Indigenous people in remote Canadian communities are at risk because of poor access to comprehensive and local health care programming and services. As the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed health care disparities through outbreaks in rural and remote regions, rapid solutions that are culturally safe, community directed and consistent with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action must be considered.
The current strategies with acute illnesses of inefficient telephone consults and unnecessary transports to distant health centers have led to enormous social burdens on families, increased morbidity and mortality, fears associated with previous colonial narratives and high health care costs.
In this webinar, we will discuss how virtual care platforms are able to address these challenges in a culturally safe and appropriate way, focusing on acute pediatric illness in Indigenous communities in northern and rural Saskatchewan as a use case.
Presented by Teladoc Health. Teladoc Health is the world leader in virtual care.
Speakers:
Cory Fry, Director Hospitals & Health Systems at Teladoc Health, leads business development, account management and client success with Canadian hospital and health systems and is part of the Canadian leadership team of Teladoc Health Canada. He is engaging conversations nationally about user experience, digital innovation, enterprise strategy and modernizing legacy systems in the health sector. An adventurer, leader, and excellent connector, Cory thrives on business opportunities, creating partnerships, and community development initiatives. Cory lives in Victoria, BC with his partner and 'small Frys'.
Dr. Gregory Hansen, Pediatric Intensivisit, JPCH, completed his pediatric critical care fellowship in his hometown of Edmonton, Alberta. He furthered his training at Johns Hopkins University and Northwestern University, with a Master of Public Health and a pediatric neurocritical care fellowship, respectively. He has over 75 publications, and has held research appointments with the Jim Pattison Children's Hospital, U of Saskatchewan, U of Regina, and U of Manitoba. Recently, Dr. Hansen was awarded a significant CIHR grant to study virtual triaging of critically ill pediatric patients in rural, remote and isolated Indigenous communities. He has also worked in a Lebanese pediatric intensive care unit during the Syrian civil war with Doctors Without Borders (MSF), and will soon become a reservist with the Canadian Armed Forces Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART).
