MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release:
July 6, 2020
Woodstock, ON - The London Regional Cancer Program (LRCP) at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) is launching a satellite medical oncology clinic at Woodstock Hospital beginning on July 9. The clinic will be overseen by Dr. Paul Stewart, medical oncologist at LHSC, and will run each Thursday.
This means that residents from Oxford County with a new cancer diagnosis could potentially have their consultation, treatment, and follow-up all completed at Woodstock Hospital, rather than travelling to London.
“We are so pleased to be able to see patients at Woodstock Hospital through this partnership as we know that this type of decentralized model of care is both efficient and effective,” says Brenda Fleming, Interim Vice President, Cancer Services at LHSC. “Establishing satellite clinics allows us to provide many of our regional cancer patients with timely access to care that is closer to home, while also ensuring the London Regional Cancer Program building has the capacity to focus on the most acute patients requiring care.”
Woodstock Hospital has been providing chemotherapy and immunotherapy treatment for cancers since the Chemotherapy Clinic opened in May 2012. However, patients still had to travel to London for consultations and follow ups with specialists. Now, referred patients may be able to have all of their care conducted in Woodstock.
While the clinic may see approximately 120 patients per year, it won’t be right for all cancer patients. Those who have complex cancers, who require radiation therapy, or who are taking part in clinical trials will still need to seek treatment in London.
“We welcome Dr. Stewart to our hospital and we are excited to share this positive news with patients, families and caregivers in our community,” said Fatima Vieira-Cabral, Director of Pharmacy and Chemotherapy Clinic at Woodstock Hospital. “There is a lot of fear and anxiety that comes with cancer diagnosis, and we try our best to support patients as they navigate the complexities of this journey. Receiving care within their community and closer to home, is one small way to help ease their anxieties.”
About Woodstock Hospital
Built in November 2011, Woodstock Hospital is a 178 bed, full-service community hospital, providing primary care to a population of 55,000 and specialized care to nearly 110,000 within the County of Oxford. 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, a Systemic Therapy Program and an MRI. Our full service facility works closely with our community partners to provide our patients with healthcare services, close to home.
About London Health Sciences Centre
London Health Sciences Centre has been at the forefront of medicine in Canada for 145 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, University Hospital, Victoria Hospital, the Kidney Care Centre, two family medical centres, and two research institutes – Children’s Health Research Institute and Lawson Health Research Institute. As a leader in medical discovery and health research, London Health Sciences Centre has a history of over 70 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:
Chelsea Vella
Communications & Public Relations Officer
Woodstock Hospital
519-421-4233 ext. 2166
cvella@wgh.on.ca
Mandy Gelinas
Corporate Communications and Public Relations
London Health Sciences Centre
519-685-8500 ext. 75157
mandy.gelinas@lhsc.on.ca
