From left: Keri Aitken Toby, Home Hemodialysis Nurse, with Marg and Bob Funston, in the hemodialysis room at the Funston's home. Photo credit: Brightshores Health System.
August 6, 2026
For the first time, patients in the Grey-Bruce area can access home hemodialysis training closer to home. This initiative, developed in coordination between the Regional Renal Program at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) and Brightshores Health System, reduces the need for patients to travel to London for training and expands access to regional, patient-centred care.
The first patient's experience
Bob and Marg Funston are from Southampton, which is about 30 km from Owen Sound.
In 2019, Bob experienced a fall and broke his back. When he went to the hospital, they found an aneurysm, and when repairing the aneurysm, a kidney was unfortunately damaged, and it atrophied. Since then, the other kidney has started to fail and reached a point where Bob felt like he had no energy and, on the advice of his nephrologist, decided to start dialysis.
"The kidney failure came on quite slowly so I had time to adjust and accept the fact that I would have to go on dialysis. Marg and I talked and wanted to go the route of doing treatments at home," Bob explains.
Neither Bob nor Marg knew much about dialysis but knew people who had to go in-centre three times a week and understood that they would have to adapt their lifestyle around treatment.
"We said, 'okay', at everything life has thrown at us. So, for this, knowing Bob needed to go on dialysis, we decided to make the best of it," shares Marg.
Bob had the permacath inserted for dialysis at Victoria Hospital, LHSC in London and had his first series of treatments there. "We would leave at 6:00 a.m. and get home around 6:00 p.m., going back and forth between Southampton and London three times a week. We were thrilled at the possibility of having the dialysis education in Owen Sound, saving us all those trips. It was a bonus that we met Keri in London initially and had a great connection," Bob says.
Bob and Marg say that Keri Aitken Toby, the home hemodialysis nurse that trains patients in home hemodialysis at Brightshores, was a great teacher and made the experience more relaxed.
"I am a teacher by background, and I was impressed with Keri's teaching approach," Marg says. "Bob and I have no medical background, so we had a lot of learning. We had lots of opportunities to practice what we learned and were provided a book with step-by-step directions which we read thoroughly many times. The book is valuable and something we refer to daily."
Bob has been doing hemodialysis at home with help from his wife Marg since the end of May 2026. They are grateful to have had the education provided so close to home.
"It's important to have something like this in rural Ontario since medical care is not as accessible as more populous areas. Keri was a wonderful teacher and we felt supported – and still do – through everything," Marg and Bob share.
How home hemodialysis training was brought to Brightshores
Home hemodialysis (HHD) is an opportunity for eligible patients to have more flexibility and prolong independence. Patients who were eligible for home hemodialysis previously had to visit LHSC to complete their training.
For those who are eligible and choose to proceed with HHD, the training is three times a week for eight to ten weeks.
"It's a big commitment for patients to come down to London that frequently to do the training. And with the task of having to learn so much new information and spending a lot of time in a vehicle, that can be tiring," explains Dr. Andrea Cowan, Medical Director, Home Hemodialysis, LHSC.
Through the collaboration between LHSC and Brightshores, eligible patients are now able to access that training at the Owen Sound Hospital.
“By offering this specialized education locally, we can help patients build the confidence and skills to manage their treatment while reducing the need for travel,” said Colleen Ouwendyk, Brightshores, Director Cancer Centre and Ambulatory Services. “The program provides greater flexibility for patients and their caregivers—supporting access to expert education, ongoing support and specialized care closer to home.”
Keri Aitken Toby, HHD Nurse with Brightshores and a remote member of LHSC's HHD team, helps patients and their caregivers gain the knowledge and confidence needed to safely perform dialysis at home.
Aitken Toby has been a nurse for 27 years with much of her career in dialysis.
"I really enjoy teaching people about dialysis and helping them bring more quality to their life by helping them dialyze at home," says Aitken Toby. "I have also enjoyed my time in renal care because I get to know patients really well seeing them so frequently and get to help them through their kidney care journey."
Aitken Toby grew up in rural Ontario, so she is aware of the unique way of life, which helped with her adaptation to working remotely from the main regional renal centre in London.
She notes that the workflow requires continued collaboration and communication to ensure teams at both sites are on the same page to provide seamless and high-quality care for each patient.
"We're very fortunate to have excellent nursing and health discipline team members in the home hemodialysis program. This strength in the program means that patients have access to great staff support at LHSC and at Brightshores," Dr. Cowan says, "One of the big aims for home hemodialysis support is making sure we are doing as much as we can to bring care to patients instead of bringing patients to their care. This initiative is emblematic of that philosophy by making access to care more equitable and not limited by geography."