A new initiative brings day surgery closer to eastern Ontario families, supported by the expertise of medical teams at CHEO and regional hospitals, while also targeting the longstanding surgical wait-list.
Working through the Kids Come First health team, this new program sees surgeries like a tonsillectomy and umbilical hernia repair conducted at the Carleton Place & District Memorial Hospital and the Brockville General Hospital approximately four times per month.
Surgeries have begun at each hospital. The program aims to complete 300 surgeries by 2025, which brings much-needed surgical care closer to home for families. “Being able to perform surgeries locally helps in many ways. By leveraging the footprint of additional hospitals like Brockville and Carleton Place, we’re able to schedule more surgeries and finally address the long surgery wait-list,” said Dr. Jean-Philippe Vaccani, Chief of Surgery at CHEO.
The initiative, supported by a historic investment by the Ontario government to CHEO last summer, helped 13-year-old Tianna van de Kamp get surgery closer to her home in Morrisburg, Ont.
Tianna had osteochondroma – the most common noncancerous bone growth – on her lower leg. She needed surgery because the bone kept growing and the pain was getting worse.
The drive to CHEO usually takes about an hour and 20 minutes, according to her mom Tania van de Kamp. When CHEO called to offer Tianna surgery in Brockville, the family jumped at the opportunity.
The drive to Brockville was half the distance and Tianna got the surgery earlier than expected.
“Shortening the drive by half was huge for her. Like, just to get her home and then recover that much faster,” said Tania.
“The launch of this regional pediatric surgical program is another example of the innovation through partnerships happening across the health care system that is helping connect children and their families to the surgeries they need, in their community,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “This program builds on our government’s historic investment of an additional $330 million each year into pediatric care that is improving capacity, while reducing wait lists so children and youth can connect to the care they need, close to home, for years to come.”
The regional pediatric surgical program is the latest Kids Come First program to bring care closer to home, completing procedures such as an appendectomy, tonsillectomy, removing a hernia, and orthopedic surgeries. CHEO has been working with medical teams in Carleton Place and Brockville including their expert clinicians, while providing on-site training and collecting supplies.
The Kids Come First (KCF) Health Team is a collaborative that features more than 60 organizations, youth and family partners and nearly 1,100 physicians that connects high-quality care for children and youth in the region to simplify their healthcare journey.
“By combining funding, space and a team of clinical experts from CHEO, Brockville and Carleton Place, we have a winning formula. We can meet children’s needs quicker and as a bonus, we’re building capacity across the region,” said Alex Munter, President and CEO of CHEO.
The initiative also plans to expand to complete more surgeries at more hospitals in eastern Ontario.
