Urgent need to solve difficult challenges in brain health
One in three Canadians will be affected by a brain disease, disorder or injury. The need for breakthrough treatments is growing more urgent as the population ages. supplied
VGH & UBC HOSPITAL FOUNDATION BRAIN BREAKTHROUGHS CAMPAIGN
The Vancouver Stroke Program continues to push the boundaries of stroke care and research as it meets the needs of stroke patients throughout B.C. – and philanthropy has been an important contributor to its success.
“Donors are the fuel behind the engine that is our stroke program, and they have been for years,” says Angela Chapman, president and CEO of VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation, the primary philanthropic partner of Vancouver Coastal Health. “Support from our donor community has helped the program develop into the centre of excellence it is today. Our stroke neurologists are on call to evaluate patients experiencing a possible acute stroke anywhere in B.C. – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.”
The VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation is seeking support to further advance stroke research and patient care as part of its Brain Breakthroughs fundraising campaign. The mission is also to solve other difficult challenges in brain health, with a goal of raising $35-million to expand knowledge and enhance care in Alzheimer’s, dementia, Parkinson’s, epilepsy, traumatic brain injuries, concussion, neuromuscular diseases, MS and more.
The theme of the campaign is It’s about Time. Time is an important element when it comes to stroke: rapid diagnosis and treatment helps save lives and reduce risks for long-term physical disabilities and cognitive impairments.
“Time has several meanings in the context of this campaign,” says Chapman. “One relates to the urgent need to enhance clinical care and to research new treatments for brain diseases, disorders and injuries, which affect one in three Canadians.
“And B.C.’s population is aging, so disorders of the brain will inevitably increase. It’s time to invest in expanding our knowledge about the brain, the most complex and least understood organ in the body.”
Time also relates to “time lost” with loved ones affected by cognitive decline and loss of memory due to neurodegenerative brain disease or brain injury, Chapman adds.
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Support from our donor community has helped the program develop into the centre of excellence it is today. Our stroke neurologists are on call to evaluate patients experiencing a possible acute stroke anywhere in B.C. – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
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We have set up a regional bypass system in which all patients believed to be having a stroke will bypass their local hospital and be brought directly to VGH. On the way, the ambulance crew will call ahead to provide information about the patient, and our team will be ready to move into action immediately upon their arrival.
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Mobilizing with speed to minimize damage from stroke
When a stroke emergency occurs in the Lower Mainland, specialized clinical teams come together at VGH Emergency and prepare to mobilize as soon as the patient comes through the door. These experts include stroke neurologists trained through a stroke fellowship program that has been strongly supported by the Foundation for many years.
The rapid-response system has been developed to reduce delays in situations where every minute counts. “We have set up a regional bypass system in which all patients believed to be having a stroke will bypass their local hospital and be brought directly to VGH,” says Dr. Samuel Yip, program director.
“On the way, the ambulance crew will call ahead to provide information about the patient, and our team will be ready to move into action immediately upon their arrival. We do a quick assessment and then take them to the CT scanner. With this imaging, we can see what’s happening in their brain and choose the best treatment.”
Treatments include a drug called t-PA, which can dissolve clots in patients having an ischemic stroke. Another procedure is an endovascular thrombectomy (EVT), in which a retrievable stent is used to remove large clots in order to restore blood flow to the brain.
Ensuring these treatments are delivered as soon as possible makes a significant difference in results for patients. “For every minute without blood flow, 1.9 million neurons die,” says Dr. Yip. “So the earlier we restore that flow, the greater the likelihood of recovery and the less risk of disability.”
The Brain Breakthroughs campaign will help bring new tools and technologies to neurology programs at VGH, UBC Hospital and GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre, improving diagnosis and treatment, as well as fund additional groundbreaking research.
“Dr. Thalia Field, for example, is to do the first-ever study of rates of stroke and cognition issues in people with congenital heart disease,” Dr. Yip explains. “We are also funding a new program to train nurse practitioners to provide stroke clinical care in inpatient and outpatient settings.”
“Funding for clinician-scientists and fellows in stroke, Alzheimer’s, neuromuscular diseases and more will allow us to attract, educate and retain the next generation of clinical leaders for British Columbia,” says Chapman. The campaign will also support innovative programs in the community, outside of a hospital setting, like the Dementia Caregiver Clinic and the Brain Wellness Program, she adds.
“These investments in people and care, technology and equipment, and research and discovery will make a real difference for patients today as well as provide hope for the future of brain health in the province and beyond.”
More detail on the campaign can be found at vghfoundation.ca/brain.
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