Ron Joyce Children’s Health Centre hosts Canada’s largest Orthotics and Prosthetics lab

August 14, 2024

The Prosthetic and Orthotics Program at Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) is home to one of the largest facilities of its kind in Canada and strives to offer an exceptional experience for those who need their services – pediatric and adult patients alike. The program is part of the regional rehabilitation program at HHS. 

Brad Haardeng, Clinical Manager, has built his career within the program, joining as a summer student in 1999 and taking on various roles over 25 years as the department has grown significantly. He witnessed the transition in 2015 from a basement space at the Chedoke Hospital site to the current modern lab located on its own floor of the Ron Joyce Children’s Health Centre.

“It’s really impressive to see,” Brad says, describing its high ceilings, wide hallways, and many windows that fill the space with natural light—ideal for a welcoming atmosphere, effective observation, evaluation, and colour-matching for patient devices. “We have playgrounds where children can test for their prosthetic and orthotic devices, as sliding on a slide or climbing a rock wall is much different than walking around in a clinical space.

“Access to specialized spaces to test devices provides real-time feedback for us and the chance to reduce follow-up adjustments.” 

The lab provides services from children and youth to adult patients, taking care to amplify their voices and prioritize their needs from the initial inquiries and scheduling through their entire care journeys. With prosthetic and orthotic services, a patient plan is developed considering individual goals, needs, use, lifestyle, etc.

The transition into the Ron Joyce Children’s Centre building was instrumental to enhance client experiences through a more collaborative model of care—from client referrals and scheduling, to integrated care plans that provide the best care.

“It's not just about sitting in a room receiving treatment. It's about your experience and your involvement in your own care,” Brad says. “Having effective sightlines and clear spaces where patients can test their devices with confidence is really important for achieving positive outcomes.” 

Now one of the largest prosthetics and orthotics labs in the country, its intentional design offers improved clinical treatment space and a one-of-a-kind manufacturing lab. For example, staff use mobile computer stations to better engage patients during interviews, sharing information and education materials, data access and documentation, and more – always ensuring face-to-face communication and active engagement with patients.

The space within Ron Joyce Children’s Centre also allows the lab to fit, design and manufacture prosthetics and orthotics on-site. The lab’s Certified Clinicians and Registered Technicians are highly creative and innovative in their approaches; engaging clients in the design process, working closely with experts from various disciplines, and using advanced software that enhance devices for more natural movement and intuitive controls.

A young hockey player kept breaking his hockey stick attachments on the ice, so the team collaborated on a prosthetic solution for a product that can better keep up with the aggressive sport. They observed how he used the attachments, identified weak points in the current design and, with a biomedical engineer, manufactured unique attachments that could be easily adjusted to best suit the player’s style. 

“Incorporating these innovations requires patients who are willing to try something different, and a team that is engaged and aware of what those new innovations are,” says Brad. “There is a real human factor to this work. It takes patience, curiosity and a drive to do things differently, to do things better.”

The lab continues to push boundaries in client-focused care, from the first assessment through the entire treatment process, and often builds life-long connections with patients and their families.

Learn more about the Prosthetics and Orthotics Program, the state-of-the-art facility and its services.