Announcing a major donation - BELL LET'S TALK SUPPORTS THE CERVO FOUNDATION AND IMPROVES MENTAL HEALTH CARE IN QUÉBEC'S NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION
- $250,000 donation to acquire a 2nd neuromodulation device used in treatment
- Doubling the services offered and optimizing access
- Facilitating a service corridor for the needs of the Canadian Armed Forces
QUÉBEC CITY, Jan. 26, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ - The CERVO Foundation is pleased to announce a major donation of $250,000 from Bell Let's Talk to facilitate the purchase of a 2nd neuromodulation device at the Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux (CIUSSS) de la Capitale-Nationale which will help develop new avenues for mental health care. The additional device will double the availability of effective treatment for patients with certain psychiatric illnesses who are often resistant to standard treatments.
The donation was announced today as part of Bell Let's Talk Day. In making the announcement, CIUSSS President and Chief Executive Officer Michel Delamarre was joined by Bell Canada's Vice Chair Québec Karine Moses, along with federal Minister of Health and Member of Parliament for Québec, the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, the Deputy Premier of Québec, Minister of Public Security and minister responsible for the Capitale-Nationale region, Geneviève Guilbault, and the Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services, Lionel Carmant.
Neuromodulation
Neuromodulation or rTMS (Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) has been used for several years for the management of individuals suffering from depressive disorders who are resistant to standard treatments, or as an alternative therapy when antidepressants are contraindicated or poorly tolerated. rTMS uses a magnetic field impulse that penetrates the tissues and induces electric currents, acting on the neuronal activity in a precise cortical region. rTMS consists of inducing pulses in a rhythmic and repetitive manner, which causes cortical inhibition or excitation, without the need for general anesthesia and muscle relaxants associated with electroconvulsive therapy.
The wait for this type of care can be up to 8 months before an evaluation in the form of an assessment conducted by professionals from the CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale in collaboration with Dr. Simon Patry and Dr. Sébastien Proulx, both psychiatric physicians for the CIUSSS. The purchase of a 2nd device will increase access to the service to better meet the needs of the population.
The CERVO Foundation and the CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale are also exploring the feasibility of expanding the use of this device for specific therapies for the segments of the population, including the Canadian Armed Forces to ensure adequate service for the specific needs of their clientele.
Research on Neuromodulation
In addition to seeing daily results, researchers at the CIUSSS CERVO Research Centre are interested in indications for rTMS for psychiatric disorders other than major depression, such as schizophrenia, mania, post-traumatic stress disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder. The CERVO Foundation works with researchers to analyze current protocols to optimize treatment times.
QUOTES:
"There is no health without mental health, and that is why I thank Bell Let's Talk for its support of the CERVO Foundation and its ongoing commitment to mental health research. We are very pleased with the collaboration of the OSI Clinic team and the Canadian Armed Forces so that Canadian military personnel can benefit from this new device and the associated research results."
Jean-Yves Duclos, Canada's Minister of Health and Member of Parliament for Québec
"I am delighted to welcome this latest Bell Let's Talk initiative. This major donation contributes to the government's efforts to provide our health infrastructures with state-of-the-art technological equipment, particularly in the mental health field. In the interministerial mental health action plan that will soon be rolled out, one of the goals is to increase the accessibility of mental health services. To achieve this, we must work on preventing mental health disorders and giving our health and social services network the ability to intervene effectively with the population."
Lionel Carmant, Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services
"I am delighted with the commitment of all the partners to improve services for our citizens in the Capitale-Nationale who suffer from mental health problems. The acquisition of a second neuromodulation device will reduce the waiting time for people who need help now and eventually improve the services offered to other patients. Mental health requires listening, proper care and empathy. Today's announcement is a concrete example of that."
Geneviève Guilbault, Deputy Premier of Quebec, Deputy Premier of Québec, Minister of Public Security and minister responsible for the Capitale-Nationale region
"We are very proud to see the CERVO Foundation, the CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale and the CERVO Research Centre once again stand out in the field of mental health, where there is so much to do. This donation, which will allow for new medical avenues and better access to care for the people of the region, demonstrates the growing - and much needed - attention that must be paid to mental health. Every day, we must continue to talk about it, demystify the stigma and raise awareness about this reality that is becoming more and more important in our daily lives. I am proud to see the dedication of all these professionals and administrators to achieve small miracles and make the CERVO research center one of the most important of its kind in Canada."
Bruno Marchand, Mayor of Québec City
"It's a source of pride for the CERVO Foundation to be able to help in advancing care and above all to ensure that complementary care techniques are more accessible. Thanks to this research, we will have new protocols, but it is above all thanks to the unwavering dedication of our experts to really help patients improve their condition that Dr. Patry's team will finally be able to double intervention and promote the well-being of dozens of additional people in Québec's national capital region. The support of Bell Let's Talk once again makes access to innovative care possible and allows for a possible collaboration with the Canadian Armed Forces and the Operational Stress Injury (OSI) Clinic that aims to create a care corridor adapted to their needs and our reach."
Maryse Beaulieu, Managing Director of the CERVO Foundation
"Bell Let's Talk is proud to collaborate again with the CERVO Foundation and the Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux (CIUSSS) de la Capitale-Nationale to help with the acquisition of a 2nd neuromodulation device. This donation will improve access to mental health care for Quebecers and allow many people to get better."
Karine Moses, Senior Vice President, Content Development and News and Vice Chair, Québec for Bell
"The addition of a second repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation device will allow us to double our treatment capacity for this alternative treatment for psychiatric disorders in the first year. We are pleased with Bell's contribution because accessibility to care is essential and this addition makes it possible to offer a variety of treatments to our users, but above all, optimizes the work of our teams."
Michel Delamarre, President and CEO of CIUSSS-CN
Today is Bell Let's Talk Day: Join the conversation!
Today, Bell will donate an additional 5 cents to Canadian mental health programs for every applicable text, local or long distance call, tweet or TikTok video using #BellLetsTalk, every Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, 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 lens. All at no cost to participants beyond what they would normally pay their service provider for online or phone access.
About the CERVO Foundation
The CERVO Foundation has been collecting funds since 1977 in order to contribute to research, knowledge expansion, and improved care and awareness of mental health. Committed to offering hope of recovery to people suffering from neurological diseases or mental illness, the Foundation mainly funds discoveries and innovations to better understand the brain, while also contributing to promising care and teaching initiatives at the Capitale-Nationale CIUSSS.
About Bell Let's Talk
The largest-ever corporate commitment to mental health in Canada, Bell Let's Talk is focused on 4 key action pillars – Anti-stigma, Care and Access, Research and Workplace Leadership -and is a driver of Bell for Better. Since its launch in 2010, Bell Let's Talk has partnered with more than 1,300 organizations providing mental health 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 CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale
The CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale offers patients and their families integrated and accessible local health and social services and contributes to improving the overall health of the population in its territory.
Focused on quality, safety and performance, the care and services are based on best practices and innovation as well as on the participation of patients and their families. It mobilizes and coordinates local networks to meet the needs of its entire population.
Affiliated with Université Laval, and in collaboration with educational institutions, it ensures quality teaching and develops cutting-edge knowledge and practices. It also promotes the sharing and dissemination of scientific and clinical knowledge in order to contribute to the improvement of the quality of care and services offered, from the laboratory to the bedside.
