Local cardiac surgery program moves from planning to readiness
The Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) says it is continuing work to establish a cardiovascular surgery (CVS) program for northwestern Ontario, a step that would allow more patients to receive specialised care closer to home. The project is being developed in partnership with the University Health Network’s Peter Munk Cardiac Centre under a “One Program, Two Sites” model.
Hospital leaders describe the initiative as one of the most significant clinical expansions in TBRHSC history. While construction crews put in the physical infrastructure required to support surgery, teams at the hospital are advancing planning on several fronts to prepare for the program’s operational launch.
“Launching the Cardiovascular Surgery (CVS) Program is one of the largest clinical transformations our Hospital and region has ever undertaken,”
A multidisciplinary project team is overseeing the clinical and operational work aimed at a safe start-up and sustained service delivery. The hospital says current priorities include recruiting specialised staff and building the education and training that will underpin the new service.
- Construction of facilities and surgical environments to meet program needs.
- Recruitment and training of clinicians and support staff required for cardiac surgery.
- Operational readiness including care pathways and information technology enhancements.
- Regional collaboration to better connect cardiovascular care across northwestern Ontario.
The hospital expects the program will reduce the need for many patients and families to travel long distances for advanced cardiac treatment. Strengthening relationships with health-care partners across the region is part of the plan to create a more connected cardiovascular care network.
| Program element | Focus |
|---|---|
| Clinical staffing | Recruitment and specialised training |
| Facilities | Construction to support surgical services |
| Systems | IT and care pathways for integrated care |
Hospital officials note the complexity of launching a cardiovascular surgery program requires deep collaboration among teams, clinicians and external partners. The “One Program, Two Sites” approach pairs local capability-building with established expertise from UHN’s Peter Munk Cardiac Centre to align standards of care across sites.
As planning progresses, residents and referring clinicians in Thunder Bay and across northwestern Ontario will be watching for announcements on hiring, training schedules and expected timelines for when surgical services will begin. For now, the work continues on both the physical and organisational pieces needed to deliver cardiac surgery closer to home.
