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Programs & Services

The ACPAC (Advanced Clinician Practitioner in Arthritis Care) Program

Program Description

Detailed Program Description (140 KB pdf)

The ACPAC (Advanced Clinician Practitioner in Arthritis Care) Program is an innovative, unique academic and clinical-education training program in advanced musculoskeletal/arthritis care currently offered to experienced physical and occupational therapists. The program is hosted by St. Michael's Hospital, in collaboration with The Hospital for Sick Children, and the University Health Network.

The ACPAC program was developed in response to the well-recognized need for an interdisciplinary approach to better manage patients presenting with osteoarthritis (OA) as well as in the early detection of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by improving access to (shortened wait times) and efficiency of care.

The ACPAC program provides the mechanism for training advanced practitioners to assume vital roles of triage, education and in select cases, management of patients with osteoarthritis and inflammatory arthritis.

Program Goal

The goal of the ACPAC program is to provide a comprehensive, advanced educational experience in rheumatology/orthopedics for physiotherapists and occupational therapists, and to translate new knowledge into practice and thus develop new models of arthritis care.

Course Format

This 10 month academic and clinical training program focuses in the orthopedic and rheumatology fields and consists of modular based (n=5 modules) material delivered in episodic format over ten (10) one-week sessions offered between September 2007 and June 2008. The ACPAC program is a clinical and academic training program distinguished by its rigorous and extensive evaluation of both the trainees and program.

Candidates/Trainees

This program will have trained 23 therapists from across Ontario by June 2008, all to receive a certificate of completion from the University of Toronto upon successful completion of the academic and clinical components of the program. Up to 10 trainees (PT and OT from Ontario) are accepted on an annual basis.

Program Impact

Over the past two years the impact of this program is evident by the many invited presentations given on a local, national and international basis. This year the ACPAC program has been awarded the prestigious Colin Woolf Award for Excellence in Course Development from the Department of Continuing Medical Education at the University of Toronto. Over the past two years, there has been extensive growth in collaboration with multiple academic and community-based institutions resulting in further academic engagement (there are presently 58 faculty members) and outstanding clinical opportunities.

Program Funding

This pilot program is in its third year of operation and is supported generously by funds from St. Michael's Hospital and its Foundation, the Ontario Ministry of Health, Amgen/Wyeth, Abbott, and is endorsed by the the Arthritis Society (Ontario branch).

Application to Program

The description of the current program (2007-2008) is found in the program synopsis (see pdf link to detailed program description at the top of this page). Details regarding application to the ACPAC program for 2008-2009 will be available in early February 2008. Please read carefully the criteria for admission to program. Prospective trainees must have competed the Polyarthritis Training Course offered by the Arthritis Society. Interested applicants are invited to contact the program coordinator at  k.lundon@cogeco.ca for a program brochure.

 

page last updated: October 24, 2007