July 19, 2007

TORONTO – The McGuinty government is improving access to dialysis services for people with chronic kidney disease by investing $1.6 million for renovations to support a12-station dialysis unit at the Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care, Gerry Phillips, MPP for Scarborough-Agincourt announced today on behalf of Health and Long-Term Care Minister George Smitherman. 

“I am pleased to see yet another health care investment in Scarborough. We want to ensure Scarborough patients have access to dialysis treatment closer to home,” said Phillips. “This investment will help make it easier for patients to get the treatment they need, when they need it.”

“We are delivering real results for Ontarians who suffer from kidney disease,” said George Smitherman, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care.  “Today’s announcement demonstrates our commitment to ensuring patients have access to high quality care as close to home as possible.”

Renovations to the ground floor of the Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care will be undertaken to accommodate the 12-station dialysis unit, which will be a satellite of The Scarborough Hospital Regional Centre for Chronic Kidney Disease.

“We are pleased the government is taking another step towards enhancing health care services for patients with kidney disease,” said Dr. Hugh Scott President & CEO, The Scarborough Hospital. “Patients will benefit significantly from this new 12-station dialysis unit.”

"I am so pleased that there will be a new satellite dialysis site at the Yee Hong Scarborough Finch location," says Florence Wong, CEO of Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care. "It will greatly benefit the community in the northern part of Scarborough."

“The Central East Local Health Integration Network identified Chronic Disease Prevention and Management as one of our top priorities for change in our communities’ Integrated Health Service Plan,” said Foster Loucks, Board Chair, Central East LHIN. “This response by the government to the growing need for services is truly welcomed by the residents of the Central East LHIN.”

Once completed the dialysis satellite will provide 11,232 dialysis treatments per year for 72 patients with End Stage Renal Disease.

This is just one more example of how, working together, Ontarians have achieved results in health care services in the Scarborough area. Other initiatives include:

• Investing an additional $6.5 million at Providence Healthcare to provide specialized services for patients recovering from stroke, amputees requiring care following complications from diabetes or injury, and complex continuing-care patients;
• Investing about $21.1 million to perform 3,024 hip and knee joint replacement surgeries in the Central East Local Health Integration Network (LHIN), since the start of the government’s Wait Time Strategy;
• A $37,868,879 increase in base operating funding for The Scarborough Hospital since 2003/04.

Today’s initiative is part of the McGuinty government’s plan for innovation in public health care, building a system that delivers on three priorities – keeping Ontarians healthy, reducing wait times and providing better access to doctors and nurses.

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