The provincial government, through Eastern Health, has struck a deal with the University of Ottawa Heart Institute to reduce the waitlist for cardiac surgeries in the province.
The announcement was made Thursday by Premier Andrew Furey, who was joined by the University of Ottawa Heart Institute’s CEO, Dr. Thierry Mesana, and Dr. Marc Ruel, Chair of Cardiac Research at the institute.
Dr. Marc Ruel
The MOU is being described as a temporary, short term-strategy that will address the current waitlist, which now stands at about 150; something the province says was only made worse by COVID-19 and the recent cyberattack.
This deal also creates a partnership between Eastern Health and the heart institute that’s expected to complement the work of Eastern Health surgeons, and support patient care by providing access to procedures and treatments not currently done in the province.
The MOU calls for heart institute surgeons to operate here, as well as see some patients from this province travel to Ottawa for treatment. Teams here and in Ottawa will also work together, either virtually or in person.
