Recognizing Impact: Chelsia Gillis

Chelsia Gillis is a PhD student in the Community Health Sciences program who’s research work is about preparing patients physically and emotionally to withstand the stress of surgery with personalized nutrition, anxiety reduction, and exercise counseling.

This study will test whether prehabilitation improves the recovery of patients who have had bowel surgery. It is expected that patients who take part in the prehabilitation program will have better surgical recoveries, such as earlier discharges from the hospital, fewer surgical complications, fewer re-admissions to hospital, and earlier recovery of activities of daily living.  

Surgical interventions are often focused on improving the intermediate period of recovery, including provider-focused outcomes such as length of hospital stay. Yet, patients recognize recovery as a state in which illness no longer disrupts everyday life. It usually takes several weeks to months for patients to recover the strength required to return to their typical daily activities. Prehabilitation complements current surgical care and interventions by focusing on patient-oriented recovery, specifically on getting patients back to their daily lives with a return of their strength and function.

Chelsia sees a need for this work since there is clear evidence that with support and advice about how to prepare for surgery, patients feel better sooner.