A vital new space will soon be available to our cancer patients and their care teams.
Later this year, Mount Sinai Hospital will welcome a new outpatient Cancer Care Clinic designed to deliver an enhanced patient experience through interprofessional care and increased treatment, examination and consultation spaces. As part of the Hospital’s renowned Christopher Sharp Cancer Centre, the Clinic will build on Mount Sinai’s expertise in cancer care, and be the new home of the Ruth Burnett Centre for Outpatient Oncology.
Clinic patients will be treated in a modern space suited for the exemplary care they receive. The collaborative and patient-centric environment will house medical and surgical oncology, nursing, pharmacy, social work, supportive and palliative care, nutrition, psychiatry, genetics counselling and clinical trials teams.
We spoke to some care team members about how the Clinic will better serve their patients. Here’s what they had to say…
What do you think care teams are most excited about?
“The new efficient space, the collaborative opportunity, the comprehensive care.”
— Dr. Christine Brezden-Masley, Medical Director, Sinai Health Cancer Program
What are you are looking forward to in the new Clinic?
“The care of our surgical oncology patients is very complex and the majority of it takes place outside the operating room. With the new Clinic, we will have the opportunity to engage with all members of the health care team to provide our patients the comprehensive outpatient care they need.”
— Dr. Anand Govindarajan, Surgical Oncologist, Gastrointestinal and Peritoneal Cancers, Sinai Health
What are you most excited about?
“The most notable difference for me is the amount of natural light that pours into the treatment suite. It is bathed in sunshine and warmth. I am also excited that patients and staff will benefit from new equipment, furniture and technologies that will improve the patient and staff experience.”
— Christina Fabbruzzo-Cota, Patient Care Manager
If there is one thing you’d like your patients to know about the new space, what would it be?
“Many stakeholders were involved in the design of the new space, including patients, and we were able to incorporate many of their great ideas and suggestions. This has allowed us to create a space which can help us deliver the best patient care and a more warm and pleasant environment.”
— Andrew Han, Oncology Pharmacist
With the opening of the Cancer Care Clinic, what do you think your patients will be most excited about?
“Patients will notice the increase in private and spacious rooms to meet with members of their health care team. There are so many elements of the cancer journey that can be challenging for patients, and having a clinic designed to address some of these challenges is tremendously exciting. The new clinic will have plenty of light, accommodate caregivers accompanying patients during their appointments, and will ensure patients are efficiently seen and treated.”
— Dr. Harleen Toor, Palliative Care Physician, Temmy Latner Centre for Palliative Care. Associate Lead, Palliative Outpatient Team
According to the Canadian Cancer Society, two in five Canadians are expected to be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. The expansive and purpose-built Clinic is designed for the needs of our patients now, and well into the future.
Clinic Features
- A large and welcoming reception area
- Light-filled and spacious treatment areas with 28 treatment chairs, five beds and two procedure rooms
- 18 fully-equipped exam rooms where patients will be seen by medical and surgical oncology care teams
- Larger oncology pharmacy with additional chemotherapy processing capacity
- Technology-based communication tools to help the team shorten patients’ wait times during their visits
- Increased access to clinical trials, advancing cancer treatment today and tomorrow
- Dedicated blood specimen collection room
- New assessment and consultation rooms for patients meeting with members of our interprofessional team