Brampton - On April 12th, the Honourable Linda Jeffrey, Minister of Labour and Minister Responsible for Seniors, Matthew Anderson, President and CEO, William Osler Health System and the Nephrology team represented by Dr. Bajinder Reen and Dr. Hitesh Mehta officially opened the Regional Kidney Wellness Centre in Brampton.

“The Regional Kidney Wellness Centre is an important addition to health care services in Peel Region and leading the province in providing this multi-disciplinary community-based service for people at risk of kidney disease. This is about transforming the way we deliver health care - instead of receiving treatment in a hospital now patients are receiving better care closer to home ,” says the Honourable Linda Jeffrey, Minister of Labour and Minister Responsible for Seniors.

Over the last two decades, there has been an explosion in the rates of obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure, all of which have led to a tremendous increase in the number of people with end stage renal disease. In 2010, the Central West LHIN had among the highest annual growth of dialysis patients in the province. William Osler Health System serves many of the communities in the CW LHIN and has rates of 10 (Brampton) and 20 (Etobicoke) percent higher than the provincial average for diabetes – a disease that can lead to kidney disease.

“There has been a significant increase in the need for dialysis services in the communities served by Osler, so this Kidney Wellness Centre opens its doors in a community that has a great need for multi-disciplinary wellness and education services. The centre expects to see over 10,000 patients this year, alone,” says Matthew Anderson, President and CEO, William Osler Health System.

“With the help of physicians and other health professionals like social workers, pharmacists and dieticians, patients can learn to manage their health and risks of disease. Research has shown that providing patients with early options promotes better quality of care at each stage and can prevent or delay the need for dialysis,” says Liz Buller, Executive VP and Chief Nursing Executive, William Osler Health System.

“The Regional Kidney Wellness Centre is a great example of how a team of community physicians can work with their community hospital to provide a seamless continuum of care for patients. Our whole team works together to meet the needs of the patients and their families,” says Dr. Bajinder Reen, Nephrologist, Regional Kidney Wellness Centre.

“The Wellness centre will work in collaboration with primary care health teams and primary care physicians to identify kidney disease earlier, so we can help those at risk and in the early stages of this disease. We also work closely with Osler’s Diabetes Education Team,” adds Dr Hitesh Mehta, Nephrologist, Regional Kidney Wellness Centre.

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BACKGROUNDER

The Regional Kidney Wellness Centre in Brampton is the first in Ontario. The Centre offers a care model that is focused on health and wellness, education and prevention to support kidney disease management and eliminate or delay the need for dialysis.

• The Regional Kidney Wellness Centre offers a multi-disciplinary approach to treating people at risk of or in early stages of renal disease to better manage their health and positively affect the progression of the disease.

• Family physicians refer patients to this centre to manage at risk or early stage renal disease.

• Located in an established Brampton nephrology practice, the Centre is physician-led by Dr. Bajinder Reen and Dr. Hitesh Mehta.

• Operations and ancillary staff are managed by the Renal Program at Osler, which includes a multi-disciplinary team of Nurse Practitioners, Pharmacists, Dieticians and Social Workers.

• An integrated approach means patients will be able to receive the medical care, ongoing education, risk assessment and nutritional counselling they need in order to better learn, understand and manage their disease.

• The clinic is a collaboration between the William Osler Health System and an established group of Brampton renal specialists (nephrologists) with the support of the Ontario Renal Network, Cancer Care Ontario and the Central West LHIN.

• This innovative approach to kidney wellness presents great potential for systematic changes in renal care in the province as other health care providers look at and adopt similar models of care. A similar program for diabetes was launched in May of 2011.

• The highest annual growth of dialysis patients in Ontario falls primarily within the Central West Local Health Integration Network area, and more specifically, within the communities served by William Osler Health System.

Left to Right:

- Liz Buller, Executive VP and Chief Nursing Executive, William Osler Health System,
- Maria Britto, Board Chair, Central West LHIN,
- Honourable Linda Jeffrey, Minister of Labour and Minister Responsible for Seniors,
- Dr. Bajinder Reen, Nephrologist,
- Dr. Hitesh Mehta, Nephrologist
- Matthew Anderson, President and CEO, William Osler Health System.

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