Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital in Toronto received new funding of $479,000 for its Get Up and Go (GUAG) persistent pediatric pain service – the first program of its kind in Canada. This brings total funding from Ontario’s Ministry of Health to nearly $1.3 million. The funding will help address increasing demand and higher complexity of mental health needs of the participants seen in the program.
“We are thrilled to receive this additional funding,” says A.J. Lopez, senior director, inpatient rehabilitation and complex continuing care (CCC) program. “The most challenging pediatric persistent pain cases in the country are seen by this team and many of them require enhanced care to address mental health needs. This additional funding will allow us to support families that need it the most.”
Specifically, the new funding will allow Holland Bloorview to:
• See more clients with increased complex mental health needs
• Improve quality of care for patients and families through enhanced intake coordination, reduced wait times and advanced data collection
• Increase access to GUAG’s multidisciplinary team of clinicians
• Increase staff support in the areas of intake, evaluation and research, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, social work and psychology
• Streamline referrals and admissions.
In addition, new staff resources will allow Holland Bloorview to better facilitate clients’ transition to community-based recreational opportunities, thus taking advantage of the functional gains they’ve made while in the program. This has an additional impact of building community capacity to better support children and youth living with chronic pain in recreational activities.
“We are grateful to the dedicated team that runs Get Up and Go, and the transformational change we are able to make in the lives of young people experiencing chronic pain,” says Lori Palozzi, nurse practitioner and GUAG program lead. “Clients have shared their appreciation for the ‘constant support’ provided and the suggestion for future participants to ‘come in with an open mind.’ Families confirm that this program helps their child increase their function in a way that’s meaningful for them.”
Holland Bloorview’s GUAG program is Canada’s first inpatient multidisciplinary pediatric pain service that treats persistent pain (longer than three months) and supports children to regain function and return to usual activities like school and play. It consists of a two-week inpatient stay followed by a two-week day patient stay.