HealthLine officially launched in province

Health and Community Services Minister Tom Osborne today announced the official launch of HealthLine, the province�s new toll-free telephone service, providing Newfoundlanders and Labradorians access to health advice and information, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, regardless of where they live. The toll-free HealthLine number is 1-888-709-2929.

"Government is committed to using information and communications technology to make health care services more accessible for each and every Newfoundlander and Labradorian, regardless of where they live," said Minister Osborne. "HealthLine is a new service that will provide people with access to health information from a registered nurse, helping individuals and parents determine the severity of a health issue and whether they will need to visit a physician or emergency department."

When a person calls HealthLine, an experienced registered nurse will ask the individual to describe the symptoms they or their family member are experiencing. The registered nurse will then assess the symptoms or health condition and advise the caller on the next steps, such as whether to visit an emergency department, see a physician or another health care provider or administer first aid. Or, the nurse may provide health information or direct the caller to an automated library of recorded health information. All calls are confidential and free of charge, and an MCP card is not required.

HealthLine can help in many different situations, including:

HealthLine is not an emergency line. Individuals should always call their local emergency number or 911, where available, in the case of emergencies. HealthLine is also not meant to replace physicians; therefore, the service does not include writing prescriptions or ordering medical tests.

HealthLine�s main office is located in St. Anthony. Two satellite sites are located in Stephenville and Corner Brook. In total, there are 50 new positions to support HealthLine in these communities, including nursing, non-clinical, administrative and support personnel.

"Our decision to base this service in St. Anthony reflects government�s commitment to strengthen and support rural communities in our province," said Minister Osborne. "When government explored potential sites for this new centre, we felt that with advances in modern information and communications technology, we should explore the possibility of locating the site outside of the urban centres and in a rural setting. We are pleased that the service is now providing economic benefits to St. Anthony, Corner Brook and Stephenville."

Government announced $771,000 in Budget 2005 to launch the Selfcare/Telecare service, in conjunction with the other Atlantic Provinces, as part of the Primary Health Care Atlantic partnership. New Brunswick is the lead province for Selfcare/Telecare Atlantic, a $6.9 million initiative funded by Health Canada through the Primary Health Care Transition Fund. Newfoundland and Labrador has signed an agreement with the Province of New Brunswick to establish the contact centre in this province.

As part of this agreement, Clinidata, the largest nursing triage service in Canada, will be managing HealthLine. Clinidata is among the top five providers of nurse tele-triage in the world and currently provides telehealth services to populations in New Brunswick, Ontario, the Northwest Territories, the Canadian Armed Forces and British Columbia.

"Over the last decade, Canada has implemented many formal and centralized telenursing programs throughout the country," explained Laurie Poole, Clinidata�s vice president of operations. "With Clinidata launching a nursing triage service in Newfoundland and Labrador, nine of the 13 provinces and territories have province-wide telenursing service available, and that number is sure to grow until all Canadians have access to health care 24 hours a day, seven days a week."

This initiative is part of government�s commitment to use information and communications technology to enhance the delivery of health care services to residents of Newfoundland and Labrador.

For more information, visit www.yourhealthline.ca

Media contact: Tansy Mundon, Communications, (709) 729-1377, 685-1741

2006 09 27                                  11:25 a.m.