EIMC Success Stories

• 2019- Improved ability for health care providers to recommend PA and Exercise: The Centre of Lifestyle Studies from Acadia University has embedded a Clinical Kinesiologist (Kinesiologist with specialized training and Certification as Clinical Exercise Physiologist), to the Collaborative Family Practice Team at the Wolfville Professional Centre. The CK receives referrals directly within the EMR from the CFPT as well as referrals from the adjacent EKM Health Centre and other CFPTs in Wolfville, New Minas, Kentville and Canning. The trusted relationship makes PA and Exercise an easier recommendation for providers, and the PA counseling support addresses patients’ primary fears to become more active. Referral rates average more than 25 per month from the various sources.

• 2019- Improved support for patients transitioning from chronic disease management programs. Communications with many stakeholders, such as Mardi Burton (Manager, chronic disease Western zone), Scott McCulloch (Manager Seniors programs, Western Zone), as well as Chronic Disease programs in Diabetes, Cancer, Chronic Pain, Arthritis, Pulmonary, Hip & Knee and others, identify the need for a graduated transition for patients exiting these clinical programs. This has facilitated a longer support for exercise adherence; many participants are returners and each program has witnessed a growth in participation with each season of offering.

• 2019- Improved access for exercise programming in communities, for community members with compromised abilities. The ‘Active Living’ (ALI) programs that supports the needs of individuals with multiple chronic conditions, addresses a major area of concern for recreation departments wanting to provide programs to keep their aging populations active and engaged in mental, social and physical pursuits. Recreation departments say that active, engaged seniors are the engines of their communities; the ALI programs provide a keystone link to their other recreation and community offerings.

• 2018- There was significant research and knowledge translation on physical activity and exercise. EIMC delivered: 8 Exercise is Medicine workshops, 6 ‘Grand Rounds’, 5 conference plenary presentations, 2 webinars and over 20 presentations to various stakeholder groups. Research and scholarly activities included: 7 abstracts presented at local, regional, national and international conferences; and 2 papers.

• 2018- Exercise is Medicine – Nova Scotia is changing practice. The comprehensive packaging of best evidence and the most practical tools and strategies, applied across multiple disciplines and multiple avenues, has helped to change attitudes and behaviors of health care providers, decision makers and other members of communities. Several ‘local networks’ have been established linking local physicians and other health care providers with community facilities, programs and professionals, that have increased the support for physical activity and exercise across the continuum from health care to community.

• 2018- Exercise is Medicine Nova Scotia was selected for presentation at the NS Health Authority’s 2018 Annual General Meeting as one of 20 innovative approaches to support healthy people, healthy communities –  for generations.

• Continuum Medical Care in West Vancouver, BC embodies the spirit of EIMC. Their multidisciplinary centre recently took the initiative to create a “lifestyle centre team”, consisting of physicians, a dietician, a certified exercise phyiologist, and a kinesiologist. Their team is already assisting patients with lifestyle change to help address chronic conditions including hypertension, diabetes, COPD, and cancer to name a few! Read the whole story here. Thank you very much to Mathieu-Luc Boulet for submitting your EIMC success story!

• On February 16, 2017 at the Liquid Gym in Ottawa, sports medicine physician Dr. Renata Frankovich spoke to a group of health professionals on Exercise is Medicine. This talk was followed by Dr. Sasha Carsen, Orthopedic Surgeon, who spoke on the importance of exercise pre and post surgery. The audience was a diverse mix of physicians, physiotherapists, kinesiologists, chiropractor and naturopathy. Everyone attending was committed to learning more on how to engage their patients in exercising more to improve their health and reduce their risk of chronic disease. Thank you Dr. Renata Frankovich for submitting this success story!