The new clinic increases access to critical services for people in Durham Region who need dialysis, ensuring care closer to home
DURHAM REGION – Today, Lakeridge Health celebrated the official opening of its haemodialysis clinic located on the first floor of Lakeridge Gardens Long-Term Care Home in Ajax. The in-house haemodialysis clinic features nine state-of-the-art dialysis stations.
“We’re excited to officially open Durham Region’s newest and modernized haemodialysis clinic at Lakeridge Gardens,” said Cordelia Clarke Julien, Board Chair, Lakeridge Health. "The opening of this new clinic embodies our ambitious journey to reimagine health care in Durham Region. This new clinic further advances Lakeridge Health’s vision of One System. Best Health.”
With limited dialysis providers in Durham Region, the new clinic at Lakeridge Gardens will provide increased access to critical health-care services to residents in the Region. The new clinic will also help reduce travel time for patients who previously travelled to Toronto, Peterborough, or Cobourg for treatment multiple times per week. Finally, the new dialysis clinic also enables an increased quality of life for Lakeridge Gardens’ residents who can access treatment in the comfort of their own home.
“The opening of the new haemodialysis clinic at Lakeridge Gardens has been life-changing,” said Midori Kato, daughter and caregiver for Taeko Hijikata who receives dialysis at the new clinic. “For years I would drive my mom from Ajax to Oshawa three times a week for her dialysis appointments and now I can walk her across the street. Having this new clinic in our neighbourhood has improved the quality of life and health of my mom and our family. We are so grateful to the amazing staff, and it truly feels like a weight has been lifted off our shoulders.”
Patrice Barnes, MPP Ajax, Lorne Coe, MPP Whitby, and Todd McCarthy, MPP Durham joined the celebration alongside John Henry, Region of Durham Chair, Adrian Foster, Mayor of Clarington, Marilyn Crawford, Deputy Mayor for the Town of Ajax, members of Regional Council and the Town of Ajax, and leaders from Lakeridge Health and Lakeridge Gardens.
For community members interested in seeing the new dialysis clinic, Lakeridge Health has created a brand-new virtual tour video. A virtual tour of Lakeridge Gardens is available in this video here.
Quotes
“Congratulations to Lakeridge Health on opening a new in-house hemodialysis clinic at Lakeridge Gardens Long-Term Care Home. It will be crucial in reducing travel time for patients across Durham Region. It will also allow Lakeridge Gardens residents to access the state-of-the-art treatment they deserve in the comfort of their own home.”
Hon. Paul Calandra, Minister of Long-Term Care
“By the end of the first term of our Government, Ajax celebrated the grand-opening of a new state-of-the art Long-Term Care facility which also plays the crucial role of being the extension to Ajax Pickering Hospital. With the grand-opening of the new nine-station Haemodialysis Clinic, it will allow for Ajax Pickering Hospital and Lakeridge Gardens to best address the care needs of patients with advanced kidney failure.”
Patrice Barnes, MPP for Ajax
“As one of the fastest growing communities in Ontario, the Haemodialysis Clinic at Lakeridge Gardens will support the health, social, and economic well-being of Durham Region residents by providing access to additional high-quality care that will save lives. Today’s official opening further demonstrates why Durham Region is recognized as one of the best places in Ontario to live, work, learn, and raise a family—now, and in the years to come.”
John Henry, Regional Chair, Region of Durham
“The opening of this dialysis unit will eliminate the need for people to travel back and forth to hospital for dialysis multiple times each and every week and will contribute to improving their quality of life. The nine-station dialysis unit will also increase overall capacity for dialysis in the region, providing access for additional patients from the community. We are very pleased that this partnership with the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Long-Term Care, and Lakeridge Health has enabled this patient-centred care model for the community.”
Rebecca Cooper, Vice President, Ontario Renal Network & Trillium Gift of Life Network, Clinical Institutes and Quality Programs, Ontario Health
About Lakeridge Gardens
Lakeridge Gardens is a 320-bed, state-of-the-art long-term care home opened in the spring of 2022 located beside Ajax Pickering Hospital. As part of Lakeridge Health’s regional integrated system of care, Lakeridge Gardens opened its doors and welcomed its first residents in late spring. Built in collaboration with the Government of Ontario and Infrastructure Ontario, the home was part of the Ministry of Long-Term Care’s Accelerated Build Pilot Program, first announced in July 2020. PCL Construction broke ground on the home in January 2021 and after 13 months of rapid progress, major construction was finalized in February 2022.
About Lakeridge Health
With five hospitals, four emergency departments, three critical care units, a long-term care home, a full range of medical and surgical specialties, and more than 20 community health-care locations, Lakeridge Health offers some of the broadest and most comprehensive range of acute care, ambulatory care, and long-term care services in Ontario.
Lakeridge Health is home to several regional specialty centres and services, including the Central East Regional Cancer Program, R.S. McLaughlin Durham Regional Cancer Centre, The Shoulder Centre, and eye care and chronic kidney disease services. Additionally, we are proud to serve our community with a full suite of inpatient, ambulatory, and community-based mental health and addictions services, as well as provide safe, high-quality, compassionate care in our state-of-the-art long-term care home, Lakeridge Gardens.
Guided by our vision of One System. Best Health. and supported by a dedicated team of more than 7,700 staff, physicians, and volunteers, Lakeridge Health is working in collaboration with its Durham Ontario Health Team, primary care, and community partners to foster a truly integrated, regional system of care. Together, we are focused on empowering people to live their best health and fostering an accessible, inclusive, and equitable environment for all.
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For more information, please contact:
Lakeridge Health
Sharon Navarro
Manager, PR and Digital Communications
905-435-7889
snavarro@lh.ca
