Van Wart Family’s Generosity Supports First-In-North America Research Project
Thanks to an incredible gift of $1 million dollars from the Van Wart Family, Dartmouth General Hospital is home to an innovative research project that will utilize leading-edge virtual reality technology, developed at Harvard University, to measure the cognitive and cardiac effects of hemodialysis on patients. The newly-funded research project, spearheaded by Dr. Karthik Tennankore, Interim Division Head, Nephrology, will focus on enhancing dialysis care through wearable technology in the form of heart rate monitoring devices, oxygen saturation detectors and virtual reality (VR) tools. Results gathered will assist with diagnosis and help drive behavior change and self-monitoring. The Van Wart family are wonderful champions for Dartmouth General Hospital and beloved members of our DGH Foundation family. They brought us Holiday Magic four years ago and now they have stepped forward to make an impact for the more than 30,000 patients in Canada who undergo weekly life-preserving dialysis.
“Nancy and I and our family are honoured to be able to make this investment in kidney health research at the Dartmouth General. DGH feels like part of our family, so it’s extra special that it will be the home of this research project. Like many others in Canada, kidney disease has touched our family in a profoundly personal way. We’re excited by the promise of Dr. Tennankore’s research project and what it will mean for families like ours going forward.” — Robert Van Wart Our deepest thanks to the Van Wart family for their generosity and commitment to the Dartmouth General. We are extraordinarily grateful to Robert and Nancy for supporting Dartmouth General’s culture of innovation, its can-do attitude, and its pioneering spirit. This exciting research project will have a tangible impact for dialysis patients in Nova Scotia and beyond.
Nancy & Robert Van Wart on DGH’s Charm Love Bench
Dr. Karthik Tennankore, Dr. Natalie Cheng, Nancy Regan, Mike Savage, Stephen Harding, Ann Janega, Jeannie Shoveller, Carolyn Marshall with Nancy & Robert Van Wart
Nancy Van Wart helps Laura Sills demonstrate REACT Neuro VR headset, developed at Harvard University
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