A letter from Gail Hunt, RVH President & CEO
Right now, demand for healthcare in Simcoe Muskoka is growing fast. Some patients have to travel for specialized treatments. Others wait longer than they should. Our Emergency Departments are stretched, and we need more space and resources to make sure everyone gets the care they need, when they need it.
Together, we can change that.
Imagine a future where no one in our community has to leave home for life-saving care. Where wait times are shorter. Where Emergency Departments aren’t stretched beyond their capacity. Where every patient gets the specialized, compassionate care they need—right here at home.
That future is within reach. And with your help, we can make it happen.
At RVH, we’re making the big moves to deliver on our promise to make life better, with the care you need, close to home.
And you are the reason we can deliver on that promise.
Your support has already changed lives.
Just ask Patricia. She was one of the first patients to benefit from RVH’s new PET-CT scanner—the only one between Sudbury and Newmarket. This machine caught the spread of her breast cancer early. That meant she could avoid chemotherapy and radiation.
Less time in a hospital bed. More time with her grandkids. That’s the kind of difference you make.
Because of donors like you, Patricia’s care happened here in our community—not hours away. And she’s not alone. More than 1000 people a year now get the scans they need right here at RVH.
But there’s still work to do.
Too many people are waiting too long for care, while others face long drives for treatments they should have access to right here in our community.
We have a bold plan for the next 10 years that will transform healthcare in Simcoe Muskoka. An even stronger RVH—one that grows with our community.
That means more specialists and leading-edge technology right here in Simcoe Muskoka, so patients don’t have to leave home for life-saving treatment. It means attracting, training and keeping the best doctors and nurses, so world-class healthcare is always within reach. And it means embracing the latest innovations, like virtual reality training for medical students—so they can prepare for real-world care before they even treat their first patient.
And we’re already making progress.
This year, RVH’s Emergency Department (ED) introduced 25 new innovations to help people get care faster, including a new online booking system that lets patients with less serious concerns wait comfortably at home.
Outside the ED, a new program helps people heal safely at home after discharge, while freeing up beds for others.
And a first-of-its-kind app is helping care teams have important conversations with patients and families about their goals—so care plans reflect what matters most to them, not just what’s medically possible.
That kind of progress and innovation is hard to ignore. In fact, the government is taking notice.
Recently, the Ontario government approved the expansion of our Critical Care Unit and growth of our community dialysis program. And donors like you played a key role, too—funding new dialysis chairs that improve comfort and functionality for patients.
This is partnership in action: government, donors, patients, and RVH, working together to maintain quality, compassionate care and bring life-changing advancements to our community.
To keep this momentum going, we need you with us.
Every donation moves us closer to the future we all want—a future where no one has to leave home for the best care medicine can offer.
The healthcare of tomorrow starts today. Let’s make it happen – together.
CARE CLOSE TO HOME.
That’s our promise.
I’m Dr. Sara Rask, a medical oncologist at RVH’s Hudson Regional Cancer Program—Ontario’s top performing Cancer Program for the last two years straight. I grew up here in Simcoe Muskoka, so I know how much it means to get care close to home.
When I joined RVH in 2011, we had 10 oncologists. Today, we have 25. That growth is thanks to people like you.
Your support helped build a world-class cancer centre, equipped with life-saving tools—like our new PET-CT scanner. Until recently, patients had to travel to the GTA for this scan. Now, they can get it here.
But cancer care isn’t just about machines or numbers. It’s about people. We treat the whole person—not only the disease.
That means fast, accurate diagnoses. The right treatment plan that’s personalized. And support every step of the way—from social workers and counsellors to programs for kids whose parents are facing cancer.
And as our communities grow, the need for care grows, too. We need more space, more services, and more support for patients and families.
This kind of progress doesn’t happen on its own. It happens because of you—and others who believe in care close to home.
I’m proud to care for my neighbours in their most vulnerable moments. And I’m grateful to have you by our side.
Because of you, cancer care in Simcoe Muskoka isn’t just keeping up—it’s leading the way.
The Care That Keeps Ryan Going.
Donors make life-sustaining dialysis possible for Ryan and patients like him.
Ryan Weir is a musician, an outdoor enthusiast, and—at just 25 years old—a dialysis patient.
At six, a game of driveway hockey led to a life-changing diagnosis: Alport syndrome, a genetic disease that damages the kidneys. The condition progressed faster than expected, and by the end of last year, Ryan’s kidneys were failing. Dialysis became his only option.
Now, three times a week, Ryan undergoes lifesaving hemodialysis at RVH’s Regional Kidney Program, either at the hospital or the Wellington Street Dialysis Clinic. It’s not how he imagined spending his time, but it’s keeping him alive.
He’s not alone. Every day, every chair in the dialysis clinic is full—each one occupied by someone depending on the same life-saving treatment. Thanks to generous donors, RVH has the hemodialysis machines and specialized dialysis chairs that make this care possible.
And soon, even more patients will have access to the treatment they need. With new government funding, RVH is expanding its kidney program to serve the growing demand for dialysis—ensuring fewer patients have to travel long distances for care.
“I’m grateful I can receive dialysis without having to leave my community.”
And because of donor support, so can hundreds of others who need it most—now and in the future.
Your support drives bold change.
Big goals demand bold moves—and donors like you make them happen. With your generosity, RVH is advancing leading-edge care, training the next generation of healthcare professionals, and transforming the patient and family experience. Here’s how:
The right equipment, when it matters most.
When seconds count, the right tools save lives. Your support funds vital equipment—from Giraffe incubators and oxygen therapy machines in our NICU to advanced cancer-fighting technology like radiation machines and PET-CT scanners—ensuring patients receive timely, life-saving care when they need it most.
The future is virtual.
Virtual reality technology is changing how we teach at RVH. Thanks to a $1M gift from Innovative Automation, learners across the health centre can now train in realistic, medical scenarios without risk to real patients. It means sharper skills, faster decisions, and safer care—right here at home.
An app that’s changing the conversation.
Every patient deserves to feel heard—especially when it comes to their care. RVH’s AskMeGOC app, funded through the Alectra Fund for Healthcare & Social Innovation, makes that possible. This powerful tool guides care teams through goals-of-care conversations, ensuring patients and families are respected, informed, and involved every step of the way.