Chatham-Kent Health Alliance Celebrates Historical Renewal of Urology Services
CHATHAM-KENT: April 7, 2021 – Today, Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA) celebrated a program and service delivery milestone with the official renewal of its Urology services. A ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the occasion was attended by select staff and physicians to ensure physical distancing and compliance with public health measures. This milestone for CKHA signifies the completion of construction on a new state-of-the-art Operating Room Theatre at the Chatham Site to accommodate Urology and other surgical procedures.
“I am proud of our Urology Steering Committee, and grateful to CKHA Foundation and our donors who were all instrumental in bringing comprehensive urological services back to CKHA through years of work, planning and fundraising,” said Lori Marshall, President and CEO, CKHA. “It’s gratifying to know we are now delivering this service for our patients and their families, while reducing the need to travel outside of Chatham-Kent for urological services.”
During consultation with the community, a gap was identified for these services in Chatham-Kent. CKHA committed to filling this service gap through its 2017-2021 Strategic Plan and is now delivering on its commitment of new Urology services with the completion of a modernized Operating Room Theatre. Along with accommodating urological cases, the newly renovated space was also designed to assist with other surgical procedures performed at CKHA. The updated space is another approach that will aid the organization with its surgical renewal following cancellations of elective procedures in 2020 due to the pandemic. Additionally, ambulatory Urology clinics have begun at both of CKHA’s sites. This service delivery is in line with the organization’s Mission: One Team – Two Sites: Serving Chatham & Rural Kent.
“This is a momentous day for CKHA and our community; our state-of-the-art Operating Room coupled with the expertise and skill of our Urologist, Dr. Hamidreza Abdi, will ensure we can meet the needs of our patients for years to come,” said Dr. Pervez Faruqi, Chief of Staff, CKHA. “We are also thankful for the support we received from the Urologists at Bluewater Health who have provided high quality care to our patients over the years and look forward to continuing our partnership with them.”
Led by Dr. Elizabeth Haddad, former Chief of Surgery, General Surgeon at CKHA, a dedicated team of staff and physicians contributed a significant amount of time, work and planning to ensure Urology service renewal at CKHA was a success. Construction on the project began last summer and saw the complete renovation of Operating Room 1 and adjacent storage space. Operating Room 1 was updated to deliver a modern operating space including an integrated ceiling system with an enhanced air diffuser and lighting flexibility. In the new space, staff are able to easily control imaging, sound and lighting, creating optimal environments for multiple surgical procedures. Additionally, Operating Room 7 has been converted from a storage space to a multi-purpose procedure room with updated med-gas services, lighting, lead lining and image viewing.
“It’s a very exciting day to see our project through to completion and welcome local patients back to CKHA who require comprehensive urological services. I’m proud of the team who brought this project to fruition and thankful for their expertise and months of hard work,” said Dr. Haddad. She added, “I’d also like to acknowledge our partnership with the Urologists at Bluewater Health over the years, who have provided excellent care to our patients.”
Urology is a part of health care that deals with diseases of the male and female urinary tract (kidney, ureters, bladder, prostate and urethra). Urology is known as a surgical specialty. Examples of conditions that will now be treated at CKHA include prostate gland enlargement, kidney stones, prostatitis, urinary tract infections, sexual dysfunction, infertility, bladder prolapse, urinary incontinence and cancers of the bladder, kidneys, penis, testicles, and adrenal and prostate glands.
In 2020, CKHA welcomed Dr. Abdi, Urologist, to the organization and community. Dr. Abdi completed his Urology Residency training at the University of Ottawa and began establishing his practice in CKHA’s new Urology service last summer.
“I have felt extremely welcomed by the staff and physicians at CKHA since my first site visit and I knew immediately the organization and community would be an excellent choice for myself and my family,” said Dr. Abdi. “I am honoured to be a part of this historical Urology service renewal at CKHA and proud to serve the residents of Chatham-Kent.”
“We received a tremendous amount of support from all corners of Chatham-Kent, raising over $700,000 to purchase much-needed equipment for the renewal of Urology services at CKHA,” said Mary Lou Crowley, President and CEO, Chatham-Kent Health Alliance Foundation. “Funds were raised through various events and campaigns over the course of two years, and I cannot thank our community enough for helping to make these services a reality.”
Patients who require a referral for Urology services should speak to their Primary Care Provider. For inquiries about CKHA’s Urology program, Dr. Abdi’s office can be reached at 519.352.6401 extension 5770.
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About CKHA
Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA) is a 200 bed community hospital, serving the residents of Chatham and rural Kent including Walpole Island and Delaware First Nations. Formed in 2018, CKHA is committed to delivering quality and safe care at its two sites in Chatham and Wallaceburg. CKHA collaborates with other partners to deliver care across its community. CKHA’s dedicated team is comprised of approximately 1,400 staff, 200 physicians and 300 volunteers. CKHA provides a full range of programs, services and specialties from internal medicine and surgery to women & children’s and critical care; it is designated a schedule one facility under the Ministry of Health and cares for tens of thousands of inpatients, outpatients and emergency patients annually. CKHA is equipped with state of the art diagnostics and technology to support its varied programs. CKHA’s vision: Together, growing a healthier community, underscores a movement to improving the population’s health. Grounded by its values “CKHA CARES” (Collaboration, Accountability, Respect, Excellence, Safety), CKHA commits to continuously improve the patient experience in partnership with patients, families and caregivers.
Please direct media inquiries and high quality photo requests to:
Emily Field, Communications Specialist
Chatham-Kent Health Alliance
