Grey Bruce Health Services says renovations to the cancer care unit in Owen Sound get underway this week.
The project on the 5th floor of the hospital will take about six months.
The hospital says full services will continue to be offered throughout that time.
The new unit will be about 40 per cent larger than the current space, and will consolidate oncology services.
The larger chemotherapy treatment area will offer more privacy.
A chemotherapy pharmacy is also part of the improvement plan. The pharmacy will be located next to the treatment area, making the preparation and administration of chemotherapy drugs both timely and safe.
The Owen Sound hospital's 3 oncologists book over 14,000 appointments with patients from Grey and Bruce every year.
The project is being funded by 10 million dollars in donations and pledges to a campaign that was launched by the five hospital foundations a year ago.
The Hospital Campaign funds are being used to support projects at all six GBHS hospitals, including a renovation to the Southampton ER and laboratory to begin this Fall. Campaign donations were used for the new interventional radiology suite installed this year in Owen Sound, and work is currently underway to replace the CT scanner.
A number of cancer patients have recorded videos to help raise awareness of the campaign to raise the final one million dollars needed for the project.
The videos are available at: helpcrushcancer.ca
"This renovation is a key part of the Hospital Campaign," noted Lance Thurston, GBHS, President and CEO. "I want to thank the thousands of individuals, businesses, service clubs and local governments who have contributed to making this renovation possible."
"We’ve all had friends or family members impacted by cancer, and I know it’s a difficult time in people’s lives. We are upgrading our facilities for improved diagnosis and treatment, and we hope to make the cancer journey a little easier by offering a space that is more comfortable and private for patients and families, and more efficient for doctors and staff," noted Thurston.
