“We all need to ensure world-class care is in place when [we] need it most.” 

While our community hospitals provide important emergency and non-specialized care to their residents, RVH is the only facility in Simcoe Muskoka that provides advanced, complex care for cancer, cardiac, stroke, renal, mental health, and critical care.

RVH is the heart of healthcare in Simcoe Muskoka. When it comes to complex or life-threatening medical situations, the majority of RVH’s patients live outside of Barrie: 74% of cancer patients, 58% of cardiac patients, and 56% of critical care patients. 

With Simcoe Muskoka’s population expected to double in the next 20 years and more people spending ‘home time’ at seasonal residences, RVH must grow to keep pace. 

“It’s about recognizing that as this region doubles in size, we need to ensure that RVH and the services it provides meet that growth. For those who have the ability to give, now is the time,” adds David.

“Catherine and I are hopeful that what we are doing will spur on others. Possibly other families like ours who are fortunate enough to be living in and enjoying the amazing Simcoe Muskoka region,” says David. “I hope it gets people thinking ‘what can we do?’. Because the reality is, we need more people to step up and give.”

“Catherine and I are hopeful that what we are doing will spur on others.”

Catherine and David’s donation will change the face of cancer care for our growing region by allowing diagnosis and treatment of more cancer types, including cancers of the head and neck, helping bring two more radiation machines (linear accelerators) into operation, assisting in creating specialized operating rooms to insert radioactive implants directly into tumours, and providing genetic counselling, virus-based treatments, and stem cell therapies. We’ll also bring surgical robotics to the region for precise, minimally invasive treatment of prostate and gynecological cancers. All of this means that more people will receive advanced, specialized care closer to home, delivered by professionals who are at the forefront of cancer treatment.

“Lara would be happy to know that people on their own cancer journey will get the advanced care they need while staying close to the people and the community they love,” explains Catherine.

From patient to volunteer 

RVH has saved Pauline Niles’ life twice. Now, she gives back to her care teams by volunteering her time with RVH Foundation to help raise awareness and funds to support RVH’s expansion, including building a new hospital in Innsifil.

Pauline Niles has an unwavering determination to live life to it’s fullest. For her, this means keeping active with kayaking, walking her trio of dogs, and expressing herself through painting. She is also a passionate healthcare advocate.

“I remember being in the ambulance and coming back gasping for […] air.” 

“I’m alive today because of all the care I’ve had at RVH. I feel as though I’ve been gifted an enormous opportunity to share some positivity and make some difference,” she smiles. 

Pauline was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease (PKD) over 30 years ago – a condition where cysts develop in the kidneys, causing them to lose function over time. 

Determined to postpone dialysis, Pauline carefully managed her health and lifestyle. Despite her diligence, in 2020, a ruptured cyst caused a septic episode, triggering a life-threatening emergency.

“I had a fever of 104 and became unresponsive,” she explains. “I remember being in the ambulance and coming back gasping for every breath of air I could. And I remember the paramedics saying ‘Keep breathing, keep breathing, keep breathing. Stay with us, stay with us, stay with us’.”

Pauline was admitted to RVH’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) where she was cared for around the clock by members of the highly-skilled ICU care team. This would be the first time Pauline credits RVH for saving her life. The second was in 2022 after her kidney function dropped to eight percent.

“I was exhausted, tired, bloated. My skin looked grey. Everything hurt. I looked droopy. My face was swollen,” she remembers. “That’s what happens when the toxins aren’t filtered out of your body. It was bad.”

Pauline went to her care team for a check-up, and they immediately knew she needed dialysis. Opting for peritoneal dialysis, Pauline had a catheter surgically installed into her abdomen. Using this tube, a fluid is injected to absorb toxins from the blood vessels and then is drawn back out.

“It’s more convenient for me to do dialysis every night when I sleep and still do all the things I wanted to do during the day,” Pauline explains. “I feel excellent. My eyes are shiny. I have a lot more energy. And I go for walks with the dogs without needing to call my husband and say, ‘Just in case I don’t make it home, here is where I am’.”

Amidst the challenges, Pauline’s determined spirit is helping her make a difference in the community as an RVH Foundation Cabinet Member. She’s passionate about bringing a hospital to Innisfil – the largest town in Simcoe Muskoka without one. As she knows all too well because of her frequent trips for check-ups at RVH, Innisfil residents must make a choice between travelling north or south along Highway 400 for care that should be available closer to home.

“That’s why I volunteer. It’s one of the most profound ways anyone can help because it is truly life-changing.” 

“It’s needed as the population grows in Simcoe Muskoka,” explains Pauline. “We need to continue delivering more care right here at home so people don’t have to travel so much or go outside our region for care. Investing in healthcare for Innisfil is beneficial for everyone.”

Today, Pauline and her husband are looking for a home better suited to her health needs. She has one major caveat for any new location: she wants to remain close to RVH. 

“I want RVH to stay our primary hospital. All my family wants me to go back to Toronto. That ain’t happening,” she laughs. “I love my family, but I love my care team. I receive really, truly genuine care.”

“Every single day, every single worker at RVH is making a difference in someone’s life,” Pauline explains, adding, “That’s why I volunteer. It’s one of the most profound ways anyone can help because it is truly life-changing.” 

PET-CT changes the course of cancer treatment

Patricia Hammond is living with breast cancer. After having a mastectomy, her oncologist recommended a specialized scan to determine the next steps, but the day-long trip felt unimaginable while facing the stress of her diagnosis. 

“Originally, there was talk of me having to go to Mississauga for this test,” Patricia shares, but before she had to make the trip, her scan was scheduled at RVH with our new positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT). “I was only the fifth person to have the scan. Having it at RVH made the process so much easier.”

Bringing a PET-CT to RVH was a project years in the making. Generous support from donors like Barrie Welding & Machine, Dr. Paul and Jane Voorheis, and many other donors helped push the project over the finish line.

“Because of the scan, I’ve been able to avoid chemotherapy and radiation to this point,” explains Patricia.

PET-CT is an advanced piece of equipment offering the highest level of life-saving imaging. It’s the first one in the region, the only one between Newmarket and Sudbury, and one of only eight in the province.

PET-CT scans will change the course of treatment for many patients, allowing for better diagnoses of extent, spread and recurrence of cancer cells before any other available test. That means earlier diagnosis, personalized treatment plans and better medical outcomes for more than 1,000 neighbours, loved ones, and friends who no longer have the stress of travelling outside their communities.

Taking the fight against cancer to the ice

It was a sunny day when former RVH cancer patient Ted Markle joined his friend Jamie Massie, President & CEO of Georgian International, for a walk. They were passing the pond at Braestone Farm while discussing what kind of event could bring people together when inspiration sparked – pond hockey.

In just three years, that simple spark has ignited a cornerstone community event the Braestone Winter Classic, a 3-on-3 pond hockey tournament. Their first event in 2022 raised $78,000 for the Hudson Regional Cancer Centre (HRCC, formerly Simcoe Muskoka Regional Cancer Centre) − $30,000 more than their goal. 

And it hasn’t stopped building momentum. In 2023, Braestone surpassed its goal again, raising $107,000. And yet again in 2024, raising $147,000 – despite warm weather forcing a last-minute pivot to road hockey. 

The way the entire Braestone community rallies behind this event is extraordinary. Event organizers work tirelessly on the logistics of hosting over 20 teams while volunteers go door-to-door in the Braestone community, encouraging participation, collecting donations, and sourcing auction items. Everyone lends a hand. It’s no wonder why—the event creates a place where people can play, celebrate, and share the impact of having cancer care close to home. These moments are the reason so many look forward to it every year, reserving this weekend months in advance.

The small-town Canada feeling that Braestone embodies also reflects the Keep Life Wild spirit. It celebrates what makes this region unique — bringing people together to enjoy the outdoors while also giving back to the community they love.

The massive community support that continues to build behind Braestone sends a powerful signal that the region’s residents are behind RVH’s plans for the future. And the provincial government factors community support into their decision-making process when granting the funds needed to make RVH’s vision a reality. 

Whether people participate for the love of the game, for a fun time, or as tribute to someone they love, the Braestone Winter Classic brings community members together behind a shared goal – to help keep Simcoe Muskoka families healthy and living their wild lives.

The Chiltons team up for RVH’s tiniest patients

Anne and Lance Chilton are in the business of making dreams come true. As founders of The Chilton Team, RE/MAX Hallmark Chay Realty, they are dedicated to helping people find their dream home no matter how big they dream. But one request from their clients continues to make its way to the forefront: proximity to healthcare. 

“When you’re selling a house, you’re selling everything that comes with it. Which is a life,” explains Lance. “We constantly have people asking about access to care, especially from buyers who are coming from outside of our area, which is almost half.”

The Chilton’s began supporting RVH’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in 2017 after a close family friend’s newborn relied on the NICU to survive. Anne and Lance understand how the space in which our tiniest patients are cared for is too small, with up to 12 babies in a space meant for only four. It’s an open concept space where families bond and heal shoulder-to-shoulder with other patients, where the most delicate of care is administered to babies in closet-sized areas, and where private conversations between parents and physicians can’t help but be overheard. 

The Chilton’s decided to help change that. 

“Our entire team donates a portion from the sale of each home to the NICU expansion,” explains Lance. “It’s a really personal connection for us – there’s a little guy who is named after our son who is alive today because of the NICU.”

“Our efforts are all about having a place for RVH’s tiniest patients right here, where people don’t have to spend time and energy commuting for care,” explains Anne. “When you’re starting or adding to your family, it’s all about home. And if your new baby needs help, you want that help to be close by.

The Chilton Team understands that having access to world-class, advanced care helps communities and families thrive.

“When you have that in your community, it makes your community stronger – makes people healthier and happier,” smiles Anne, adding, “We’re so proud to be part of that – helping to turn dreams into a reality in more ways than one.”

Embracing the new frontier of medical education

Virtual reality has cleared the way for RVH’s healthcare providers to practice and hone their skills in a low-risk, simulated medical environment that both looks and feels like the real thing.

Imagine a world where medical students and healthcare professionals could practice life-saving procedures on patients without risk of harm. 

We can thanks to Innovative Automation’s $1 million donation to RVH’s immersive education program. 

“We’re excited to be part of such a thrilling endeavour,” says Stephen Loftus, Innovative Automation CEO. “RVH can now create a life-like environment with sounds and sights that make you feel like you’re treating a patient.” 

The funds donated by Innovative Automation have allowed RVH to purchase virtual reality (VR) technology, source software to build immersive environments where learners interact with ‘patients’ and hire a dedicated Medical Immersive Education Lead to change the future of immersive education.

The VR head and handsets immerse users in a computer-generated 3D environment (simulation or SIM) while tracking their movements and providing sensory feedback. This places medical teams and residents in hyper-realistic environments so they can practice clinical skills, finesse bedside manor, and predict outcomes at no risk to patient safety.

“Having these tools in place is essential for continuing to provide world-class care,” explains Stephen. “It means our current healthcare providers will continue evolving as practitioners.”

Staff can customize SIMs to match the health centre’s physical layouts, equipment configurations and learning objectives, reproducing complex medical scenarios while offering the next best thing to reality.

VR training better equips healthcare professionals to treat patients in any scenario having experienced the rewards and outcomes of their decisions. By the time they encounter the same scenario in real life, they have a bank of knowledge and experience making them more efficient, skilled, and compassionate practitioners.

RVH’s Innovative Automation Simulation Lab is one year into a 10 year plan to become a state-of-the art medical education centre, already positioning RVH as Ontario’s leader in immersive VR medical education. The goal is to establish a first-of-its-kind partnership with hospitals across the region to share virtual resources and improve teaching quality and capacity across Simcoe Muskoka.

VR is the future of medical education worldwide and at RVH that future is bright. RVH will become a partner site for the University of Toronto’s Supplemental Emergency Medicine Program, training emergency department physicians from the region for a three-month period. 

To qualify for the partnership, RVH had to show consistently successful ‘patient’ outcomes during Emergency Medicine SIM labs, beating out several larger hospitals in Ontario.

Innovative Automation’s investment in learning is already positively impacting patient care. With lives on the line every day at RVH, a skilled practitioner can make all the difference. Learners now have what they need to become the best healthcare specialists caring for our loved ones, friends, and neighbours.

Mission to remission

Laura Gordon has a family history of breast cancer so when she felt a lump in her breast, she knew something was wrong. Standard mammography scans at her community hospital kept returning clear results but a referral to RVH’s high-risk cancer program would prove otherwise and mark the beginning of the fight of her life.

Laura is a Muskoka resident who leads a busy and full life walking, biking, and line-dancing, in addition to boating, fishing, and attending music festivals in the summer months. She’s also an involved parent taking her daughter to extracurricular activities. Despite her busy schedule, Laura makes time to listen to her body and rest when she needs it.

That’s because Laura is recovering from breast cancer. 

“Because of my family history with breast cancer, I started getting mammograms when I was 36,” she explains. “Before my diagnosis, I could feel a mass in my breast. And, when I did my self exams, I could very clearly feel that it was getting larger as time went on. I also started seeing other warning signs too. But my mammograms kept showing I was clear because my breast tissue was so dense.”

Knowing something was wrong, Laura advocated for her own health by requesting a referral to RVH’s Hudson Regional Cancer Program.

“So much expertise and state-of-the-art equipment can be found at RVH since its our regional cancer centre. I knew this was where I wanted to have my next scan,” she explains. Laura had her mammogram appointment using RVH’s advanced 3D technology (called digital breast tomosynthesis) which can capture very detailed images, including detecting abnormalities in dense breast tissue like Laura’s. 

“The day I had my scan was my sister’s birthday. It was an evening appointment and it was COVID protocols, so I had to leave my husband at the door,” she recalls. “I was trying not to cry walking through RVH, but I couldn’t help it. I already knew there was something wrong and this was the day I was going to have it confirmed.”

“I knew something was there that wasn’t detected…”

Laura joined the more than 20,000 other patients who receive a scan in the Breast Imaging department every year. Like Laura, these people travel from across the region to receive advanced scans that provide a baseline for their health, making RVH a vital partner in regional care.

Laura’s scan revealed four tumours – three stacked on top of each other in one breast and another in her lymph node. Within 48 hours, she was called back for a biopsy and ultrasound. Within a week, she was diagnosed with locally advanced breast cancer, and she had appointments to meet her oncologist, plastic surgeon, and radiation physician. 

“I knew something was there that wasn’t detected, so it was almost relief to know that I was right about what was happening in my body,” Laura explains. “Obviously, it was a scary diagnosis, especially with having a tumor in my lymph nodes. But you need the diagnosis before you can have a treatment plan. And now that I knew, I was ready to come out of the gate swinging.”

Laura underwent four months of chemotherapy treatment at the Hudson Regional Cancer Centre (formerly the Simcoe Muskoka Regional Cancer Centre), followed by a double mastectomy, where surgeons removed 13 lymph nodes, with immediate reconstruction. Once she recovered, Laura had five weeks of daily radiation treatment.

“Within a year, I was through all of it and cancer free,” she remarks. “I felt fully supported throughout my treatment. Everyone makes time for you, and your needs, regardless of how busy they are. If they don’t hear from you, they call you to make sure all is well. If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn’t change a thing.”

Nearly one year later, Laura is still recovering from her experience. 

“It takes a real toll on your body going through all of that. I’m still tired. My life has slowed down a bit from the pace I kept before cancer,” she says. “But that’s okay because I’m still here.” 

Laura’s follow-up imaging and bloodwork has just been bumped to every six months (instead of every three). As Laura continues to monitor her health, she is very thankful for the top-of-the line imaging equipment that donors have helped fund. 

“My daughter still has her mother because of RVH donors,” she explains. “Without that life-saving technology to detect the cancer, my story would have had a much different ending. But because of their kindness, they’ve saved my life. This equipment has saved my life.”