Innovation, Trade and Rural Development
June 23, 2010Federal and Provincial Governments
Invest in
Major e-Health Initiative in Central Region
The Governments of Canada and Newfoundland and Labrador, today
announced a combined investment of $370,000 to assist the EXCITE
Corporation in Grand Falls-Windsor launch an initiative designed to
develop the region's e-health sector.
The announcement was made by the Honourable Keith Ashfield, Minister
of National Revenue, Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities
Agency (ACOA) and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway; and the Honourable
Susan Sullivan, Minister of Human Resources, Labour and Employment, at
College of the North Atlantic's Grand Falls-Windsor Campus. Minister
Ashfield announced $226,500 through ACOA, and Minister Sullivan, on
behalf of the Honourable Shawn Skinner, Minister of Innovation, Trade
and Rural Development, announced $143,500 under the Provincial
Government's Regional/Sectoral Diversification Fund.
"Our government is pleased to support this initiative, which is
anchored by two key objectives. The primary goal is to establish an
e-health training program at College of the North Atlantic in Grand
Falls-Windsor, and secondarily, develop an action plan to launch the
e-health industry in Central Newfoundland," said Minister Ashfield. "In
building the training program, EXCITE Corporation will work in
partnership with health-care providers and the region's educational
institutions."
"As a government, we are working with local municipalities and
community partners to advance initiatives that breathe new opportunities
into the economy of the central region," said Minister Skinner.
"Creating a cluster of health-related initiatives has been a priority in
our approach to diversifying the region's economy. By creating that
multi-product environment, we are helping to position the region as an
attractive business environment for health care service providers."
The EXCITE Corporation, which is the non-profit business development
arm of the Town of Grand Falls-Windsor, has targeted the health care
industry as a strategic sector of growth for the region. This project
was developed over a period of 18 months through consultations with
governments, the public health care industry, the College of the North
Atlantic, the Newfoundland and Labrador Centre for Health Information
and private sector companies in the e-health industry.
"There is a recognized need across Canada to educate, train
and develop more e-health professionals," said Al Hawkins, Mayor, Grand
Falls-Windsor. "This demand is growing given the current attention that
electronic health record development is receiving in Canada and the
United States. The EXCITE Corporation's e-health initiative is an
excellent approach to generating economic opportunities by focusing on
the rapidly growing e-health sector."
The first step will be to establish a nationally accredited e-health
training program at College of the North Atlantic in Grand
Falls-Windsor. Once that is in place, the project plan will include a
jurisdictional review and an industry scan, as well as curriculum
development for the training program.
The second objective of the project will be to develop and implement
an action plan supporting the establishment of the e-health industry in
Grand Falls-Windsor. This will involve the identification of key
industry players with significant e-health practices; and the selection
of at least six potential projects with these identified industry
partners.
The emerging e-health market encompasses a range of services that
involve medicine, healthcare and information technology. The Canadian
e-health market is currently about $5 billion per year and growing at a
significant rate.
The Government of Canada investment is provided through ACOA's
Innovative Communities Fund which focuses on investments that lead to
long-term employment and economic capacity building.
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