The Mary Pack Arthritis Program (MPAP) [1] provides treatment services for children and adults with arthritis across the province of British Columbia.
Referral is usually initiated by family physicians and specialists and resources include a range of treatment and education services and interdisciplinary team programs.
Outpatient services are offered at sites in Vancouver, Victoria, Penticton and Cranbrook and inpatient rehabilitation services are provided at the GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre in Vancouver and the Penticton Regional Hospital.
Programs and services available vary from site to site and may include rheumatologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, nurses, social workers and vocational counsellors. Referrals may be coordinated with other providers in the service continuum (e.g. chronic disease self-management classes, nutrition counselling, recreation counselling, sexual health clinicians, and others).
Ambulatory Services and Programs
The following services and multidisciplinary programs are available at one or more of the following sites: Vancouver Arthritis Centre, Victoria Arthritis Centre, Penticton Arthritis Service, and Cranbrook Arthritis Service:
Adult (Outpatient) Services: Treatment, counselling, and education services provided by a team of health care providers (all sites).
- Outpatient Day Program: Short-term, daily, intensive treatment, counselling, education, and community follow-up services for adults with complex forms of inflammatory arthritis. Service team includes a rheumatologist, nurse, physical and occupational therapist and social worker. This service is only offered at the Vancouver site, although clients may attend who live anywhere in the province. A rheumatologist referral is required for this program.
- Medication Monitoring Program: Regular and ongoing clinics monitoring the safety and effectiveness of disease modifying medications such as injectable gold salts, methotrexate, and cyclosporin; and biologic medications such as remicade and rituxan. Service team includes rheumatologists and nurses (Vancouver and Penticton sites).
- Biologics Infusion Service: Weekly clinics delivering a variety of biologic medications by IV infusion. Service team includes rheumatologists and nurses (Vancouver site).
- Children and Young Adults Program: Diagnosis, assessment, treatment, counselling, education, and community follow-up services for families with a child or adolescent with juvenile arthritis. Service team includes pediatric rheumatologists, nurses, physical and occupational therapists and social workers (Vancouver, Victoria, Penticton sites).
- Fibromyalgia Self-Management Program: Group education sessions for clients managing the symptoms of fibromyalgia and facilitated by health professionals (Victoria and Penticton sites).
- Osteoporosis Rehabilitation Program: Group education and exercise sessions for clients on managing symptoms of osteoporosis and facilitated by health professionals (Victoria and Cranbrook sites).
- Education Classes: Ongoing series of education sessions for clients and family members. Topics may include managing inflammatory arthritis, managing osteoarthritis, understanding exercise, managing pain, managing stress, and a variety of coping strategies. Classes facilitated by health professionals (all sites).
- Outreach Services: Consultation, treatment and education services to underserved rural communities in BC provided by rheumatologists, occupational therapists, and multidisciplinary teams (coordinated by Vancouver site).
- Arthritis Continuing Education (ACE): Continuing professional education, case consultation, and client resource materials available to physiotherapy and occupational therapy professionals treating clients with arthritis in communities throughout the province (coordinated by Vancouver site).
- Referrals: A physician’s referral is required for physical and occupational therapy and specialized medical programs. Social work, nursing education and counselling services, and education classes are available without a referral.
Inpatient Rehabilitation Services - GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre
A short stay inpatient rehabilitation program is available to clients with systemic inflammatory rheumatic diseases and/or associated reconstructive surgery. Clients range in age from young adults to seniors. The conditions are generally more complex and include the more common rheumatoid arthritis and the less common diseases such as lupus, ankylosing spondylitis, and scleroderma. About 55% of clients enter the program following reconstructive surgery of the knee, hip or foot. The criteria for admission include a diagnosis of rheumatic disease or related reconstructive surgery; medically stable; cognition, motivation and endurance adequate to benefit from active rehabilitation; goals for rehabilitation; and over 16 years of age. Client care is organized around care by an interdisciplinary team and an active program of therapeutic and education activities. The team includes rheumatologists, nurses, physical and occupational therapists, and a social worker. Clients work with the team to identify their rehabilitation goals and plan how to achieve them. During their inpatient stay, clients may also access the services of pharmacy, nutrition, recreation, sexual health, vocational counseling, driver education, psychology, and spiritual care.
Clients are referred to the Program by a rheumatologist. For further information about the Program or questions about the referral process contact the GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre. (www.vch.ca/gfstrong/programs/arthritis/ [2])
Penticton Regional Hospital This short stay inpatient rehabilitation program is available to clients in the Interior Health Authority. For further information about the Mary Pack Program also visit: http://www.vch.ca/arthritis/mpap.htm [3]
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