Media.Knet.Ca

Orpah McKenzie, KO's Health Director, and several members of her Telehealth team did a presentation to the Chiefs of the Sioux Lookout Health Zone in Thunder Bay on Wednesday, June 5. Copies of the information package that was sent out to all the First Nations and various health agencies was included in the Chiefs' meeting packages. The presentation included: * Brian Beaton provided background information about the Kuh-ke-nah Network Smart Demonstration project and the use of the network for telehealth applications by reading a prepared statement by Geordi Kakepetum; * An interactive video conference demonstration with Dr. Claudette Chase at the gathering in Thunder Bay working with Donna Williams and Gibbet Stevens in Balmertown using the hand held patient camera, the ear / throat scope and the document camera for x-ray viewing; * An interactive video conference between the Thunder Bay meeting and Lily Sawanas, the Deer Lake Telehealth Coordinator, sharing her views about the importance of this equipment for patient care; * A powerpoint presentation by Orpah McKenzie and John Rowlandson providing the chiefs with background information about the KO telehealth initiative (at http://health.knet.ca/telehealth/docs/SL-Chiefs-KO-Report.pdf; * A brief question and answer session with the Chiefs. A team of resource people, with representatives from several tribal councils, are now working together to complete the preparation of a business plan that will be presented to Health Canada by June 14 that will propose to develop telehealth services in each participating First Nation across the Sioux Lookout Health Zone. Letters of support and Band Council Resolutions from the First Nations and health care agencies are now being sought to include in this business plan. Additional information about this initiative can be seen at the KO Health site which has a link to the KO Telehealth web site.