Campus Update: The Niagara Regional Campus remains closed at Brock University to all students and residents. The NRC staff and leadership team are working virtually and are accessible to answer all questions and concerns via email. For a full list of contacts, please click here.

We would like to extend our sincerest thanks to Dr. James Beecroft for taking the lead as our Transition to Clerkship (TTC) Coordinator for the Class of 2022's. His willingness to dive in on short notice was greatly appreciated and the planning and coordinating of Clinical Skills, Transitional Electives and Clerkship Practical Skills were all a huge success.

We would like extend our deepest thanks to Dr. Jennifer Tsang who will be finishing her term at the end of the year as Research Lead for the Niagara Regional Campus. Dr. Tsang's role was pivotal in advancing research knowledge, exposure and opportunities for the program.

We would like to express our gratitude to Dr. Andrea Delrue for her role as Hospital Quality Improvement Lead for the Niagara Regional Campus. Dr. Delrue has held the position since 2017 and has enhanced opportunities for Quality Improvement knowledge and development within Niagara's Hospitals.

It is with pleasure that we announce the new appointment of Dr. Ekta Khemani in the role of Assistant Research Director for the Niagara Regional Campus. In this new role, Dr. Khemani will foster research participation among physicians throughout the Niagara Region with a particular focus on community physicians.

Effective Feb 1., Dr. Shlok Gupta becomes the new Head of Service Medicine at the Welland Site, and Dr. Lucas Ciprietti assumes the role of Head of Service Medicine at the St. Catharines Site.

Increasingly, we know that women are underrepresented in academia and healthcare settings. The 2021 Women's Symposium will be a venue where we can bring together women and their allies to consider how we might close the gap over time.

This will represent the first of these events, which we are hoping will evolve into an ongoing annual conference over time.

All faculty members who identify as women and allies of women within the Faculty of Health Sciences (and beyond) are invited to join us.

Each session will have a mix of external speakers and FHS leaders interested in exploring key topics around how we might increase the number of women in healthcare leadership positions in both academia and clinical work.

To make this program accessible to trainees, we have a special program entitled the "Pay-it-forward" program. We are hoping that faculty members who can afford this event will pay more to offset the cost for the trainee tickets.

For more information or to register, click here

As of January 20, 2021, 75% of the NRC Class of 2023 are engaged in 23 projects that are led by 13 NRC faculty and two NRC residents. Two of the students are working on projects based out of Hamilton, and five Class of 2023 students from Hamilton are engaged in Niagara-based projects.

71% of students from the Class of 2022 are engaged in Niagara-based research and QI projects

54% of students from the graduating Class of 2021's are still involved with Niagara-based research and QI projects

The Niagara Family Medicine, with 20 residents (16 urban, 4 rural) shifted with COVID-19 as family physicians provided much more virtual care, and less in-person care. This brought new learning opportunities as well as challenges.

All of the residents' academic half-days have been conducted by Zoom since March 2020, and in-person learning, such as simulation is offered during months when pandemic restrictions allow, with modifications such as small group size, co-horting of residents, distancing within the room, and appropriate PPE. Like all healthcare workers, residents in many programs feel less engaged and more stressed, and the usual collegial support from fellow residents is reduced. This is a time when our social committee's efforts become very important. Activities such as games nights and gingerbread house construction, the addition of weekly townhall check-ins for all residents with the site-director, and wellness-focused academic days: some for respite, others for group social activities.

It's important that all healthcare workers, students and residents be kind to one other, recognizing that while sometimes feeling stressed and overwhelmed, we're all doing our best to provide our patients with high quality care.

McMaster University, Family Medicine recently released a series of videos highlighting each site. This informative video follows Dr. Lauren Wilson in clinic. Hear from Dr. Karl Stobbe and Dr. Joe Zammit-Maempel about what makes the Niagara Family Medicine Residency program unique.

To view the Rural Family Medicine video, click here.

Also, check out the NRC General Surgery Residency Program on Twitter and Instagram @macgsxnrc

Ronald McGhie Ireland and Michael Yapko

The World Health Organization has declared depression to be one of the world's leading causes of human ill health and disability worldwide. Long-practicing physicians bear a chain made of those who have died during their service, perhaps the heaviest links being those who have died by suicide. Family Physicians correctly identify and diagnose depression less than half the time, so how can we trace a better path for our patients? Read the full article here.

Stephenson Strobel, Ivana Burcul, Jia Hong Dai, Zechen Ma, Shaila Jamani and Rahat Hossain

Data on people experiencing homelessness often come from time-and labour-intensive cross-sectional courts and surveys from selected samples. This study uses comprehensive administrative health data from emergency department (ED) visits to enumerate people experiencing homelessness and characterize demographic and geographic trends in the province of Ontario, Canada from 2010 to 2017. Over seven years, 39,408 individuals were identified as experiencing homelessness. The number of ED visits increased over the study period in all of Ontario. The average peak in the number of visits occurred annually in September, with the fewest visits in January. Rises in overall homelessness were secondary to increases in working-age homelessness. ED presentations were concentrated in urban centres. The total proportion of patients experiencing homelessness became less concentrated in Toronto, decreasing from 60% to 40% over the study period, with a shift toward EDs outside the city.  Click here to read further. 

Iwona A. Bielska, Derek R. Manis, Emily Moore, Kaitlin Lewis (C2022), Gina Agarwal, Shawn Mondoux, Lauren Jewett, David J. Speicher, Rebecca H. Liu, Matthew Leyenaar, Brent McLeod, Suneel Upadhye

The first positive case of COVID-19 in Canada was reported on January 25, 2020, in the city of Toronto, Ontario. Over the following four months, the number of individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in Ontario grew to 28,263 cases. A state of emergency was announced by the Premier of Ontario on March 17, 2020, and the provincial health care system prepared for a predicted surge of COVID-19 patients requiring hospitalization. This paper explores the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on multiple health system sectors (i.e., public health, primary care, long-term care, emergency medical services, and hospitals) in Ontario from January to May 2020. To continue reading, click here.

A Rare Case of Type 1 Neurofibromatosis-Associated Unilateral Gigantomastia: A Case Report and Literature Review 

Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by the formation of benign nerve sheath tumors known as neurofibromas. A 28-year-old female presented with a large neurofibroma extending from the elbow of the right arm into the axilla and across the right breast. This study raises awareness for NF1, describes possible complications that may arise following excision of highly vascularized neurofibromas, and outlines possible techniques for breast reconstruction. To continue reading, click here

Dr. Jennifer Tsang, Research Lead at Niagara Health and Associate Professor of Medicine at McMaster University, is part of the Canadian Network of COVID-19 Clinical Trials Network trials group. The federal Minister of Health recently announced an investment of $6 million to expand existing national and international clinical trials network to coordinate research on tools that prevent, detect, manage, and treat COVID-19. Dr. Tsang is advocating that some of the funding can be allocated to community hospitals, including Niagara Health, to develop research programs. 

To read the full media release, click here

Peer-led program helps homeless patients navigate Niagara health-care system 

A project that began as medical student project at NRC is now receiving provincial recognition and beyond. Dr. Rahat Hossain (C2018) and his team from McMaster University, Brock University and Quest Community Health Centre are helping homeless people navigate the Emergency Department at Niagara Falls General Hospital through the Niagara HELPS Program. Homeless people are paired up with a peer support navigator – these individuals also have experienced homelessness and were addicted to opioids. To read more about this program, click here. 

Vaccination rollout must engage with Indigenous Communities 

Elisa Levi (C2021) published an opinion piece on the legitimate concerns that some Indigenous people have about the government vaccination programs. If the vaccine is rolled out in a community without information that an individual understands, they may reject it, and this could trigger historical trauma based on previous experiences. An equitable approach to vaccination rollout should integrate the values and preferences of these populations in vaccine program planning, and build capacity to ensure convenient access to immunization services. To continue reading, please click here. 

Dr. William Brown (Neurology) wrote a piece for Niagara Now about the vaccines available. The first three vaccines look very promising, but a major challenge is not manufacturing enough of the vaccines but getting the vaccines to those in need as quickly as possible. To continue reading, click here.

The Niagara Independent recently did a profile article on Dr. Janice Giesbrecht, who recently completed her second term as Chief of Oncology at Niagara Health. Dr. Giesbrecht has seen a lot of changes not only how cancer is diagnosed and treated but specifically the size of the cancer care program in Niagara. To continue reading the article, click here.

A network of community doctors is urgently trying to bring "cutting-edge therapy" from clinical trials to Ontario's large community hospitals. Dr. Jennifer Tsang (Critical Care) was recently featured in the HealthyDebate article about her fight to have Niagara Health involved in three COVID-19 trials urgently. "If your site was not part of the trial, your patients were potentially not going to receive cutting edge therapy." Furthermore, Niagara Health invited nurses and doctors to be part of a research advisory committee to ensure study protocols considered nuances of bedside care. A one-page study summary was created for providers, patients and their families. To continue reading, click here.

Dr. Larry Chambers (HEI), Eva Liu and Hanna Levy (C2022) recently wrote an article about how virtual reality (VR) can help older Canadians overcome loneliness and the restrictions of lockdown. As the weather gets colder, some community activities will be cancelled so one option is to use VR to walk through nature trails from the comfort of their home regardless of the weather. Read more about ideas for virtual reality among older Canadians here.

NiagaraThisWeek recently wrote an article about the Flu Clinics organized by REACH, Niagara North Family Health Team and the Welland McMaster Family Health Team which targeted vulnerable people such as those living in shelters, older adults, those with underlying medical conditions, people living in large congregate settings and those living on the street or in encampments for the unhoused. Flu clinics ran at various locations around the Niagara Region with Faculty, Students and Residents volunteering in the clinics. Click here to read the full article.

Dr. Karim Ali (Infectious Disease) was featured in the CHCH news clip on November 3, 2020. Watch the full clip here.

Dr. Larry Chambers (HEI), Eva Liu and Hanna Levy (C2022) wrote an opinion piece for healthydebate about the idea of Canada working towards becoming a model country in terms of creating a “Longevity Economy” by redrawing economic lines, changing the face of the workforce, advancing technology and innovation. Our communities must seize the opportunity to support individuals throughout all stages of their lives by working on an agenda that is decades ahead. To continue reading, click here.