(Above, l-r) KGH Board Chair Bill Richard, University Hospitals Kingston Foundation Together We Can Campaign Chair Ian Wilson, Southeast Cancer Program Regional Vice President Brenda Carter, physician Dr. John Matthews, Inpatient Oncology Program Manager Rana Fowler, KGH Foundation President Jim Holsworth, donors Bill and Kathryn Irish, Kingston and The Islands MPP John Gerretsen, South East Local Health Integration Network Board Chair Georgina Thompson and Vice President of Clinical Administration and Professional Practice Eleanor Rivoire celebrate the opening of Kidd 9, a new unit for medicine and oncology patients during a ceremony March 5.

The newly constructed Kidd 9 is spectacular – no one could argue that its spacious state-of-the-art rooms, large picture windows and polished floors will provide a bright and welcoming environment.

But the new medicine/oncology unit is clearly about more than bricks and mortar as was made evident during an official opening celebration March 5, just days before patients moved into the new space.

“This new unit is an important part of how we can provide and improve patient care every day,” said Inpatient Oncology Program Manager Rana Fowler. “This new unit will provide a safe place that will decrease exposure to the outside world for our most  compromised oncology patients.”

The 18,000-square-foot space has 32 beds for medicine and inpatient oncology patients. The unit includes six positive pressure rooms for immuno-compromised patients – those patients who are very susceptible to infection, typically because they have low numbers or no white blood cells as a result of chemotherapy or stem cell transplantation.

Dr. John Matthews, who specializes in hematology, oncology, palliative care and leads the stem cell transplant team, says the new unit will allow caregivers to better care for patients. “Kidd 9 provides the ideal circumstances for us to provide protective isolation – specially ventilated rooms – to those patients who are unable to protect themselves to help them survive this,” explained John. “This will improve the care we provide and allow us to do our job better.”

The unit also features separate nursing stations for the two patient populations as well as a built-in area for physiotherapy to best support mobility of patients as well as a  comfortable family lounge area and additional space to support health-care education.

Although there was much fanfare during the opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony, staff had little time to celebrate as they quickly switched gears to finalize preparations for the impending patient move.

Most of Connell 10’s inpatient population moved into Kidd 9 March 9. After a thorough cleaning, medicine patients from Kidd 6 moved into Connell 10 March 12, allowing most of the hospital’s medicine patients and staff to be located adjacent to each other.

Clinical Educator Lee Ann Fox said it has been a hectic two weeks ensuring all staff were oriented to the new space, but it has all been worth it. “It has certainly been a long and drawn out process – the number of people we have had to engage to move to this unit but there has been a phenomenal commitment of all staff in this building.”

Lee Ann said staff are excited that every room has a private shower and ceiling lifts, both shared items in the former Connell 10. The real piece de resistance, she added, are the isolation rooms what will allow staff to segregate oncology patients so that they are not at risk for infection.

“We won’t have to share a communal shower any longer which can put people at risk for picking up infections and by not having medicine and oncology patients sharing rooms any more, we will  again be able to help lower the risk of transmitting infection to patients,” said Lee Ann.

“It’s been an intense two weeks but everybody has given 150 per cent. And the view on the lake side is unbelievable – that’s pretty great too.”