Heart-to-Heart: Advanced Cardiac Care comes to North Simcoe Muskoka
It’s hard to imagine Royal Victoria Health Centre (RVH) not being the world class hospital it is today, but when it first opened its doors in 1897, the former Barrie General Hospital was a modest cottage with just four beds. Today, more than 2500 employees, 350 physicians and 850 volunteers work to provide high-quality, safe care that puts patients and their families first.
The hospital’s mission was never more evident than at this week’s press conference announcing the Ontario Minister of Health and Long-Term Care’s 9.1 million dollar contribution towards RVH’s Advanced Cardiac Care Centre.
“We all know someone who has been impacted by heart disease,” said Janice Skot, RVH president and CEO. “Thanks to the provincial government’s support, heart patients throughout North Simcoe Muskoka will soon have access to the gold standard of lifesaving cardiac services – treatment at a cardiac centre within 90 minutes of a heart attack. Simply put, this regional advanced cardiac program will save lives.”
The new facility, set to break ground this fall and open in spring 2017, will address this region’s urgent need for access to cardiac treatment and support.
There is a critical 90-minute window in which a patient in cardiac distress must reach an advanced care facility in order to receive lifesaving intervention. Alarmingly, it takes most Simcoe Muskoka residents more than 90 minutes to reach the current nearest cardiac centre in Newmarket. In fact, last year only 76 Simcoe Muskoka residents suffering a severe heart attack were close enough to be transported directly to Newmarket Hospital for immediate lifesaving treatment.
“When it comes to the heart, time is muscle. For every minute that a heart attack patient goes without treatment, heart muscle is dying,” explained Dr. Brad Dibble, medical director, cardiovascular and renal program, RVH.
“An advanced cardiac program at RVH will be a game changer for heart patients throughout North Simcoe Muskoka,” he continued.
Barrie Mayor Jeff Lehman spoke on behalf of residents across the Simcoe Muskoka region echoing that the new cardiac centre will be life changing. He also noted that in addition to the government’s capital support, the Hearts and Minds fundraising campaign has successfully raised more than 17 million dollars in support of the advanced cardiac care program. The Faris Team has been a proud supporter of the Hearts and Minds campaign, and our very own Mark and Joanna Faris attended the press conference in person so they could bring the good news back to our team.
The Faris Team proudly serves all of Simcoe County and Newmarket. In addition to the funding allocated to Royal Victoria Hospital, we’re thrilled that Orillia Soldier’s Memorial Hospital and Penetanguishene Waypoint Centre for Mental Health will receive government grants of $500,000 and $2 million, respectively, to achieve better care for residents across our region.