March is Kidney Health Month
Published Monday, March 24, 2025
Staff from the Renal program at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre
March is Kidney Health Month, and we want to raise awareness about kidney disease and its impact on the people of Northwestern Ontario. Throughout the month, we will be featuring members of the Renal team at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC), and highlight the incredible care they provide for renal patients across our region.
For more information on Renal Services at TBRHSC, and to view educational videos for renal patients and their families, please visit tbrhsc.net/programs-services/renal-services.
Multi Care Kidney Clinic
"The Multi Care Kidney Clinic (MCKC) is a specialized multidisciplinary team consisting of nephrologists, registered nurses, a dietitian, a pharmacist, a social worker and clerks. This team manages care for patients with advanced kidney disease, and helps prepare patients and families to navigate this journey. The team provides shared decision making, education for health promotion and goals of care. They coordinate living donor transplant assessments, kidney and kidney pancreas transplant assessments, followed by post care. The catchment area is large, spreading from Wawa to the Manitoba border, including 69 Northern communities. The Multi Care Kidney Clinic currently provides care for approximately 1100 patients.”
- Kim Lightbody, Registered Nurse (RN), Renal Transplant Coordinator, TBRHSC
In-Centre Hemodialysis
“The Hemodialysis unit in Thunder Bay consists of a manager, coordinator, dialysis aides, registered nurses, nephrologists, nurse practitioners, social workers, dietitians, pharmacists, pharmacist assistant, clerks, Indigenous Patient Navigators, Clinical Nurse Specialist and Vascular Access Coordinator. The unit operates three shifts and provides dialysis treatments for over 140 patients daily. The program supports patients from the Thunder Bay and surrounding area, covering the region from the Manitoba border to English River.”
- Ramsey Broennle, RN, Regional Renal CKD Lead, TBRHSC
"Registered dietitians (RD) are essential members of the interdisciplinary renal team, working closely with patients, their families and other health care providers, to support those living with chronic kidney disease. Registered dietitians help simplify the science of kidney nutrition into practical, individualized advice, helping patients manage their condition and optimize their health at every stage of kidney disease.”
- Marisa Tamasi, RD, Renal Services, TBRHSC
"As charge nurses in dialysis, Karen and I coordinate the day-to-day activities of the Hemodialysis unit. We organize patient schedules, staff assignments, adjust for dialysis in the Intensive Care Unit when needed, and work closely with team members to provide comprehensive care for our patients on dialysis. We work directly in the Hemodialysis unit and engage with patients, families and staff everyday, which makes our job very rewarding.”
- Barb Appel, Charge RN (Hemodialysis), TBRHSC
“As Hemodialysis clerks in the Renal Department, our responsibilities are to assist the entire team in the day-to-day operations in the unit, in order to facilitate the best care for our patients. Some of the duties include ensuring the patients schedule and attendance are is up-to date, processing doctors' orders (which may include patient bloodwork), and diagnostic test requisitions. This frees up the nurses time and allows them to deliver direct patient care. Often the first point of contact, we communicate information to patients or other staff members throughout the Renal department in a timely manner to assist in the best patient care."
- Holly Hebert, Hemodialysis Clerk, TBRHSC
“The Renal Indigenous Patient Navigators are an essential part of the Renal team. They provide Indigenous patients and their families with interpretation services and offer support to help navigate the health care system. They advocate for patients and their families to assure cultural and linguistic diversities are acknowledged, and that the needs of patients are heard and understood by health care providers."
The Renal Indigenous Navigators work primarily with three diverse groups of First Nations peoples – Cree, Oji-Cree and Ojibway. There are be many differences between these groups that must be considered including different customs, traditions, beliefs, dress and dialect.”
- Susan Anderson and Lorraine McKay, Indigenous Patient Navigators, Renal Services, TBRHSC