Stepping Farther Together

Concordia Foundation Announces Arthroplasty Research Chair

Roger Gripp, Chair of the Board of the Concordia Foundation announced that we are Stepping Farther Together on the next phase of our journey to advance hip and knee replacement surgery and research by naming Dr. Thomas Turgeon the Arthroplasty Research Chair at Concordia’s Hip and Knee Replacement Institute.

“Orthopedic surgeries have and continue to be an important part of the purpose of Concordia Hospital and we are very pleased about the announcement of the Arthroplasty Research Chair by the Concordia Foundation. Over the past year, the Concordia Hospital Board of Directors Research and Ethics committee has approved and supported approximately 36 orthopedic research studies,” says Michael Woelcke, Chair, Concordia Hospital, Board of Directors.

This Chair and the fundraising campaigns we’ve launched to support it are concrete steps towards saying no to pain and saying yes to helping people struggling to walk, work, play, and live their lives to the fullest.

“Research is at the forefront of quality patient care, patient safety and best practice and is the keystone of advancement in orthopedic surgery. Without the contribution of research, it is not possible to progress and consistently improve. Furthermore, research at Concordia is in alignment with Concordia’s Purpose and Values..as a centre of excellence committed to the provisions of quality, compassionate care. Concordia is truly blessed to work with the surgical team.”

Research managed by the Chair will improve operating room efficiencies, reduce barriers to access, and accelerate innovative approaches to healing the growing number of Manitobans living with debilitating hip and knee pain.

Data from research — including clinical trials, hip and knee implant analysis and laboratory testing, conducted right here at home and in partnership with leading institutions worldwide — will ensure that new processes, techniques and technologies put into practice by Concordia researchers will lead to the best possible outcomes for patients, says Dr. Turgeon.

“Innovative surgical techniques and technologies, better access to health care services and support, advanced training and education to ensure our team is creating the best outcomes for the most people will make a huge difference – all of these are high priorities for our team.”

Dr. Turgeon is the ideal person to lead Concordia’s hip and knee research for the next five years, says Anupam Kothari, Chair of the Research Committee at the Concordia Hip and Knee Research Institute.

“He has performed over 4,000 hip or knee replacement surgeries over the past 15 years. He has led, conducted, or contributed to dozens of research projects examining hip and knee replacement surgery from virtually every angle. He is a teacher and mentor. His leadership has helped elevate the Concordia Hip and Knee Institute into the unique, ground-breaking organization it is today: one of the only hip and knee institutes in the world where clinicians, researchers and engineers work together under one roof.”

Dr. Turgeon has been the head of research at Concordia for eight years, as well as Fellowship Director, Hip and Knee Arthroplasty Surgery, Rady School of Medicine, The University of Manitoba as well as Associate Professor, University of Manitoba, Rady School of Medicine.

His research disciplines include surgery, biomedical engineers, and biochemical engineering.

In his role as Arthroplasty Research Chair, Dr. Turgeon will manage research funds raised by the Concordia Foundation, including gifts from generous donors and matching funds from Research Manitoba. Last year, the foundation’s Stepping Forward campaign raised over $250,000 in support of the Research Chair. Research Manitoba donated an additional $250,000. The Foundation will soon launch a new campaign, Stepping Farther Together, to ensure the Chair and the team has what it needs in the years ahead.

Funds raised from these campaigns will give Concordia’s hip and knee research team the flexibility to pursue questions they need to answer urgently without having to complete often lengthy grant application processes, and achieve preliminary results that can help them secure grants and additional funding from government and institutional partners for a more significant impact in the future.

Thanks to the enormous giving spirit of so many Manitobans, the Hip and Knee Institute will be able to build its team, accelerate the pace of research, publish findings faster, and connect sooner with partners worldwide who can help us bring innovative care to Manitobans when they need us most.

He adds, “When we look at the impact that hip and knee surgery have on patients, there are very few things that come anywhere close to the relatively small cost relative to the massive improvement in quality of life and the impact on people’s quality of life. The Concordia Foundation is proud to support and empower this team of dedicated researchers and grateful to the donors and patients and to Research Manitoba for making this a reality.”

“We are very excited to be partnering with the Concordia Foundation on this important project. Advancements in care require research in many areas. This project will support our shared commitment to excellence by enabling Dr. Turgeon and his team to accelerate their research to help Manitobans get back on their feet and improve their lives.” Ms. Karen Dunlop, CEO, Research Manitoba.

Funding for research like this is especially important now.

For one thing, the need for hip and knee replacement surgery did not go away when the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020. Back then, there was already a waitlist. When we paused surgeries to comply with public health orders, that list started to grow — and grow.

Our team of hip and knee surgeons is working hard to catch up, but the number of people needing hip and knee surgery continues to rise by at least 6% each year. This Chair and the fundraising campaigns we’ve launched to support it are concrete steps towards saying no to pain and saying yes to helping people struggling to walk, work, play, and live their lives to the fullest.

The Concordia Hip and Knee Institute was established by Concordia Hospital in Winnipeg in 2009 to serve as a Center of Excellence with the goal of advancing the field of knee and hip joint replacement through research, education and clinical outcome improvements. The Concordia Foundation serves as the fundraising body for the Institute as well as for the Arthroplasty Research Chair.

Registered Charity: 13036 3336 RR0001

Research Manitoba is a provincial funding agency, which strives to champion the Manitoba research community, supports early career researchers and graduate students in Manitoba and coordinates funding of research in health, natural and social sciences, engineering, and the humanities. Our organization also fosters partnerships to advance and strengthen Manitoba’s resources, assets, and innovations. Research Manitoba’s goal is to become the most improved province in research.

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