The Royal Canadian Legion Alberta-NWT Command donated $267,000 to the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine's Canadian Military and Veterans' Rehabilitation Research program, a gift raised at the community level through the Poppy Fund.
"I find this very meaningful, as the impact of military rehabilitation research extends beyond soldiers and veterans. The research discoveries and implications will also translate to benefit the community," said Bob Haennel, PhD, acting dean of rehabilitation medicine, University of Alberta. "We recognize that this gift is from the community, for the community. It is very special to us."
Canada's first research chair dedicated specifically to the rehabilitation of injured soldiers and veterans was established in May 2011 by the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine which included foundational gifts from True Patriot Love Foundation and Harry and Muriel Hole. The chair is positioned to provide international leadership that will understand, communicate and find solutions to the medical and rehabilitation needs of Canada's soldiers and veterans.
"The University of Alberta recognized two years ago that academia should do more for soldiers," said Ibolja Cernak, PhD, the holder of the Chair in Military and Veterans' Clinical Rehabilitation, in her presentation to visitors from the Royal Canadian Legion this month. "This research is science for soldiers' sake, not science for science's sake."
The Military and Veterans' Rehabilitation Research program is focused on prevention, rehabilitation, performance optimization and improving the quality of life of our military and veterans.
"The research that Dr. Cernak and her team are going to do ties in with the work that we do every day - the meeting of the individuals, the pain that they feel, the suffering that they have and if we can do one small thing to help one individual, that's huge for us," said Tammy Wheeler, executive director, Royal Canadian Legion Alberta-NWT Command.
Liz Taylor, PhD, was recently appointed as the lead administrator for the Canadian Military and Veterans' Rehabilitation Research program. Taylor has been a strong advocate for rehabilitation services for military and veterans. In her past role as President of the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists, she lobbied for a full spectrum of rehabilitation services for our military and veterans.
"Liz continues to work with the Surgeon General's Office to ensure occupational therapy and physical therapy services are available to both current military and new veterans," Haennel said.
As the lead, Taylor will increase awareness and build capacity for Military and Veteran's Health Research across campus.
Acting provost of the U of A, Martin Ferguson-Pell, PhD, looks forward to the university and faculty's continual relationship with the Royal Canadian Legion.
"When I met with Tammy a few years ago about this research initiative, I didn't know the extent to which the Legion could help to launch our chair. But Tammy immediately grasped our vision took it to her colleagues in the Legion. This has resulted in this wonderful gift to support this important work of the University of Alberta and the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine. We are so grateful for their tremendous support," he said.
"I see our new relationship with the U of A as a partnership, a marriage so to speak - and we are only just starting to cultivate this partnership," said Wheeler.
Photo: L-R: Darrel Jones, Ibolja Cernak, Tammy Wheeler and Bob Haennel. Image by Owen Murray