A room in the new Complex Malignant Hematology Unit. (Photography by Doug Nicholson)
In recent years, patients with blood disorders and cancers of the blood have experienced long wait times and often had to travel outside the GTA for care. To address this challenge, the Ontario government worked with Sunnybrook to increase capacity for these patients.
Thanks to funding from the Ontario Ministry of Health, Sunnybrook opened its new 15-bed Complex Malignant Hematology Unit in December 2018.
Complex malignant hematology includes a variety of disorders and cancers of the blood, like acute leukemia. These conditions start in the bone marrow or in the cells of the immune system.
Significant renovations were needed to create the highly specialized in-patient environment these patients require. In addition, government support allowed Sunnybrook to create a new outpatient unit for day treatments for patients facing blood cancer. In this clinic, patients will receive chemotherapy and other transfusions. Two pharmacies were also renovated as part of this project.
“Sunnybrook is known for its specialized care in many areas, and we are so pleased that we can now open our doors even wider to welcome patients with acute hematological malignancies,” says Dr. Andy Smith, president and CEO of Sunnybrook. “Now these patients can receive state-of-the-art care in a more timely manner and closer to home.”
