From left: Brett Wales, POGO Family Ambassador; Shannon Caskey, Chief Development Officer, POGO; Dr. Vicky Breakey, Head of Service, Pediatric Oncology, McMaster Children’s Hospital; Lauren Ettin, CEO, POGO; Lynn Guerriero, President and CEO, Niagara Health; Dr. Katelyn MacKenzie. Chief of Pediatrics, Niagara Health; Andrea Scott, President and CEO, Niagara Health Foundation.
Beginning early next year, children and families in Niagara will have access to pediatric oncology care closer to home through the new POGO Satellite Clinic at the Marotta Family Hospital.
The POGO Satellite Clinic is being established through a partnership between the Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario (POGO), Niagara Health and McMaster Children’s Hospital, with support from the Ontario Ministry of Health. The Niagara clinic will be the 10th POGO Satellite Clinic in Ontario.
For children and their families in Niagara, the new clinic will make it possible to receive cancer treatment and services closer to home, including chemotherapy. This will help minimize disruptions to school, work and family life and reduce the need for some trips to McMaster Children’s Hospital in Hamilton.
“A childhood cancer diagnosis changes every aspect of a family’s life,” says Lynn Guerriero, President and CEO, Niagara Health. “We recognize that this is a difficult journey for children and their families. Being able to access more pediatric oncology care in Niagara will help reduce some of the stress that comes with frequent travel while keeping children closer to home and connected to the specialized care they need. We’re grateful to our partners for helping make this service available for Niagara families.”
For families who have experienced childhood cancer firsthand, the impact of having care closer to home is personal.
Brett Wales, whose son received pediatric cancer care at McMaster Children’s Hospital says, “For 108 weeks, our family made the trip from Niagara Falls to Hamilton for Reed's treatment. Those weekly appointments added up to more than 18,000 kilometres and 270 hours on the road. When your child has cancer, every hour matters. This new POGO Satellite Clinic at the Marotta Family Hospital will give Niagara families something incredibly valuable: more time at home, more time together and less time worrying about the drive to care."
Care at the POGO Satellite Clinic will be provided by a team that includes physicians, nurses, child life specialists, pharmacists and social workers.
“As the official leader of Ontario’s childhood cancer care system, and in our role as advisor to the Government of Ontario, POGO is grateful for the government’s investment that enables us to expand the POGO Satellite Clinic Program into the Niagara region,” said Lauren Ettin, CEO of POGO. “When a family receives a diagnosis, POGO is there. From diagnosis to treatment to survivorship and at times, end of life, we support families with wraparound programs and services within and beyond hospital walls. The POGO Satellite Clinic Program is a cornerstone of our world-class system of care, enabling children to receive specialized cancer care closer to home while remaining connected to their specialized cancer care program.”
Dr. Vicky Breakey, head of service, Pediatric Oncology at McMaster Children’s Hospital, and member of the POGO Board of Directors, says this partnership will make a meaningful difference for children with cancer.
“This partnership brings together provincial leadership in pediatric oncology, along with the expertise and resources needed to deliver high-quality cancer care closer to home. For families, there is tremendous comfort in knowing that there is a close collaboration between the local care at Niagara Health and the specialized expertise and services of their child’s primary treating centre at McMaster Children’s Hospital. By working together across organizations, we are strengthening pediatric cancer care in the region and making a meaningful difference in the experience of children and families facing cancer.
”The Niagara Health Foundation has begun fundraising efforts to help furnish the clinic.
“While the clinic and treatment are fully funded by the government, Niagara Health Foundation donors are helping create a welcoming, family-centred space by funding the furnishings and comfort enhancements that make a difficult healthcare journey a little easier," says Andrea Scott, President and CEO, Niagara Health Foundation. "When a child is undergoing cancer treatment, the environment around them matters. Our donors are proud to help ensure patients and families receive care in a space that is warm, comfortable and designed with their needs in mind.”
The POGO Satellite Clinic will operate in the Children’s Health Unit on the fourth floor of the Marotta Family Hospital. Work to prepare the space is already underway, with the clinic set to welcome its first patients in early 2027.
