Over 215 health-care professionals from across the North are participating in the Northern Ontario School of Medicine’s (NOSM) third annual Northern Constellations 2014 Faculty Development Conference on April 4-5, 2014.

This weekend, NOSM faculty members will rotate through a series of four interactive workshops with a wide range of topics covering their roles and responsibilities in the areas of teaching and preceptoring; research and scholarly activities; and, educational leadership. Over 30 workshop options will provide each participant with an opportunity to attend a combination of educational sessions addressing their own personal learning eeds. Faculty development events, such as this, allow NOSM faculty from across the North to build relationships, collaborate on projects, and discuss future opportunities for those who are committed to the education of high quality physicians and health professionals in Northern Ontario.

“Over the past three years, Northern Constellations has continued to grow and increase its impact on the further development of NOSM faculty, educational staff, and learners,” said Dr. James Goertzen, NOSM’s Medical Director, Faculty Development. “The diverse program this year is the result of the commitment and expertise of the conference presenters along with their passion for educational excellence.”

Outstanding Faculty Members Recognized

NOSM faculty members are making outstanding contributions to research, patient care, and medical education. The Faculty Peer Awards of Excellence were developed to recognize the contributions of the School’s faculty in providing Innovative education and research for a healthier North .

Five faculty members will be recognized during an awards dinner on Friday, April 4, 2014. Congratulations go to Dr. David MacLean (Academic Leader), Dr. Brent Kennedy (Clinical Teacher), Dr. Jo-Anne Clarke (Medical Educator), Ms. Kirsti Reinikka (Clinical Scholar) and, Dr. TC Tai (Scholar).

Decomissioned Superior North EMS Ambulance Assists in Training Health-Professional Learners

NOSM is engaged in a pilot project to provide high-fidelity, mobile simulation to Northern Ontario. Based at NOSM’s West Campus at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, this project uses a decommissioned Superior North EMS ambulance to transport high-fidelity, computerized mannequins and equipment to communities across Northern Ontario. This project addresses the learning needs of health-care learners and practitioners in a cost-effective manner by removing the need to replicate expensive simulation environments and equipment in multiple communities. Transporting simulation equipment is only one of multiple approaches that NOSM wishes to use to support simulation-based education in its distributed sites.

Earlier today, the Simbulance was unveiled, demonstrating a visible and tangible commitment to addressing regional learning needs. It provides safe transportation for expensive equipment and trained personnel and also can be used a realistic learning environment.

The ambulance was ‘decommissioned’ before ownership changed to NOSM: identifying words such as Superior North EMS, ambulance, 911 etc. were all removed; flashing light bars removed; siren removed; public address/annunciator removed. All this is done so that a decommissioned unit cannot be mistaken for a true ambulance. The Simbulance graphic wrap features NOSM students, and Superior North EMS and City of Thunder Bay logos appear on rear door as supporters of the Simbulance and NOSM.

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) has incorporated suicide awareness training into NOSM’s MD curriculum in an effort to respond to the high rates of suicide in the region.

First-year students at NOSM now undergo safeTALK training, a three-hour program created by LivingWorks that trains participants to identify persons with thoughts of suicide and to connect them with suicide first aid resources. NOSM is also developing and piloting other tools designed to help medical students deal with suicide in their future practice as physicians.

“The Northern Ontario School of Medicine was the first medical school in Canada established with an explicit mandate to improve the health of the people and communities that it serves,” explains Dr. David Marsh, Interim Associate Dean, Undergraduate Medical Education. “Integrating safeTALK training into our MD curriculum supports students and future health professionals of Northern Ontario in responding to the increased prevalence of suicide and self-inflicted injuries in the North.”

Community support workers, including youth, are currently receiving and facilitating safeTALK workshops in approximately half of Nishnawbe Aski Nation’s 49 member communities, which is strengthening the resiliency of NAN First Nations members.

“SafeTALK training is a vital resource to help identify and prevent potential suicide in NAN First Nations, the majority of which are remote and lack adequate professional heath care resources, and goes hand-in-hand with ASIST training to provide direct aid to individuals who may have thoughts of self-harm,” said NAN Deputy Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler, who holds the health portfolio. “We need to change mindsets from coping with suicide to advancing life promotion through programming and training in order to build resilient, healthy communities.”

“As a medical school committed to improving the health of Northern Ontarians, we need to play our part in reducing the shockingly high number of deaths that occur from suicide in our region,” says Dr. Brian Ross, NOSM Professor and Phase 1 Coordinator.

“People hear about an issue such as suicide and think, ‘this is bigger than me.’ But, there are tangible changes that we can all make – including talking about suicide – that go a long way in reducing stigma and breaking myths,” says Scott Chisholm, founder of the Collateral Damage Project. “NOSM’s incorporation of safeTALK into their curriculum demonstrates their leadership and commitment to a healthier Northern Ontario. I am so excited about the partnership between NOSM and Collateral Damage, and the potential we have for inciting positive change in Northern Ontario.”

A community-based approach to establish emergency care services in isolated and remote First Nation communities has been identified in a new report from researchers at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM).

“The majority of NAN First Nations are remote and residents do not have paramedics or first responders to call when emergencies arise, leaving people to fend for themselves in what are often life-threatening situations,” said Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) Deputy Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler, who holds the health portfolio. “Community-based emergency care will go a long way to improving the health and safety of residents of isolated communities.  We are looking for a strong commitment from the federal and provincial governments to put this approach into action.”

The report, Community-Based Emergency Care: An Open Report for Nishnawbe Aski Nation, outlines this new approach. Typically, remote communities have been too small to support conventional ambulance services. The report calls for local health workers and first-responders developed through local training programs for people living in isolated communities.

“Community-based emergency care is about empowering and equipping locals to deliver the care that communities need,” explains Dr. Aaron Orkin, an Assistant Professor at NOSM and the lead author of the report. The report identifies how this approach can deliver excellent care, save lives, build healthier communities, and even create jobs and economic development opportunities. “We see real potential to bring excellent and efficient care to some of the most underserviced populations in Ontario,” says Orkin.

Approximately 29 First Nations in Northern Ontario do not have access to 911 or paramedic services. Residents of First Nations face elevated rates of heart attacks, stroke, and mental health crises, and are four-times more likely to experience severe trauma relative to the average Canadian.

The report stems from an October 2013 roundtable including leaders for NAN First Nations, provincial and federal government delegates and healthcare providers. It offers a Vision, Key Recommendations and Guiding Principles with which to improve emergency care for injured and ill people in remote and isolated communities.  See the full report at: www.nosm.ca/cbec .

For further information, please contact:

Michael Heintzman
Director of Communications
Nishnawbe Aski Nation
Phone:  807-625-4965
Cell:   807-621-2790
mheintzman@nan.on.ca