OHS Celebrates Study Centre Milestones
Nov 15, 2016 // Study Updates
This past fall, OHS Local Study Centres reached and surpassed several important milestones with a recent run of locations in Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay, Pembroke, London and McMaster. As of November 1st, the Study has successfully operated over 50 Study Centre locations in communities across Ontario and collected over 35,000 blood samples.
OHS goes to Northern Ontario
Study Centres in Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder Bay were specifically chosen to improve representation of participants in Northern and Northwestern Ontario, but also presented a unique logistical challenge. Typically, OHS samples drawn in Central and Southern Ontario are transported to facilities in the GTA for testing, which must be completed within a few short hours of collection before the remainder of the sample is frozen. Given the distances involved (1,400 km in the case of Thunder Bay), this would simply not have been possible without the assistance of LifeLabs, who provided the locations for the Study’s northernmost Centres and analyzed all samples on-site.
Perhaps the greatest achievement was the number of local residents in these areas who were able to take part in these communities. Both Thunder Bay and Sault Ste. Marie kept our phlebotomists very busy, coming quite close to beating our single-day record for total blood samples collected at 89 and 76, respectively. The Study also received news coverage here, here and here.
Partnership with McMaster University
In addition to visiting various locations in Northern and Northwestern Ontario, the OHS partnered with McMaster University to promote the Ontario Health Study. It was a natural collaboration, because, as one of Canada’s leading health research facilities, McMaster researchers were involved in the development of the Ontario Health Study and continue work with the OHS on various health research projects. Working with Mac’s Employee Health and Wellness Month team, the OHS promoted participation in the Study with Mac employees. And on October 20th and 21st the OHS hosted local study centres at the University’s Westdale campus, collecting almost 50 blood samples.
Discovery—It’s in your blood
These temporary locations are not the only chance to take part. Through the Study’s Blood Collection Program in partnership with LifeLabs you can provide your blood sample when it is most convenient for you by bringing your OHS requisition form to a LifeLabs site. We have recently trained more than 100 new LifeLabs locations so while there may not have been an OHS-participating LifeLabs location near you in the past, there may be now. Visit the LifeLabs’ Location Finder to see an updated list of participating LifeLabs locations.
This past fall, OHS Local Study Centres reached and surpassed several important milestones with a recent run of locations in Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay, Pembroke, London and McMaster. As of November 1st, the Study has successfully operated over 50 Study Centre locations in communities across Ontario and collected over 35,000 blood samples.
OHS goes to Northern Ontario
Study Centres in Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder Bay were specifically chosen to improve representation of participants in Northern and Northwestern Ontario, but also presented a unique logistical challenge. Typically, OHS samples drawn in Central and Southern Ontario are transported to facilities in the GTA for testing, which must be completed within a few short hours of collection before the remainder of the sample is frozen. Given the distances involved (1,400 km in the case of Thunder Bay), this would simply not have been possible without the assistance of LifeLabs, who provided the locations for the Study’s northernmost Centres and analyzed all samples on-site.
Perhaps the greatest achievement was the number of local residents in these areas who were able to take part in these communities. Both Thunder Bay and Sault Ste. Marie kept our phlebotomists very busy, coming quite close to beating our single-day record for total blood samples collected at 89 and 76, respectively. The Study also received news coverage here, here and here.
Partnership with McMaster University
In addition to visiting various locations in Northern and Northwestern Ontario, the OHS partnered with McMaster University to promote the Ontario Health Study. It was a natural collaboration, because, as one of Canada’s leading health research facilities, McMaster researchers were involved in the development of the Ontario Health Study and continue work with the OHS on various health research projects. Working with Mac’s Employee Health and Wellness Month team, the OHS promoted participation in the Study with Mac employees. And on October 20th and 21st the OHS hosted local study centres at the University’s Westdale campus, collecting almost 50 blood samples.
Discovery—It’s in your blood
These temporary locations are not the only chance to take part. Through the Study’s Blood Collection Programin partnership with LifeLabs you can provide your blood sample when it is most convenient for you by bringing your OHS requisition form to a LifeLabs site. We have recently trained more than 100 new LifeLabs locations so while there may not have been an OHS-participating LifeLabs location near you in the past, there may be now. Visit the LifeLabs’ Location Finder to see an updated list of participating LifeLabs locations.
