More Brant Residents Have Access to Cancer Care Close to Home

HNHB LHIN invests $75,000 in cancer care at General Hospital

NEWS May 17, 2011

More people in Brant will have access to cancer care services close to home thanks to funding from the Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant Local Health Integration Network (HNHB LHIN) .This start-up funding will allow Brantford General Hospital’s Community Clinic to expand services from three days to five days per week.

The funding will be used to augment the staffing required to support a new medical oncologist who has recently been recruited jointly by the Juravinski Cancer Centre (JCC) and the Brant Community Healthcare System. Dr. Bryan Lee will join the Brantford team in August 2011 and will begin seeing breast and lung cancer patients. Dr. Lee and his team will treat approximately 250 more new patients per year. Medical oncologists are specially trained doctors who treat people with cancer using chemotherapy and hormone therapy.

The Brantford General Hospital Community Oncology Clinic has been providing cancer services in partnership with the JCC since 1996.

QUOTES

“This investment in cancer care for the residents of Brant supports the LHIN’s priority to coordinate clinical programs in hospital, including oncology, across our communities. This is one more way we are providing more people with high quality care, close to home.” -- Juanita G. Gledhill, Board Chair, HNHB LHIN

“This is a welcome investment for people in our community who need cancer care. This means that more people can now receive chemotherapy and other cancer services they may need, right here in our community. I want to acknowledge and thank the LHIN staff and the volunteer Board for all their hard work bringing about this new era of health care in the riding of Brant. It’s the local understanding of our needs that enables the community to have a voice at the table." -- Dave Levac, MPP Brant

“Brantford General Hospital is already recognized as a hospital that provides high quality care people need and deserve. I’m proud that we are able to provide even more people with high quality cancer care and access to comprehensive professional expertise.” -- Jim Hornell, President and CEO, Brant Community Healthcare System

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"I am honoured to be joining the cancer care team at Brantford General Hospital. Having access to treatments and supportive care close to home can make all the difference to patients and their families. I look forward to working with the staff to implement the expansion plan, allowing us to deliver quality care." -- Dr. Bryan Lee, Medical Oncologist, Brantford General Hospital

“As the Regional Vice-President for cancer services in the HNHB LHIN, I am very pleased that we received funding support from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care through Cancer Care to support Dr. Lee’s recruitment and from the LHIN for the additional resources that have made it possible to expand consultation and treatment out of the Juravinski Cancer Centre in Hamilton to the Brantford community. Services closer to home will facilitate more individuals accessing the care they need in their own community, whenever appropriate.” -- Dr. Bill Evans, President, and Cancer Centre

QUICK FACTS

At its February 22, 2011 business meeting, the HNHB LHIN board approved one-time, start- up funding, up to $75,000, to support the expansion of the cancer clinic at Brantford General Hospital.

Cancer care, or oncology, is one of six clinical programs selected to be coordinated LHIN- wide in the first year of implementing the HNHB LHIN’s Clinical Services Plan (CSP) and Integrated Health Service Plan (IHSP) 2010-2013.

The group working to coordinate oncology is led by Dr. Bill Evans and works closely with Cancer Care Ontario (CCO).

LEARN MORE

For more information about Clinical Program Integration, visit the HNHB LHIN website at www.hnhblhin.on.ca.

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For more information:

Trish Nelson Gary Chalk Director, Communications & Corporate Services Director, Public Affairs Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant LHIN Brant Community Healthcare System (905) 945-4930 ext. 4255 (519) 751-5544 ext.4214 [email protected] [email protected]