It was February 2016 when dignitaries and project stakeholders cut the ribbon to open the new Chemotherapy Clinic located on the fifth floor of Cornwall Community Hospital (CCH).

For the first time ever, local cancer patients no longer needed to travel outside of Cornwall to receive chemotherapy treatments.

On the month of the Clinic’s sixth anniversary, the hospital wishes to recognize and highlight the important role the Clinic has played for the community.

“The impact that the Chemotherapy Clinic has had on the quality of life for local cancer patients and families is significant,” explains Jeanette Despatie, President and Chief Executive Officer.

The Clinic houses 8 chairs and sees on average 10 to 15 patients per day. Since 2016, approximately 7,660 doses of chemotherapy treatments have been administered; 1,775 doses were administered to 251 patients last year alone.

In total, that is about 1,532,000 kilometers saved since 2016 for local patients who did not need to travel to and from Ottawa for treatment.

None of this was made possible without the significant role played by the Cornwall Community Hospital Foundation (CCHF). With the help of community donors, the CCHF raised $400,000 in one year to help buy the necessary equipment.

“It was evident that this was something the community had long been needing and asking for, and we are proud to have brought this cancer care closer to home, improving the quality of life for our patients,” adds Despatie.

The Chemotherapy Clinic at CCH is a Regional Cancer Centre of the Ottawa Hospital.