JULY 9, 2024
TELUS, The Alex and the University of Calgary unite to bring mobile diabetes screening to Calgarians in need
One in five Canadians experiencing homelessness also have diabetes
New Point of Care Testing program addresses a critical need among Calgary's marginalized population, reducing strain on local hospitals
CALGARY - Today, TELUS, in partnership with
The Alex Community Health Centre
and the University of Calgary
, announced their innovative new pilot program, bringing mobile diabetes Point of Care Testing (POCT) directly to vulnerable Calgarians via The Alex Mobile Care Clinic, powered by TELUS Health. In Canada, one in five
people experiencing homelessness also have diabetes and experience increased challenges
managing their disease, including a five-fold increased risk
of hospitalization. The Alex Mobile Care Clinic, powered by TELUS Health, is a specially-equipped mobile health clinic on wheels, providing primary healthcare services, including routine testing, contraception, STI treatment, harm reduction services, mental health care and counseling, to Calgarians in need. Building on the primary healthcare and social support services offered by The Alex Mobile Care Clinic, which has supported more than 5,000 patient visits locally since its launch in 2022
, this addition will help address a critical need and reduce the strain on local hospitals.To raise awareness of these critical services and the newly added diabetes Point of Care Testing, TELUS and The Alex are hosting a community event on July 9 at The Alex Community Health Centre in Calgary. The event will also be used as an avenue to educate marginalized Calgarians on the importance of nutritious food and preventative testing. Healthy meals will be served, and community members that attend will receive a local grocery store gift card to help them purchase additional healthy meals.
“At TELUS, we are driven by our collective desire to leverage technology and human compassion to enable better health outcomes,” said Nimmi Kanji, Executive Director TELUS Friendly Future Foundation and TELUS Social Purpose Programs. “We deeply value our partnership with The Alex, and the University of Calgary, as it enables us to continue to break down barriers to critical healthcare services for marginalized populations. From primary health care, to mental health support, and the newly added diabetes Point of Care Testing, we are combining technology with human compassion, and bringing healthcare directly to the communities and people who need it most, reminding our fellow Calgarians that they’re not alone.”
Expanding on
TELUS Health for Good
’s national program which, to date, has brought primary healthcare and mental health services to 25 marginalized communities across Canada, the launch of Calgary’s diabetes POCT services was made possible through the University of Calgary’s partnership with the Calgary Diabetes Advocacy Committee (CDAC) as well as a community-based participatory research group of eight co-researchers with lived experience of diabetes and homelessness, and academic researchers. "We are thrilled to build upon our impactful partnership with TELUS and our Mobile Care Clinic, as we embark on this new chapter with University of Calgary," said Joy Bowen-Eyre, CEO of The Alex. "We’ve seen first hand the positive impact our mobile clinic has made when it comes to reducing barriers to health care and increasing positive outcomes. With support from TELUS and the University of Calgary, our team will be able to extend our reach to more individuals and enhance the level of care provided to the vulnerable populations we serve. By building resiliency, knowledge, and skills among those living with diabetes who are at higher risk due to limited access to other support services, we are taking a crucial step toward improving health outcomes.”
“Through our previous shelter-based diabetes outreach program, we were able to help a number of people but we realized there are so many people in Calgary who aren’t being reached but could benefit from more accessible diabetes care,” said Dr. David J.T. Campbell, internal medicine specialist and Associate Professor at the Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary. “Being able to take our program mobile through the Mobile Care Clinic allows us to offer full-service diabetes specialty care services to people who face barriers to accessing care in traditional hospital-based clinics.”
Backed by a commitment of $13 million, through 2026,
TELUS Health for Good
has supported over 225,000 patient visits in 25 communities across Canada since inception. In addition, the program also provides free access to
TELUS Health MyCare
counselling services
to marginalized individuals in need of mental health support across Canada as well as discounted access to TELUS Health Medical Alert services for low-income older-adults. To learn more about how we are creating better health outcomes for all, visit
telus.com/healthforgood
.