Esmée Vesseur went on a work visit to Prof. Maria Santana from the University of Calgary and the Alberta Children’s Hospital, Canada, from September 25 to October 12, 2026.
"My Work Visit to Prof. Maria Santana's team at the University of Calgary and the Alberta Children's Hospital gave me first-hand insight into patient engagement and measurement-based healthcare in youth (mental) health services. In particular, the patient engagement component directly informs the next phase of my EMpower Parents project: the implementation of brief EMDR treatment for parents of children with a chronic or acute medical condition, in which I aim to actively engage parents and healthcare professionals in a co-design setting. Beyond the knowledge gained, the visit has already led to a planned joint publication and a valuable international network, while presenting my work to clinicians, students and researchers strengthened my academic visibility and presentation skills"