Local health care better than ever thanks in part to Rotary gifts

Physiotherapist Assistant Stephanie Shewen helps patient Gladys June Sibley to stand as she receives instructions on her therapy from Physiotherapist Jacqueline Bell. This is a common scene each day in the revamped Complex Continuing Care unit at Rouge Valley Ajax and Pickering hospital.

Complex Continuing Care a bright new space

When it comes to community support in local health care, the Rotary Club of Ajax has displayed tremendous commitment to the residents of the town over the years. A great example of this can be found in your hospital, where the club has once again shown its generosity, by stepping forward to provide critical financial support.

Recently Rouge Valley Ajax and Pickering hospital completed a massive redevelopment including its newly revamped Complex Continuing Care unit, which is getting rave reviews from staff and patients alike. Looking for a way to support the project, the Rotary Club of Ajax can take great pride in having donated an incredible $60,000 to the redevelopment work.

With a mission to “improve life in its community” the Rotary Club was eager to be a part of the work to improve the local hospital. Members Rene Soetens and John Maxwell visited the hospital recently to see the results of the club’s financial support and came away very happy with the results.

“I was really dazzled when I was given a tour,” says Mr. Maxwell. “I’m really keen on it and I think the rest of our Rotarians will be as well.”

The new CCC unit provides increased space for patients who are transitioning from an acute care stay to post-acute care. It features large, spacious patient rooms, a communal dining room for patients to have meals together and a space for in-house recreational therapy. There is also new equipment, including ceiling lifts in every patient room, adjustable-height beds to help prevent patient falls, and therapeutic hydraulic bath tubs.

Dr. Romas Stas, Associate Chief of Staff for Rouge Valley, has been with the Ajax and Pickering hospital since 1972 and he has a great deal of respect for the work of the Rotary Club. He says their consistent involvement is not taken for granted.

“We feel the hospital is at the heart of the community and the Rotary Club is an integral part of that heart,” he says. “Ultimately, at one time or another, everyone in our communities needs to use the hospital, so their support in this fashion helps everyone.”

CCC nursing manager Dawn Chin agrees and adds that accessibility is much improved.

"Both staff and patients love the spaciousness of the patient's room and bathroom as it allows for easier access for large equipment such as wheelchairs and walkers," she explains. "There are more private rooms which allows us to accommodate isolation patients who still require rehab and each room has dedicated equipment in prevention of transmission of infectious diseases."

Dr. Stas describes the new CCC unit as a much brighter and more patient-friendly space with great new rehab equipment in the well-used gym area.

“The rooms are spacious and the environment so much nicer for people who have to be in here for a length of time,” he says. “Ultimately, it’s the patient that matters most.”

The Rotary’s donation will be recognized in the unit’s beautiful new patient dining lounge, itself another improvement over the previous space. Here all of the unit’s patients will soon see a plaque to commemorate the generous Rotary Club of Ajax donation.