The Centre for Complex Diabetes Care (CCDC) provides expert care for patients experiencing complications related to diabetes. While most patients usually manage quite well with standard levels of care, the CCDC will provide shorter-term support to patients with cumulative problems that require more intensive measures. The Centre for Complex Diabetes Care will provide individuals with a single point of access to specialized interprofessional teams using a coordinated approach to diabetes management and treatment.

Patients from across the region will access the CCDC through a referral from their primary healthcare provider or specialist and the CCDC team will work directly with an individual’s primary care provider to ensure that comprehensive services are provided. The program will support both in-patients and out-patients. As blood sugar control is often disturbed during periods of unrelated illnesses and hospitalization, the CCDC will also offer expanded services for admitted patients.

Members of the CCDC Interprofessional Team

The CCDC is located in two communities: Thunder Bay and Sioux Lookout. Services in Thunder Bay will be provided at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and St. Joseph’s Care Group, while services will be provided to patients in Sioux Lookout at the Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre. Patient and Family Advisors will assist the health care professionals to create a program that is responsive to the feedback that our patients provide.

The CCDC is different from other programs currently available in that it will focus on the care of Level Three patients only. Patients are discharged from the Program when there has been a resolution to the condition and patients are able to self-manage their conditions with support from a Level 1 or Level 2 Program.

While people with diabetes only make up a small percentage of Ontario’s population, Northwestern Ontario has more people suffering from the illness than the provincial average, especially among the Aboriginal community. Complications of the illness can also lead to other serious health issues.

The CCDC serves the largest land mass of the Province of Ontario (47%) coupled with the smallest and most dispersed population. In addition, the region has many small towns and First Nations communities located throughout rural and remote areas which makes planning, delivering and accessing health services in these often difficult. This results in challenges to health service delivery, including access to care, healthcare human resources, the need for extensive travel, and higher costs of care per capita.

Telemedicine plays a vital role in helping to overcome the difficulties in delivering care to this large, sparsely populated region. TBRHSC is the leading provider of Telemedicine in Canada and strives to provide guidance and care “closer to home.” Wherever possible, Telemedicine technologies will be used to reduce the need for patients to leave their home communities and access the services of the CCDC.

Teaching and learning opportunities will be provided for students in various fields of healthcare. The Northern Ontario School of Medicine is committed to a Patient Centred and Interprofessional approach to student learning opportunities.