Province Invests in a Third Cath Lab at St. Mary’s
L-R: Dr. Heather Warren, MPP Jess Dixon, Brandon Douglas, Mark Fam, MPP Brian Riddell, Hon. Sylvia Jones, Tim Rollins, Dr. Jaffer Syed, MPP Mike Harris, Dr. Ala Qahwash, Stef Cooper, Dr. Hahn Hoe Kim
Today, the Minister of Health, the Honourable Sylvia Jones, announced the province’s commitment to support the planning, design and implementation of a new and third Cardiac Catheterization Lab at St. Mary’s.
This announcement has been many years in the making after much advocacy to the province on behalf of our teams and our communities. St. Mary’s team was proud to celebrate this investment in better care for our communities.
"As the Regional Cardiac Care Centre (RCCC) for Waterloo-Wellington, St. Mary's is recognized nationally as providing leading-edge innovative cardiac care,” says Dr. Jaffer Syed, Joint Chief & Medical Director of Cardiology, St. Mary’s General Hospital & Grand River Hospital. “For patients experiencing an acute cardiac event, getting the right care as quickly as possible can mean all the difference, and the demand for interventional and structural cardiology procedures has never been higher. We are grateful to the Ministry of Health for today’s investment in a third cardiac Cath Lab that will allow us to better meet current patient needs, and allow us to launch additional life-saving, cutting-edge procedures for the patients of this region and beyond."
St. Mary’s is regarded as one of the best cardiac care centres in Canada—providing leading-edge innovative cardiac care—which is remarkable for a community hospital without the size and budget of some of the larger urban academic centres.
For patients experiencing a cardiac event, getting the right care as quickly as possible can mean all the difference. Despite improved efficiencies, new technology, and many creative solutions to manage patient care, demand for cardiac care, specifically Cath Lab procedures, has long exceeded resources. St. Mary’s team cares for 43% more patients each year than adjacent hospitals with 2-3 more Cath Labs—a pace that was unstainable.
Work began over six years ago to advocate for increased investment from our provincial funders and local donors. With much gratitude to our Foundation team, our community rose to the challenge to fund new equipment required for a third Cath Lab. Through this investment by the province, nearly 3,500 square feet of space will be renovated to accommodate a new Cath Lab suite—a project that is anticipated to take two years to complete.
The addition of a third Cath Lab will allow St. Mary’s to reduce wait times, add additional procedures, ensure timely access to Cath Lab procedures and provide better care for our communities.