Cellular Bullet Repellents, TELUS and Other IT/Health Care Synergies

Whether your cell phone stops a speeding bullet or advances in IT make your health records easier to access, communications seems to be playing a growing role in health care.

If you turned on the television news today you couldn’t miss the story from a Louisiana man who claims a stray bullet hit his chest as he was mowing the lawn. Had he not had his cell phone in his shirt pocket, his fate may have been far worse than a bruise, he said.

In a completely different development on the communications/health care front, TELUS Health Solutions this week was named the 2008 Health Company of the Year by the Information Technology Association of Canada (ITAC), which recognized the company for the successful implementation of TELUS iScheduler and Call Centre Anywhere at CritiCall Ontario, a 24-hour-a-day emergency referral service for physicians across the province of Ontario.

"The TELUS solution will allow CritiCall to invoke the entire circle of care anywhere and anytime, regardless of physician or patient location," said Kris Bailey, executive director of CritiCall Ontario.

“Without a doubt, IT has the potential not only to save lives by providing doctors, nurses and other health care workers access to essential information, but to lower the overall cost of health care,” said François Côté, president, TELUS Health Solutions. “We are proud that TELUS Health is at the forefront of the eHealth movement, and couldn't be happier about the acknowledgement of our leadership through this distinguished award.”

Indeed, TELUS is a leader in communications and health care. The company, which last year at this time acquired Emergis, earlier this month announced plans to make continued capital investments in the health care sector of $100 million over three years and launched the brand TELUS Health Solutions.

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