NIAGARA, Ontario: Members of the media are invited to attend a “Touched by Cancer” Open House to be held Monday, April 19, 2010, from 2 to 4 p.m., at the St. Catharines General Site of the Niagara Health System (NHS).
This open house is presented by the doctors, nurses and staff of the Outpatient Oncology Clinic, many of whom have cared for and supported cancer patients and their families throughout most of the 25 years the oncology program has served Niagara.
The public is invited to attend the open house; complimentary parking will be provided on site. There will be brief remarks at 2:30 p.m., followed by informal tours of the clinic.
“The evolution and growth of the oncology program is an important success story for Niagara,” says Vice President Patient Services Linda Boich. “The open house is an opportunity for us to recognize the legacy of the first 25 years of cancer care in Niagara and look forward to the future enhancements in care that the Walker Family Cancer Centre will bring to the residents of our region.”
The clinic is located at the St. Catharines General Site, 142 Queenston St., Third Floor Moore/McSloy. (Take Norris elevator to the Third Floor and proceed straight ahead to entrance to the Clinic.)
The Outpatient Oncology Clinic provides consultation for new patients, diagnostic procedures, chemotherapy treatment, education, psychosocial support and follow-up care for the vast majority of cancer patients. The NHS also provides satellite clinics at the Greater Niagara General and Welland sites where consultation, follow-up and supportive care is provided to outpatients and inpatients, promoting care as close to home as possible.
In 2009, there were 6,900 chemotherapy visits and 24,500 clinic visits to the Outpatient Oncology Clinic. Approximately 45 staff support the oncology program.
When Niagara's Walker Family Cancer Centre opens in 2013 at the new healthcare complex in St. Catharines, the oncology program will be able to provide the full spectrum of cancer services, including radiation therapy. The new cancer centre will serve the more than 2,500 Niagara residents diagnosed with cancer each year.
For more information, contact:
Caroline Bourque Wiley
Public Affairs Consultant
905-378-4647, ext. 43113
cwiley@niagarahealth.on.ca
