Headline News

Stevenson Memorial Hospital celebrates 30 years of Dialysis Program

April 9, 2026   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

Stevenson Memorial Hospital (SMH) in Alliston is currently celebrating 30 years since the inception of its dialysis program.

Patients and families, dialysis staff, SMH leadership, hospital partners and local dignitaries gathered to celebrate the special milestone on Thursday, April 2.

The Dialysis Program began in 1996 with a small but dedicated nursing staff, many of whom are still providing patient care today.

Over the 30 years the program has run, it’s provided more than 100,000 dialysis treatments.

The Dialysis Unit includes six dialysis chairs/stations and operates six days per week.
“It’s wonderful to celebrate a program that has had such a strong impact on our community,” said Deepak Sharma, President and CEO of SMH. “To have such a critical health care service so close to home is important for our patients and families, and we are proud to provide this service at SMH. To have a nursing team that goes the extra mile to ensure our patients have the best experience possible day after day is what makes today’s celebration so special.”
At least one of the patients has been treated in the dialysis unit for the duration of the entire program, and several others are long-term patients.
Patient Steve Hudson has been on dialysis for seven years and explained how much he appreciates the staff.
“The nurses are great, and the support staff is awesome,” Hudson said to the group that gathered for the celebration. “When coming here, you feel like a little family. We get different connections with the nurses. I live in Tottenham, so it’s a 15-minute drive instead of an hour drive to Barrie – that’s very important.”
SMH’s Dialysis program operates as a satellite site of Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre’s Regional Renal Program.
Patients with advanced care needs or who are newly diagnosed with renal failure receive their dialysis at the regional site in Barrie until they are stabilized and well enough to receive treatments at SMH.
With several patients on the waiting list for transplants, and April being organ donation month, participants were encouraged to sign up to be a donor.

Readers Comments (0)