RVH completes renovation of Community Dialysis Clinic

Mary Ellen Wakeling, resource nurse at Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre’s (RVH) Community Dialysis Clinic, speaks with a patient about the newly renovated space. The clinic, located at 66 Wellington Street in Barrie, recently underwent major updates including a new water treatment plant and two private rooms for patients who require isolation.

Dialysis patients can access treatment at the newly renovated Community Dialysis Clinic in Barrie.

Once 35 weeks of construction were completed, Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH) unveiled the refurbished 66 Wellington Street clinic.

“The clinic is now brighter and better organized,” says Amy Everett, RVH patient family and caregiver member and a dialysis patient. “It’s important this space is comfortable for patients and easy to navigate for the nursing staff.”

The renovations included the replacement of an antiquated water treatment plant originally built in 2000.

The project was split into phases so that temporary dialysis stations could be used while the facilities underwent construction.

In addition to the new water treatment plant, the overall space within the clinic was refreshed to provide more space between treatment chairs and create two private rooms for patients who require isolation.

“With many patients receiving treatment three to six days a week and each session taking four hours, dialysis is like a part-time job commitment,” says Sharon Sheard, RVH’s regional renal program manager. “The completion of this important renovation ensures we can continue to provide this life-sustaining care.”

RVH cares for more than 160 patients in its renal program, which has been identified by the Ontario Renal Network as the fastest-growing program in the province. To help ease the current demand, starting April 1, ORN has provided funding for an additional three dialysis chairs.

“While these renovations were sorely needed, our dialysis program is still significantly undersized, and we have exceeded our current capacity,” says Gail Hunt, RVH president and CEO. “With that in mind, the upgrade to the water treatment plant includes capacity for the doubling of dialysis stations, which we forecast will be required soon.”

Currently, RVH is working with its partners and the provincial government to secure approvals to expand the Community Dialysis Clinic.