Latest news with #CANHealthNetwork
CTV News
02-08-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Sask. Virtual Health Hub launches new projects
WATCH: A born in Saskatchewan idea to transform access to healthcare is adding two new partners to its team. Members of the provincial and federal government, healthcare providers and First Nation leaders gathered at the Virtual Health Hub in Saskatoon on Friday to celebrate a milestone. 'Today we are announcing that Virtual Health Hub is joining CAN Health Network in launching two new commercialization projects with two leading Canadian Technology companies.' The partnership with CAN Health Network will allow improved access, equity and health outcomes for northern and Indigenous populations through collaboration and technology. Saskatchewan based Luxsonic and its Virtual Imaging Platform designed for radiologists to remotely view and interpret diagnostic imaging to support faster diagnoses. 'These projects give companies like ours the opportunity to prove our technology in real-world settings, build trust with healthcare providers and accelerate adoption across Canada,' said Mike Wesolowski, CEO and founder of Luxsonic. It's the company's second project with CAN Health Network. The other company added through this partnership is Nova Scotia based Virtual Hallway. The software enables physicians to consult with specialists for advice, ensuring patients get the right care faster. The company says with so many Saskatchewan residents living in rural areas but nearly all specialists living in cities, it can be hard on families and healthcare providers. 'Too often, those providers are left without timely input from a specialist,' said Dr. Luke Napier, chief medical officer at Virtual Hallway. 'And patients face long delays or long travel, or both. Virtual Hallway was built to change that. Our goals are simple and measurable, reduce unnecessary referrals and transfers, increase confidence in rural clinical decision making, and support the providers who are already doing so much.' The director of Virtual Health Hub says improvements in AI, telecommunications and robotics have allowed this shift toward a virtual delivery of healthcare. 'Since the pandemic, both the provider and the patient, that virtual care is a way of delivering healthcare,' said Dr. Ivar Mendez, director of Virtual Health Hub. 'And what I'm particularly proud of is that we are the leadership in the country, here in Saskatchewan. And Saskatchewan is the ideal place to scale up this technology.' A temporary hub location in downtown Saskatoon will be replaced by a permanent one on Whitecap Dakota Nation. 'There will be another announcement coming to announce the construction phase of the Virtual Health Hub, because that's going to be the next phase that's happening,' said Chief Darcy Bear, Whitecap Dakota Nation. 'It's not just about Indigenous healthcare, it is all about healthcare for all of Saskatchewan residents.' Bear says the new Virtual Health Hub is expected to be complete in early 2027.
Cision Canada
01-08-2025
- Health
- Cision Canada
Government of Canada expanding health care to more Indigenous communities
SASKATOON, SK, Aug. 1, 2025 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada is committed to helping small and medium-sized businesses transform their innovative ideas into real-world solutions, ensuring that communities from coast to coast to coast benefit from their creativity and ingenuity. Today, the Honourable Buckley Belanger, Secretary of State (Rural Development), announced that the Virtual Health Hub (VHH) has joined the Coordinated Accessible National (CAN) Health Network. Having invested $42 million in the CAN Health Network since 2019, the Government of Canada is pleased to see this new partnership help improve access to health care in Saskatchewan's remote, rural and northern communities. Secretary of State Belanger also announced that two new projects are being launched through the CAN Health Network and VHH. Virtual reality technology from Saskatchewan's Luxsonic Technologies will support faster, more accurate diagnoses in remote areas. Digital technology from Nova Scotia–based Virtual Hallway will enable family physicians to consult with specialists more quickly, improving access to expert care across the network. In the nearly five years since the CAN Health Network was established, it has successfully connected 99 Canadian businesses working in health technology with different orders of government across the country. It is enabling entrepreneurs across Canada to grow, while strengthening our universal health care system by encouraging homegrown innovation. Quotes "The CAN Health Network is critical for helping Canadian innovations grow and succeed. By connecting organizations like the Virtual Health Hub with homegrown companies such as Luxonic and Virtual Hallway, the CAN Health Network is not only advancing cutting-edge technology but also supporting Canadian businesses, helping create jobs and driving economic growth across the country." – The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions "By investing in the CAN Health Network, we're doing two things at once: supporting Canadian businesses with smart new health care ideas, and helping patients get better care closer to home. The addition of the Virtual Health Hub will make it easier for rural, remote and Indigenous communities in Saskatchewan to access cutting-edge care. On behalf of the Government of Canada, I offer my congratulations to both teams on making it happen." – The Honourable Buckley Belanger, Secretary of State (Rural Development) "Universal, accessible and publicly funded health care is a point of pride for Canadians and underpins our economic strength. Health care innovation can not only improve patient outcomes and support health workers but also contribute to building a stronger Canada, where everyone, including people in Indigenous, remote and rural communities, has better access to care." – The Honourable Marjorie Michel, Minister of Health "This partnership with the Virtual Health Hub and the projects we're launching with Luxonic and Virtual Hallway show how Canadian-made innovation can drive economic growth and strengthen our communities. By bringing together organizations from across the country, we're building a stronger economy, creating jobs, supporting local industries and ensuring that technologies developed in Canada are helping Canadians, including those in rural and remote regions." – Dr. Dante Morra, Founder and Chair, CAN Health Network Quick facts The Government of Canada has invested $42 million since 2019 to support the growth and expansion of the Coordinated Accessible National (CAN) Health Network. Since its launch, the CAN Health Network has grown to include 50 Edges. Edges are health care operators, including health authorities and organizations. To date, the CAN Health Network has supported 99 innovative Canadian health care technology businesses. Under the initiative, 127 commercialization projects have been rolled out. As of April 25, 2025, 2,331 jobs have been created. The CAN Health Network has helped generate more than $698 million in revenue. Stay connected For easy access to government programs for businesses, download the Canada Business app.
Calgary Herald
30-07-2025
- Health
- Calgary Herald
Chronic wound patients get new hope from Calgary health tech company
Article content It could also change lives. Chronic wounds have been a scourge of health care for millennia; signs of pressure sores have been found in Egyptian mummies, Florence Nightingale reportedly said that a bed sore was 'generally not the fault of the disease, but of nursing.' Still, chronic wounds continue to keep millions of patients in hospital, in treatment, in discomfort and at risk. Article content Doing something to change the trajectory of chronic wounds became a mission of Julian Mulia, a chemical engineer originally from Mexico, who was inspired to look for solutions after losing both parents to chronic conditions, including managing wounds. He is chief operating officer of Calgary-based NanoTess. Co-founder Megan Leslie is CEO. Article content Article content The company describes its salve as a catalyst that uses the body's natural healing reactions to promote faster healing and reduce inflammation. Article content Article content 'Essentially, when a body is trying to heal a wound, it's like pushing a rock up a mountain. And a lot of us don't of the energy or resources to help make that (healing) reaction go to completion, which is where you get into chronic wound territory and your body just can't heal itself,' said Larissa Lalonde, strategy lead at the company. Article content What the salve does, Lalonde said, is lower the energy it takes to heal the wound 'so that more of those healing reactions can take place faster and better.' Article content During a provincial commercialization project funded by the CAN Health Network and conducted by Alberta Health Services and the University of Calgary, integrating the product into treatment improved wound healing in chronic wounds by 57.6 per cent. Those were wounds that had not healed for an average of more than one and a half years. Article content Bruyère, which has the largest specialty wound treatment unit as well as the only complex care facility in eastern Ontario, is also part of the CAN Health Network, a federally funded agency that supports Canadian health-care innovation. Based on validation by the Alberta Health Service, it tried out the product earlier this year, and it now plans to expand its use, DeZeeuw said. Article content Article content 'My goal is to get it throughout Bruyère Health,' she said. 'It has the potential to really help a lot of people.' Other nearby hospitals and long-term care homes are also looking at it, she said, and it is being used across Canada. Article content 'To my knowledge, there has not been a really significant breakthrough that has kind of flipped wound care on its head — at least since I have been in medical training,' DeZeeuw said. 'I am hopeful that this ends up being really helpful for at least a significant proportion of patients.' Article content That includes many people in hospital beds and long-term care homes across the country suffering from chronic bed sores, diabetic foot ulcers and complex surgical incisions. In some cases, chronic wounds keep them bedridden or away from their homes and families. Article content When a body is trying to heal a wound, it's like pushing a rock up a mountain. And a lot of us don't of the energy or resources to help make that (healing) reaction go to completion. Larissa Lalonde 'Often you suffer alone if you are dealing with a wound,' said Lalonde of NanoTess. 'It is not something that people typically talk openly about. But, when you do start to talk about it with friends or family, you realize how widespread this issue is.'
