The renovation and expansion at the Mindemoya Emergency Department is in full swing with the anticipated completion to be in 2022.
Those attending the Manitoulin Health Centre in Mindemoya will see significant changes already according to Co-CEO Paula Fields.
She says these include a great deal of construction vehicles in and around the site and perhaps some delay in traffic in the area.
Fields adds in anticipation of the renovations and expansion, some of the services may be disrupted including extensive renovations in the chemotherapy suite, so treatment will be temporarily closed this Friday.
The renovations will begin on the chemotherapy suite as of September 27th. Those patients currently enrolled in the chemotherapy program are being temporarily relocated to community outreach programs and the Northeast Cancer Centre. Once the renovations are complete, those patients will be transferred back locally.
The renovations include: – New storage area for medicines, anti-room and mixing room with larger hood to accommodate larger treatment volumes.
She adds this is critical to allow the hospital to meet the Ontario College of Pharmacy accreditation standards; safer mixing conditions for staff; more space for staff and patients in the new chemotherapy administration suite; and additional chair space for ancillary treatment.
The team at the chemotherapy program will be reaching out to patients and their families to organize their transfer of care to other outreach sites or the Northeast Cancer Centre in Sudbury during this time. If you are one of our chemotherapy patients, they will be providing a letter to help guide you through this process.
According to Co-CEO, Tim Vine “We know how important it is to get cancer care as close to home as possible. MHC is very proud of our satellite chemo program, which is why we are investing in upgrades to the space to meet accreditation standards, improve staff safety, and increase patient care and comfort. Once completed we will have a much more suitable space that can continue to deliver excellent care to our community. We appreciate everyone’s support and patience through this process.”