 Jenna Schade
"I am entering my fourth year at the University of Guelph studying Human Kinetics. This summer I will be working alongside Dr. Al Lauzon researching food insecurity among seniors living independently in Huron, Perth, Grey and Bruce. As a lifelong resident of Huron County, the opportunity to contribute to research that benefits rural seniors is exciting and an excellent learning opportunity. Once I finish my undergraduate, I hope to further my education through graduate studies in human kinetics /kinesiology or attending professional school for physiotherapy. I hopes to return to rural southwestern Ontario after my schooling to contribute to the health and well-being of others." Joel Hordijk "I am a second year student enrolled in the Honours Bachelor of Health Sciences program at the University of Ottawa. Through my studies, I became aware of challenges the rural communities face with personal health and access to care. With the opportunity to work at Gateway, I hope to use the research and resources available to promote healthy living in rural communities. In the future, I hope to study for a Medical Degree and later pursue a career in rural health." Meghan Wild-Denys "I am going into my 3rd year at Brock University majoring in Medical Sciences and am in the Med Plus program. I am compassionate about empowering others to make our health care system the best it can be. In September 2020, a club that I cofounded called “Women in Medicine” will be launching at Brock University to empower and inspire women looking to pursue a career in the health care field. I plan to become a Naturopathic Doctor where I can help people live their healthiest lives through preventative, natural medicine. Having growing up on a farm in Huron County, I have great interest in rural health and supporting residents of our community especially farmers. I am excited to have the opportunity to be assisting local farmers maintain their mental and therefore, physical health through the Farmer’s Mental Health project with Gateway." Taylor Pratt "I am a recent graduate of the University of Western Ontario, where I completed my BA Honours Specialization in Psychology. During my time at Western, I achieved a high academic standing while participating in activities and organizations that contributed significantly to the community. I dedicated my time as a student leader, mentor, and research assistant to enrich academic education at the university. Over the years, I have gained solid research knowledge and experience by working under the supervision of four professors on five different research-related projects. As a compassionate individual interested in improving health care and health-related factors that affect our everyday lives, I am looking forward to gaining knowledge and contributing to Gateway’s research in health care delivery. During my time at Gateway, I am investigating the impact of COVID 19 on our rural healthcare system and the well-being of healthcare workers both professionally and personally - working alongside Dr. Al Lauzon, Dan, Nancy, Gwen and one of Gateway’s Research Assistants (Cassandra). I hope to gain new insights into the research field and have a positive impact on the surrounding rural communities. This summer I am studying for and writing the Medical Colleges Admissions Test. In the future, I hope to study medicine at a Canadian Medical School."
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 "In the summer of 2019, I was employed full-time at Canada's only community-driven rural health research organization in Goderich, Ontario. During my time at Gateway, I worked on a qualitative research project about food insecurity among seniors in Huron, Perth, Grey and Bruce Counties. My research partner and I recruited and interviewed 77 participants in seven weeks - a task that our supervisor anticipated would require the full 16 weeks of our contract. Resourceful and imaginative planning was the key to our efficiency. I took the initiative to attend community events and introduce myself to representatives from health units, local government and home care organizations. These stakeholders created a lot of "buzz" in the community on our behalf, and spread the word about our research project.
Through July and August, my research partner and I were invited to write four different articles in local newspapers, and were interviewed on LOCALone, the TV guide channel for Hay Communications. During the latter half of our contract in Goderich, we completed a thematic analysis of our data, benefiting from my experience using online software to facilitate coding and data management, while working independently from our supervisor, who was situated in Guelph. We wrote a feature on our project for Boomer Magazine, which serves a readership of more than 11,000 citizens aged 60 years and older. Our 35-page report was shared with stakeholders and will be used in a textbook on rural food insecurity by Dr. Allan Lauzon. Although I had participated in seven different quantitative and qualitative research studies before this summer at Gateway, I took away some unexpected lessons. It was rewarding and humbling to return to the community where I grew up, but especially meaningful to be able to devote my research to improving the health of residents who had been my neighbors, and who in many instances supported and shaped me in my early years of life: at church and concerts, and in the figure skating arena. It also confirmed for me that research and rural medical practice can be productive partners, and that my aspirations to build a medical career in an under-served area, working as both a dedicated clinician and innovative researcher, are logical and possible." - Valerie Steckle (Gateway Student 2019) Gateway & the McCall MacBain Foundation Team Up to Enhance Virtual Supports in Huron County5/8/2020
The McCall MacBain Foundation has made a donation of $35,000 to provide iPads for the use of residents in long-term care homes, hospitals, retirement homes and hospices across Huron County. The endeavour is being facilitated by the Gateway Centre for Excellence in Rural Health, and the devices are currently being distributed to residences and institutions across the County.
“Having been raised in Huron County, the health and well-being of my home community is a priority,” said Marcy McCall MacBain, who co-founded the McCall MacBain Foundation with her husband John. “We are grateful to the healthcare workers and Gateway Centre for Excellence in Rural Health, and are honoured to be working together to ensure this difficult situation of physical distancing becomes just a little bit more manageable.” Gateway CERH, with the help of their students, is ensuring iPads are programmed properly and distributed to the homes, residences and hospitals where they will be used. Popular and user-friendly apps such as Skype, FaceTime and Zoom will be available on all of the devices and will make it easy for staff to support residents, and for patients and residents to stay connected with family members and other essential supports. “Currently, we are all feeling the effects of isolation while following government directions to stay at home as much as possible. There is nothing more heart breaking than to think of seniors in long-term care homes and patients in hospitals, isolated because of COVID-19 and unable to connect with their loved ones,” said Gwen Devereux, President of the Board of Directors of Gateway CERH. “This is a wonderful example of giving back to your community and we thank the McCall MacBain Foundation for helping our community when it is needed,” continued Gwen. “It is so important for patients and residents to have the ability to see and speak directly, even if virtually, with their children, grandchildren, friends and family during this pandemic. Gateway CERH is honoured to have the opportunity to partner with the McCall MacBain Foundation and make this a reality.” Early recipients of the iPads are thrilled to put them to good use. Jennifer Bennett, General Manager at Maplewood Manor had the following to say: “Maplewood Manor staff and residents would like to thank the McCall MacBain Foundation for the donation of iPads. This generous gift will go a long way to keeping our residents connected during these difficult times. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.” Brittany Hamilton, General Manager of Goderich Place added to this by saying: “Goderich Place would like to extend our extreme gratitude and appreciation for the very generous donation of iPads; we feel so fortunately and are very grateful! These iPads will allow for residents to have more FaceTime calls with family and friends in order to stay connected during these difficult times.” The hope is that the arrival of these iPads will free up staff time and enable patients and residents the opportunity to connect with loved ones and the world. Gateway CERH also believes that these iPads will support people's well-being long beyond the end of COVID-19. “Anything we can do at this time to help our health care workers is important, and please know we appreciate all you are doing to help us get through this,” said Gwen.  A special thank you goes out to our Lonely No More Team!
Due to work conducted by our volunteers and leadership team we were able to make a huge impact on the lives of our rural and isolated seniors over the last 3 months. Thank you for the effort and time you guys have put in!  On March 17, 2020, Ontario entered a "State of Emergency". Due to the rapidly spreading COVID-19, social isolation is currently being encouraged by governmental bodies. This does not mean we should forget our fellow farmers and seniors!
Results from the National Survey of Farmer Mental Health, conducted by Dr. Andrea Jones-Bitton at the University of Guelph, suggest that 35% of Canadian producers meet the criteria for depression, 45% are under high stress, 58% meet the criteria for an anxiety classification. Despite these staggering statistics, 40% of Canadian producers feel uneasy about seeking professional help due to what others may think. So take the time to call, text or email fellow farmers to encourage them in this difficult time. As many seniors find texting and emailing difficult, carve out some time to chat with them over the phone. Lets protect against loneliness call a farmer and senior today!
On March 8, 2020, Gateway hosted it's first speaker series event at the Huron County Museum in Goderich. At this event, period pieces by the Dames Rocket played as community members bid on silent auction items and visited local Women's Not-for-Profit booths. Once everyone had a chance to bid Bonnie Sitter took center stage and regaled a number of Ontario Farmerette stories. The event was a successful start to our speaker series fundraiser.
We would like to thank the following organizations and individuals for their help in making the event possible:
 Mary Lapaine was nominated for this years "Inspiring Women of Huron County". Mary is a fantastic role model to so many of us. Her dedication to her family, devotion to many friends, her successful career and her extensive volunteer work makes her an outstanding nominee. We are so delighted to have her on our Board of Directors. She has provided invaluable insights into the healthcare field and has a passion for improving rural health. Congratulations Mary!
 On January 24, 2020 Gateway welcomed a new board member, Mohamed Gazarin! Mohamed is the current Chief Research Officer at Winchester District Memorial Hospital. In this position he provides research vision for the institution and builds collaborative relationships with external and internal partners. In addition to this position, Muhamed is a Lecturer at the University of Ottawa in the Family Medicine Department. We are excited to have him on board with us and look forward to working with him.
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