TELUS launches Health for Good Mobile Clinic to support Ottawa’s most vulnerable citizens

The Ottawa Inner City Health Mobile Clinic, powered by TELUS Health, a specially-equipped mobile health clinic on wheels, will provide primary healthcare services to local citizens in need, wherever they are

OTTAWA, Jan. 14, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, TELUS announced its commitment to expand the company’s innovative Health for Good^TM 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.”