Oncology Inpatient Unit at the MUHC officially named after Montréal Businessman and Philanthropist Andrew Lutfy
MONTRÉAL, May 24, 2023 /CNW/ - The Oncology Inpatient Unit of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) was officially renamed "The Andrew J. Lutfy and Family Cedars Oncology Inpatient Unit," in honour of Andrew Lutfy and his family, and in recognition of their $3.6 million donation to the Cedars Cancer Foundation (Cedars).
The Unit, which is located on the 10th floor of the MUHC's Royal Victoria Hospital, is reserved for cancer patients who are recovering from surgery. Its cutting-edge equipment and state-of-the-art facilities were carefully planned and selected with MUHC staff to support best practices and facilitate care delivery to patients. It is a calm, secure and supportive environment that encourages recovery. The Unit consists of 36 beds, divided into three pods of twelve beds each. Each patient is assigned a single room with a private bathroom; a large screen TV and free Wi-Fi; a space for staff, featuring equipment and supplies; and a couch for family members. The rooms are peripherally located, so that each room is filled with natural light from large exterior windows. The Unit also has a large family room, which family member and visitors can use at their leisure. It has a kitchenette and comfortable lounge chairs.
"The financial support of the Cedars Cancer Foundation and of donors like Mr. Lutfy and his family were critical to the building of this hospital and are vital to our Cancer Care Mission," said Dr. Armen Aprikian, Chief of the MUHC's Cancer Care Mission. "Our goal is to provide world-class treatment and care to our cancer patients and their families, and that's exactly what we do for the people who are being looked after in the Oncology Inpatient Unit."
"This is a story for us all, about the power of channeling the grief that arises from tragic loss. Over 50 years ago, my grandfather lost his 29-year-old son to what was just starting to be understood as cancer. The trauma and energy from that loss has manifested into what is today known as the Cedars Cancer Centre, which saves thousands of Montrealers' lives each and every year," said Andrew Lutfy. "Today, as proud Montrealers, it is not only our privilege, but also our responsibility, to support this community, and what better way than through the Cedars Cancer Foundation. My grandfather would be proud that we can continue his legacy."
In attendance for the unveiling of the name plaque were:
- Andrew Lutfy and Melanie Cosgrove, George Lutfy, Nadine Chamandy and Bernard Rabot, Jessica Lutfy and Bram Paperman, Alex Lutfy and Camille Tremblay, Donna Lutfy and Marisa and Lauren Mezzaluna;
- The Cedars Cancer Foundation's President and CEO, Jeff J. Shamie;
- Dr. Armen Aprikian, Chief of the MUHC's Cancer Care Mission;
- Dr. Tarek Hijal, Director of the Division of Radiation Oncology at the MUHC;
- Dr. Roger Tabah, Surgical Oncologist MUHC;
- Mr. Michael Flinker, Chair of the Cedars Cancer Foundation Board;
- Mr. Tony Aksa, Immediate Past Chair of the Cedars Cancer Foundation Board;
- Mrs. Diana Ferrera, Co-Vice Chair of the Cedars Cancer Foundation Board;
- The Cedars Cancer Foundation's Vice-President of Development & Operations, Ariel Dayan.
"Andrew has been supporting Cedars, which his grandfather Joe Chamandy founded in 1966, since his youth. We're extremely grateful for his dedication and generosity," said Cedars Cancer Foundation President and CEO, Jeff Shamie . "Cedars exists to expand the MUHC's global expertise on cancer, and the funds that are entrusted to us by our donors, like Andrew and his family, help us achieve that goal and improve the lives of MUHC cancer patients and their families."
History of the Cedars Cancer Foundation – a Timeline |
|
1966 : |
The Harley Chamandy Memorial Fund of the Royal Victoria Hospital is established by Joseph Chamandy and other Chamandy family members and friends. |
1967: |
In consultation with Dr. Edward Tabah, a pioneering surgical oncologist at the Royal Victoria Hospital, the community members behind the Fund begin raising money for state-of-the-art equipment to help treat cancer. |
1967: |
The organization raised $15,000 to purchase a cryosurgery unit. |
1979: |
The organization raised $78,000 to purchase an Isocentric Rotational Linear Accelerator for radio-oncology. |
1989: |
The organization raised $100,000 to purchase a DNA flow cytometer. |
1997: |
The organization raised $600,000 to purchase there gamma cameras for nuclear medicine. |
2005 - |
The organization raised $28 million to help build the new MUHC "super hospital" on the Glen site, including funding for the M6 Cyberknife, a Da Vinci Robot for non-invasive surgery, and an inter-operative MRI for the Montreal Children's Hospital. |
2015: |
The Cedars Cancer Centre at the MUHC is officially opened. |
2022: |
Cedars raised close to $9 million to support cancer care, research and education. |
The Cedars Cancer Foundation (Cedars) is a charitable organization that is the funding arm of the MUHC's fight against cancer. It aims to ease the pain and suffering caused by cancer, regardless of the patient's age. Cedars supports the hospital's Cancer Centre, which bears its name, as well as the Cancer Research Program of the Research Institute of the MUHC. Cedars is also a founding partner of the Rossy Cancer Network, which brings together McGill University and its teaching hospitals to improve the quality of every patient's experience and care outcomes.
The Cancer Care Mission of the MUHC offers a full spectrum of oncology services to children, adolescents, adults, and their families. Our goal is to reduce the prevalence of the disease, its mortality rate, and the costs related to cancer care, while improving the quality of care and support to patients.
The Cedars Cancer Centre is reinventing the way we provide cancer treatment at the MUHC. With oncology services from both the Royal Victoria Hospital and Montreal General Hospital now situated under one roof, this Centre provides patients with some of the finest cancer care facilities—all in one location—in the country.
Some 20 interdisciplinary teams offer specialized cancer care using state-of-the-art technology and the latest techniques at every stage of the disease continuum, from prevention to cure or end-of-life care. We often work in concert with local and regional teams and have a tradition of partnership with Montréal's cultural communities. In fact, the MUHC has developed a unique expertise in a trans-cultural approach to cancer care.
In 2022 alone, over 5,200 patients were treated at the Cedars Cancer Centre, representing over 90,000 individual visits.
SOURCE Cedars Cancer Foundation
Media Contact: Michèle LaForest, (514) 970-9617, [email protected]
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