Cheri McGowan and Jennifer Voth speak with mediaUWindsor kinesiology professor Cheri McGowan and HDGH research associate Jennifer Voth speak with media Monday following an announcement of grant support for their project investigating models of care in cardiac rehab.

Partners in research announce seed grants for stroke and cardiac rehabilitation

Two research projects that will help transform patient care each received $10,000 in seed funding rising from a partnership between the University of Windsor and Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare.

Nursing professor Susan Fox and Nathania Liam, clinical lead of HDGH’s rehabilitative programs, will evaluate the effectiveness of hospital and home-based outpatient rehab services for stroke survivors in Windsor-Essex.

Dr. Fox noted that the region has one of the highest rates of hospital admissions for stroke in the province.

“What this grant will allow us to do is look at the ongoing rehab needs of patients after they leave acute care or inpatient rehab” and determine which setting best meets their needs, she said.

Kinesiology professor Cheri McGowan will head a team comparing cardiac rehab models of care in the Great Lakes region.

“We know now that some populations are less likely to enroll in cardiac rehab and we are looking at how to maximize uptake to find the ideal model from both an economic and patient care perspective,” said Dr. McGowan. “This has the potential to help thousands of individuals living in Windsor-Essex and beyond to achieve the best possible outcome.”

UWindsor’s vice-president research and innovation, K.W. Michael Siu, praised the “long-standing collaboration” between the University of Windsor and Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare as demonstrating a shared commitment to ensure excellent research, evaluation, and knowledge transfer.