ACOA contributes $9M toward Newfoundland and Labrador's centre for health information

The federal government is contributing over $9 million toward improvements for the province’s health information systems.

The fund, courtesy the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) business development program, will be used to lead three new initiatives from the Newfoundland and Labrador Centre for Health Information (NLCHI) aimed at improving clinical care and health care outcomes and to help foster growth in the life sciences sector.

“These three ACOA funded projects will enhance services provided by NLCHI, including health analytics and telehealth and will add new functionality to one of the most comprehensive electronic health records in the country,” Dr. Kris Aubrey-Bassler, NLCHI board chair, stated in a news release.

Nearly $4 million will be used to assess, design and implement a Health Data Lab for the cataloguing and storage of health records.

Roughly $3.3 million is earmarked for the telehealth pilot program, which aims to deliver health services to patients regardless of location. The money will be used to upgrade equipment and expand beyond the 104 sites currently serviced. It also allows for NLCHI to expand services to include adult and pediatric emergency services, long-term care and pathology.

Finally, the NLCHI will use close to $1.8 million to partner with Eastern Health and Memorial University to acquire and implement new technology to improve the system to electronically order medical processes and procedures.

“These initiatives will help improve our province’s health information system by creating efficiencies, introducing new and improved technology, and generating opportunities for researchers and local businesses in the health care field,” Minister of Veterans Affairs and MP for St. John’s South-Mount Pearl Seamus Regan stated.

Find this story informative? Subscribe to our e-edition for $1.99 a week at http://bit.ly/2rofvW2.