Health Update: Investing in community health and wellness | Giving – What Experts Say

Expanding services 

This emphasis on serving the community is particularly reflected in the Dalhousie Physiotherapy Clinic, which offers rehabilitation services to approximately 15,000 patients annually. Additionally, it provides important teaching and learning opportunities for Dal’s Faculty of Health students including physiotherapy and kinesiology students. 

The expansion from the clinic’s current location in the Dalplex to the Scott McCain & Leslie McLean Community Wellness Level of the Oulton-Stanish Centre will ensure that more private and semi-private treatment rooms are available to provide personalized care to more members of the community. 

When Jenn Bethune (MSc’14), a Halifax-based audiologist and client of the clinic, was involved in a motor vehicle accident in 2018 while four months pregnant, she wanted to find a clinic that would be equipped to work with her complex situation. As the clinic is located on a university campus, Bethune was confident that they could assist her in her recovery. 

“The clinic is very clearly a teaching centre. I’ve had students help take care of me and the current staff are committed to advancing their skills. You can tell that everyone really cares about their work and providing the best care possible.”

Bethune says that her decision to go to the clinic has improved all aspects of her life. “I don’t think I would be as physically capable as I am today without the Dal physio team,” she says. “I can better perform my duties at work, as a parent and as a participant in the world.” 

This sentiment is echoed by Rhonda Reardon, clinic manager of the Dalhousie Physiotherapy Clinic. “The clinic is here to support people throughout their lifespan, whether they want to walk the Camino de Santiago at 70 years old, go rock climbing with their friends or be able to compete competitively in their varsity or club sport,” says Reardon.