Take a look behind the scenes at The Royal

CTV’s Peter Szperling takes a tour of The Royal, which has begun a major expansion with an urgent care centre, new mental health treatments, and research.

It’s a familiar name in the Ottawa region for mental health treatment, but the research and innovation that goes on behind the scenes at The Royal, may not be as widely known.

On Friday, CTV News and other media received an inside look at the hospital on the forefront of mental health care.

“It’s a very rewarding and fulfilling role to be in,” Kamila Bangoura, a technician with the Neuromodulation Research Clinic told CTV News Ottawa. “Especially, to see people start to have hope for the future.”

The Neuromodulation Research Clinic is advancing the treatment of difficult-to-treat depression through innovative neuromodulation therapies. According to the Royal, researchers use non-invasive brain stimulation, delivered through magnetic pulses, to directly target brain circuits involved in depression.

“For those, for whom it works, we really see a big change in their life, following the treatment,” says Sara Tremblay, a mental health researcher.

The tour included a look at a new Urgent Care Clinic that is expected to open at the end of June, according to the Royal.

“For people experiencing a mental health crisis,” says Stephanie Carter, executive director of clinical services.

According to the Royal, it’s not an emergency department – but an alternative service, designed to ease pressure on local ERs.

“Our region’s first, walk in crisis mental health clinic. So, it’s really going to be a game changer in terms of how people access, support in our region,” Carter says.

With an emphasis on research, there are a variety of programs and clinics at the Royal.

The Sleep Research Clinic investigates how sleep affects mood, cognition and emotional regulation.

“Sleep disorders affect about 80 to 90 per cent of people with mental disorder,” explains Rebecca Robillard, a sleep researcher.

Specializing in ketamine treatment, the BMO Innovative Clinic for Depression “offers fast-acting, evidence-based interventions for individuals whose depression hasn’t responded to standard therapies.”

“Here in our clinic, one of our goals is to offer access to novel treatments for difficult to treat depression,” says scientific director Jennifer Phillips.

A Substance Use & Concurrent Disorder Program offers “services tailored to individuals facing complex challenges with substance use, mental illness and physical well-being.”

“Persons who have, issues with using alcohol and opiates and, combination thereof, who are motivated and need some help,” says Geneviève Côté, director of patient care services for the adult general psychiatry program.

The Brain Imaging Centre is a research facility focused on “understanding the brain and mental illness through advanced neuroimaging using different types of brain scans.”

“I think for us is a really big step forward to be able to have access to the imaging modality within the hospital,” says Katie Dinelle, director of strategic research initiatives for innovation and data.

The Royal says the organization is expanding its reach to help more people reclaim their lives. The organization is planning a major fundraising campaign in the coming months, as much of the research is funded by donations.

“I think there’s a palpable excitement here across the organization that we’re doing things differently, and we’re really stepping up and leading into our accountabilities,” says Cara Vaccarino, Royal Ottawa president and CEO.

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