HN Summary
•Innovative Care: Humber will be one of the first Ontario hospitals to offer repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) via direct primary care referral, providing a noninvasive treatment for depression.
•Closer to Home: The program eliminates travel barriers for patients in northwest Toronto, allowing them to receive advanced mental health care within their community.
•Patient-Centred Approach: The initiative includes a calming, supportive treatment environment and complements existing neurostimulation therapies, reflecting Humber’s commitment to accessible, high-quality care.
Humber River Health (Humber) is preparing to launch a new program that will expand access to advanced mental health treatment for the community. Later this year, Humber will become one of the first hospitals in Ontario to offer repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) through direct referral from primary care. This milestone highlights Humber’s commitment to providing quality care closer to home and reflects a larger shift in how innovative therapies are being brought directly into community settings.
rTMS is a noninvasive treatment that uses magnetic pulses to stimulate specific areas of the brain involved in mood regulation and focus. Unlike medications, which circulate through the body, rTMS directly targets brain circuits that can be underactive in depression. Sessions are delivered in a clinic while patients remain awake, no anaesthesia or recovery time is required.
“rTMS stands as a beacon of progress – noninvasive, effective, and life-changing,” explains Dr. Yousef Papadopoulos, Physician Lead for the program. “It has become a groundbreaking option for people who haven’t found relief with traditional treatments, offering new hope through advanced science.”
Care Closer to Home
Until now, patients in northwest Toronto who required rTMS had to travel to specialty centres such as CAMH or Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences. By bringing this service directly to the community, Humber is eliminating barriers to access and ensuring patients can receive care closer to their homes and support networks.
“This program provides a different opportunity for recovery for patients, especially those with treatment-resistant depression,” says Astrid Boyle, Manager of the Depression, Anxiety and Access Division. “It also increases accessibility. People in our catchment area don’t have to travel across the city or enroll in a research project just to access this treatment, they can receive care in their own community hospital.”
The program has been years in the making, supported by a generous gift from donors Jack and Pat Kay. Their investment helped Humber acquire the specialized rTMS equipment and fund the training required for the multidisciplinary team. The hospital’s nurses and physicians are currently undergoing training to ensure readiness when the service launches this fall.
Program Development
Humber is also investing in creating a therapeutic environment to enhance the patient experience. The care team has been exploring design elements to make the treatment room calming and welcoming, including natural imagery and soothing décor. “We want the clinic to feel like a supportive and healing space for patients,” says Astrid.
The first patients are expected to begin treatment in fall 2025, once training and implementation are complete. The small but dedicated team will deliver care to a patient population with significant needs – those living with depression that have not responded to other interventions.
Humber’s rTMS program will complement its existing electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) service, together forming a more extensive suite of neurostimulation treatments. In the future, the organization hopes to develop a more comprehensive neurostimulation program so patients can access a full spectrum of options.
Looking Ahead
Humber River Health’s strategic pillar of delivering comprehensive quality care closer to home is at the heart of this initiative. By embedding rTMS in a community hospital setting, Humber is making cutting-edge mental health care more accessible and more equitable for the populations it serves.
The launch of the rTMS program emphasizes the idea that community hospitals can and should deliver the same high-quality innovations once reserved for academic centres. It reflects Humber’s long-standing culture of innovation and its focus on delivering meaningful, patient-centred solutions.