The dream to provide excellent quality cancer services closer to home for residents of York Region and South Simcoe County is one that began many years ago and was fully realized in 2010 with the opening of the centerpiece of our Regional Cancer Program, the Stronach Regional Cancer Centre at Southlake. Our state-of-the-art facility at Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket represents an advanced model for cancer care, combining sophisticated cancer technology with expert, patient-focused services and supportive care.

Leading Edge Technology
Housed in a purpose-built four-storey, 90,000-square foot facility, the Cancer Centre features three radiation treatment rooms, a simulator suite with a planning CT scanner, a chemotherapy unit with 23 chairs and adjacent chemo pharmacy, two out-patient clinics with 20 rooms for assessment, treatment and supportive care, and a designated space for clinical drug trials.

In-patient and out-patient services across the Southlake campus include:

• The newest screening and diagnostic equipment, designed to more accurately detect cancer at its earliest stage.
• Expedited diagnosis and treatment, recognizing the critical importance of early intervention for successful treatment outcomes and reducing the stress and anxiety associated with prolonged waits.
• Focus on less invasive and more effective treatments methods.
• A full range of support services to address the psycho-social needs of patients and family.
• State-of-the-art image-guided radiation therapy technology and information systems—the current gold standard for radiation treatment worldwide.

Up-To-Date Knowledge
The Regional Cancer Program at Southlake is in a unique and enviable position. The program’s team of physicians, physicists, radiation therapists and other professionals is exceptionally talented, experienced and caring. Through our collaborative partnership with Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) in Toronto, one of the top five comprehensive cancer research centres in the world, the Cancer Program team provides its patients with access to the most up-to-date knowledge and treatment approaches, and the latest professional developments in cancer care including absolute cutting edge treatment options as part of clinical trials and research. PMH is the world leader in cancer stem cell research, image-guided therapeutics, lung cancer research and treatment, and patient survivorship program development. For Southlake patients, our partnership means access to the newest treatment discoveries at the earliest opportunity.

Commitment to Our Patients
Diagnosing and treating the medical or clinical aspects of cancer is only part of the quality care services that are offered by Southlake’s Regional Cancer Program team. At Southlake, it is our Vision to provide shockingly excellent service. Attending to our patients’ emotional, social, and spiritual needs at every stage of diagnosis, treatment, recovery, or end of life care is a huge part of our commitment to ensuring the best possible care for cancer patients and their loved ones.

The Regional Cancer Program at Southlake is designed to ensure that patients receive a consistently high quality of cancer care, in a timely fashion, and as close to home as possible. It is the designated Regional Cancer Centre for the Central Regional Cancer Program, one of 14 Regional Cancer Programs in Ontario.

Southlake’s Cancer Care Program provides a range of in-patient and out-patient oncology services, including radiation, a giant step forward made possible by the 2010 opening of the full-service Stronach Regional Cancer Centre at Southlake. The Cancer Centre features an expanded 23-bed chemotherapy unit, two out-patient clinics, designated space for clinical drug trials, and three radiation treatment rooms. Each room is equipped with image-guided radiation therapy and Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT), both considered the “gold standard” in radiation therapy equipment. This sophisticated equipment enables the healthcare team to target the area requiring treatment more accurately and precisely. For patients, this means that their individual treatments take significantly less time, and their risk of experiencing side-effects is reduced. Impressively,

From a surgical standpoint, the Regional Cancer Program at Southlake has been very successful in providing timely surgical procedures. The average wait time from the date the decision is made to treat surgically to the date the operation takes place is 55 days, significantly less than the provincial average of 64 days and the maximum target of 84 days.

In addition to our physicians who specialize in cancer treatment, and volunteers who are trained in providing companionship and emotional support, the program’s nurses, technicians, therapists, and other professional support staff provide compassionate and individualized care, with an emphasis on involving patients in their own treatment plans. Several of the program’s registered nurses have achieved their Canadian Oncology Certificate, recognized by the Canadian Nursing Association as the highest academic achievement for oncology nurses.

The Central Regional Cancer Program is led by Dr. Louis Balogh, who was previously Chief of Staff at Southlake and subsequently Vice President in Senior Administration. Today, along with his duties as Regional Vice President for Cancer Care Ontario, Dr. Balogh is also responsible for the Regional Cardiac, Surgery, and Cancer Programs at Southlake.