A new, expansive and comfortable space for patients to receive dialysis treatment will be ready to operate starting Monday morning, May 5.
Members of Interior Health unveiled the Vernon Community Dialysis Unit on Friday at #400-4400 32nd Street in the Vernon Square Mall. The new unit will almost double the number of dialysis treatments that can be performed locally on an annual basis.
Al Christian, a dialysis patient, said at Friday's ribbon-cutting that the new space is "not like going to a hospital," where "all of our fabulous nurses are cramped and trying to crawl behind chairs ... it's a fantastic facility."
Indeed, the unit is an inviting space, with murals painted on the walls, and paintings of birds native to the area lining the brightly coloured rooms.
A lot of work went into ensuring that people who need multiple dialysis treatments per week won't have to feel like they're in a hospital, said Diane Shendruk, Interior Health's vice-president of clinical operations.
"I just can't speak any higher and with such pride for the team in how they have created such a warm and welcoming environment for people," she said.
The new unit increases Vernon's number of dialysis treatment chairs from nine to 15, meaning up to 14,040 treatments will be provided annually, up from around 8,400.
Harwinder Sandhu, MLA for Vernon-Lumby and a longtime nurse, said the unveiling of the unit was a special milestone for her.
“As a registered nurse and MLA, I know how life-changing and life-saving access to dialysis care can be for people living with chronic kidney disease,” said Sandhu. “That’s why I’m so proud to see this new facility opening its doors to patients. It’s the result of strong collaboration with local partners and a shared commitment to improving health care for people in the North Okanagan.”
The unit will provide ceiling lifts to assist nursing staff in providing dialysis treatment to patients with mobility challenges, as well as droplet-precaution rooms that meet infection prevention and control standards to provide treatment for people with communicable diseases.
Each dialysis station will be equipped with a ceiling-mounted radiant heater to accommodate patients with kidney disease who are more sensitive to cold due to vascular disease.
A number of lockers will also provide patients with a safe place to store their belongings during treatment.
“For people living with chronic kidney disease, access to timely, high-quality care makes the world of difference,” Health Minister Josie Osborne said in a statement. “This new dialysis unit will ensure that people in Vernon can get comprehensive, compassionate care in their home communities, and is a reflection of our commitment to improving health services for patients in the North Okanagan. I’m deeply grateful to the health-care teams and community partners who made this new space a reality.”
The cost of relocating the unit and renovating the new space came in at $5.1 million. Of that, $4.1 million was provided by BC Renal and $95,000 came from the Vernon Jubilee Hospital Foundation.
Dialysis is a life-sustaining treatment that is typically required three times a week. Community dialysis units are strategically located to offer treatments closer to patients’ homes.
Treatment at the unit will be provided Mondays to Saturdays, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
