Valentine’s Day is a time to celebrate love, and at Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH),
it’s also a time to celebrate the incredible people who dedicate themselves to mending hearts
every day.
RVH cardiac patients, past and present, are sharing heartfelt notes of appreciation for the
incredible members of Team RVH who made their health journeys comforting through
compassionate and exceptional care.
Patients like Mary Ann who discovered on her birthday last year that she needed an angiogram
which later determined she required heart surgery. Despite the challenges, Mary Ann is back to
living life fully. “Every person I encountered at RVH, from the doctors to the nurses, was truly
top-notch,” Mary Ann shared. “They didn’t just care for my heart—they cared for me as a
person.”
Moments of kindness stood out throughout Mary Ann’s journey, such as a handwritten note from
one of her nurses. “It said she believed in me and wished me well,” Mary Ann recalled. “That
simple gesture meant the world to me. It reminded me how much heart RVH staff put into their
care.”
After completing RVH’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Program, Mary Ann is back to doing what she
loves and has a special Valentine’s Day message for the team who helped her along the way:
“You don’t just heal hearts—you fill them with hope and kindness. Happy Valentine’s Day to the
amazing team who cared for me!”
RVH’s Regional Cardiac Program delivers care to patients across Simcoe Muskoka at every
stage of their cardiac journey. From prevention and treatment to rehabilitation, the program’s
impact is far-reaching. RVH is on track to implant more than 370 pacemakers and has already
performed 2,491 heart catheterization procedures and responded to 278 Code STEMIs (Stelevation
myocardial infarctions) in 2024-25 — delivering critical, life-saving care when every
second counts.
In 2024, 296 participants successfully completed the health centre’s Cardiac Rehabilitation
Program—an impressive 65 per cent completion rate, well above the Ontario average. This
reflects RVH’s unwavering commitment to helping patients rebuild strength and confidence.
With February also being Heart Month, Mary Ann has a message to others: “Take charge of
your health—you’re important, too. Learn about your body, pay attention to its signals, and don’t
hesitate to seek help. It could make all the difference.”