MEDIA RELEASEFor Immediate Release |
(LONDON, Ontario) – There is good news for dialysis patients traveling to London. Woodstock Hospital expanded dialysis care by three stations earlier this year, enabling six additional patients to receive local care.
“We designed our new dialysis unit with expansion in mind,” says Randy Hicks, Director of Critical Care and Dialysis, Woodstock Hospital. “The ability to increase the number of dialysis treatments that we can provide is a real blessing to our community. Our patients experience long days when undergoing dialysis and being able to receive care close to home reduces stress and allows patients to lead a fuller life.”
The Woodstock dialysis unit operates as a satellite of London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC), providing hemodialysis treatment for people with chronic kidney disease.
Patient care is provided by Woodstock in consultation with a multidisciplinary team and London Health Sciences Center (LHSC) nephrologists. Woodstock’s dialysis unit operates six days a week, administering 4,430 treatments each year. Most patients require dialysis treatment that takes up to five hours, three times per week.
“LHSC is committed to working with regional partners to ensure patients can receive care in their local communities,” says Bonnie Adamson, LHSC president and chief executive officer. “I am delighted that we have been able to increase the number of dialysis stations in Woodstock as we are continually seeking collaborative solutions to provide care closer to home.”
“As part of our government’s Action Plan for Health Care, we are committed to making sure Ontarians receive the right care, at the right time and in the right place. This investment in more dialysis services at the Woodstock Hospital will provide patients in the community with the care they need, close to home,” says Deb Matthews, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care.
The additional stations bring the Woodstock dialysis unit complement to nine stations, increasing immediate care available from 30 to 36 patients.
“The Ontario Renal Network’s (ORN) mandate is to work collaboratively with chronic kidney disease (CKD) care providers to improve the quality of CKD services in Ontario. We work with our partners across the province to ensure that Ontarians with CKD can receive the care they need, as close to home as possible,” says Carol Rhiger, SWLHIN Regional Director for the ORN. “Additional dialysis capacity was required to address the current and future CKD growth in this region. This funding will help area patients with CKD by easing the time, travel, cost and inconvenience of receiving care outside of their community.”
About Woodstock Hospital
As a 178 bed capacity, full-service community hospital, Woodstock Hospital provides primary care to a population of 55,000 and specialized care to nearly 110,000 within the County of Oxford. Recently opened, the new facility offers a wide range of health programs including Maternal Child, Women’s Health, Specialized Surgical Services, Inpatient and Outpatient Mental Health Services, Dialysis and Rehabilitation Programs, and a soon to be opened Systemic Therapy Program. Our full service facility is a proud partner of London Health Sciences Centre and works closely with our LHIN partners to provide our community with services, close to home.
About London Health Sciences Centre
London Health Sciences Centre has been in the forefront of medicine in Canada for 137 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
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For more information contact:
Randy Hicks
Director Critical Care/Dialysis
Woodstock Hospital
519-421-4233 Ext. #2344
Bärbel Hatje
Communications Consultant
London Health Sciences Centre
519-685-8500 ext. 75947
Marko Perovic
Senior Public Affairs Advisor
Ontario Renal Network
416-971-9800 ext. 2629
