NOSM Board Approves New Five-Year Strategic Plan

Official launch of plan in September 2015

Using a combination of web- and tele-conference connectivity across Northern Ontario, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) held a regular meeting of the Board of Directors on Wednesday, March 18, 2015.

At this meeting, the Board approved the NOSM Strategic Plan 2015-2020, the development of which was informed by strong staff, faculty, partner organization, and community participation.  A Strategic Planning Project Team and a 28-member Strategic Planning Advisory Committee (representing diverse perspectives from across the region) oversaw the strategic planning process that included visiting more than 50 Northern, rural, remote, Francophone, and Aboriginal communities across the North to discuss Northern Ontarians’ ongoing health-related needs. The input received provided important guidance to setting the priorities of NOSM’s 2015-2020 Strategic Plan.

NOSM’s Strategic Plan 2015-2020: Reaching Beyond Extraordinary Together will launch officially in September, to coincide with NOSM’s new academic year. The fall will also mark 10 years since NOSM opened its doors.

At the meeting, the Board welcomed Dr. Moira McPherson, Lakehead University’s recently appointed Provost and Vice-President (Academic), to the role of Chair of the Board.

The Board received reports from the Finance, Audit and Risk Management, Executive, and Governance committees. The Board also received reports from the School’s Academic Council, Aboriginal Reference Group, and Francophone Reference Group.

A recently published article titled “The economic contribution of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine to communities participating in distributed medical education” was circulated to the Board for information. The article is available here.

The Board reviewed the Financial Report for the period ending January 31, 2015.

The next meeting of the Board of Directors is the Annual Board Face-to-Face Meeting, this year scheduled for May 7-8, 2015 in Kenora, Ontario.

For a complete list of Board members, please visit our website at www.nosm.ca.

Contact:

news@nosm.ca

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) is seeking three (3) volunteer members to join its Francophone Reference Group (FRG): one (1) Francophone clinical-preceptor from a rural area in Northern Ontario; one (1) Francophone community member from northeastern Ontario; and, one (1) Francophone community member from northwestern Ontario.

The Francophone Reference Group is an integral part of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. It is a multi-disciplinary committee that advises the Dean on all pertinent initiatives relating to Francophone health, research, education, and administration. The FRG provides an important mechanism through which members of Francophone communities in the North are able to have substantive input into the School’s operations and priorities.

As a volunteer with the FRG, the incumbent would serve for a three-year term and would:

• Provide insight, direction, and guidance to the Dean.
• Contribute to NOSM’s unique mandate to be socially accountable to the people and communities that the School serves.
• Ensure that the interests of Francophones continue to be accurately reflected in the direction of the School.
• Monitor and evaluate the implementation of the FRG strategic plan.
• Attend FRG meetings on a quarterly basis.

Interested applicants must submit a cover letter, resume, and one (1) written references for consideration. All applicants must explain why they feel they would be best suited for this position.

Applications, enquiries, and expressions of interest should be forwarded to:

Danielle Barbeau-Rodrigue
Director, Francophone Affairs
Phone: 705-662-7291
Email: dbarbeaurodrigue@nosm.ca

The application deadline is Friday, March 20, 2015.

For information regarding the volunteer position with NOSM’s Francophone Reference Group, please contact:

Danielle Barbeau-Rodrigue
Director, Francophone Affairs
Phone: 705-662-7291
Email: dbarbeaurodrigue@nosm.ca

 

New research aims to prevent severe infections among those suffering from chronic kidney disease

A Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) faculty member is leading a team of researchers to find an optimal strategy to prevent severe pneumococcal infections in First Nations people suffering from chronic kidney disease-research that will be furthered by a $100,086 grant from Pfizer.

Dr. Marina Ulanova, NOSM Professor of Immunology and principal investigator, is heading a team of researchers along with co-investigator Dr. William McCready, NOSM Professor of Internal Medicine and Chief of Staff at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC).

Pneumococcal infection is particularly common in people suffering from severe kidney disease. This type of infection can cause pneumonia, blood poisoning (sepsis) or, less commonly, meningitis. “To prevent these serious conditions, everyone with severe kidney disease should be immunized against pneumococcal infection. However, even after vaccination, some people remain vulnerable,” says Dr. Marina Ulanova. “The current vaccine, Pneumovax®, is very efficient in building protective immunity in individuals with a normal immune system, but not in those with weakened immune systems, such as people with severe kidney disease.”

“This serious condition develops most commonly as a result of diabetes. In individuals with diabetes, kidney function declines gradually over time resulting in kidney disease,” explains Ulanova. “People suffering from severe kidney disease have to be on hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis therapy and eventually need to receive a kidney transplant. Kidney disease weakens the immune systems of these patients, causing them to be vulnerable to infections.”

A new, more effective vaccine called Prevnar13® has recently become available. This vaccine is already included among the routine vaccinations young children receive starting at two months of age. This vaccine is also used to immunize adults with HIV infection and people who have received a bone marrow transplant. The Public Health Agency of Canada has recently approved the use of Prevnar13® for the vaccination of adults suffering from chronic kidney disease, but specific recommendations have not yet been developed.

To help determine the optimal vaccination strategy, Ulanova’s team of researchers have recently initiated a clinical trial of this vaccine in patients with severe chronic kidney disease attending the Renal Services at TBRHSC.

Their objective is to develop the optimal protocol for prevention of pneumococcal infection in this vulnerable patient population. As almost 50% of the patient population at TBRHSC’s renal services are First Nations people, the research team is paying special attention to the effectiveness of this vaccine in people of Aboriginal background.

Research conducted in populations of Aboriginal Peoples outside of Northern Ontario, such as Navajo and Alaska Natives, found pneumococcal infection rates three to five times higher compared to the general population in the United States. Importantly, in Navajo people, chronic kidney disease was identified as an important risk factor for pneumococcal infection. While the specific reasons for increased rates of pneumococcal infection among North American Aboriginal Peoples are uncertain, the vaccination strategy must take into account the needs of Aboriginal Peoples.

During the clinical trial, while monitoring the immune response of individual participants to Prevnar13®, Ulanova’s research team will be looking at patients’ ethnic backgrounds. “It is possible the immunization protocol may have to be adjusted to ensure everyone receives adequate protection. We are confident that our research will result in an optimal strategy to prevent severe infections in First Nations people suffering from chronic kidney disease,” says Ulanova.