BRIEF FROM THE RICK HANSEN FOUNDATION
AND RICK HANSEN INSTITUTE
Executive Summary
The Rick Hansen Foundation and the Rick Hansen Institute
are seeking renewed funding of $21 million per year over five years toward
spinal cord injury (SCI) cures, improved accessibility and inclusivity, and new
social innovations that will continue to showcase Canada as a global leader in
SCI research, treatment and care.
In an era of fiscal restraint where healthcare expenditures
continue to increase by six percent each year, the extensive healthcare costs
associated with SCI continues to be one of the most expensive initial and
ongoing healthcare costs in the country. Furthermore, the unemployment rate for
those with SCI is as high as 60 percent. While significant progress has been
made over the last 25 years, more can be done to improve the lives of all
Canadians with SCI.
A renewed investment by the Government of Canada will achieve
further substantial health and economic benefits
for Canadians with SCI and other related disabilities. The work being
accomplished by the Rick Hansen Foundation and the Rick Hansen Institute
will reduce the economic burden of SCI, saving government hundreds of millions
of dollars in future health care and social assistance. Investing in a cure for
SCI and improving the quality of life for those living with SCI and related
disabilities will also give people with disabilities
new opportunities to participate more fully in society and return to living
full, productive lives.
The Past 25 Years: Impact and Progress
Twenty-five years ago, Rick Hansen started a journey with drive,
determination and a dream - to find a cure for SCI and to make the world a more
accessible place. In 1985, he began his Man in Motion World Tour, a legendary
journey that spanned more than 40,000 km through 34 countries and took two
years to complete. The generosity of thousands who were inspired by Rick’s
dream resulted in over $26 million in donations. These funds helped establish
and sustain the work of the Rick Hansen Foundation. Over the years, the Foundation has maintained its focus: find a cure
for SCI and improve the quality of life for those living with SCI and related disabilities.
In 2008, after years of dedicated work, the Rick Hansen Foundation
led to the formal creation of the Spinal Cord
Injury Solutions Network, a Canada-wide collaboration of people living with
SCI, researchers and services providers, along with their respective
organizations dedicated to generating life-enhancing solutions for Canadians with
SCI. The Spinal Cord Injury Solutions Network, now known as the Rick Hansen
Institute, is leading collaboration with
the global SCI community by providing the resources, infrastructure and
knowledge required to identify, develop, validate and accelerate the
translation of evidence and best practices to reduce the incidence and severity
of paralysis after SCI and improve health outcomes for those living with SCI so
they can return to living full,
productive lives.
With visionary funding from the federal government, the Rick Hansen
Foundation and the Rick Hansen Institute
have achieved considerable progress. Because of these investments, the
Foundation and the Institute have been able to leverage considerable support
from private and corporate donors as well as contributions from other
levels of government, including overseas, producing a far greater impact and
result. This year, the 25th Anniversary of the Man in Motion World Tour
provides a pivotal opportunity to accelerate progress in SCI research and inclusivity for the next 25 years.
Continuing the Journey - Building on Progress and Results
The Foundation has driven initiatives that have accelerated
breakthroughs in SCI research and care, and has achieved great accessibility
for those with disabilities. Rick and the Foundation have led in the formation
of ICORD (International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries) and the Rick
Hansen Institute - both of which are housed at the Blusson Spinal Cord Centre
(BSCC) in Vancouver. These distinct but integrated research groups are
innovating, applying and translating new therapies and medical approaches to
SCI, which ultimately improve the quality of
life for individuals with SCI and their families.
The Rick Hansen Institute works as a catalyst, bringing together
the best and brightest minds in SCI research, clinical care and affiliated
services. The Institute is designed to influence all elements of SCI treatment
and care, including developing new therapies and decreasing the time required
for research to be translated into real-life benefits. The model - a national
network with common goals, supported by infrastructure, resources and knowledge
dissemination - is already making a difference and is resulting in better
outcomes for individuals with SCI. The
Institute has also launched the RHI Global Research Platform (GRP) that tracks
injuries and interventions at 34 sites across Canada, and international
partnerships have been established to extend this system into Israel,
Australia, China and the United States. The platform will enable easy and
efficient capturing of data, strengthen multi-jurisdictional collaboration on
clinical trials and studies, and accelerate global SCI research outcomes and
healthcare benefits.
The Government of Canada has been a vital partner in achieving
success in SCI research and accessibility by providing critical investments
along this journey. This support has helped to distinguish Canada as a global leader
in medical research and treatments for SCI, and in supporting those with disabilities.
Today, thanks to past investments in capacity and infrastructure, Canada is
contributing to some of the most important discoveries
in the field of SCI research, treatment and services. In addition, direct
investment into research and development is creating jobs, working to
strengthen the economy and improving the quality of life of Canadians with SCI.
Some examples of how treatment
of spinal cord injuries has improved in recent years include:
· Survival after the initial years of a traumatic SCI has improved
by 40 per cent;
· Overall acute hospital stays for those with SCI have been reduced
by more than half through early intervention, improved surgical techniques, and
improved medical care;
· Some secondary complications from SCI have been reduced dramatically,
with frequently fatal complications such as pulmonary embolism (blood clot
propagation to the lungs) almost unheard of in today’s hospitalized SCI
patients; and
· There has been an increase in the number of people who experience
significant neurological improvement due to improved imaging (magnetic
resonance), which helps optimize the surgical approach for decompressing the
injured spinal cord, and improved anaesthesia and critical care techniques,
which avoid blood pressure drops that are common in newly injured SCI patients.
Past investments in the Rick Hansen Institute are already showing
early returns and will continue to help reduce
long term healthcare costs to governments. A number of achievements
(conservatively) include:
· A ten per cent reduction in hospital readmissions, saving the
healthcare system $66 million over five years; and
· A ten per cent reduction in ongoing SCI-related healthcare costs
amounting to $360 million in savings annually.
The Ongoing Burden of SCI and the Continuing Need for Support
SCI is one of Canada’s major unsolved healthcare challenges,
affecting not only the individuals who live with it but their families too. It is a devastating form of neurotrauma that has
tremendous and broad-ranging physical and socioeconomic impacts. Life is
changed forever; physical functioning, independence, employment, health and community participation are all affected.
Despite notable advances, SCI still has devastating physical,
emotional and social impacts and continue to place a huge - and increasing -
financial burden on the healthcare system. Spinal cord injury continues to be one of the most expensive initial and ongoing
healthcare costs in the entire medical system. More than 86,000 Canadians
live with SCI, and with approximately 4,300 new cases occurring each year.[i] At an estimated cost of $2.4 million per
individual ($1.6 million for paraplegia, $3 million for tetraplegia), traumatic
spinal cord injuries cost $3.6 billion annually.[ii] This figure is conservative given the fact that it does not reflect the annual
costs of damage to the spinal cord and impaired function arising from non-traumatic causes, such as certain chronic and progressive diseases. This economic impact
is compounded by the fact that unemployment amongst Canadians with SCI is as
high as 60 percent.
In addition to this economic impact, accessibility for people
living with SCI remains a critical societal concern. While some progress has
been made, physical access remains a major barrier in communities across Canada
and around the world.
Continuing the Journey and Accelerating Progress
The Rick Hansen Foundation and the Rick Hansen Institute are
seeking to secure a federal investment of $21 million
per year over five years toward the search for SCI cures, improved
accessibility and inclusivity, and new social innovations that will
improve Canada’s civil society and global reputation. This investment will
achieve further substantial health and economic benefits for Canadians with SCI
and other related disabilities, while showcasing Canada as a global leader in
cutting-edge translational research, best practice standards and accessibility
and inclusivity.
Rick Hansen Institute
The Rick Hansen Institute is seeking a continued investment of $16
million per year over five years from the Government of Canada to solidify the
Institute’s position as a truly world-class research centre. Working with other
partners and supporters, the Rick Hansen Institute expects to leverage this
initial investment into $206 million, in order
to achieve the level of transformational change that is required. The Institute
has made many advances, including rallying the scientific and medical
research communities to generate improvements in post-traumatic SCI care aimed
at maximizing physical functionality of the individual and reducing long-term
healthcare costs.
Funds will support the Rick
Hansen Institute’s initiatives in the following six main areas: translational
research studies and clinical trials; best practices implementation;
network development; informatics; strategic partnerships and corporate
infrastructure. These initiatives will contribute to improved treatment and
best practices will result in continued reductions in the length of stay in
hospitals and primary treatment facilities. In
addition the improved recovery will lead to reduced secondary complications
which will result in a reduction in readmissions and reduced home-care
support requirements. These potential savings would be realized across the Canadian healthcare system and the
wider society, representing the result of investments made by the Government and other funding partners.
· Acutely injured SCI patients will achieve better functional
outcomes, including reduced paralysis and reduced secondary complications.
· The greater the neurological improvement, the more likely the
patient will be able to return to independent living in the community.
· A 10-per-cent reduction in hospital readmissions for secondary
complications will result in direct cost savings of $66 million over a
five-year period.
· If improvements in care and treatment of traumatic SCI alone lead
to a 10 percent reduction in healthcare costs, the impact in Canada would be
savings of $360 million annually.
Continued funding to the Rick Hansen Institute will ensure that
Canada remains the headquarters of a worldclass SCI centre of
excellence—setting a national and international standard to accelerate SCI
research, treatment and care. Governments across Canada will benefit by
reducing healthcare costs due to the accelerated integration of advanced best
practices and translational research into the Canadian healthcare system.
Providing the best care in the best environment in a timely fashion will be
more cost effective for Canada’s health care system over the long term.
Rick Hansen Foundation
The Rick Hansen Foundation is seeking an investment of $5 million
per year over 5 years from the Government of Canada to build on its track
record of success, stewardship and accountability to lead and develop
initiatives of critical importance in building a healthier, more inclusive
country, and creating more social innovations that benefit Canadians. This
investment will enable the Foundation to build on its track record of success
which has seeded innovations that have made a significant impact on Canada’s
civil society.
For 25 years under Rick’s leadership, the Foundation has pioneered
innovations that have improved the lives of thousands of people. Through this
funding the Government will also be supporting future initiatives like the
Foundation’s Global Accessibility Initiative - a unique international call to
action designed to focus on increasing physical access to the built environment
in Canada and around the world. A main component of this initiative will be the
launch of the Rick Hansen Global Accessibility Map (RHGAM), an easy-to-use
web-based application, designed to provide consumers with the opportunity to
submit and obtain reviews on the accessibility of buildings and public spaces
in communities around the world. RHGAM has the potential to improve the quality
of life for 4.4 million Canadians living with disabilities,[iii] plus an aging population that is projected to double from 4.8 million in 2010
to reach 10.4 million by 2036.[iv] Seniors are estimated to
be four times more likely than people of working age to live with a disability.[v] By driving societal change towards improved accessibility in communities across
Canada, RHGAM encourages active lifestyles, social interaction and
inclusivity—all of which may help to lower health care costs and stimulate
consumer spending.
As Rick has proven from past funding support, any Government of
Canada investment delivers real benefits and results for Canadians. In
addition, Rick has been successful in leveraging such investments with other
partners. Government of Canada support for the 25th Anniversary Campaign will
provide the potential to raise over $300 million in new resources to ensure the
success of the Foundation and Institute, and sustain their growth for the
future. Our ability to secure leverage is a compelling part of this proposal.
Conclusion
The Rick Hansen Foundation and the Rick Hansen Institute are
thankful for a strong and enduring relationship with the Government of Canada
that has enabled the Foundation and the Institute to consistently address the
priorities of Canadians with SCI and other disabilities. With the renewed
support of and partnership with the Government of Canada, the Foundation and
the Institute can continue to provide significant and tangible benefits to the
federal government and all Canadians. This investment will also ensure that
Rick Hansen’s leadership can be leveraged to deliver new social innovations in
support of a healthier, more inclusive and sustainable country - leaving a
lasting legacy for the benefit of Canadians and people around the world.
A renewed funding commitment of $21 million per year over five
years by the Government of Canada will achieve further substantial health and
economic benefits for Canadians with SCI and other related disabilities.
Investing in a cure for SCI and improving the quality of life for those living
with SCI and related disabilities so they can return to living full, productive
lives will help governments manage healthcare and social assistance expenditures.
It will also build Canada’s reputation for innovation in science and technology
and drive economic growth by increasing competitiveness and productivity.
Rick Hansen’s ongoing leadership is a powerful and impactful force
in improving the lives of Canadians, inspiring people to make a difference and
promoting Canada’s positive social reputation globally. With renewed support
and partnership, Rick will ensure that his vision continues and that his dream
of a cure is realized.