Partnership between Telus Health and ASK Wellness Society bring Mobile Health Clinic to the streets of Kamloops

Ask Wellness has partnered with Telus health to bring a new medical unit to serve Kamloops homeless population that hit the road on Monday September 18^th.. Kamloops is the third fastest growing city in Canada, and it is experiencing one of the highest rates of fatal overdoses per capita in British Columbia (Media release, ASK wellness and TELUS health), therefore Kamloops is in dire need of addressing its healthcare needs and growing homeless population. As per stories by CFJC Today and Global news, As the only hospital and emergency room in an over 100km radius, there have been reports of Royal Inland Hospital being understaffed and overcrowded for over a decade.

Ask Wellness and Telus health came together to combat this issue of homeless people needing basic medical attention crowding the emergency room and created this 90- square foot mobile clinic that will bring much needed care to the population that is struggling. Ask Wellness is an organization that since the 90’s has been providing outreach, housing, health, education, and employment services for marginalized people and those at risk in the community. As per the director of communications from ASK wellness, Andrina Tenisci, when asked if there was a turning point that they realized there needed to be a real solution and support Andrina said that “The need for this service is extremely apparent and the clinic has already been able to support many individuals who are willing to accept the help”. This is a very relevant story in Kamloops as the most pressing social issue for many years has been the growing homeless population. Additionally, this is a very timely story, this new program just got up and running on the 18^th of September. This is a very important social project, but of course a major question remains, how much does this all cost and who is funding this project? In a press release provided by Andrina, it reveals that Telus health has committed $16 million through 2027 to fund Telus health projects. As this project directly serves the unhoused population of Kamloops, it is vital to know how that community has responded to this initiative. Tenisci said “For some people, there may be initial hesitation, so initiating casual conversation with a non-judgmental approach helps to build trust”.Another big question is how people who need help are going to know where the van is going to be and when, she responded that there is a tentative schedule in place as of now and they “will be assessing areas and locations where the need is most apparent. The clinic operates throughout the work week, Monday to Friday between 9am and 4pm”. As well as the schedule will changed based off community need. This is potentially life changing for many people who are living in less fortunate situations, the kind of care being provided in these vans “include referrals, connections to prescriptions, harm reduction, and wound care”. With the substantial amount of unhoused people living on the streets of Kamloops, there was a pressing question of how many units is there demand for? And is there plans to get more of these units on the streets of Kamloops, Andrina stated that this unit if the first of its kind in Kamloops, the third in BC and only one of thirteen across Canada. As this is still a relatively small program, this is an incredible step for Kamloops.  

An initiative such as this in a city such as Kamloops, is a very strong step in the right direction to addressing the many social issues that are apparent and impactful to Kamloops residents every day. This is in no way going to completely combat all the emergency room overcrowding or fatal overdoses that very unfortunately happen over the city, however any positive change or step in the right direction for social issues is a win for so many people in need and for those who are constantly affected by the repercussions. Regarding repercussions of the overcrowding at Royal Inland, it does not just effect everyone who needs care and to see a doctor, but it also effects the Doctors and Nurses who are overworked in result of this. Organizations like ASK Wellness and large corporations such as Telus Health who have the mission to provide support to those in need in every possible way, such as Financial, emotional, and healthcare, with the right leadership and funding, are going to be the predominate reason for significant social change in our community.  

Ask Wellness. (2024). Ask Wellness Society and TELUS revolutionize healthcare access in Kamloops with a state-of-the-art mobile clinic. Ask Wellness. https://askwellness.ca/ask-wellness-society-and-telus-revolutionize-healthcare-access-in-kamloops-with-a-state-of-the-art-mobile-clinic/

 Radio NL. (2024, September 18). Mobile health clinic brings care to Kamloops residents. https://www.radionl.com/2024/09/18/122408/

Newswire. (2024). TELUS and Ask Wellness Society bring innovative Health for Good mobile clinic to Kamloops and Merritt. https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/telus-and-ask-wellness-society-bring-innovative-health-for-good-mobile-clinic-to-kamloops-and-merritt-865577447.html