December 3, 2009

Giant Tiger and the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation partner to purchase portable cardiac monitor for chemo symptom management

The Renfrew Victoria Hospital is bringing another healthcare service closer to home thanks to a generous donation by the Giant Tiger Community Cancer Fund, made possible through a partnership with the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation.

“The Cancer Foundation works to ensure that people in our community who battle cancer have the greatest prospects for survival with an optimal quality of life,” said Linda Eagen, Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation President and CEO. “ We are proud that by forging partnerships like this one with the Renfrew Victoria Hospital (RVH) and Giant Tiger, we are part of making sure that our families, friends and neighbours have close-to-home access to top-quality cancer care.”

The $50,000 donation has enabled the purchase of a portable cardiac monitor and defibrillator that will enhance cancer care for residents in and around Renfrew. This is just part of Giant Tiger’s gift to community cancer care via a specially designated fund at the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation. The Giant Tiger Community Cancer Fund has generated over $300,000 for cancer care in our region to date.

Giant Tiger is “Your All-Canadian Family Discount Store”and has a long-standing tradition of being actively involved in each of the many communities we serve. Giant Tiger franchise owners and managers are members of the community, sharing community concerns, and serving community needs.

&8221;Giant Tiger is committed to the health of those who live in the communities we serve, which is why we are proud to support the Renfrew Victoria Hospital through the Giant Tiger Community Cancer Fund,” said Andy Gross, President and COO of Giant Tiger Stores Limited. “We are pleased to be a part of the hospital’s commitment to offer their patients the possibility of undergoing difficult treatments in a facility closer to home.”

The systemic therapy medical day care program at RVH will benefit from having a portable cardiac monitor given the complexity of the treatment. Most portable cardiac monitors have other automated features such as intermittent blood pressure, temperature readings and continuous oxygen saturation levels. Automatically monitoring several clinical symptoms provides a clearer picture for the clinician and intervention can occur sooner. The portable cardiac monitor will assist with improved quality of care and safety for patients plus better and more comprehensive information for professional care providers also.”

As a county-wide provider of cancer care, RVH provides a full spectrum of oncology services from prevention and the Ontario Breast Screening Program to chemotherapy. RVH works in partnership with The Ottawa Regional Cancer Centre and provides regular clinics with oncologists from the centre.

“This is a valuable addition to our suite of equipment in the oncology unit,” commented Renfrew Victoria Hospital CEO Randy Penney. “Our patients always benefit when we are able to work together with partners like the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation. When these caregiver partnerships are combined with outstanding support such as this example by Giant Tiger, we truly experience the power of a community working together.”

As the only organization uniquely dedicated to supporting the entire spectrum of cancer care in our community, the Cancer Foundation aims to increase cancer survival rates in Eastern Ontario by working with field experts to identify and address gaps in the cancer care delivery system and provides funding to regional cancer care programs to improve access to top-quality care, innovative therapies and quality-of-life programs.

-30-

(For more information, contact Randy Penney, CEO, Renfrew Victoria Hospital, 613-432-4851, ext. 260.)

Shannon Bain
Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation
613.818.2525 | sbain@ottawacancer.ca | www.ottawacancer.ca