A dawn service to mark the official opening of Hawke's Bay DHB's new outpatient clinic space for renal services was held this morning, marking the final stage of a project that started in 2009.
The upgrade of Ballantyne House - Wahanga Whatumanawa took place in four stages over eight years, and aimed to bring all renal services under one roof to improve patient care and outcomes.
Medical directorate medical director and renal physician Colin Hutchison said the DHB looked after about 1000 renal patients a year, including providing pre-dialysis, dialysis, kidney transplants and other kidney disease care.
"This building is about providing a one-stop approach to patient care, bringing doctors, nurses, dieticians and social workers under one roof, so patients can see them in one go rather than having to make multiple visits."
Up until now, the outpatient facility was on the other side of the hospital campus to dialysis, which had created difficulties for patients and staff, he said.