Local Research Making Tracks Nationally

​The Poultry Producers Chicken Classic Golf Tournament was held on Wednesday, September 14, 2016 at the Seaforth Golf & Country Club.  Proceeds from this tournament were generously donated to Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health.

Gateway has been collaborating with local poultry producers on a research project investigating lung health.  A preliminary report of the Huron & Perth counties Poultry Producers Lung Health study was presented at the tournament.  

Funding for this study was provided by The Lung Association through an Ontario Respiratory Care Society Fellowship Award. The rural lung health clinics, which included spirometry lung tests and N95 respirator fit testing, took place in Seaforth and Clinton, Ontario.  Rose-Marie Dolinar, rural nurse practitioner and PhD student, and Dr. Andrew Johnson, professor and researcher in the School of Health Studies at The University of Western Ontario, were co-investigators on the project.

A presentation of the cheque, from proceeds of the golf tournament, was made to Gateway at their Board meeting held on November 25, 2016.  Alex Westerhout, poultry farmer and co-organizer (along with Brian Falconer) of the Poultry Producers Golf Tournament, presented the cheque to Gateway Board members Dr.  Feng Chang (Chair) and Dr. Agnes Kluz (President) with Rose-Marie Dolinar and Dr. Andrew Johnson in attendance.

Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health expressed a sincere thank you to the Poultry Producers for their significant contribution to this study, and for recognizing the value of rural health research.