$300,000 to fund pilot project
benefitting teenage patients across Québec
MONTRÉAL, Jan. 21, 2021 /CNW
Telbec/ - The CHU Sainte-Justine Foundation is proud to announce
the launch of an unprecedented intensive ambulatory care pilot
program for patients being treated for an eating disorder (ED) that
also incorporates an innovative remote support component. Enabled
by a $300,000 donation from Bell
Let's Talk, this new initiative will help young people and their
families in their home environments, wherever they may live in
Québec.
"We're seeing the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on teenagers up
close – CHU Sainte-Justine receives 40% of eating disorder
hospitalizations and often the most complex cases," said Dr.
Danielle Taddeo, a pediatrician
specializing in teenager medicine at CHU Sainte-Justine, and
co-director of the Integrated Centre for Eating Disorders. "Our
ambition is to intervene early with the largest number of patients
to prevent the progression of the disease, reduce its duration and
improve the prognosis. Keeping these teenagers with their families
and in their communities, while still making sure they receive
care, is a tried-and-true strategy that is at the core of this new
initiative."
The prevalence of eating disorders has grown sharply in recent
years, particularly among children under the age of 12. COVID-19
has only accelerated this trend with the number of cases in Québec
doubling since March 2020Plus. The
donation from Bell Let's Talk will not only help the program adapt
to the COVID context, it will permanently increase access to
Sainte-Justine's expertise for
patients living outside of Montréal, who represent 75% of its
clientele.
"CHU Sainte-Justine has made great strides in improving access
to mental health care in Québec, and Bell Let's Talk is pleased to
help further accelerate this progress with the intensive ambulatory
care program," said Karine Moses,
Bell's Vice Chair, Québec. "By making it possible for young people
and their families across Québec to benefit from the best care
available without having to leave their homes, CHU Sainte-Justine
is truly making a difference for teenagers with eating
disorders."
This pilot project meets a critical need for support for
patients and their loved ones by helping families who want to avoid
hospitalizing their child or who are returning home after a
hospitalization. Virtual meals in a group or in the company of a
psychoeducator, remote individual or family therapy, and activities
to break isolation and reduce anxiety are just a few of the
examples the initiative's creators have planned. To guide health
professional and local school services and further meet the needs
of patients and their loved ones, the program will also provide
valuable online information and virtual learning sessions on
recovering after an ED.
"As a leader in eating disorders for over 35 years, CHU
Sainte-Justine has, with the support of Bell Let's Talk, multiplied
its efforts over the last several years to better meet the needs of
hundreds of young people, particularly with the opening of a day
hospital that provides an intermediate level of care between full
hospitalization and ambulatory services," said Maud Cohen, President and Executive Director of
the CHU Sainte-Justine Foundation. "To be able to count on a
partner like Bell, which has made mental health its philanthropic
priority, is an immense privilege."
Bell Let's Talk Day is January
28
The CHU Sainte-Justine Foundation joins Bell in
inviting everyone to take part in the mental health conversation on
January 28. You can use a wide range
of communication platforms to join in on Bell Let's Talk Day and
directly drive Bell's donations to mental health programs simply by
participating.
On Bell Let's Talk Day, Bell donates 5
cents to Canadian mental health programs for each applicable
text, local or long distance call, tweet or TikTok video using
#BellLetsTalk, every Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat,
TikTok, Twitter and YouTube view of the Bell Let's Talk
Day video, and every use of the Bell Let's Talk Facebook frame or
Snapchat filter. All at no cost to participants beyond what they
would normally pay their service provider for online or phone
access.
About Bell Let's Talk
The largest-ever corporate
commitment to mental health in Canada, Bell Let's Talk is focused on four key
action pillars: Anti-stigma, Care and Access, Research and
Workplace Leadership. Since its launch in September 2010, Bell Let's Talk has partnered
with more than 1,100 organizations providing mental health supports
and services throughout Canada, including hospitals, universities,
local community service providers and other care and research
organizations. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.
About CHU Sainte-Justine
The Sainte-Justine
University Hospital Centre (CHU Sainte-Justine) is the largest
mother-child centre in Canada and
the second largest pediatric hospital in North America. A member of the Université de
Montréal extended network of excellence in health (RUIS),
Sainte-Justine has 5,457
employees, including 1,532 nurses and nursing assistants; 1,000
other healthcare professionals; 520 physicians, dentists and
pharmacists; 822 residents; and more than 204 researchers, 41
volunteers and 4,416 interns and students in a wide range of
disciplines. Sainte-Justine has
484 beds, including 67 at the Centre de réadaptation Marie Enfant,
the only exclusively pediatric rehabilitation centre in Québec. The
World Health Organization has recognized CHU Sainte-Justine as a
"health promoting hospital." To learn more, please visit
chusj.org.
About the CHU Sainte-Justine Foundation
The CHU
Sainte-Justine Foundation's mission is to engage the community and
support the CHU Sainte-Justine in its pursuit of excellence and its
commitment to providing children and mothers with one of the
highest levels of health care in the world, now and in the future.
Please visit fondationstejustine.org to learn more.
Media inquiries:
Bell
Caroline Audet
caroline.audet@bell.ca
514-391-9794
@Bell_LetsTalk
@Bell_News
CHU Sainte-Justine Foundation
Delphine Brodeur
dbrodeur@fondationstejustine.org
514-345-4931, ext. 4356
SOURCE Bell Canada