News Release
2002-71
October 30, 2002
For immediate release
Health Canada announces funding for health care technology project in northern Ontario
TIMMINS, ONTARIO - Réginald Bélair, Member of Parliament for Timmins-James Bay
and Benoît Serré, Member of Parliament for Timiskaming-Cochrane, announced today on behalf
of the Honourable Anne McLellan, Minister of Health, that Health Canada is contributing
up to $1 million to the NORrad (Ontario) project led by Timmins and District Hospital and
its partners.
NORrad (Ontario) will modernize how diagnostic imaging services are delivered in the region
by using digital radiology technology and high-speed networks to move diagnostic images
and interpretations to patients and their referring physicians. Personal information is
transmitted via secure technology to ensure that individual privacy is respected. Hospitals
collaborating in this project are Timmins and District Hospital; Sensenbrenner Hospital,
Kapuskasing; Kirkland District Hospital; Notre Dame Hospital, Hearst; Smooth Rock Falls
Hospital; Bingham Memorial Hospital, Matheson; Anson General Hospital, Iroquois Falls;
Lady Minto Hospital, Cochrane; and Weeneebayko General Hospital, Moose Factory.
"NORrad (Ontario) will enable the delivery of modern diagnostic imaging services to 100,000
Canadians living across 150,000 square miles in the most northern communities of Ontario," said
Mr. Bélair.
Patient information, diagnostic images and radiologist interpretations between each hospital
site will be transmitted through the use of a secure Web browser technology," added Mr.
Serré. "This is an excellent example of using commercially developed technology to obtain
low cost advantages to the health care system while still ensuring the necessary patient
data security."
Funding for this project comes from the Canada Health Infostructure Partnerships Program
(CHIPP). It is a cost-shared incentive program aimed at supporting collaboration, innovation
and renewal in health care delivery across Canada through the use of modern information
technologies. The NORrad (Ontario) project is to complete implementation in March 2003.
Investing primarily in telehealth and electronic health records model projects, CHIPP
helps improve accessibility and quality of care for all Canadians, while enhancing the
efficiency and long-term vitality of Canada's health system. Additional benefits of the
project will include: reduction of patients' travel time; improved speed and increased
access to medical services for patients; increased medical record confidentiality; improved
diagnostic and professional educational opportunities to health care providers.
The federal government's investment in health care information and communications technologies
was first highlighted in the 1997 Budget, when $50 million was allotted to the development
of the Canadian Health Infostructure and in the 1999 Budget when a further $366 million
was allocated over a four-year period. The signature of the Health Agreement by all first
Ministers, in September 2000, laid the foundation for ongoing federal, provincial and territorial
collaboration in developing and implementing the Canadian Health Infostructure, with the
Government of Canada investing an additional $500 million in targeted funding for health
information technology.
Funding for this project was provided for in the December 2001 budget and is therefore
built into the existing fiscal framework.
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Media Inquiries:
Paige Raymond Kovach
Health Canada
(613) 957-1803
Farah Mohamed
Office of Anne McLellan
Minister of Health
(613) 957-1694
Public Inquiries:
(613) 957-2991
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