Information

October 2002

Health care technology in northern Ontario - NORrad (Ontario)

Health Canada Funding: up to $1 million

Contact Person:
Dr. Claude Vezina
Chief of Staff and Medical Director of Diagnostic Imaging
Timmins and District Hospital
(705) 267-2131 Ext. 6069

NORrad is a $10 million project to 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. NORrad's vision is to employ proven health care and communications technology to help physicians and other health care professionals provide high-quality care locally to the region's patients in a manner that is consistent with the delivery of care elsewhere in Ontario.

Network 13, the group responsible for the project, is a federation of nine hospitals in Cochrane District, located in Ontario's northeastern region extending up to James Bay. Timmins & District Hospital is the lead recipient on behalf of the following hospital partners: 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; Weeneebayko General Hospital, Moose Factory. The project will deliver a modern diagnostic imaging service to 100,000 people living across 150,000 square miles in Ontario's most northeastern region extending up to James Bay.

Examples of project's objectives include the following:

• re-engineer the delivery of radiology services to improve patient care and operational efficiency;
• foster broad use by primary care and specialists alike;
• facilitate access to the region's full range of imaging modalities, including MRI;
• provide a common radiology service throughout the region;
• offer 24-hour/seven day access to local and regional diagnostic imaging care and the avoidance of unnecessary and expensive air ambulance services;
• improve the protection of the privacy and confidentiality of patient health records;
• provide easier access to diagnostic and information for remote site physicians;
• support recruitment and retention of health care professionals in remote areas.

Implementation is expected to be completed by March 2003. This initiative was in part funded through the Canada Health Infostructure Partnerships Program (CHIPP). It is a Health Canada cost-shared incentive program aimed at supporting collaboration, innovation and renewal in health care delivery across Canada through the use of modern information technologies.