McGuinty Government Investing $5 Million in New Centre for Stroke Recovery

Toronto ON -- The McGuinty government is investing $5 million in the Heart and Stroke Foundation's Centre for Stroke Recovery, Minister of Health Promotion, Jim Watson announced today on behalf of Premier and Minister of Research and Innovation, Dalton McGuinty.

"The centre will be the first of its kind in the world to battle stroke disability, and will be an invaluable asset for the rest of the stroke-related healthcare community," said Premier McGuinty. "Our government is on the side of Ontario families who want the best health care, and with the creation of this centre, we are supporting Ontario's world-class researchers, scientists and clinicians who are developing innovative approaches to stroke recovery."

Expert healthcare professionals in three centres make up the virtual Centre for Stroke Recovery. These include the Ottawa Health Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and the Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care. They will work with innovative technologies to look at ways of repairing a patient's brain after a stroke. The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario expects spin-offs from this research to occur in other vital healthcare areas such as neuroscience, molecular biology, genetics and rehabilitation therapies.

"Our investment in the Centre for Stroke Recovery represents the collaborative approach that lies at the core of how this government approaches health care," said Minister Watson. "The success of the Ontario Stroke Strategy, the creation of a Smoke-Free Ontario and now, the introduction of Ontario's Action Plan for Healthy Eating and Active Living are all results of concerted, unified efforts to achieve better health for all Ontarians."

This investment builds on the government's overall stroke strategy that is aimed at integrating stroke initiatives into related healthcare programs, and comes during the Heart and Stroke Foundation's Stroke Awareness Month.

The Ontario Stroke Strategy is a comprehensive and integrated approach to the prevention, treatment, and care of stroke for Ontarians. The strategy provides access to high quality stroke services, rapid access to diagnostics, rehabilitation and community services for stroke patients and families and supports health promotion initiatives addressing stroke risk factors.

Strokes cost the Ontario economy almost a billion dollars a year, and are debilitating for victims and their families. Every 17 minutes, someone in Ontario is hospitalized due to stroke.

"The creation of a virtual Centre for Stroke Recovery will improve the healthcare and quality of life of countless Ontarians," said McGuinty. "The new centre will be another innovative institution that will train, retain and attract top scientific and healthcare talent to the province." -30- For more information visit: www.ontario.ca/innovation