Newly Expanded CETAC Opens

Montreal, Quebec – May 9, 2018 –The Jewish General Hospital today announced the opening of its newly expanded Centre of Excellence in Thrombosis and Anticoagulation Care (CETAC). This new Centre is setting the stage for enhanced awareness, prevention, research, training, diagnosis and treatment of thrombosis and its associated complications, not only at the JGH but across the Quebec health care system.

The Centre’s mandate is to provide leadership and guidance to other institutions and agencies in Quebec to support initiatives in thrombosis prevention and treatment. Funding of the Centre was made possible through the JGH Foundation and from Sanofi Canada.

“Thanks to our fruitful partnership with Sanofi Canada and the generous support from the community the newly expanded Centre of Excellence in Thrombosis and Anticoagulation Care will play a vital role in lessening thrombosis-related mortality, morbidity and socioeconomic burden not only at the JGH but throughout the Quebec healthcare system,” said Dr. Susan Kahn, Director of CETAC.

The establishment of the CETAC in a dedicated and expanded facility will allow for streamlined care delivery, improved workflow and strengthened research collaboration. Concerted attention to clinical care, education and research in anticoagulation safety will improve the health of the many patients at the JGH who need to take blood thinner medications. Located on the third floor of Pavilion B, the new, expanded CETAC regroups all clinical, training and research activities in a single, dedicated location.

“Sanofi is proud to support the Centre of Excellence in Thrombosis and Anticoagulation Care (CETAC) at the Jewish General Hospital as part of our commitment to investing in initiatives that empower the lives of Canadians. It is an important priority for Sanofi to contribute to patient education and our goal is to help patients and their families when it matters the most,” said Paul-François Cossa, General Manager of General Medicines and Established Products, Sanofi Canada.

Prevention and awareness key to saving lives

“Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is the third most common cardiovascular condition after heart attack and stroke, with one in four Canadians who die from causes related to blot clots,” says Dr. Susan Kahn, Director of CETAC. “In addition, VTE causes more deaths each year than breast cancer, HIV and motor vehicle accidents combined. These complications are serious health issues, which must be addressed in an organized fashion in a state-of-the-art facility, where we can work towards prevention, patient awareness and in turn, saving lives.”

“Without a dedicated facility, nor the funding, patients were spilling in the corridors due to the insufficient number of exam rooms and waiting areas,” recalls Dr. Blostein, Associate Chief of the JGH Division of Hematology and Oncology, and Senior Investigator at the Lady Davis Institute (LDI). “We didn’t have the room to hire an anticoagulant pharmacist, nor to train physicians (fellows) and graduate students. Our clinical team, our researchers and even our services were scattered throughout the hospital. Now all of that has changed thanks to this newly expanded Centre.”

VTE prevention protocol among first in Canada

The JGH was among the first in Canada to develop a hospital-wide protocol to determine which patients are at risk for VTE and which preventive methods should be applied. Since 1998, the JGH has built a unique, multidisciplinary Thrombosis Program with patient care, training, education and internationally recognized research components that are unparalleled in Quebec and among the top three programs in Canada. “We have been trailblazers in developing VTE prevention protocols and anticoagulation guidelines at the national and international level,” confirms Dr. Kahn, Founder and Director of the CETAC.

“We are now in a position to expand our clinical activities and increase our recruitment of patients in thrombosis studies,” declares Dr. Kahn. “The added space will also allow us to measure outcomes via patient satisfaction surveys and other means. These are critical to assess which pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic measures actually diminish the risk of Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and Pulmonary Embolism (PE), and to the continuous improvement of our interventions.”