Official Opening of New Chemotherapy Unit at the Dr. H. Bliss Murphy Cancer Centre
Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) Health Services and the Cancer Care Foundation are pleased to announce the official opening of the new chemotherapy unit at the Dr. H. Bliss Murphy Cancer Centre in St. John’s.
The new suite, which will open to patients on Monday, June 26, 2023, will accommodate both patients of the Cancer Care Program and outpatient hematology oncology services. All ambulatory oncology patients will receive their outpatient treatments and services under one roof and will have access to the support services of the Cancer Care Program on-site, such as social workers, dietitians, pharmacists and patient navigators as well as blood collection services.
“NL Health Services looks forward to continuing to provide high quality care to our patients in this new space. The state-of-the-art design of this new treatment unit is based on best practice, is patient-centered and also provides benefits to staff and health-care providers,” says David Diamond, CEO of NL Health Services. “We would like to welcome our patients to the new unit and thank our dedicated health-care professionals for their continued commitment to patient care.”
The new chemotherapy suite is an expansion from the current on-site chemotherapy unit and includes 32 treatment spaces as well as a new oncology pharmacy. The pharmacy has a state-of-the art cleanroom that meets national standards for the preparation of chemotherapy and other sterile hazardous medications. In addition to preparing these medications, a team of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians provide direct care to patients of the Cancer Care Program, providing education and answering questions about their treatment, assessing and managing any side effects of treatment, and helping patients access medications.
Construction of the new chemotherapy suite at the Dr. H. Bliss Murphy Cancer Centre was made possible thanks to financial contributions from donors to the Cancer Care Foundation and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador.
“Our government is proud to have contributed $2.2 million for the creation of a new Oncology Pharmacy and $1 million for the provision of a new elevator to support the safe transport of patients in the Chemotherapy Unit,” says the Honourable Tom Osborne, Minister of Health and Community Services. “Supporting new state-of-the-art health care infrastructure like this Chemotherapy Unit is one more way that we ensure that you receive the right care at the right time by the right provider as we continue to transform health care in the province.”
“Today marks a significant milestone in the delivery of Cancer Care in Newfoundland and Labrador,” says Gary Smith, Chair of the Cancer Care Foundation. “At the end of 2018, the Cancer Care Foundation launched a campaign entitled “In This Together” with a fundraising goal of $5 million to construct a new state-of-the-art chemotherapy unit to replace the existing 30-year-old unit at the Dr. H. Bliss Murphy Cancer Centre. We are profoundly grateful to our donors for their philanthropy and recognizing the importance of enhancing cancer care for cancer patients and their families in Newfoundland and Labrador. This beautiful new Chemotherapy Unit has been a partnership project with the Cancer Care Foundation and Newfoundland Labrador Health Services and demonstrates the incredible impact we can have when we work together with a vision of delivering exceptional service for cancer patients and their families in our province.”
Patient and family advisors were engaged throughout the construction and design of the unit to provide valuable feedback and insight. Patients and their family members can access the suite through the main entrance of the Dr. H. Bliss Murphy Cancer Centre and will continue to register at the main entrance when arriving for their appointment.
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