INVERNESS: The Inverness Hospital Foundation welcomed an early Christmas present to Inverness Consolidated Memorial Hospital (ICMH).
Visiting specialist, Dr. Kate MacInnes, also the newest resident of East Lake Ainslie, just started her new Hematology practice in Cape Breton and will be seeing patients at ICMH once a week as well as in Sydney three days a week.
Dr. MacInnes is a Hematologist, or a blood specialist. Patients are referred to her from family doctors. Dr. MacInnes may see many cancer patients; for example those with leukemia, multiple myeloma, and non- cancer patients, including those with anemia and patients with low or high platelets.
There is one Inverness County resident in particular who is “over the moon” with Dr. MacInnes’ plan to spend time at ICMH.
Brenda MacDonald of Glencoe Station was receiving leukemia treatments and her bone marrow transplant in Halifax when she first saw Dr. MacInnes who was a Hematology resident at the time.
“About a month ago, I couldn’t believe my eyes. I actually saw my hematologist at the Hunter’s Breakfast in Glencoe Station and found out she is now living in Inverness County and will be at our local hospital,”says MacDonald. “I know, firsthand, how wonderful she is and I cannot believe we will be able to see her in Inverness. We won’t have to travel to see her. This is just terrific news.”
MacDonald who regularly visits the ICMH Ambulatory Care Unit to see visiting specialists will now have the potential to see one other, Dr. MacInnes.
Angela MacArthur, ICMH facility manager, is very excited to welcome Dr. MacInnes.
“To have a Hematologist come to our Ambulatory Care Unit at our hospital once a week is tremendous,” says MacArthur. “This will certainly help people in our area and surrounding communities who won’t have to travel longer distances to see such a specialist. It is great for our patients.”
Dr. MacInnes will be the 12th visiting specialist to come to the ICMH Ambulatory Care Unit. Last year specialists saw over 2,400 patients at ICMH, meaning those people did not have to travel as much for specialized services.
The Inverness Hospital Foundation is featuring the Ambulatory Care Unit in their annual appeal for donations in mailboxes this week and features another person in Inverness County, Chris MacIsaac, who is also thankful for this unit. Included in the mailout is also a list of equipment that has been purchased from donations to the hospital so donors will see where their donations are spent.