A very special message from a very special North York General physician may have hit your mailboxes (and inboxes) recently. Dr. Randi Rose, a Cardiologist specializing in Cardio Oncology at NYGH, generously partnered with the Foundation on our 2023 holiday fundraising appeal as we encourage everyone in our community to give from the heart this season.
Dr. Rose’s practice at NYGH specializes in Cardio Oncology; the care of cancer patients with cardiovascular disease that was already existing or acquired during cancer treatment. It also involves the prevention, early recognition, and mitigation of the effects of cancer therapy on the cardiovascular system.
We caught up with Dr. Rose to learn more about her specialized work and the inspiring children’s story that she often reflects on throughout her work.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
My name is Dr. Randi Rose and I’ve been a Cardiologist for 20 years. I did my residency in New York City, before moving back to Toronto and I’ve been at NYGH ever since. I’m a working mom with three children and I’m also an avid chef! I love to travel with my husband whenever we can.
We hear there’s a special story about a talking panda that you love!
Yes there is! It’s a story from a children’s book that my kids loved. It’s about a boy who finds a Zen panda bear named Stillwater in his backyard. Stillwater tells amazing tales, and the one I keep remembering is the Taoist story of an old farmer who experiences a serendipitous series of events where good luck leads to bad things happening and vice versa.
Just like the farmer, I have come to realize that often good fortune and misfortune can be intertwined. You never really know what will happen next.
How does this relate to the Cardio Oncology Program at NYGH?
In my work as a Cardiologist, I specialize in cardiac care for cancer patients. I counsel patients on how to protect their heart in the setting of a cancer diagnosis. Both patients with pre-existing heart disease, and those who develop heart disease, or cardiotoxity, as a result of their cancer treatment.
A cancer diagnosis is devastating news for any patient, but then to learn that there is an issue with their heart as well understandably leads to even more fear and anxiety. When patients are referred to me, they are scared that the cardiac side effects of their chemotherapy may prevent them from continuing to receive their potentially life-saving cancer treatment. My goal is to make sure these patients can receive the therapy required to cure their cancer without compromising their heart health.
I strive to make sure that the cancer survivors of today (good fortune) do not become the heart patients of tomorrow (misfortune).
How is our Cardio Oncology Program unique?
We are very fortunate at NYGH to have a dedicated Cardio Oncology Clinic within the Graham & Audrey Rosenberg Family Cardiac Care Clinic. This donor-funded space right in our hospital is rare – many other community-based hospitals don’t have this resource, meaning patients have to travel for this level of care. At NYGH, we keep care closer to home.
Our Clinic brings together a team of physicians, nurses, technicians, pharmacists, and nurse practitioners to diagnose and monitor the heart health of our cancer patients as they fight this terrible disease.
What role do donors play in your work?
Donors are unbelievably important at NYGH. Our Clinic, as just one example, helps keep patients in the community and this is really key. Once patients have to travel, it makes for fragmented care – having it all under one roof makes it better for the patients, but to do that, we need space and equipment. Without donors, that’s very difficult to accomplish.
What’s the feeling in the Clinic during the holiday season?
With the holiday season approaching soon, this is a special time of year for many of us and our loved ones. For our patients, it can be a season of renewed gratitude and relief — they are often grateful for their care and relieved that they’ve been given another year with their families.
Our patients would be touched by a loving gift from you this holiday season. By donating and sharing your heart with us, you’re helping to heal theirs. Your donation will support equipment and enhanced care spaces across North York General. To make a gift please click below.
