Arthritis Society - British Columbia and Yukon Division Office

Description

About Us
As a donorfunded organization we raise more than 5 million annually to support arthritisrelated research programs and services for over 600000 people in British Columbia and the Yukon who live with arthritis

The Arthritis Society is the only notforprofit organization in Canada uniquely devoted to promoting and funding arthritis research based solutions education as well as community support for Canadians living with arthritis Founded in 1948 with thousands of volunteers over the years The Arthritis Society continues to have an outstanding reputation in the community and a successful track record of results

Amidst our world of information overload The Arthritis Society remains the most valued and trusted resource on arthritis for patients their families and health professionals

History

Our History
The Arthritis Societys legacy of research and care is due to the initial stimulus and determination of Vancouver homeschool instructor Mary Pack In 1946 Mary Pack armed with 7000 signatures on a petition went to talk to a politician about arthritis Her request was simple include arthritis on the National Health Bill soon to be presented to parliament and fund research into a cure for this devastating diseases

The MP s reaction was disappointing
My dear young lady you are trying to move a mountain with a very little spade

Our FounderMary Pack

But Mary was undeterred She knew too many people who were suffering in silence And she was determined to help them Mary was convinced that there were thousands of volunteers who would want to fight this tyrant disease

Mary Pack found them One by one politicians patients health care workers and others joined her brigade By 1948 her small group of BC volunteers had grown into a national organization The Canadian Arthritis and Rheumatism Society CARS

Mary Pack dreamed of a world without arthritis And she shared that dream with many whom she encountered and many who became her friends

A Legacy of Leadership

We ve come a long way over the past half century providing an integrated care approach to help people achieve a better quality of life Our treatment programs now operated by Vancouver Coastal Health Authority have been offered over the years in hundreds of facilities around the province and are recognized worldwide

People can talk to trained volunteers through our telephone information service use our Arthritis Learning Centre to access information attend programs to learn how to manage arthritis receive support from volunteers in many community groups throughout the province participate in arthritis exercise programs or visit our interactive web site

Opened in 1969 and funded by donations the Mary Pack Arthritis Centre was the first of its kind in Canada Today the centre integrates clinical research education and treatment The centres medical staff include physicians and surgeons all having appointments on the teaching staff of the Faculty of Medicine in the departments of Rheumatology Orthopaedics and Medicine

In the spring of 2000 the Society opened The Arthritis Learning Centre providing consumers with the information they need to take control of their disease We also established the Arthritis Research Centre of Canada in 2001 in response to our donors requests to make research a top priority

The Arthritis Research Centre of Canada ARC is now an independent organization that works closely with The Arthritis Society for the benefit of all people with arthritis A patientoriented research centre ARC conducts consumerdriven clinical research and trials related to arthritis diagnosis prognosis prevention care outcomes and quality of life issues