Lumeca delivers virtual visits to a First Nation

REGINA – Lumeca and SaskTel recently collaborated on a project with the aim to make virtual healthcare more accessible for residents of Cowessess First Nation. Working together, they came up with a unique solution that allows residents to download and use the Lumeca app in the community by connecting to the band office’s Smart Wi-Fi powered by SaskTel.

The success of this project represents a positive step forward for rural healthcare and a reminder that by working together we can overcome some of the most daunting challenges.

“This technology makes healthcare accessible to our First Nation,” said Chief Cadmus Delorme (pictured), chief of Cowessess First Nation. “It’s important that our community members have the support and resources to take care of their health when they need it. Being able to access a doctor immediately for treatable conditions, from the comfort of our homes on reserve will really impact the quality of life for the Cowessess people. It will also better exercise our Treaty Right to Health.”

For its part, Lumeca Health is a Regina-based company specializing in virtual healthcare services. The organization was launched in 2016.

Lumeca is available to all Saskatchewan residents with a valid Saskatchewan Health Card for COVID-19 screening and general health consultations. The app is free for all to download on the App Store (iPhone & iPad) or Google Play (Android).

“Lumeca continues to develop our platform to meet the needs of patients and doctors, especially with the new social distancing norm among us,” said Shawn Hazen, founder of Lumeca. “We continue to innovate and are now developing new ways for patients to see their own family doctors, and for family physicians to reach their patients as continuity of care is vital to healthcare outcomes.”

“SaskTel understands that broadband connectivity has become a truly powerful tool in the modern world, especially in rural areas where everything, including healthcare, can be dependent on that connection and we are very pleased to have worked with Lumeca on this initiative to make virtual healthcare more widely available to the residents of the Cowessess First Nation,” said David Ekstrand, SaskTel VP of business sales and solutions.

To learn more about Lumeca, visit lumeca.com.