Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH) recently unveiled its newly renovated Community Dialysis Clinic, located at 66 Wellington Street in Barrie.
“The clinic is now brighter and better organized,” says Amy Everett, RVH Patient Family and Caregiver (PFAC) member and dialysis patient. “It’s important this space is comfortable for patients and easy to navigate for the nursing staff.”
The renovations, which included the replacement of an antiquated water treatment plant originally built in 2000, took over 35 weeks to complete. The complex project was split into phases so that temporary dialysis stations could be used while work was being done. In addition to the new water treatment plant, the overall space within the clinic was refreshed to provide more space between treatment chairs and create two private rooms for patients who require isolation.
“With many patients receiving treatment three to six days a week and each session taking four hours, dialysis is like a part-time job commitment,” says Sharon Sheard, RVH Regional Renal Program Manager. “The completion of this important renovation ensures we can continue to provide this life-sustaining care.”
RVH cares for more than 160 patients in its Renal Program, which has been identified by the Ontario Renal Network (ORN) as the fastest growing program in the province. To help ease the current demand, starting April 1, ORN has provided funding for an additional three dialysis chairs.
“While these renovations were sorely needed, our dialysis program is still significantly undersized and we have exceeded our current capacity,” says Gail Hunt, RVH president and CEO. “With that in mind, the upgrade to the water treatment plant includes capacity for the doubling of dialysis stations, which we forecast will be required soon.”
Currently, RVH is working with its partners and the provincial government to secure approvals to expand the Community Dialysis Clinic.
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