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143 Search Results:
Ali Bateman
Ali Bateman, MD
Assistant Professor, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry
Key Areas of Focus:
Acquired and Traumatic Brain Injury; Spinal Cord Injury
Phone:
519-685-4080
Accepting Grad Students:
No
About:
Dr. Ali Bateman is a physiatrist at Parkwood Institute and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at Western University. She is also an Associate Scientist at Lawson Health Research Institute, and the Quality Improvement Lead in the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation.
Dr. Bateman completed her medical degree and residency training at Western University, and is currently completing a master’s degree in Quality Improvement and Patient Safety through the Institute of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation at the University of Toronto. She is also certified by the Canadian Society of Clinical Neurophysiologists and holds the designation of CSCN Diplomate (EMG). As a consultant physiatrist, Dr. Bateman provides care in acquired brain injury and spinal cord injury rehabilitation programs and the electrodiagnostic laboratory at Parkwood Institute.
Her research interests centre on quality improvement, patient safety, and knowledge translation with the aim of achieving best practices so that all persons with spinal cord and/or brain injury receive the best quality care.
Amanda McIntyre
Amanda McIntyre, PhD (c) RN
Registered Nurse, Parkwood Institute Research
Key Areas of Focus:
Stroke; Spinal Cord Injury; Acquired and Traumatic Brain Injury
Phone:
519-685-4292 ext. 41296
Email:
Social:
Accepting Grad Students:
No
About:
Amanda McIntyre is a Registered Nurse, a PhD candidate and the senior nursing-researcher in Dr. Robert Teasell’s Collaboration of Rehabilitation Research lab at Parkwood Institute. Ms. McIntyre is also a practicing Registered Nurse in emergency medicine at London Health Sciences Center. Her research is primarily rooted in neurorehabilitation, specifically stroke, spinal cord injury, and brain injury populations, for which she is the London coordinator for the Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Evidence Based Review.
Her mobility and activity interests in relation to neurorehabilitation are largely related to the exploration of adjunct therapies for stroke rehabilitation, the development of predictive models for post-stroke spasticity impairment and treatment, the implementation of clinical practice guidelines in neurorehabilitation, and the evaluation of physical activity and self-management interventions for individuals with spinal cord injury, among others. Ms. McIntyre has received numerous awards including the Lawson Health Research Institute Leadership award, the Registered Nurses Foundation of Ontario Leadership award, and Canada’s most prestigious graduate student award – the CIHR Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship.
Andrea Lee
Andrea Lee
Director of Rehabilitation, Parkwood Institute
Andrea Lee is the Director of the Rehabilitation Program at St. Joseph’s Parkwood Institute, which encompasses the Stroke, Acquired Brain Injury, Amputee, Spinal Cord Injury, Transitional and Lifelong Care, Neurobehavioural and Neurotrauma inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation programs. Andrea has more than 30 years of rehabilitation leadership experience at several multi-sited academic health care organizations.
Caitlin Cassidy
Caitlin Cassidy, MD
Assistant Professor, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry
Key Areas of Focus:
Childhood Onset Conditions; Implementation Science and Education
Phone:
519-685-4292 ext. 45027
Email:
Publications:
Accepting Grad Students:
Yes
About:
Dr. Caitlin Cassidy is a physiatrist at Parkwood Institute and an Associate Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and is also cross appointed to the Department of Paediatrics. Her primary clinical and research roles revolve around the Transitional and Lifelong Care (TLC) program at Parkwood Institute. The TLC program provides longitudinal rehabilitative care to adolescents and adults living with a physical disability of childhood onset, many of whom experience mobility challenges and may struggle to find accessible opportunities to increase their fitness and activity levels.
Dr. Cassidy’s research interests include the natural history and long-term outcomes of people with these conditions, and collaborates closely with Dr. Laura Brunton from the School of Physical Therapy at Western University to determine the impacts that access to activity and wellness programming have on pain, fatigue and other outcomes for people with cerebral palsy and spina bifida. Dr. Cassidy also acts as the discipline lead for Musculoskeletal Medicine in undergraduate medical education at Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at Western University.
Changing lives through innovation
It started like any other day. Paul Garrett could never have imagined that by the end of the day, he would be paralyzed from the waist down.
On May 25, 2019, Paul was making coffee before another day’s work as an appliance installer when he noticed a slight tingling in the toes of his right foot. Being fairly fit and in his early sixties, he didn’t think much of it – until the numbness got worse, moving up to the base of his spine and down the other leg. Within 30 minutes of the initial sensation, he lost all feeling and function in his legs.
Paul was rushed to the nearest emergency department. For some reason, he knew his life had changed forever. He assumed he was suffering from a stroke.
“Before the ambulance arrived, it was terrifying and emotional. I had this feeling I would never walk again.”
"... Nothing was working when I got to Parkwood Institute."
It wasn’t a stroke but Paul was right about the life-altering ramifications. After days of testing, he was diagnosed with acute onset transverse myelitis, a rare neuroimmune disorder where inflammation damages the insulating material (myelin) covering the nerves along the spine. Without this protective coating, signals from the brain to the spine and back cannot occur.
Paul came to St. Joseph’s Health Care London’s Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Rehabilitation Program at Parkwood Institute, where his care team partnered with him and wife Brenda to develop a recovery plan.
“They started from scratch with me, nothing was working when I got to Parkwood Institute,” says Paul.
When occupational therapist Charlie Giurleo asked Paul and Brenda what their initial goals for rehabilitation were, they were quick to answer. Paul wanted to get to his son’s wedding, just a month away. The team, and
Paul, got to work, focusing treatments and exercises on learning how to get out of bed, transfer from the wheelchair to the car, and stand independently.
"... We were able to move on and adapt, thanks to the team..."
“I made it to the wedding, and I was even able to stand for a few pictures with my family. It was amazing.”
Then it was time to set longer term goals for his recovery and Paul knew exactly what he wanted, “I wanted to walk out of the building on my own.”
While the physical recovery was a significant hurdle for the Garretts, so was the emotional recovery.
“The SCI Rehabilitation Program team gave us wonderful support and information on how to live with a spinal cord injury,” says Brenda. “There was a lot of grief in the beginning for a life that was profoundly changed and would never be the same again, but we were able to move on and adapt thanks to the team at Parkwood Institute who were so positive and empowering.”
Emboldened by his care team, Paul was able to remain upbeat. Each time he met a new health care provider, he would tell them, ‘You’re on Team Paul now,’ as he held up his hand for a fist bump.”
Getting stronger
With the support of Team Paul, including his wife, a determined Paul worked on his walking one day at a time. “The team said to me, to go quicker is to go slower… to remain focused every day and get a little bit stronger.”
Paul was fortunate to have access to specialized rehabilitation equipment and expertise of members of St. Joseph’s Gray Centre for Mobility and Activity as part of his treatment.
“The equipment and the expertise in The Gray Centre were instrumental in Paul’s recovery.”
The Gray Centre is focused on expanding and advancing mobility and rehabilitation treatment and prevention solutions through research and collaborations between scientists and health care providers using the latest technology and innovations.
“Current patients of St. Joseph’s rehabilitation programs are already benefiting from The Gray Centre,” says physiotherapist Stephanie Cornell. Stephanie was a big part of Team Paul, supporting his rehabilitation plan and treatment.
“The equipment and the expertise in The Gray Centre were instrumental in Paul’s recovery,” says Stephanie. “Utilizing technology such as the body weight support treadmill, we were able to help Paul relearn a walking pattern and get back to being more active in his community.”
All of Paul’s hard work paid off. After his last rehabilitations session he met his goal and walked out of the building on his own. Members of Team Paul lined his pathway out to cheer him on and mark the momentous occasion.
Cheryl Forchuk
Cheryl Forchuk, Msc, Phd
Research Chair in Aging, Mental Health, Rehabilitation
Professor, School of Nursing
Cheryl Forchuk is the Beryl and Richard Ivey Research Chair in Aging, Mental Health, Rehabilitation and Recovery, a Distinguished Professor at Western University and Scientist and Assistant Director at Lawson Health Research Institute. She has published on many topics including transitional discharge, technology in mental health care, and poverty, housing and homelessness.
