Students of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) will soon be living and learning in the community of Kapuskasing. In September of this year, Kapuskasing will welcome four third-year medical students who will begin their Comprehensive Community Clerkship at Sensenbrenner Hospital. An affiliation agreement between NOSM and Sensenbrenner will be signed, solidifying a partnership between the two institutions and allowing NOSM students to gain valuable hands-on practical experience in the community.

”Sensenbrenner Hospital is proud to be a part of a true community-based medical school,” said Mr. Al Yarush, Sensenbrenner Hospital’s CEO. “Integrating students in communities such as Kapuskasing is key to the development of physicians who understand and appreciate medical practice in Northern communities,” he continued.

Under the leadership of Lead Physician and Site Liaison Clinician, Dr. Christopher Meilleur, the professional staff of Sensenbrenner Hospital will provide comprehensive, patient-centred training, allowing the students to observe, learn and participate in the care of patients in a Northern environment. During their eight months in Kapuskasing, students will be taught by local physicians and other health-care providers who are NOSM faculty members.

In preparation for the students’ arrival, a Kapuskasing Local NOSM Group comprised of local physicians and other community members will be developed. The group will act as an important link between the town and the students, facilitating a smooth integration into the community through orientation, relevant information and introductions to other community members.

Dr. Roger Strasser, NOSM Founding Dean, says the people and communities of the North are integral to the success of the Comprehensive Community Clerkships. “The Northern Ontario School of Medicine is committed to building partnerships with the communities and health organizations of Northern Ontario. Sensenbrenner Hospital, local physicians, other health-care providers, and community members are welcomed partners,” he said.

With the addition of Kapuskasing, eleven communities throughout Northern Ontario will host medical students in September 2008. All 56 students in their third year will participate in the Comprehensive Community Clerkships.

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) is pleased to announce the arrival of Ken Adams to the post of Associate Dean, Administration.

In this position, Mr. Adams will be responsible for all aspects of planning and promoting the ongoing development and implementation of administrative processes and resources that meet the needs of learners, faculty and staff members, while collaborating with the School’s many stakeholders. The Associate Dean, Administration also ensures the efficient and effective management of the resources and systems essential to the successful administration of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine.

“Adams will play an integral role in Northern Ontario School of Medicine,” says NOSM Founding Dean, Dr. Roger Strasser.

Adams has over 23 years of leadership experience, gained as a member of senior management teams in the heath care sector in Ontario, Saskatchewan and Alberta.

Before joining NOSM, Adams was the VP Finance and Corporate Services for Sun Country Regional Health Authority (SCRHA) in Saskatchewan, Regional Director (acting) and Program Manager with the North Region Branch, Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care and also held senior positions with the Heath District in Southeast Saskatchewan and three acute-care hospitals in Ontario and Alberta.

Mr. Adams’ holds a Masters of Health Services Administration, Graduate Diploma in Business Administration, Honours Bachelor of Physical and Health Education Degree, including Certified Health Executive and Certified Management Accountant designations.

Earlier today, seven Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) medical students received research awards valued at $6,000 each from the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario (HSFO). An additional eight NOSM medical students received NOSM Founding Dean’s Summer Medical Student Research Awards also valued at $6,000 each.

This is the third year for the HSFO Summer Medical Student Awards for NOSM. The program is a five-year commitment valued at nearly a quarter of a million dollars. Student research projects supported by the HSFO provide Northern medical students with the opportunity to gain cardiovascular research training while working with an established researcher at NOSM. The projects are carried out all across Northern Ontario. Similarly, the Founding Dean’s awards provide NOSM medical students with an opportunity to conduct hands-on research in a variety of disciplines.

“The Heart and Stroke Foundation, in partnership with the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, is beginning to make significant inroads in life-saving heart disease and stroke research for the people of Northern Ontario,” says Dr. Marco Di Buono, Director, Research, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario. “We are building research capacity in the North by keeping bright, young minds in the region. This will help us to meet our Mission of eliminating heart disease and stroke and reducing their impact for future generations of Northern Ontarians. It is only through effective partnerships like this, made possible in part through the support of TD Bank Financial Group, that we will meet the needs of the entire population of Ontario.”

This year’s student projects, supported by the HSFO, cover a full range of research studies including:

• Diabetic care and prevention in Aboriginal communities
• Atherosclerosis and hypertension
• Risk factors of pre-stroke and the disability of patients after stroke in Northern Ontario
• Prevention and awareness of childhood obesity in North Bay
• Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario Aboriginal Hypertension Management Program
• Inter-professional collaboration between different professional bodies as it relates to CVD treatment
• Role of specific proteins involved in the regulation of vital cardiac functions

The 2008 recipients of the HSFO Summer Medical Student Awards for NOSM are:

• Kashif Ahmed
• Olubukunola Ayeni
• Elizabeth Cooper
• Meghan Garnett
• Penny Forth
• Marlon Hagerty
• David Harris

The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario gratefully acknowledges the generous support of TD Bank Financial Group as a supporter of the HSFO Summer Medical Student Awards for the Northern Ontario School of Medicine.

Immediately following the HSFO presentation, eight NOSM medical students were awarded NOSM Founding Dean Summer Medical Student Research Awards valued at $6,000 each.

Dr. Greg Ross, NOSM’s Associate Dean of Research, expressed enthusiasm regarding the value of the opportunities provided by the Founding Dean Summer Medical Student Research Award. “Our students are very excited to begin working on their projects this summer, and I look forward to working with a number of them,” said Dr. Greg Ross. “The Founding Dean Summer Medical Student Research Awards allow our students to remain in the North for the summer, and gain valuable research experience.”

This year’s student projects, supported by the Founding Dean Summer Medical Student Research Awards, include the following topics:

• Functional analysis of externalized behaviour in children with fetal alcohol syndrome
• History of disabled children’s health in Northern Ontario
• History of medical ethics and military medicine
• Aboriginal cancer research consultation
• Patient satisfaction in clinics that employ a shared-care approach to mental health
• Retrospective study of mentally ill persons in standoff with police
• Accuracy of screening for developmental disabilities in primary care settings
• Post-operative outcomes of hip fracture hemiarthroplasty in a community hospital versus a tertiary care institution

The 2008 recipients of the Founding Dean Summer Medical Student Research Awards are:

• Safiya Adam
• Bruce Cook
• Kendra Cote
• Brandon Entwistle
• Stacey Erven
• Jennifer McPhail
• Carolyn Stark
• Lynn Noel de Tilly

NOSM Founding Dean Dr. Roger Strasser noted that the School is fortunate to have the opportunity to partner with the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario. “Research Awards provide medical students, our future physicians, with valuable experience in the field of research. I am very excited that fifteen awards, totaling $90,000, have been presented to the School’s medical students today. I would like to congratulate the students on their awards, and wish them success with their research projects,” said Dr. Strasser.

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine is a pioneering faculty of medicine. The School is a joint initiative of Lakehead and Laurentian Universities, with main campuses in Thunder Bay and Sudbury, and multiple teaching and research sites across Northern Ontario. By educating skilled physicians and undertaking health research suited to community needs, the School will become a cornerstone of community health care in Northern Ontario.

The Heart and Stroke Foundation, a volunteer-based health charity, leads in eliminating heart disease and stroke and reducing their impact through the advancement of research and its application, the promotion of healthy living, and advocacy.

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine is a pioneering faculty of medicine. The School is a joint initiative of Lakehead and Laurentian Universities, with main campuses in Thunder Bay and Sudbury, and multiple teaching and research sites across Northern Ontario. By educating skilled physicians and undertaking health research suited to community needs, the School will become a cornerstone of community health care in Northern Ontario.

The Heart and Stroke Foundation, a volunteer-based health charity, leads in eliminating heart disease and stroke and reducing their impact through the advancement of research and its application, the promotion of healthy living, and advocacy.