MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release:
November 22, 2011
London Health Sciences Centre celebrates the 50th anniversary of Thameswood Lodge
LONDON, ON – On November 22, 1961, Thameswood Lodge was given to London Regional Cancer Program (LRCP) at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) by the Canadian Cancer Society. Providing lodging for patients who would otherwise need to travel more than 40 km for their cancer treatments at the LRCP, the gifting of the Lodge to LHSC marked a significant milestone in our proud legacy of care. Today, London Health Sciences Centre is pleased to acknowledge the 50th anniversary of this important establishment.
“Today we celebrate a 50 year legacy of the delivery of exceptional experiences and the coming together of extraordinary people at Thameswood Lodge,” says Bonnie Adamson, President and CEO of London Health Sciences Centre. “This anniversary is especially meaningful; not only because the Lodge has touched many lives in the communities we serve, but also because it is representative of our organization’s history of engaging partnerships and is another example of the great things that can be accomplished when we work together.”
Thameswood Lodge is a 62-bed, non-treatment facility that has, for the last 50 years, served as an important “home away from home” for regional patients receiving cancer treatments at the LRCP. Depending on the course of treatment, a patient may require accommodations anywhere from 3 days to 7 weeks.
“It can be quite burdensome for people facing cancer treatments in a city that’s away from home, both financially and emotionally,” says Brian Orr, Vice President, Cancer Care at London Health Sciences Centre and Cancer Care Ontario Regional Vice President, South West Regional Cancer Program. “Thameswood Lodge helps to alleviate that burden and offers patients a comfortable, safe, supportive and caring environment during treatment. We were very fortunate to have been entrusted with the facility 50 years ago, as it has and will continue to allow us to build on the exceptional experiences we provide to our patients in hospital.”
Rooms at Thameswood Lodge are available to LRCP patients at no cost and meal plans are available for a small fee. While patients must be well enough to care for themselves, if space allows, a family member may stay with them for a small fee.
Thameswood Lodge is one of seven Lodges that were created in Ontario by the Canadian Cancer Society in response to an identified need for the availability of non-hospital accommodations for those traveling for cancer treatment. To date, approximately 45,000 LRCP patients have stayed at Thameswood Lodge.
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About London Health Sciences Centre
London Health Sciences Centre has been in the forefront of medicine in Canada for 136 years and offers the broadest range of specialized clinical services in Ontario. Building on the traditions of its founding hospitals to provide compassionate care in an academic teaching setting, London Health Sciences Centre is home to Children’s Hospital, South Street Hospital, University Hospital, Victoria Hospital, two family medical centres, and two research institutes – Children’s Health Research Institute and Lawson Health Research Institute, a joint research initiative with St. Joseph’s Health Care, London. As a leader in medical discovery and health research, London Health Sciences Centre has a history of over 50 international and national firsts and attracts top clinicians and researchers from around the world. As a regional referral centre, London Health Sciences Centre cares for the most medically complex patients including critically injured adults and children in Southwestern Ontario and beyond. The hospital’s nearly 15,000 staff, physicians, students and volunteers provide care for more than one million patient visits a year. For more information visit www.lhsc.on.ca.
For media inquiries contact:
Mandy Gelinas
Corporate Communications and Public Relations
London Health Sciences Centre
519-685-8500, ext. 75157 mandy.gelinas@lhsc.on.ca
