On Sunday, March 2, the Bernard Betel Centre was pleased to offer its first ever Dermatology Clinic to members free of charge. Dermatologist Dr. Kendall Billick, from Toronto Western Hospital, graciously offered his time on a Sunday afternoon seeing 22 patients.
Access to a dermatologist is extremely important for older adults. There are certain skin-related issues that are more likely to occur in older adults, and without prompt diagnosis and treatment can be painful and very disruptive to daily living These include dry skin, shingles, dermatitis, and even skin cancer. Skin cancer is one of primary reason that individuals visit a dermatologist. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, the number of people getting skin cancer has increased in Canada in a constant rate over the past 30 years, with one in 73 Canadian women and one in 59 Canadian men developing the disease. According to the Canadian Skin Cancer Foundation, over 80,000 cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in Canada each year, more than 5,000 of these are melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.
On March 2, Dr. Billick, was able to diagnose 14 skin cancers, with over half needing immediate attention. This shows how critical and life-saving access to dermatology care is. We are grateful for Dr. Billick, and he is pleased to be able to provide additional Dermatology Clinics to Bernard Betel Centre members on May 5 and July 14. For more information about our Dermatology Clinic, visit https://betelcentre.org/clinics. If you would like to book an appointment, please contact Charm at 416-225-2112, ext. 105 or charmj@betelcentre.org.
