Sunnybrook launches Cancer Care at Home

TORONTO – Sunnybrook is launching Cancer Care at Home, an integrated model that brings more care into the home so patients with cancer and their families receive continuous support between appointments and after hospital stays. Enabled by an impactful donation by Apotex, the Canadian-based global health company, Cancer Care at Home connects remote patient monitoring, Oncology Urgent Care and hospital-to-home services to deliver safer, coordinated care where people live.

Cancer Care at Home will connect three elements that work together for patients and families.

Remote patient monitoring will allow a Sunnybrook team to follow complex patients and provide timely guidance with quick links to Sunnybrook’s Oncology Urgent Care or in-home care when needed.

The Oncology Urgent Care program will expand to support more patients, helping to reduce avoidable emergency department visits while improving symptom control and quality of life.

Hospital-to-Home supports will speed safe discharge and continue tailored monitoring and help at home.

“This program stands as a powerful testament to how philanthropy fuels innovation and drives the transformation of cancer care,” said Kelly Cole, president and CEO, Sunnybrook Foundation. “It shows how vision becomes reality, as Team Sunnybrook delivers personalized support to patients and families in the comfort of their homes.”

“Cancer Care at Home connects patients and families with their Sunnybrook oncology team between visits and after a hospital stay,” said Dr. Monika K. Krzyzanowska (pictured), chief, Odette Cancer Program. “This integrated model links remote monitoring, same-day oncology assessment and hospital-to-home supports so issues are caught earlier, and it advances our Invent 2030 objectives to connect care from hospital to home and deliver consistently excellent patient experience.”

Cancer Care at Home is designed around patients and families, providing timely support between visits and after hospital stays, and draws on Sunnybrook’s integrated programs and clinical trials, including the Odette Cancer Program’s personalized, precise treatments.

“Apotex is excited to support the launch of this innovative program that puts patients at the center and allows them to receive care where they are most comfortable,” said Allan Oberman, president and CEO of Apotex. “Our team is committed to supporting those on their journey of health and enabling care at home. Patients and their families will truly benefit from this program and we are honoured to partner with Sunnybrook to make it possible.”

The model builds on Sunnybrook’s existing infrastructure, including the Sunnybrook to Home program and on the expertise of teams that already manage treatment-related toxicity and preventable emergency visits.

The Odette Cancer Program at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre provides comprehensive cancer care for patients and families across prevention, diagnosis, treatment and survivorship. Specialists in medical, radiation and surgical oncology work with supportive care, imaging and pathology to deliver coordinated, evidence-based care. The team focuses on personalized and precise treatments and on better connections between hospital and home so care is safe, timely and easier to navigate for patients and caregivers.

About Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre is inventing the future of health care for the over 1 million patients the hospital cares for each year through the dedication of its more than 12,000 staff and volunteers. An internationally recognized leader in research and education and a full affiliation with the University of Toronto distinguishes Sunnybrook as one of Canada’s premier academic health sciences centres.

Sunnybrook specializes in caring for high-risk pregnancies, critically-ill newborns and adults, offering specialized rehabilitation and treating and preventing cancer, cardiovascular disease, neurological and psychiatric disorders, orthopaedic and arthritic conditions and traumatic injuries. The Hospital also has a unique and national leading program for the care of Canada’s war veterans.

For more information about how Sunnybrook is inventing the future of healthcare please visit www.sunnybrook.ca.