Execut i ve Di r ect or Joi ns t he Gat eway Team

THE OPEN GATE

Volume 2, Issue 3
New month, NEW location, new opportunities.
On July 1
st
we received our new space within
the Huron East Health Centre at 32B Centennial
Drive in Seaforth. This will allow Gateway Rural
Health Research Institute administration,
researchers, as well as Gateway Clinical Health
Services clinic representatives to all come
together and collaborate in one place.
Gateway Clinical Health Services offers
consultations and health coaching to help you reach
your health goals. Whether you are seeking medication
advice, would like support in managing a chronic
condition or have general questions regarding your
health concerns, Gateway Clinical Health Services is
here to help you. We are now located within the Huron
East Health Centre at 32B Centennial Drive in Seaforth.
Please contact us today at 519-600-5195 or
gatewaychs@gmail.com to learn more or set up an
appointment with our clinical pharmacist and supervised
pharmacists-in-training.
Gat eway Of f i ces
Relocat e
Soup er Sat ur d ay Rai ses over $5000 f or Local Food Bank
On April 6
th
, Gateway representatives joined 27
other contestants to take part in the fun annual Souper
Saturday fundraising event for the Seaforth and District
Food Bank. Chefs from Huron County and surrounding
area prepared a range of
tasty soups to sample. Our
Administrative Assistant,
Jean CrawfordMcVittie mixed
together a delicious, Classic
Chicken Noodle Soup. There
were many other unique
soups including a Sweet
Potato and Lime Soup,
Rutabaga and Maple as well
as a Jamaican Jump-Up
Soup. A pie and cake auction
also contributed to the
charity. A successful, grand total of over $5000 was
raised throughout the day with the help of community
support, talented soup-makers and hard-working
volunteers.
32B Centennial Dr. Seaforth, ON
www.gatewayresearch.ca
Gateway would like to
w e l c o m e o u r n e w
Executive Director, Sheila
Schuehlein. Sheila has many
novel ideas and projects
envisioned for Gateways
future success. She has a
passion for helping others,
which will help contribute to
Gat eway s mi ssi on of
improving the health and
quality of life of rural residents through research,
education and communication. Sheila recently
expressed, I am very excited to be joining the team
and to have the opportunity to help advance Gateways
innovative and important vision for rural health!
Sheila is a McMaster University graduate who
received distinction in the field of Gerontology. She has
been the National Senior Wellness Project Manager
with VON, Canadas largest, not-for-profit, charitable
home and community care organization. She has also
been involved in leading fitness classes and
developing health promotion programs for many years.
Sheila has contagious energy and a smile that
brightens every room she enters. We are looking
forward to future endeavors with Sheila.
Gat eway Cli ni cal Healt h Ser vi ces
Gateway Rural Health Research Institute was
delighted to accept the invitation from Ben Lobb, MP of
Huron Perth to travel to the House of Commons, in
Ottawa for a presentation on the use of technology in
chronic diseases across Canada. On April 30
th
Dr.
Chang, Chair of Rural Pharmacy and Dr. Milne, Chair of
Rural Medicine gave a well thought out and convincing
presentation. Everyone left the meeting with a very
good feeling. Dan Stringer, Vice Chair/Treasurer stated,
Dr. Chang was able to present the information factually
and strongly. While Dr. Milne, as he always does,
stepped up to the plate to get everyones attention, get
them smiling and really took the presentation away.
Dr. Chang explained that
Gateway RHRI i s the f i rst
community-driven centre for rural
health research based in Canada.
Dr. Chang presented strong
statistics such as, About 19-32% of
Canadians live in rural areas and
the reason why we have an interest
in chronic disease prevention
management is because the
burden of these diseases such as hypertension, obesity
and chronic lung disease is disproportionately higher in
rural communities. With numerous examples of how
technology is currently being used throughout research
projects at Gateway she concluded, Technology is a
method of support for implementing better measures for
prevention, as well as management.
Dr. Milnes passion for rural health and research was
evident as he discussed three key issues with the
council. He started off by busting the myth that
intelligence is inversely related to the distance you are
from an academic centre and stated, We have really,
really smart people in the rural areas and really, really
smart physicians in the rural areas as well. Rural
centres can be academic centres of excellence and
provide great care. He certainly wowed the audience
when discussing the health innovations taking place at
Gateway RHRI. The common issue in doctor-patient
communication and the language being used in medical
settings was also described. Simply put, health literacy
equals health outcome. This means the more literate
you are or how much is being understood from what
health professionals are saying, the better your health
is, especially in chronic disease management. Dr. Milne
is helping enhance health literacy through the
production of an app for hand-held technology devices.
Lastly, he described how social media can be beneficial,
especially for rural health professionals. He discussed a
program that is currently being created called Just Out
of the Gate (JOG) and stated, We are going to start
pod casting what works and the evidence we find from
the rural physicians and rural researchers, to treat rural
patients, to keep them out of rural hospitals.
All in all, April 30
th
was a very successful day in
Canadas beautiful capital city. Gwen Devereaux,
President of Gateway RHRI and Dan Stringer, Vice
Chair/Treasurer proudly
acknowledged, We do
count, despite how we feel
sometimes. It was obvious
they sensed that we
werent just some kind of
amorphous group or
association, that we are in
fact, feet on the ground,
hands on people that are
actually doing and that
came t hrough very
strongly.
Gat eway Vent ur es t o t he Cap i t al Ci t y of Canad a
Dr. Ken Milne with
his son Ethan
Dr. Feng Chang
Excitement is in
the air as Gateway
RHRI has signed a
letter of intent to
col l aborat e wi t h
Western Universitys
Schulich School of
Me d i c i n e a n d
Dent i s t r y. The
partnership that was
confirmed on May
16
th
, 2013 will bring more opportunities for research,
educational opportunities and fundraising.
Dr. Margaret Steele, the Vice Dean of Hospital and
Interfaculty Relations at Western as well as a Child and
Adolescent Psychiatrist, expressed she was very
excited to sign the letter of intent as it will better
enhance the relationship the University already has with
the rural healthcare community. She stated, Were
hoping this will increase the training opportunities for a
greater number and array of students. Hopefully in the
future more students can participate in rural healthcare
research, medical students as well as occupational
therapy, physiotherapy and dental students. Since
meeting with the Gateway board members a year ago,
Steele was impressed with how Gateway has
progressed. Gateway President, Gwen Devereaux
agreed that Gateway has made remarkable progress
over the past year. Gwen is passionate about what
Gateway is doing; We have and are going to continue
to do work that directly makes our citizens healthier.
Let t er of Int ent wi t h Schul i ch School of Med i ci ne & Dent i st r y
Dr. Milne, Chair of Rural Medicine was eager to participate in the Rural Doctors
Workforce Agency (RDWA) conference. He was unable to make the trip across the world,
but put together an intriguing virtual keynote presentation that was shown in Adelaide,
Australia on May 28
th
, 2013. Ken is passionate about rural medicine and is also a social
media advocate, two of the very subjects he covered in the presentation. Turn on your
computer and you can learn more about what social media is, how social media can help
with the knowledge translation problem to ensure the best treatment for patients, along with
an exciting announcement regarding one of Dr. Milnes new projects. You wont regret
checking out the virtual keynote presentation on YouTube at http://youtu.be/MvVr2wEHiKg .
Dr. Ken Mi l ne send s vi r t ual keynot e t o Aust r al i a
Students from Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry at Western
University presented their research at the Society of Rural Physicians of
Canadas (SRPC) Rural and Remote Medicine Course in Victoria, British
Columbia. Dr. Milne, who is Gateways Rural Chair of Medicine but also an
emergency medicine preceptor among other things, stated, SRPC was a
huge success. Our projects were very well received and the Gateway info
poster was placed right in front of the main lecture hall for more than 700 people to check out.
The students had an opportunity to present their research to several health
professionals from across Canada, who also share the passion for rural medicine.
Sarah Donaldson, a second year student at Schulich School of Medicine and
Dentistry received an award for the second best research
project at the meeting. Her project focused on attitudes toward
complementary and alternative medicines.
Another thing that received a lot of attention was Dr. Milnes
Just Out of the Gate idea for knowledge translation
dissemination for rural physicians. He mentioned There are
other big doctors from Alberta and BC that would like to assist
on this project and a medical student, Jimmy Yan will be working this summer on
getting the JOG project off the ground.
The Southwestern Ontario Medical Education Network (SWOMEN) is a proud
supporter for the research activities and conference. Dr. Milne
was happy with Schulich Medicine and Dentistrys representation and concluded,
SWOMEN has fostered a culture of rural research excellence. The result was purple and proud Western students
dominating the SRPC poster presentations.
Thank you Dr. Milne for helping Gateway Rural Health Research Institute receive more and more recognition!
St ud ent s wi t h Dr. Mi l ne at Schul i ch School of
Med i ci ne & Dent i st r y p r esent r esear ch i n Vi ct or i a, BC
Dr. Ken Milne
What does Dr. Ken Milne mean to you?
To us, at Gateway RHRI, Dr. Ken Milne is Dynamic, Rural, Kind, Energetic, Newsworthy, Medical,
Innovative, Leader, Nurturing, and an Educator.

We have just described Dr. Milne in ten words as he is a 10 to us. We are so appreciative of his
dedication to rural research and his passion for everything he continues to do.
On May 22, 2013 Dr. Milne was presented the 2013 Schulich Award for Excellence
in Medical Education for Adjunct Faculty during Schulich Medicine and Dentistrys
Celebration of Excellence event. According to Michael Strong, Dean of Schulich
School of Medicine and Dentistry, This award recognizes an outstanding adjunct
faculty educator who has displayed exceptional interest and enthusiasm for the
learning needs of students. It is in recognition of the tremendous amount of time and
energy you devote to making Western University a stimulating and rewarding place to
learn. The winners were chosen by the Schulich Awards Committee from nominations
put forward by students and residents. Congratulations Dr. Milne!
2013 Schuli ch Award f or Excellence
i n Medi cal Educat i on f or Adj unct Facult y
Everyone was affected by the recent Boston tragedy, especially our
Rural Chair of Medicine, Dr. Ken Milne. Dr. Milne came within 480 meters
of the finish line on April 15, 2013 at the Boston Marathon. He shared the
experience with his best friend, Rick along with a group of runners from
London, Ontario. In Dr. Milnes blog The Boston Marathon: Broken
Hearts, Unbroken Spirit he explained, I was in the third wave of the last
group of charity runners, surrounded by people not driven by the clock but
motivated by caring, running for the memory of those lost to illness or
trying to cure or prevent illness.
Dr. Milne transformed into Captain Kilometre at Mile 23 but was
stopped by police at a barricade within 480 meters of the finish line. Dr.
Milne stated, It was not chaos. The first responders were amazing. The
paramedics, police and firefighters all ran toward the danger. They did
what they were trained to do: put the lives of others before their own. The
same courage was shown by the Boston Athletic Association volunteers
and spectators who put themselves at risk to help strangers in need.
We are very proud of Dr. Milne, or should we say Captain Kilometre
for his accomplishment and are happy to have him back safe. Dr. Milne
reflected, Our hearts may be breaking over the loss of life and those who
survived with physical and mental injuries. The spirit of the many,
however, will not be broken by the horrible acts of a few.
Capt ai n Ki lomet r e r uns i n t he Bost on Mar at hon
Congratulations to Dr. Ken Milne for receiving the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (CAEP)
Teacher of the Year Award. The award is given in recognition of being actively involved in teaching residents.
Jennifer Lafreniere, Manager of Member Services stated, The award highlights your outstanding contribution to
teaching and development of Emergency Medicine (EM) education in Canada within the last year. Because of your
teaching ethic, your obvious dedication to your students and residents, and your social media initiative to deliver
educational information, you have more than proven yourself worthy of this prestigious accolade. Ken was
recognized for his achievements on June 4
th
, 2013 at the CAEP 2013 conference in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Ken noted, Thank you to Gateway for being supportive of all the research initiatives, financial support for students
and general encouragement to pursue what I love teaching!
Wi nner of t he 2013 CAEP Teacher of t he Year Awar d
Gateway Rural Health Research Institute
delegates, local individuals and politicians travelled to
Barrie, Ontario to tour the state-of-the-art Sadlon
Centre for Health & Wellness at Georgian College
campus. Gateway RHRI learned more about what
post-secondary programs are offered at Georgian
College and what they would like to innovate.
Gateway RHRI President, Gwen Devereaux
explained, We are already doing a lot of courses.
This relationship has developed over the past 6 years
with HealthKick and now we want to kick it up a notch
so that we are able to bring more programs to the
area. An occupational therapy assistant program and
a physiotherapy assistant program are the future
proposals, which have been recognized as two of the
top 18 jobs needed in the region of Huron, Perth,
Bruce and Grey. Dan Stringer, Vice Chair/Treasurer
of Gateway RHRI, confidently stated, They have 7
campuses now and I would like to see Huron County
be the 8
th
campus. 80% of the students that leave
home to go to another community to get their
education never come back. I think this is something
everybody, especially in a rural community like this,
where population is slowly declining would like to see
turn around. Many ideas were exchanged and
possibilities were thoroughly discussed.
Huron East Mayor, Bernie MacLellan and Goderich
Mayor, Deb Shewfelt also joined in on the campus
tour thinking about the possibility of skilled trade
courses being offered locally as well. The Georgian
College campus tour is a step in the right direction
for getting more beneficial courses to Huron
County.
Success at Geor gi an College
Gat eway and Healt hKi ck
Cont i nue t o Pr ovi de Gr eat
Oppor t unit i es t o St udent s
Karly Bryson is an undergraduate student obtaining
her Bachelors in Rehabilitation Health Sciences at
Western University. This summer, Karly will be
working at Gateway Rural Health Research Institute
as a Research Assistant with Dr. Feng Chang, Chair
of Rural Pharmacy. She will also be assisting with a
variety of marketing and fundraising initiatives. The
local resident from Exeter has been provided this
opportunity through Gateways partnership with
HealthKick Huron, whose aim is to expose local
students to various rural healthcare sectors. Karly
expressed, I am looking forward to working with
numerous healthcare professionals and gaining
valuable hands on experience in the healthcare field
throughout the summer.
Gateway Rural Heal th
Research Institute, working in
partnership with University of
Waterloo School of Pharmacy
would like to send out a
congrat ul at i ons t o rural
Pharmacist, Cathy Puffer for her
accomplishment in completing
the ADAPT program. ADAPT is a continuing education
course offered by the Canadian Pharmacists Association
(CPhA). CPhA states, ADAPT can help transform your
ability to manage your patients medication therapy. It is
an innovative, certificate-level, skills developmental
program. It is a great opportunity for professional
development and a way to enhance patient care skills.
Cathy has been provided this experience with assistance
from the Gateway 2012 Pharmacists Continuing
Education (ADAPT) Award. The award is generously
supported by the Canadian Society of Hospital
Pharmacists (CSHP), Ontario Branch Pharmaceutical
Care Grant.
Cathy Puffer is an independent pharmacy owner and
manager at Remedys Rx on Kent in the small
community of Lindsay, Ontario. Cathy is enthusiastic
about practicing in the rural area, expressing, I really
enjoy the time you can spend with patients in
independent pharmacy and I value the relationships you
can develop when you are able to see the same patients
again and again. I think this is really important. She has
participated in numerous different continuing education
courses since graduating in 1987 but is a passionate
advocate for the ADAPT program. When asked about
the experience in the program, Cathy explains, It was
an amazing experience; challenging yet enjoyable. The
program was very impactful. It has helped improve my
confidence and enhance my ability to professionally
communicate. She was pleased that the ADAPT
program was online and that there was a lot of
interactive learning with other engaging pharmacists.
She had difficulty narrowing down the single best take-
away from the program, she overall felt, Excellent skills,
resources and practices gained through the program can
be used everyday.
Congr at ulat i ons Cat hy Puf f er
Rural Pharmacists, you do not want to
miss out on this exciting opportunity!
Gateway Rural Health Research Institute encourages
you to apply for the Gateway 2013 Pharmacists
Continuing Education (ADAPT) Award. The award aims
to cover a portion of the ADAPT program tuition costs. It
i s qui ck and si mpl e t o appl y, go
to https://uwaterloopharm.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_
40BdOFnNvXHv51H by August 9, 2013. If you have
any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact
us at gatewaychs@gmail.com or 519-600-5195.
Ont ar i o Agr i cult ur al College Collabor at i on
Gateway Rural Health Research Institute is looking
forward to a new collaboration with the Ontario
Agricultural College (OAC), a founding college of the
University of Guelph. Various recent and relevant
projects regarding rural health concerns, agriculture
and sustainable rural communities were discussed
amongst representatives from both parties. This
partnership will help advance rural health care with
more in depth research and education throughout the
community.
Dr. Wayne Caldwell
and Dr. Robert
Gordon discussed
the numerous
components of
healthy rural
communities
throughout their
presentation.
Gat eway li ght i ng i t up f or Seasonal Af f ect i ve Di sorder
Gateway has been busy collaborating for a New
Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP) grant application.
Although we will not hear back until March 2014, we are
hopeful that we will have the opportunity to follow
through with our Retiring Well: Considering the Costs
of Good Health project idea in the future. The Retiring
Well project is aimed at helping older adults in rural
Southwestern Ontario (Huron, Perth, Grey, Bruce
Counties) better prepare for health-related financial
costs later in life. We will aim to develop an educational
program with a multi-media toolkit to increase
awareness of health-related financial costs in aging,
and enhance the capacity of older adults to self-
manage such costs post retirement. If we were to
receive this funding the program will be developed in
collaboration with the University of Waterloo and
provided through the Gateway Rural Health Research
Institute. Specific content will be developed based on
preliminary data collected from our previous research
involving surrounding rural communities. The program
would be offered to the communities as public
education seminars. Seniors from the communities will
help plan, develop, and present at these seminars.
Seniors will have the opportunity to mentor those
preparing for retirement by sharing their past
experiences; good and bad, as well as facilitate group
discussions. It is our hope that this program will assist
individuals with essential decision making to ensure
they consider the cost of good health in their retirement
planning.
Gateway also partnered with Huron Business
Development Corporation in another NHSP grant
application to submit for a Seniors Medical Mentorship
Program. The idea for this project is to pair 15 students
in the medical field with active adults 65 and older who
are residing in Huron County. This program will provide
an opportunity for future health care providers to learn
more about communicating with older adults, to interact
with seniors on a social level and to dispel stereotypes
about aging. Mentors would have the opportunity to
positively influence the ability of these future providers
to care for seniors in a sensitive and compassionate
way. The goal is to fill a gap in the education of future
clinicians by providing an invaluable and unique
gerontological opportunity. Both partners in the
mentoring relationship would benefit. Learning is a
lifelong process and one of the most effective ways to
learn is to assist in the development of others.
We are excited about the possibilities of developing
these two innovative senior programs. Look for an
update in the next Open Gate Newsletter.
Good-bye winter blues? Seasonal Affective Disorder
(SAD) affects two to three percent of Canadians. Dr.
Craig Hudson, Gateways Chair of Mental Health has
performing a study on light therapy for SAD this past
winter, in Seaforth. The study idea originally began
when Hudson received a call from a Toronto
entrepreneur, Sean Miller. He developed a visor with
three small LED lights that shine on the wearers face to
treat SAD. Hudson says he became genuinely curious
about whether the Yumalite gadget would work.
Gateway bought the Yumalite visors and distributed
them to study participants. Hudson believes, If it
works, they will be able to keep the visors and have a
permanent solution to their problems. The study has
been completed and they are now in the process of
analyzing the outcome.
Pot ent i al Seni or s Pr ogr ams - on t he New Hor i zon