Countdown On To Better Heart Care In Simcoe County, Muskoka

Cardiac Care Centre at RVH 50% complete

Officials at RVH are getting excited. Construction of the new cardiac care centre is half done and should be completed and operational by Christmas. North Simcoe Muskoka is the only region in the province without advanced cardiac services within its boundaries, meaning heart patients (3600 per year) are more than 90 minutes away from the nearest centre in Newmarket. As construction continues into the final stretch, equipping the cardiac centre with leading-edge technology and staffing the new regional program are additional priorities. RVH begins installing and safety testing equipment this fall and is currently recruiting an interventional cardiologist for the two new catheterization suites. RVH’s Human Resources team has also been recruiting specialized staff to operate the centre, including nurses, a regional care coordinator, a data management analyst and a clinical educator. Within the first year, RVH anticipates approximately 1,250 procedures will be performed at the Advanced Cardiac Centre.

photo: (supplied) Dr. Stephen Pizzale, RVH cardiologist and medical director of the cardiovascular program, takes a tour of the future centre, checking out some of the floor plans and progress