A Team of Volunteers - The Windsor Essex Sewing Force When the COVID-19 pandemic landed on the world with both feet, citizen volunteers immediately launched into action, creating homemade hospital facemasks, caps and gowns to make up the shocking shortfall of personal protective equipment (PPE) in our healthcare system: i.e. medical facemasks, caps, and gowns. For anyone who thinks this involved a few elderly craftspeople setting aside their doilies and Queen Elizabeth commemorative needle-point, think again. The effort, which ultimately became the Windsor-Essex Sewing Force (WESF) more resembles a military operation in its scope, recruitment of personnel and logistical challenges. Among these mask-making volunteers were Rebecca Rudman, Karen Harris (on medical leave since the summer), Kelly Mullen (left the group in mid-May), Patricia Savage, Donna Piche, Jeannie Hopkins, six Windsor-Essex women who put their sewing skills and organizational abilities to work for the community. “We started at the end of March,” Rebecca remembers, “when…
Ontario considers field hospitals for long-term care residents, cites Windsor The staffing crisis at Heron Terrace long-term care home in Windsor during the pandemic’s first wave last spring was so dire that at one point only three employees showed up to care for 140 residents. It took so long — five days — to get residents’ test results that Windsor Regional Hospital began labelling residents as hospital patients to get the results faster. These revelations are contained in a transcript of Windsor Regional’s testimony before Ontario’s Long-Term Care COVID-19 Commission on Nov. 19. The transcript was released Monday. The commission released its second interim report Friday. The hospital was asked to testify about using its field hospital in the St. Clair College SportsPlex to care for and cohort long-term care residents infected with the virus. With more than 100 outbreaks in long-term care and retirement homes in Ontario in the last six weeks, including six in Windsor and Essex County, and 300 more deaths, Premier Doug Ford said last week the government…
Record attendance marks success of cancer research conference A record 270 registrants attended the International Cancer Research Conference, hosted virtually by the Windsor Cancer Research Group. The culmination of months of planning, the fifth Biennial International Cancer Research Conference, Nov. 19 to 21, had everything, organizers say. A record 270 registrants attended the conference, hosted virtually from Windsor by the Windsor Cancer Research Group, WE-Spark Health Institute’s flagship program. “This was a conference that brought together all the ingredients that make cancer research and innovation flourish,” said Dora Cavallo-Medved, the group’s translational research director. “From renowned researchers and surgeons to a visionary devoted to helping women with breast cancer. Inspiring patient stories to dynamic student presenters. An intimate EDI conversation where panellists shared their personal experiences to highlight how we can make healthcare and research more equitable, inclusive and diverse, to a virtual networking…
Online sessions an opportunity to spark research collaborations The WE-SPARK Think Tank will provide an overview of three research project son Friday, Dec. 4.
Local psychology professor is leading a study to assess the effectiveness of a smartphone app A psychology professor from the University of Windsor is leading a study to assess the effectiveness of a phone application to manage anxiety. Lance Rappaport is leading a team of researchers to access MindShift, a free tool developed by the experts at Anxiety Canada in order to help manage psychological distress. The free app has been available for several years, but the group of mental health professionals are now evaluating how well it is working. Anxiety Canada, the non-profit organization who developed the app has awarded Rappaport a grant of just over $21,000 to fund the research. The study asks participants to watch a short video explaining MindShift before using the app for 16 weeks. Courtesy: https://windsor.ctvnews.ca/university-of-windsor-professor-receives-grant-for-21k-to-research-anxiety-app-results-1.5190026
UWindsor COVID research gets $300,000 funding boost Mike McKay, executive director of the Great Lake Institute for Environmental Research, is leading a research team using sewage as an early warning system to determine trends in COVID-19 infection rates.
Research team to explore dynamics of cancer-causing proteins Biochemist John Trant is heading up a research team exploring the behaviours of disease-causing proteins.
Fight the Fight, Find the Cure Over the last 20 years, early detection and research have played critical roles in the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of breast cancer. In this episode, Kim Willis talks to Dr. Lisa Porter, Professor of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Windsor and Exeutive Director of WE-SPARK Health Institute, and Peggy Polewski, Breast Cancer Survivor and Advocate. Dr. Porter shares how important research has been for breast cancer treatment. A lot of exciting things happening right here at the University of Windsor. And Peggy shares openly and honestly about what a breast cancer diagnosis looks and feels like. A positive mind-set and humour are essential! Listen to the podcast here.
Study of COVID-19’s psychological impact on local healthcare workers enters second phase The second part of a study launched in June will ask Windsor-Essex healthcare workers to complete a short survey indicating how the pandemic is affecting their mental health. The goal is to explore ways to support, promote, and restore the emotional well-being of healthcare staff who have experienced so much during the COVID-19 pandemic. Completion of the survey during Wave 2 will allow the research team — from the University of Windsor, St. Clair College, and Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare — to compare overall trends. More than 400 healthcare workers responded to June’s survey. The team is hoping to get the same level of participation, if not more, this time around. Part two of the survey is open to end of November, with a goal of sharing study findings in the new year. Research associate Jennifer Voth said the results of the initial survey indicated high levels of stress caused by concerns of being infected, passing on the virus, and access to personal protective equipment. “What…
