of diagnosing and treating cancer as well as possibly other diseases. The Health Research Institute is lucky enough to be one of the few hospital-based research centres with access to an onsite cyclotron, making our research center so much more attractive.

These and other projects will enhance the Health Research Institute’s strengths and help our Hospital overcome barriers and challenges to care throughout our region including addressing our Indigenous population’s health disparities.

Twelve years ago, we made a commitment to provide patient-centred research to the region, finding solutions to our barriers to care. Smart health may be the newest direction, but it is not the only one. We continue to support the great progress of our scientists, advancing medical knowledge and bringing new ways of treating patients that are focused on the needs and challenges of Northwestern Ontario.

 

Jean Bartkowiak
CEO, Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute

Dr. Andrew Dean, PhD
Interim Chair, Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute Board of Directors

 

To read our full 2018/2019 Annual Report, please view it online at www.tbrhri.ca/2018-2019AnnualReport

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