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Back to SearchThe #1door4care initiative to secure funding for a new treatment centre on CHEO – OCTC’s main campus has named co-chairs to lead its Family Advisory Table — Steven Herzog and Barb Shantz.
Under #1door4care, the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario – Ottawa Children’s Treatment Centre (CHEO – OCTC) and CHEO Foundation have been running an awareness campaign to show the Government of Ontario how Eastern Ontario strongly supports a new building that will serve as a hub for mental health and special needs services. Once a funding commitment is made, the Family Advisory Table will be a voice for children, youth and families to provide CHEO – OCTC with considerations and design ideas to make the building smart, family-centred and complete with therapeutic spaces that support every child achieve their best life.
Steven Herzog is a senior executive with MD Financial Management who is thankful for the care his family has received through CHEO’s mental health services.
“Our community desperately needs this new building, so the physical spaces don’t get in the way of CHEO – OCTC’s great care,” said Herzog. “Providing welcoming, safe and confidential space for families is so important. Mental health should be treated with the same respect by our health-care system as any physical illness — and the therapeutic environment is key to that.”
Barb Shantz has worked in restaurant management, hospice care and on Parliament Hill. Her oldest son, now 9 years old, has global developmental delays, mild intellectual disability and an undiagnosed rare disease. He was first referred to OCTC when he was six months old, where he was actively involved in playgroups, and speech, occupational and physical therapy. He attended the OCTC preschool and school through Grade 1 and continues to be followed by specialists through CHEO – OCTC clinics.
“I am so pleased to bring my lived experiences as a parent to a child with special needs to this role,” said Shantz. “I look forward to speaking with families in the region and helping to facilitate the discussion, so the family and patient perspective is at the forefront as CHEO moves forward with its 1door4care commitment.”
Creating the 1door4care Family Advisory Table is an example of CHEO’s commitment to guide the care we provide and the future of our organization by incorporating the expertise of patients and families.
“We are so pleased to have such strong leadership for this advisory group,” said Alex Munter, President and CEO of CHEO – OCTC. “Its input will ensure we have the spaces we need to deliver the best care possible.”
A new, integrated, state-of-the-art treatment centre will provide customized supports for developmental, rehabilitation, behavioural and mental health services provided by CHEO – OCTC. Other regions in the province already have access to these services in purpose-built spaces and buildings — including Durham, Hamilton, Halton and Peel. CHEO – OCTC has been working with the provincial government on this building for nearly a decade.
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Media contact
Paddy Moore
Strategic Communications Advisor, CHEO – OCTC
o. 613-737-7600 ext. 3536
m. 613-769-5553
pmoore@cheo.on.ca
About CHEO – OCTC
The Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario – Ottawa Children’s Treatment Centre (CHEO –OCTC) is the leading provider of specialized pediatric health services in Canada's capital. CHEO’s programs help over 500,000 children and youth each year in Eastern Ontario, Western Quebec, Nunavut and parts of Northern Ontario. As a world-class research centre and teaching hospital, for over 40 years CHEO has changed young lives in our community, while our innovations change young lives around the world. For more than 65 years, OCTC has been providing specialized care for children and youth with disabilities, including cerebral palsy, complex needs associated with congenital conditions, developmental delay, autism spectrum disorders and brain injury. The two previously separate organizations recently joined forces to become one organization, stronger together for kids and families.