The Maurice J. Grimes Lodge, an overnight centre for out-of-town cancer patients, will no longer offer accommodations as part of a series of cutbacks at The Ottawa Hospital.
Hospital spokesperson Rebecca Abelson confirmed the change, saying the beds being used for cancer patients at the long-standing centre have been closed.
“As of August 21, the Maurice Grimes Lodge at The Ottawa Hospital’s Civic Campus is no longer being used to provide accommodation for cancer patients,” Abelson said in an email.
The Lodge was built and equipped in 1973 by the Canadian Cancer Society and was managed by The Ottawa Hospital Regional Cancer Centre.
It was created for people living outside of Ottawa who require medical treatment or testing at the hospital, and would stay at the lodge for free from Monday to Friday to avoid having to drive long distances daily.
Robert Gauthier, President of CUPE Local 4000 which represents nurses, personal support workers, clerical, trades, and support workers at the hospital, said the closure is part of a series of cuts announced by the hospital earlier this year.
In April, the hospital said it was cutting three per cent of its workforce — about 400 jobs — to address financial challenges facing the health care sector. The majority of those jobs were nurses, including about 200 registered nurses, and other front-line health workers.
The affect employees at the Grimes Lodge will be minimal, said the union president, with two outpatient clerks losing their jobs and some reduction or reassignment of support services.
“The real impact is to cancer patients and their families, having to add this additional obstacle and financial burden when they should be focusing on treatment,” he said.
Floyd Scott, a Pembroke resident who stayed at the Grimes Lodge while receiving cancer treatment earlier this summer, was upset to learn the centre would no longer be available to those who need it.
“This was an incredible resource for me,” he said. “There would be no way I could drive daily for this treatment.”
Scott said he underwent six weeks of radiation from Monday to Friday for his cancer, and called the lodge a critical resource for out-of-town cancer patients. He said his mother also stayed at the centre 30 years ago during her first bout of cancer.
The drive from Pembroke is around 150 km one way, a trek he said he could not have made while undergoing treatment.
“This is an extreme loss for people going through cancer.”
The lodge was equipped with 22 rooms — with two single beds in each room — and on average, Gauthier said patients would stay at the centre for four to six weeks while receiving treatment.
Abelson said the change “aligns with accommodation models used at other hospitals across Ontario,” adding that patients who live outside Ottawa and require accommodation while receiving cancer care at the hospital will “continue to be supported through alternative lodging arrangements.”
It was not immediately clear what that alternative accommodation might be. Gauthier said the hospital will likely look to community partners to see if there are reduced rates for patients while receiving treatment.
Scott, however, said with the price of hotels, on top of the cost of gas, parking, and food, a reduced rate “might be not feasible for some people.”
“The Grimes was set up as a free resource,” he said.
In response to community criticism that the Lodge closure was the result of provincial underfunding, a Ministry of Health spokesperson said that wasn’t the case.
“We have increased funding for the Ottawa Hospital by over 64 per cent since 2018 while investing $9.5 million this year through the Hospital Infrastructure Renewal Fund, and $10 million to connect over 23,000 more people to primary care in the Ottawa region as part of our $3.4 billion for our Primary Care Action Plan,” Lily Barnes said in an email.
“While hospitals are independent corporations, responsible for their own day-to-day operations, including services offered, we will continue to work with all hospital partners to ensure people have access to the high-quality care they need, where they need it.”
Abelson said existing clinics at Grimes Lodge, including the Family Health Team, will continue to operate.
