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Newsroom
Media Release
April 22, 2009
Heart patients improve their long-term prognoses working out alongside top professional athletes
Trillium Health Centre's cardiac wellness and rehabilitation program at the University of Toronto Mississauga's Recreation, Athletics and Wellness Centre improves odds of long-term survival for cardiac patients
This month, Trillium Health Centre’s cardiac wellness and rehabilitation program will welcome its 800th patient participant since partnering with the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) Recreation, Athletics and Wellness Centre in August 2007. The program’s milestone comes on the heels of a Canadian study that reinforces the impact of cardiac rehabilitation after a severe cardiac event.
The study, published in the February issue of the European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation, was conducted by Dr. David Alter, Institute for Clinical Evaluative Studies and Dr. Paul Oh, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, with whom Trillium Health Centre collaborates. The study found that people who participate in cardiac rehabilitation after a major event, such as a heart attack, cut the risk of dying from a subsequent heart event in half.
“Watching our 800th participant walk the track here at the university’s recreation facility is rewarding as we know every person who participates in our program will live longer,” says Michelle Johnson, clinical leader, Trillium Health Centre’s Cardiac Wellness and Rehabilitation Centre. “While Trillium’s automatic cardiac patient referral program means that we have a higher success rate than other programs at a provincial and national level, based on community needs, we know we need to double our available spots.”
The cardiac wellness and rehabilitation program, offered through the Hazel McCallion Centre for Heart Health, is provided in partnership with the University of Toronto Mississauga as part of Trillium’s broad pre- and post-cardiac procedure care program. The UTM’s state-of-the-art athletics facility is also the preferred workout facility for professional sports teams such as the Toronto Argonauts.
Patients who are referred to Trillium’s 18-week cardiac rehabilitation program receive counselling, a diet and exercise program, tailored to their specific heart event and the associated risk factors. The program also includes access to a physician who adjusts medications, a pharmacist who reconciles medications, and a psychiatrist for personal and family counselling.
“Patients attend a weekly class at the facility participating in lectures and group discussion on a variety of topics from reading nutrition labels, exercising in cold weather, heart risk factors, symptom management, to eating outside the home, and coping with stress” added Johnson. “A customized exercise program is created for each patient based on their physical stress test results, orthopaedic issues, and medical background. Pre- and post-program assessments are performed to determine patient progress upon completion of the program.”
“We’re proud of this facility and our role in the community,” says Ken Duncliffe, director, Department of Physical Education, Athletics and Recreation, University of Toronto Mississauga. “On any given day, we may have cardiac rehab patients crossing paths with Argos like Pinball Clemons or Kerry Joseph, students from the university, or even Mayor McCallion, an honourary member of our facility.”
Trillium Health Centre Cardiac Rehabilitation participant Ross Clappison (centre) keeps up the pace with Mayor Hazel McCallion and Toronto Argonauts CEO Michael "Pinball" Clemons while working out at the University of Toronto, Mississauga, as Trillium's Cardiac Rehab program marks its 800th patient this month.
Trillium Health Centre’s Hazel McCallion Centre for Heart Health is the provincially designed regional centre for advanced cardiac care, providing Mississauga, West Toronto and the surrounding region with the best in diagnostics, cardiology, cardiac surgery and rehabilitation. It also conducts half of the minimally-invasive beating heart surgeries in Canada and is one of the few hospitals implanting defibrillators directly into patients’ chests to help maintain their heart rhythms.
In 2008, the Trillium Health Centre Foundation launched the “I Heart Hazel” campaign to raise $15 million for the Hazel McCallion Centre for Heart Health. To date, the Foundation has raised over $12 million. To donate or to get more information, please visit ihearthazel.com or call 905.848.7575.
The $15 million fundraising initiative will help Trillium treat high-risk patients without delay through their cardiac rehabilitation program, expanded catheterization and electrophysiology laboratories, diagnosis of complex heart disease earlier and more accurately with next generation diagnostic equipment and technologies and will benefit cardiac patients here and across Canada by increasing research capacity.
Help Trillium reach its goal – come to Gala 2009 featuring Tom Cochrane on April 24 in support of the Cath Labs at the Hazel McCallion Centre for Heart Health.
To purchase Gala tickets, please call the Foundation today at 905.848.7575 or visit www.trilliumhealthcentre.org/foundation/gala/index.html for more information.
About Trillium Health Centre
Trillium Health Centre is one of Canada’s largest hospitals with regional tertiary programs in advanced cardiac, vascular, stroke, neurosciences, orthopaedic, and sexual assault and domestic violence services. Housing a model ambulatory care centre and the largest free standing day surgery centre in North America, Trillium serves over one million residents in Peel and West Toronto and from other communities across Ontario. With the continued support of the Trillium Health Centre Foundation, the hospital’s fundraising arm, the two-site facility is attracting international attention for its innovative approach to providing safe, high quality health care services and has received numerous national awards for quality and innovation.
For more information, go to www.trilliumhealthcentre.org.
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A high resolution version of the photo is available on request
Media
Contact:
Larry Roberts
media relations consultant
Trillium Health Centre: 905.848.7580 ext. 3832
lroberts@thc.on.ca;
or
Deborah Trouten: 416.485.2412
detrouten@dakota-comm.com