Churchill sends Garcia-Vega to Italy! …and UK, US and Canada!
Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital Senior Neurological Physiotherapist Mena Garcia-Vega is among 115 visionary Australians who will travel the world in 2020, as recipients of the prestigious Churchill Fellowship Award.
Mena, who is one of only 14 Western Australians to receive a Churchill Fellowship this year, was chosen for her proposal to study how some of the world’s best interdisciplinary rehabilitation units meet the needs of patients with incurable brain tumours. She will work with and learn from outstanding international thought leaders to gain and exchange knowledge and experience for the advancement of rehabilitation for neuro-oncology patients.
“I am very passionate about this area because over the last 10 years as the senior physiotherapist on the neurosurgical ward at SCGH I have always felt that we could do better in terms of improving quality of life for these patients,” Mena said.
“They get the gold standard and state of the art surgical and medical oncology and radiotherapy treatments available, however they are not getting access to gold standard rehabilitation.
“This particular group of patients doesn’t fit mainstream rehabilitation, therefore we need to find ways to keep them functional and independent no matter what their prognosis is.”
Mena will visit notable neuro-oncology rehabilitation centres unmatched in Australia to meet the multidisciplinary clinical teams and research specialists leading them.
Her study findings will be shared with state-wide, rural and remote clinicians via TRACSWA learning resources. Her report will be presented to the Australian Physiotherapy Association, and the Asian Society for Neuro-oncology meeting in 2021. The ultimate goal is superior patient outcomes.
“Currently, WA Health does not provide an ongoing neuro-oncology rehabilitation service,” Mena said.
“Knowledge gained from these experts will hugely assist in informing and progressing the setup of a specialist neuro-oncology rehabilitation unit in WA.
“It will connect rural and remote interdisciplinary networks, allowing follow up in the community easing the financial burden to the state and federal health system whilst improving the care and quality of life for patients and their families.”
The aim of the Trust is to provide an opportunity for Australians like Mena to travel overseas to conduct research in their chosen field that is not readily available in Australia. The Churchill Trust described Fellowship recipients as people who are up for a challenge, can foresee an opportunity, and know how to address it.
Janet Zagari SCGOPHCG Executive Director said we are immensely proud of Mena and feel inspired that one of our own has been acknowledged for her outstanding talent and vision.
“We wish her all the very best in her pursuit of excellence in the field of neuro-oncology rehabilitation,” said Janet.