One in five Canadians experiencing
homelessness also have diabetes
New Point of Care Testing program addresses a
critical need among Calgary's
marginalized population, reducing strain on local hospitals
CALGARY, AB, July 9, 2024 /CNW/ - Today, TELUS, in
partnership with The Alex Community Health Centre and the
University of Calgary, announced their
innovative new pilot program, bringing mobile diabetes Point of
Care Testing (POCT) directly to vulnerable Calgarians via The Alex
Mobile Care Clinic, powered by TELUS Health. In Canada, one in five people experiencing
homelessness also have diabetes and experience increased challenges
managing their disease, including a five-fold increased risk of
hospitalization. The Alex Mobile Care Clinic, powered by TELUS
Health, is a specially-equipped mobile health clinic on wheels,
providing primary healthcare services, including routine testing,
contraception, STI treatment, harm reduction services, mental
health care and counseling, to Calgarians in need. Building on the
primary healthcare and social support services offered by The Alex
Mobile Care Clinic, which has supported more than 5,000 patient
visits locally since its launch in 2022, this addition will help
address a critical need and reduce the strain on local
hospitals.
To raise awareness of these critical services and the newly
added diabetes Point of Care Testing, TELUS and The Alex are
hosting a community event on July 9
at The Alex Community Health Centre in Calgary. The event will also be used as an
avenue to educate marginalized Calgarians on the importance of
nutritious food and preventative testing. Healthy meals will be
served, and community members that attend will receive a local
grocery store gift card to help them purchase additional healthy
meals.
"At TELUS, we are driven by our collective desire to leverage
technology and human compassion to enable better health outcomes,"
said Nimmi Kanji, Executive Director
TELUS Friendly Future Foundation and TELUS Social Purpose Programs.
"We deeply value our partnership with The Alex, and the
University of Calgary, as it enables us
to continue to break down barriers to critical healthcare services
for marginalized populations. From primary health care, to mental
health support, and the newly added diabetes Point of Care Testing,
we are combining technology with human compassion, and bringing
healthcare directly to the communities and people who need it most,
reminding our fellow Calgarians that they're not alone."
Expanding on TELUS Health for Good's national program which, to
date, has brought primary healthcare and mental health services to
25 marginalized communities across Canada, the launch of Calgary's diabetes POCT services was made
possible through the University of
Calgary's partnership with the Calgary Diabetes Advocacy
Committee (CDAC) as well as a community-based participatory
research group of eight co-researchers with lived experience of
diabetes and homelessness, and academic researchers.
"We are thrilled to build upon our impactful partnership with
TELUS and our Mobile Care Clinic, as we embark on this new chapter
with University of Calgary," said
Joy Bowen-Eyre, CEO of The Alex.
"We've seen first hand the positive impact our mobile clinic has
made when it comes to reducing barriers to health care and
increasing positive outcomes. With support from TELUS and the
University of Calgary, our team will be
able to extend our reach to more individuals and enhance the level
of care provided to the vulnerable populations we serve. By
building resiliency, knowledge, and skills among those living with
diabetes who are at higher risk due to limited access to other
support services, we are taking a crucial step toward improving
health outcomes."
"Through our previous shelter-based diabetes outreach program,
we were able to help a number of people but we realized there are
so many people in Calgary who
aren't being reached but could benefit from more accessible
diabetes care," said Dr. David J.T.
Campbell, internal medicine specialist and Associate
Professor at the Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary. "Being able to take our
program mobile through the Mobile Care Clinic allows us to offer
full-service diabetes specialty care services to people who face
barriers to accessing care in traditional hospital-based
clinics."
Backed by a commitment of $13
million, through 2026, TELUS Health for Good has supported
over 225,000 patient visits in 25 communities across Canada since inception. In addition, the
program also provides free access to TELUS Health MyCare™
counselling services to marginalized individuals in need of
mental health support across Canada as well as discounted access to TELUS
Health Medical Alert services for low-income older-adults.
To learn more about how we are creating better health outcomes
for all, visit telus.com/healthforgood.
About The Alex
The Alex is a beacon of hope for
Calgary's most vulnerable
citizens, offering wrap-around health care, housing, social, and
wellness programs. With a patient and client-centered approach, we
envision a community where every individual is valued and empowered
to thrive. Our mission is to improve quality of life through
accessible and integrated health, housing, and social services.
With five decades of experience, we have earned a reputation for
tackling tough health and social issues, guiding individuals on
their journey from crisis to wellness, and from challenge to
change.
For more information about The Alex visit us at www.thealex.ca,
and follow us @thealexchc on Twitter and Instagram.
About the University of
Calgary
UCalgary is Canada's entrepreneurial university, located
in Canada's most enterprising
city. It is a top research university and one of the highest-ranked
universities of its age. Founded in 1966, its 35,000 students
experience an innovative learning environment, made rich by
research, hands-on experiences and entrepreneurial thinking. It is
Canada's leader in the creation of
start-ups. Start something today at the University of Calgary.
For more information, visit ucalgary.ca. Stay up to date with
UCalgary news headlines on Twitter @UCalgary. For access to
UCalgary news releases, images and b-roll, and details on faculties
and how to reach experts, check out our newsroom at
ucalgary.ca/newsroom.
About TELUS
TELUS (TSX: T, NYSE: TU) is a dynamic,
world-leading communications technology company with more than
$20 billion in annual revenue and
over 19 million customer connections spanning wireless, data, IP,
voice, television, entertainment, video, and security. Our social
purpose is to leverage our global-leading technology and compassion
to drive social change and 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. The numerous, sustained accolades
TELUS has earned over the years from independent, industry-leading
network insight firms showcase the strength and speed of TELUS'
global-leading networks, reinforcing our commitment to provide
Canadians with access to superior technology that connects us to
the people, resources and information that make our lives
better.
Operating in 32 countries around the world, TELUS Digital
Experience (TSX and NYSE: TIXT) is a leading digital customer
experience innovator that designs, builds, and delivers
next-generation solutions, including AI and content moderation, for
global and disruptive brands across strategic industry verticals,
including tech and games, communications and media, eCommerce and
fintech, banking, financial services and insurance, healthcare, and
others.
TELUS Health is a global healthcare leader, which provides
employee and family primary and preventive healthcare and wellbeing
solutions. Our TELUS team, along with our 100,000 health
professionals, are leveraging the combination of TELUS' strong
digital and data analytics capabilities with our unsurpassed client
service to dramatically improve remedial, preventive and mental
health outcomes covering nearly 72 million lives, and growing,
around the world. As the largest provider of digital solutions and
digital insights of its kind, TELUS Agriculture & Consumer
Goods enables efficient and sustainable production from seed to
store, helping improve the safety and quality of food and other
goods in a way that is traceable to end consumers.
Driven by our determination and vision to connect all citizens
for good, our deeply meaningful and enduring philosophy to give
where we live has inspired TELUS and our team to contribute
$1.7 billion, including 2.2 million
days of service since 2000. This unprecedented generosity and
unparalleled volunteerism have made TELUS the most giving company
in the world. Together, let's make the future friendly.
For more information about TELUS, please visit telus.com, follow
us at @TELUSNews on X and @Darren_Entwistle on Instagram.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Saara Rahikka
TELUS Public Relations
saara.rahikka@telus.com
SOURCE TELUS Communications Inc.