BY NORM TOLLINSKY
Regional nephrology program staff at Timmins and District Hospital have taken possession of a bright, new space to care for a growing number of kidney disease patients.
The new 13,200-square foot wing replaces the cramped quarters the program previously occupied in the hospital and brings together all of the staff associated with the program in one central location.
The contemporary nephrology program site features a new fleet of dialysis chairs, flat panel televisions and large windows. There are also several dialysis rooms for patients in isolation or otherwise requiring privacy, as well as dedicated rooms for consultations and teaching.
The nephrology unit in Timmins has expanded dramatically since the hiring of a nephrologist in 1996, at which time it became a full-fledged standalone program. Until then, it operated as a satellite of the Sudbury program with limited resources, forcing some people in Timmins who required dialysis to relocate to communities with more support.
“We have gone from a small satellite service with a few hemodialysis stations to a program that includes pre-dialysis care, in-centre hemodialysis and support for patients using peritoneal dialysis,” said Fran David, nephrology nurse clinician.
The new unit, which was scheduled to open in December, includes 12 dialysis stations with room for 16 or 18 if the need continues to grow.
Over the years, the program has grown to focus more and more on identifying people at an early stage of kidney disease and stabilizing them so they don’t have to resort to dialysis. The team consists of nephrologist Dr. Malvider Singh Parmar, several renal nurses and a dietitian, with access to social work and pharmacy support.
“If we identify patients at risk early enough, we can implement strategies to halt or slow down the progression of kidney failure,” said David. Testing, education and blood pressure control are key to identifying renal insufficiency and halting or slowing down the progression of kidney disease, she added.
Prevention starts with family doctors screening high-risk patients – especially diabetics, smokers and patients with a family history of kidney disease.
The regional nephrology program at Timmins and District Hospital currently serves approximately 50 dialysis patients, 60 per cent of whom are undergoing in-centre hemodialysis. The remaining 40 per cent are on peritoneal dialysis.
The long-term strategy is to also offer home hemodialysis, “but you need the volume and trained staff to support it” and, according to David, there aren’t any dialysis patients in the city who have expressed an interest in it.
However, in keeping with the Ontario Renal Network’s goal of promoting self-management and independence, the Timmins program will accommodate patients who opt for self-care using the in-centre dialysis stations. Staff are available to help if they run into a problem, but the idea is to provide patients with as much autonomy as possible.
The Timmins program also educates patients about kidney transplant options and works with larger hospitals to facilitate the required testing to determine transplant eligibility.
The catchment area for the program extends to Matheson, Cochrane and Smooth Rock Falls.
