OTTAWA, Jan. 14, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, TELUS announced its commitment to expand the company’s innovative Health for GoodTM program with the launch of the new Ottawa Inner City Health Mobile Clinic, powered by TELUS Health, in partnership with Ottawa Inner City Health, Ottawa Public Health, The Royal, Sandy Hill Community Health Centre and Somerset West Community Health Centre. The Mobile Clinic, a specially-equipped clinic on wheels, will provide essential primary medical and mental health care, including electronic medical records directly to underserved Canadians.
“At TELUS, a cornerstone of our social purpose is our commitment to enabling better health outcomes for all Canadians, including our communities’ most underserved citizens,” says Jill Schnarr, Vice President, Corporate Citizenship at TELUS. “We believe that in order to do well in business, we must leverage the power of our technology to improve the social health of our communities. With an investment of $8 million over five years, we’re incredibly proud of our ongoing commitment to the TELUS Health for Good program and we’re excited to bring these much needed services to Ottawa.”Already active in Montreal, Vancouver, Victoria and Calgary, these state-of-the-art Mobile Health Clinics operate in communities where frontline care is urgently needed and act as a vital link between the community and local health authority. The program helps to remove many of the barriers that Canadians living on the streets face in receiving medical care. The Mobile Health Clinics powered by TELUS Health, initially launched in partnership with Doctors of the World in 2014, will support over 20,000 patient interventions per year nationwide.Estimates show that 235,000 individuals experience homelessness in Canada in a given year. They also typically lack a documented medical history that can be referenced by healthcare practitioners. By facilitating better continuity of care, these services help those who cannot easily access traditional medical care, yet are in urgent need.“We are thrilled to work alongside TELUS and all of our local partners on this exciting new program to help those in our community who need it most,” said Wendy Muckle, CEO, Ottawa Inner City Health. “With thousands of people in Ottawa experiencing homelessness on any given night and opioid use reaching epidemic levels, the demand for this kind of service continues to intensify. Bringing mental health, primary care and substance use treatment directly to patients struggling on the streets will help them overcome some of the barriers to Canada’s medical system that they’re unable to overcome on their own.”The Mobile Health Clinics are equipped with TELUS Health’s electronic medical record (EMR) technology and TELUS LTE Wi-Fi network technology. Skilled practitioners will be able to collect and store data, examine results over time, and provide better continuity of care to patients who previously had undocumented medical histories. The medical clinic is divided into two main areas: the first for patient reception and nursing care, and the second with an examination table and health practitioners’ workstation including equipment necessary to provide primary healthcare such as routine testing, contraception, STI treatment, harm reduction services, and mental healthcare and counselling.For more information about the TELUS Health for Good, and additional All Connected for Good programs visit: telus.com/healthforgood.About TELUS Health for Good
Since 2014, TELUS Health for Good has been helping to remove many of the barriers Canadians living on the streets face in receiving medical care and reconnecting thousands of patients to the public healthcare system. Mobile Health Clinics, powered by TELUS Health, were originally inspired by the work being done by Doctors of The World. The Mobile Health Clinics powered by TELUS Health, provide essential primary medical care, including electronic medical records, generating over 20,000 patient visits since the program’s inception. Today, through numerous partnerships, volunteers, and the power of technology, TELUS Health for Good is an efficient and innovative mobile healthcare delivery tool to reach communities in need by bringing healthcare directly to the people that need it most.About TELUS
TELUS (TSX: T, NYSE: TU) is a dynamic, world-leading communications and information technology company with $14.6 billion in annual revenue and 14.5 million customer connections spanning wireless, data, IP, voice, television, entertainment, video and security. We leverage our global-leading technology to enable remarkable human outcomes. Our longstanding commitment to putting our customers first fuels every aspect of our business, making us a distinct leader in customer service excellence and loyalty. TELUS Health is Canada’s largest healthcare IT provider, and TELUS International delivers the most innovative business process solutions to some of the world’s most established brands.Driven by our passionate social purpose to connect all Canadians for good, our deeply meaningful and enduring philosophy to give where we live has inspired our team members and retirees to contribute more than $700 million and 1.3 million days of service since 2000. This unprecedented generosity and unparalleled volunteerism have made TELUS the most giving company in the world.For more information about TELUS, please visit telus.com, follow us @TELUSNews on Twitter and @Darren_Entwistle on Instagram.For media inquiries, please contact:
Richard Gilhooley
TELUS Public Relations
[email protected]
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