Our Hearts at Home Campaign
Published Monday, October 24, 2022
Our Hearts at Home Campaign
Closer-to-home cardiovascular care saves lives
Northwestern Ontario has the highest rate of cardiovascular disease in the province. It is the leading cause of death here.
This is due to a number of factors, not least of which is that we also have some of the longest distances to travel for needed cardiovascular services.
This is why, with the incredible support of donors, the Our Hearts at Home Campaign is helping build a world-class Cardiovascular Sciences Program at the Health Sciences Centre.
By doing this, we can treat patients here, closer to home, rather than have to send them away for vital and often life-saving procedures.
This is already happening for some patients.
Our Successes
Angioplasty, which clears blocked arteries and inserts stents during a heart attack, was introduced here in 2007 and is now available 24/7 for patients in Thunder Bay and the northwest region. Prior to this, people had to travel to southern Ontario for this procedure.
We’ve also seen success in developing our new vascular surgery program. Vascular surgeons assess and treat disorders of the blood vessels throughout the body. Before vascular surgery was brought here in 2018, our amputation rates were almost three times the provincial average. Today, our team of vascular surgeons are saving life and limb.
The next step will be to bring cardiac surgery here. Time is everything when it comes to emergency cardiac procedures – and we deserve to have the best possible cardiac and vascular care available, right here in Northwestern Ontario.
Our Needs
More still needs to be done to ensure no one in Northwestern Ontario goes without the cardiovascular care they need for a longer, better life.
Our immediate need is replacement of one of our two Cath Lab Suites. A new Cath Lab and upgraded equipment and technology will provide better and faster images of the heart with lower doses of radiation. It will also offer features needed for complex procedures including cardiac surgery.
This is why the Resolute Save a Heart Ball and your donations are so important.
If you can’t attend the Save a Heart Ball, you can make a donation to the Our Hearts at Home campaign online at www.healthsciencesfoundation.ca/our-hearts-at-home or by calling (807) 345-4673.
Closer-to-home cardiovascular care saves lives. Our hearts are in your hands.