TELEHEALTH SASKATCHEWAN EXPANDS

Patients and health providers are benefiting from six new Telehealth sites now operating across Saskatchewan.

The province's Telehealth network has expanded to include Yorkton, Kindersley, Weyburn, Moose Jaw, Swift Current and La Loche, bringing the total number of Telehealth sites to eighteen.

"This expansion supports the vision first outlined in our Action Plan for Saskatchewan Health Care - to improve the quality of services and access to care for all residents, no matter where they live," Health Minister John Nilson said. "We are committed to working with our health partners on innovative programs like Telehealth. This program reduces the geographical barriers some residents face, and makes it easier for them to access specialized services."

Telehealth uses videoconference links to connect rural patients with specialists in cities, saving them time and travel expenses. It gives people better access to information about preventative care and health promotion, on issues like diabetes, parenting, or fetal alcohol syndrome. It also reduces the sense of isolation often felt by rural health providers or medical residents, by allowing them to connect with their colleagues in urban centres.

Telehealth began in 1999 as a pilot project in northern Saskatchewan. It now serves about 4,000 Saskatchewan residents and health care providers every year, at a cost of approximately $560,000. Patients can book appointments for surgical follow-up, or consultations in areas such as child psychiatry, dermatology or pediatric general surgery, among others. Since the program began, almost 10,000 people have participated in Telehealth education sessions, and nearly 1,000 patients have benefited from specialist clinics.

To find out more about Telehealth, visit: www.health.gov.sk.ca/ps_telehealth.html.

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For More Information, Contact:

Mark Rathwell Health Regina Phone: (306) 787-4083