Wingham Satellite Oncology Program enables

BY SHAWN LOUGHLIN THE CITIZEN

When locals are going through what is, undoubtedly, one of the most difficult stretches of their lives, there is a place for them to go, full of people who want to help, ease their pain and make their lives a bit brighter.

April is Cancer Awareness Month and Huron County is lucky to play host to its own oncology unit in Wingham. The Wingham Satellite Oncology Program is part of the London Regional Cancer Program, providing chemotherapy for patients in Huron, Bruce and Perth Counties.

The site runs from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday to Friday at the Wingham and District Hospital, which is one half of the Listowel Wingham Hospitals Alliance.

Hereto help

Oncology registered nurses Justine MacDonald, left, and Laurie Bell are part of a team of five nurses, as well as doctors and administrators, who aim to help Huron, Bruce and Perth County residents facing cancer get help closer to home in the Elizabeth (Betty Zinn) Hlavach Memorial Oncology Clinic at the Wingham and District Hospital.

(Shawn Loughlin photo)

The site boasts a five-nurse complement. All oncology registered nurses are specially-trained, proactive guides to help cancer patients navigate the complex maze of cancer treatment and care, according to Cancer Care Ontario.

Two of them - Laurie Bell and Justine MacDonald - took some time to chat with The Citizen about their work at the unit and all that it means to the community and those who utilize its services.

Bell has been a nurse since 1983, working in the local oncology unit for the last 12 years, while MacDonald has been a nurse for the last decade, spending seven years in the unit.

“I enjoy my job,” says Bell, who says that patients are always so grateful to have this level of cancer care so close to home.

There’s the convenience of it, of course, but she adds that really it’s about time for most people. Saving people a drive to Kitchener, London or Owen Sound saves them time and money, and the time they save can be better spent with their families and loved ones.

MacDonald echoes Bell’s sentiments, saying she’s happy to be able to help patients at such a difficult time in their lives and to watch people get better visit by visit.

A typical day in the unit begins when the nurses arrive and they prepare the space for the patients of the day. Bell and MacDonald say there is a lot of communication with London in regards to a patient list for the day and the necessary medication. They then work with the