BRAMPTON, Ont. — Peel Region in Ontario is the latest community to receive a mobile health clinic powered by Telus Health, it was announced this week, as the company continues to expand its Health for Good program across the country.
In partnership with the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Peel Dufferin Branch, Telus announced Tuesday at a local community event the new CMHA Peel Dufferin Mobile Health Clinic will be providing essential primary medical care, mental healthcare and addiction supports directly to underserved citizens in Peel Region, including Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon.
Already active in Montreal, Vancouver, Victoria, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, Waterloo Region and Halifax, the Mobile Health Clinics are equipped with Telus Health’s electronic medical record technology and Telus LTE Wi-Fi network technology. Skilled practitioners are 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: one for patient reception and mental health care and a second more spacious area with an examination table and a physician/nursing workstation.
The Mobile Health Clinics operate in communities where frontline care is urgently needed and act as a 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, and will support more than 20,000 patient interventions per year nationwide, says the news release.
“According to a recent study, on any given night in Peel Region, 922 people are homeless and many also have addictions or mental health needs. In fact, 55% of those who are homeless in this study also identify as having mental health issues and 31% as having addictions,” said David Smith, CEO of Canadian Mental Health Association Peel Dufferin, in the news release. “Bringing the Mobile Health Clinic, powered by Telus Health to Peel Region is great news not only for those unable to receive primary care or addictions care due to access barriers, but also for those hesitant to seek out mainstream services due to stigma. Now these ‘at-risk’ members of the community will have access to the healthcare they need via the Mobile Health Clinic at one of the daily clinic sites throughout Peel.”
More information about the Telus Health for Good program can be found here.
UPDATE: The company announced Wednesday it has also launched the program in Surrey, B.C.
