For the families of young patients living in distant or remote regions of Quebec, the challenge of caring for a sick child can be even greater. The time and money needed to travel to see specialists are obstacles that can add to a family’s stress and, in some cases, limit the care they receive. Since 2004, The Children’s has made remarkable strides in providing care through real-time conferencing to patients who cannot always make the trip to the Hospital. In 2011-2012 a total of 1144 Telehealth sessions took place at The Children’s. Sessions through teleconferencing range from speech therapy to procedures such as the calibration of a pacemaker by a cardiologist. A surgeon can even be assisted in real-time by a pathologist to determine the exact section of tissue to remove. Patients from as far away as James Bay and Nunavik are benefitting from this major advancement.
The Children’s has become a leader throughout the province in Telehealth thanks to a $5 million investment made by Bell in 2005 to child services through the Virtual Health and Social Services Centre. “As Quebec’s leading communications company, Bell is pleased to support The Children’s with our innovative business communications solutions and broadband technology which help healthcare professionals connect with their patients throughout Quebec more quickly and easily,” says Tom Little, President, Bell Business Markets.
Bell’s gift is also transforming the way knowledge and expertise is shared between healthcare professionals. “Our teleconferencing network allows us to work together with our colleagues from other health facilities in ways that were not previously possible,” explains Madeleine St-Gelais, Senior Advisor, MUHC Telehealth Services. “Timely decisions are being made collaboratively and as a result, patients are receiving access to the same quality of care they would in person.”
By helping to bring leading-edge healthcare to patients wherever they live Bell is significantly improving the lives of kids throughout Quebec.
