Ontario Construction News staff writer
Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre in Barrie has opened a newly renovated dialysis clinic that staff says is brighter and better organized than before.
“It’s important this space is comfortable for patients and easy to navigate for the nursing staff,” said Amy Everett, RVH patient and family advisory council member and dialysis patient.
Renovations, which included the replacement of an antiquated water treatment plant originally built in 2000, took more than 35 weeks to complete. The complex project was split into phases so that temporary dialysis stations could be used while work was being done.
In addition to the new water treatment plant, the overall space within the clinic was refreshed to provide more space between treatment chairs and create two private rooms for patients who require isolation.
RVH treats more than 160 patients in its renal program, which has been identified by the Ontario Renal Network (ORN) as the fastest-growing program in the province.
“With many patients receiving treatment three to six days a week and each session taking four hours, dialysis is like a part-time job commitment,” says Sharon Sheard, RVH Regional Renal Program Manager. “The completion of this important renovation ensures we can continue to provide this life-sustaining care.”
“While these renovations were sorely needed, our dialysis program is still significantly undersized and we have exceeded our current capacity,” says Gail Hunt, RVH president and CEO. “With that in mind, the upgrade to the water treatment plant includes capacity for the doubling of dialysis stations, which we forecast will be required soon.”