Last year nearly $30,000 was raised to support cancer care at KGH through Relay for Life. This year funds will support a new dermatology clinic at the Cancer Centre.
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Matthew Manor
A new dermatology clinic will soon be opening at the Cancer Centre of Southeastern Ontario at Kingston General Hospital to deal with a problem that’s on the rise, skin cancer. This year's Relay for Life campaign is going to help get it up and running, as all the funds raised by KGH teams will be used to purchase equipment for the clinic.
The clinic is the result of a partnership between Queen’s University and our local hospitals. The Department of Medicine has launched a new academic Division of Dermatology that will see specialized clinics set up at the Cancer Centre and Hotel Dieu Hospital. Two dermatologists will be running the clinic at the Cancer Centre. Dr. Yuka Asai arrived in March and Dr. Mark Kirchoff will arrive in August to help meet the growing demand for dermatological services.
“We’re very excited to have them on board,” says Brenda Carter, VP and Regional VP of Cancer Services and Chair of KGH’s Relay for Life Committee. “They will be seeing patients with confirmed or highly suspicious cancer lesions of the skin, working within a multi-disciplinary environment. ”
Previously, there had been a shortage of dermatologists in this region. For patients that meant long wait times or travel outside of our area to see a specialist. Now with these new resources, patients with skin cancer will be guaranteed timely access to care, closer to home.
“Our Relay for Life committee really wanted to support something that will have a direct impact on our patients. Allowing people to receive this treatment in Kingston means that patients will be able to stay at home with their friends and family and not have to worry about travelling during this stressful time,” says Carter.
So far, 15 KGH teams have registered to take part in the Relay for Life which will be held on June 6 at the Royal Military College. It will start at 7 p.m. and run overnight, wrapping up at 7 a.m. The top four local teams in terms of amount of funds raised so far are also KGH teams. Last year our teams raised nearly $30,000 in total.
“Our fundraising efforts show that KGH staff go beyond their professional duty to care for patients. They are taking their personal time to raise money for the same patients they support while they are at work. It’s a sign of their commitment to the residents of Kingston,” says Lori Faggiani, Manager of Annual Programs at University Hospitals Kingston Foundation.
If you are interested in registering a team, or donating to a team of your colleagues, visit www.relayforlife.ca.
Gallery
Last year nearly $30,000 was raised to support cancer care at KGH through Relay for Life. This year funds will support a new dermatology clinic at the Cancer Centre.
