Thursday, November 16, 2023
Today we are celebrating 25 years of the Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario (POGO) service at the Shirley and Jim Fielding Northeast Cancer Centre at Health Sciences North (HSN), bringing pediatric cancer care closer to home for Northern Ontario patients and residents!
The interdisciplinary team comprised of pediatricians, oncologists, nurses, a unit clerk, a pediatric nurse clinician, a pediatric dietician, and a social worker, work together to support children and their families during cancer diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship.
“The saying, ’it takes a village to raise a child’ resonates with me, as it takes a village to support a child with cancer. We have an extraordinary team of unconditional, relentless staff all supporting our most vulnerable population to thrive and survive. They do it with such compassion, dedication and empathy that it’s incredibly inspiring,” said Nancy Horan, Manager, Pediatric Oncology.
The POGO Satellite Clinic in Sudbury first opened in 1998 and has since had 17,700 ambulatory clinic visits and 350 children and families served in the clinic at the Cancer Centre. POGO has significantly reduced the need to travel for care and ensured pediatric patients and their families can have their needs met closer to home.
Congratulations to the POGO team on this exceptional milestone!