Originally from Ottawa, Jessica completed her undergraduate degree from Brescia in 2012. Jessica had been living in North Bay for 10 years and planned to stay in the North before she applied to NODIP. She completed her internship, based out of Sudbury, in 2012-2013. Jessica is currently working at the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit as a public health dietitian. Jessica is passionate about the work of food systems and the amazing community partners she learns from. She works closely with many related organizations, including the Nourish collaborative. Jessica is a valued preceptor and workshop facilitator for NOSM University learners and represents Public Health RDs on the NODIP Committee.
NOSM University researcher and partners develop groundbreaking heart attack classification
A new clinical classification is a gamechanger in the way that medical providers assess heart attacks. Released by the Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS), the classification is based on research by Dr. Andreas Kumar, Associate Professor at NOSM University and Cardiologist at Health Sciences North, along with his colleague Dr. Rohan Dharmakumar at Indiana University School of Medicine. NOSM University MD student Suzanne Betteridge-LeBlanc, cardiac surgeon and NOSM University Professor Dr. Rony Atoui, and cardiologist Dr. Anthony Main were also authors on the classification, alongside a team of Canadian and American experts.
A powerful risk assessment tool, the novel classification assesses the tissue damage of heart attack patients. It divides cases into four categories based on the severity of tissue injury—an innovation that was not previously possible. The classification will be used by all health-care workers providing care for patients with heart attacks: cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, nurses, imaging technologists, and more.
“Not all heart attacks are the same,” says Dr. Kumar. “Physicians can gain a good sense of the patient’s risk category by assessing their tissue damage. It may even help with patient communication. Conveying to a patient that their heart attack is a less severe stage or more advanced stage may help patients better grasp the severity of disease.”
According to Dr. Kumar, the new work builds on more than four decades of heart attack research and puts this research in a new light—but it’s the possibility for future innovations that may make this research most impactful for patients.
“Going forward, the development of better treatments will be possible for patients when we take into account the CCS stage of tissue damage,” he explains. “We will be able to improve patient care and develop more personalized therapies. I believe that in five or ten years, we will have different therapies that are proven to be effective for different stages of heart attacks.”
“This will have a profound impact on heart attack patients,” he says.
For more on Dr. Kumar’s research, listen to his recent interview on the podcast Parallax: Conversations in Cardiology.
Photo:
(L-R): Suzanne Betteridge-LeBlanc, NOSM University MD student; Dr. Rony Atoui, Cardiac Surgeon, Health Sciences North and NOSM University Professor; Dr. Andreas Kumar, Cardiologist, Health Sciences North, NOSM University Associate Professor, and President, Canadian Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Dr. Anthony Main, Cardiologist, Health Sciences North. (Photo credit: Health Sciences North)
Jillian Ingribelli
Jill was born and raised in the beautiful city of Sault Ste. Marie. She graduated with a B.A.Sc. in Applied Human Nutrition from the University of Guelph and completed NODIP in 2015-2016. Jill is fortunate to have had the opportunity to work in a variety of dietetic practice settings in her hometown. Her first RD job was a casual position in long-term care, which was followed by working just over a year in public health. Jill is currently working as a Clinical RD in Medicine at Sault Area Hospital. During internship, Jill and her research partner, Paige Huycke, were provided with the opportunity to take part in an exciting research project. This research looked at Indigenous cultural competency in dietetics through conducting an online survey with RDs. The results of this project have been used to inform dietitians working with Indigenous peoples and the refinement of NODIP intern and preceptor tools, with the potential to integrate across Canadian dietetic internship programs. This research has since been published in the Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research, where Jill was the recipient of the 2017 Morgan Award for the Quebec and Northeast Ontario Region from the Canadian Foundation for Dietetic Research. Jill was also honoured to receive the Strive Young Professionals Algoma Visionary Award for Industry Leader for Health and Wellness in January 2018 and the Sault Area Hospital Collaborative Practice Award for Novice Staff Member in 2019. Jill stays connected with NODIP through being a preceptor to interns and sitting on the NODIP Committee. The Committee is responsible for assisting with the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the program.
