Toronto's
Peter Munk Cardiac Centre has long been a leader in cardiovascular patient care, and, in testament to that leadership, a new fellowship program will bring in outside professionals to work and research alongside the Cardiac Centre team.
The Peter Munk Cardiac Centre recently announced that the Black Family Foundation, a private Toronto-based charity, has donated $1 million to establish the Black Family Vascular Surgery-Interventional Radiology Research Fellowship. The new fellowship, which combines training for specialists in both interventional radiology (IR) and vascular surgery (VS), is the first of its kind in Canada.
Interventional radiology refers to the use of nonoperative methods (e.g.. catheters guided by imaging devices) to diagnose and treat diseases non-invasively. Over 1,000 patients rely on the Munk Cardiac Centre's IV and VS department annually.
Each fellow will receive two years of funding -- one dedicated primarily to research, the other to clinical work. The fellows will be working with Munk's team of vascular surgeons and interventional radiologists to look for areas where patient care can be improved and to asses the effectiveness of new medical technologies on the identified areas.
"This hospital has a long history of innovation, including leading integrated cardiac care in Canada, and thanks to The Black Family Foundation's generosity, we will be able to continue this enhanced level of research training for the next generation of vascular and interventional radiology healthcare providers," Dr. Barry Rubin, program medical director of the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, said in a press release. "For the more than 1,000 patients who rely on the Interventional Radiology and Vascular Surgery departments each year, it means improved treatment methods and overall patient care."
Recruitment is expected to begin shortly and the first fellows will be announced in early 2013.
Writer: Katia Snukal
Source: Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation