Grand River Hospital celebrated 20 years of providing cancer care close to home in our communities at the Grand River Cancer Centre Open House, November 4. Team members, volunteers, survivors, and patients and their families from across Waterloo and Wellington regions gathered at the Grand River Regional Cancer Centre, to celebrate a significant milestone in its commitment to providing exceptional cancer care services. Since its inception two decades ago, the Cancer Centre and the team who provide life-saving care everyday have been a beacon of hope, compassion, and innovation for cancer patients and their families across Waterloo and Wellington regions.

This edition of ACTION — our twice annual publication highlighting our work in Innovation and Research — takes us back 20 years to the humble beginnings of our research team, when we began conducting our first clinical trial in oncology, made possible by the opening of the Grand River Regional Cancer Centre.

As a nurse, Leaha Beattie-Palmer is aware of the signs and symptoms of a stroke. She also knows how important it is to take immediate action to help a patient experiencing a stroke, in order to improve recovery outcomes. And still, her experience caught her by surprise. 

This year marks 20 years of Cancer Care at Grand River Regional Cancer Centre, and you’re invited to celebrate this incredible milestone with the Hospital’s cancer team on November 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

As a supporter of Grand River Hospital, you not only enhance the hospital experience for patients and families but also for hospital team members too. October is Healthy Workplace Month, and our supporters and community members play an important role in providing an exceptional experience for Grand River Hospital’s staff.

Last month, the 12th annual Harold Esbaugh Memorial Golf Tournament supported Grand River Regional Cancer Centre, raising more than $51,000. And over the past 12 years, they’ve raised an incredible grand total of $430,622.46. 

When a grateful patient or family gives back to Grand River Hospital, they help make the experience better for others who are going through similar situations. By playing the Care 50/50 lottery, our most recent grand prize winner, Janet-Lynn, is doing just that in memory of her daughter.

Grand River Hospital is working together with Grand River Hospital Foundation and our community supporters to lead the way in bringing health innovations to our community. In this type of collaboration, everyone has a role to play to help enhance the hospital experience for local patients, staff, and health care students. Providing the highest level of care to patients and investing in the best resources and tools for staff and students are also important in bringing our vision — a world class health system supporting healthier lives — to life. 

We love hearing how a grateful patient became a committed donor — that your experiences at Grand River Hospital have resulted in giving back, making others' experiences just as good (or better) is inspiring on so many levels. Recently, grateful patient turned donor Ian MacNaughton shared his journey.

Dedicated community members and Grand River Hospital team members worked together to replace one of the two computerized tomography (CT) scanners at Grand River Hospital’s KW Campus this summer. Funded by the generous supporters who donate to Grand River Hospital Foundation, this new CT scanner is an investment in local health care that is making a tremendous impact for patients across Waterloo Region who come through the Hospital’s doors in times of need. 

It’s the eighth year Rich Peers and his team will be holding the Run/Walk for GRRCC, and this year they’re fundraising for a second stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) board for Grand River Regional Cancer Centre. 

Last Monday, Grand River Hospital welcomed Ontario’s Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, Sylvia Jones, to the Freeport Campus, where she announced the launch of three new programs by the provincial government.