PATHWAYS TO TECHNOLOGY NEWSLETTER SUMMER 2011| Greg Hazel

P A T H W A Y S T O T E C H N O L O G Y N E W S L E T T E R | S U M M E R 2 0 1 1

CONNECTIVITYCONNECTIVITY

Getting Communities Broadband FITEnsuring that all 203 First Nations communities in British Columbia have access to reliable high-speed Internet service is a huge, complex project that has never been attempted in this country – until now.

The hard work of many organizations was rewarded when, in 2009, the provincial and federal govern-ments granted $40.8 million to All Nations Trust Company (ANTCO) to manage the Pathways to Technology project and deliver a Canadian first for First Nations People in BC.

The project’s steering committee includes ANTCO, the First Nations Technology Council and the First Nations Health Council.

There are three major components to the Pathways to Technology project, each with a key role in the project’s ultimate success.

continued on inside...

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

Blueberry River

PROJECT UPDATE

Connected Communities Tap into Opportunities

Building Capacity One Person At A Time

Pathways Project Expands Service In Carrier-Sekani

Pathways A “Tipping Point” To Achieving Better Health Services

Meet The Pathways Project Team

IN THIS ISSUE

Connected - Community launch of the Carrier Sekani Family Services health network, featuring a live demonstration of a telehealth application linking the remote community of Takla to a physician in Fraser Lake and the CSFS office in Prince George.

Community Celebration - Flipping the switch in Doig River – the first community connected under the Pathways to Technology agreement with TELUS.

Partner Profile - Network BC, providing leadership and support for strategic use of telecommunications in British Columbia. Bridging the Digital Divide in rural and remote areas is a key focus.

Community Spotlight - Dease Lake

In Our Next Issue

Meet The Pathways To Technology Project TeamGreg Hazel, MBA, is the Pathways to Technology Project Manager. He is the president of Strategiq Business Research and Consulting Inc., a company he formed in March 2004. Over the past seven years the company has completed over 50 engagements, undertaking diverse assignments which include business

plans, feasibility studies, proposal writing, policy development, strategic planning, operational reviews and project management. Greg has worked exclusively with First Nations communities and organizations since 1993 and has an extensive background in project financing and as a senior manager.

Jamie Sterritt is the project’s Community Relations Officer. The smiling “face” of the project, communities will get to know Jamie well as he leads them through the consultation process to plan, construct and deliver new high-speed Internet service. Jamie is the owner/ operator of Sa’hetxw Consulting. For

the past four years he has been heavily involved in Digital Divide projects throughout BC. As Manager of Information Technologies for the Gitksan Government Commission, he helped design and deploya wireless broadband network for four communities around Hazelton, two of which were First Nation. He has a strong understanding of community consultation and the issues faced by new communities taking their first steps towards connectivity. Jamie has also taught computer-related courses for the Northwest Community College, Gitksan Wet’suwet’en Education Society and Gitksan Watershed Authority.

Ruth Williams is the Chief Executive Officer of All Nations Trust Company, a position she has held since the organiza-tion was founded in 1987. All Nations Trust Company is British Columbia’s largest Aboriginal Capital Corporation. ANTCO was selected by the provincial and federal governments to manage the

$40.8 million Pathways to Technology project. Over its 25 years of successful operations, ANTCO has expanded its financial and business services to meet the growing business and housing needs of BC’s Aboriginal community. ANTCO is Aboriginal owned and operated with offices in Kamloops and Fort St. John. Ruth is a founding member of eight non-profit organizations that work to improve the quality of life for Aboriginal Peoples in BC, including the Round Lake Treatment Centre, the Aboriginal Health Advisory Council and the Central Interior Ministry of Child and Family Services Advisory Board. She is also Vice Chair of the First Nations Market Housing Fund and Board Member of the BC First Nations Health Council. She received an Honourary Doctorate of Law from Thompson Rivers University in 2010 and was inducted into the Aboriginal Business Hall of Fame in 2011 by the Canadian Council of Aboriginal Business, in recognition of her many years of leadership in social and economic development for Aboriginal People in BC and Canada.

Bob Duggan is Pathways’ Project Coordinator/Analyst, and brings 25 years of telecommunications engineering experience in both the public and private sectors to the team. Bob has held senior technical and management positions designing and implementing enterprise class voice, data and satellite networks.

Assignments included the Network BC Closing the Digital Divide initiative, working with communities and the telecommunications sector to coordinate high-speed broadband Internet service in 366 communities across BC.

Where To Find UsAll Nations Trust Company#208 - 345 Yellowhead Hwy

Kamloops, BC V2H 1H1

250-828-9770 [email protected] www.pathwaystotechnology.ca

Sign-up on our website if you prefer to receive our newsletter electonically.

Building Capacity One Person At A TimeWhile a large part of the Pathways to Tech-nology project involves the construction of communication lines, technology can also be a tool of transformation. As a key partner in the Pathways project, the First Nations Technology Council (FNTC) is tak-ing the lead on technical capacity building in First Nations communities in BC.

“Technology is not the goal within itself,” said First Nations Technology Council Ex-ecutive Director Norm Leech. “The Inter-net is a tool to support the community, and through this project we are helping First Nations restore their traditional culture of health, prosperity and self governance.”

The Pathways to Technology project has set aside $5 million for community capacity building programs to be delivered by the First Nationals Technology Council, a mem-ber of the project’s Steering Committee.

The FNTC is taking a collaborative ap-proach to capacity building, working with key regional partners. Building up from Community Technology Plans to Regional ICT Training Plans, the partnerships include Aboriginal Skills and Employment Training Societies (ASETS), post-secondary

institutions, employers and industry partners who are working together to provide First Nations with opportunities to transform lives.

The results will be First Nations citizens with the skills to develop online business opportunities; work in new media such as music, video or gaming; seek a career in health informatics; support their Nation’s goals to rebuild sustainable economies or secure one of the thousands of IT positions that will be forthcoming in the near future.

A large part of capacity building is ensuring that all First Nations are equipped with ‘tools of governance’ to manage their social, administrative, land and resources programs. These tools will support the development of strong communities and FNTC’s goal is to ensure that all First Nations in the province get access to these tools.

FNTC is working with its partners to ensure that all First Nations citizens have the skills required to take full advantage of any and all learning opportunities. For some people, a basic computer course is the first step to entering the digital economy. For others, more specialized training like business technology opens up new career paths.

“Our dream is to have all 203 First Nations in BC be Fully Integrated Technology (FIT) Communities,” said First Nations Technology Council coordinator Sue Hanley. “High-speed Internet access in these communities is as important as safe roads and clean water. Technology is the road of the 21st century – particularly for remote communities who might have a doctor visit them once a month. While First Nations are at different starting points, most recognize that technology can help them achieve their goals of rebuilding strong, healthy communities.”

Broadband can also play a role in the revitalization of First Nations culture and language. FNTC is working with the First Peoples Heritage, Language and Culture Council through First Voices to support their work using technology as a language teaching tool.

Students are going out on the land with Elders to learn their traditions first hand. They are making maps and developing plans to bring their traditions to life in a way that can support eco-tourism opportunities for people who want to have an authentic First Nations experience. Other youth are learn-ing animation and digital scrapbooking skills to preserve the past and tell their stories to the world. One community is using new media to translate complex treaty and land agreements into a format that all commu-nity members can easily understand.

“Today’s technology is giving First Nations the opportunity to tell their stories,” said Hanley. “For decades, history has been im-posed on these communities, but now they can share the richness of their history and culture with the world, and rebuild pride in who they are.”

As the Pathways project builds and Internet connections are established across the most remote regions of the province, Pathways to Technology and the First Nations Technology Council will be there to ensure that First Nations have the skills, tools and support they need to thrive.

www.PathwaysToTechnology.ca

Steering Committee


GOODR_6479_Pathways Community Report.indd 1 5/17/11 1:59:24 PM

Getting Communities Broadband FIT

Connected Communities Tap Into Opportunities

... continued from front

1. Physical construction of the broadband network to bring Internet capability to each community.

2. The physical, technical and administrative work required to make the Internet accessible to individual homes, offices, schools and other users.

3. Community training and support pro-grams to give new users the online skills they need to enjoy the full benefits of the Internet, including in-community training, train-the-trainer programs and help desks.

Perhaps the most important feature of the Pathways to Technology project is its comprehensive community consultation process. The Pathways team works with each participating community through every step of the project’s lifecycle – from identifying the priority community needs for Internet connection, through the construction and installation phase, to finally activating the broadband service.

There is no competitive application process or complex technical proposals required from communities to participate in the Pathways project. The project rolls out directly to communities in need based on an established protocol endorsed by the project’s steering committee.

In late 2007, a wide cross-section of First Nations and government technology, health, education and cultural groups came together to form the Fully Integrated Technologies (FIT) Partners Working Group. Part of the work completed by the FIT Partners Group included an assessment of communities in need of Internet connectivity or service upgrades.

The Pathways to Technology project team is using this independent analysis to plan

the project’s roll-out across the province. Simply put, the communities identified by FIT as having the highest priority for con-nectivity are those with little to no Internet access or those communities which can gain most from upgraded Internet service.

After establishing connectivity in high priority communities, the Pathways project will proceed in a strategic manner to link other communities utilizing existing telecommunications infrastructure where possible and building out the provincial network as necessary.

This consultative and strategic approach ensures that this complex project will be completed in the shortest possible time and reach the most communities possible within the project’s budget.

development. Residents of Telegraph Creek are expected to be connected by fall 2011. Community Health Centres in Iskut and Telegraph Creek will also receive enhanced connectivity at this time.

“The Pathways to Technology project will give people living in rural First Nation communities access to 21st century technology that other British Columbians take for granted,” said Ruth Williams, CEO of All Nations Trust Company which is managing the Pathways initiative.

“The project will connect community health centres to telehealth to give residents remote access to medical specialists. The project will open up educational opportunities for youth and give Aboriginal entrepreneurs access to the tools they need to market themselves around the world.”

Work is also ramping up in the northeast part of the province. Doig River will be the first community connected under a multi-year contract the Pathways Project has signed with TELUS. From there, the Pathways web of Internet connections will extend to other communities in the area.

Project planning and preparation is also underway in Canim Lake, Homalko, Whispering Pines, Alexandria, Mount Currie, Williams Lake and Ashcroft. It is expected that most of these communities will be online by the end of 2011.

Communities newly connected to the Internet through the Pathways to Technol-ogy project are tapping into new economic, social and educational opportunities. The community of Iskut was among the first locations to be connected under the Pathways project, through a contract with NorthwesTel in early 2010. Since then, more than a dozen communities have been brought online and are now enjoying the benefits of reliable, high-speed Internet.

Several more remote northwest communi-ties are currently in an active stage of

Pathways ProjectExpands Service In Carrier-Sekani

Community SpotlightBlueberry River

When opportunity comes knocking to create mutual success, the Pathways to Technology team is there to extend a help-ing hand. In the case of the Carrier-Sekani Family Services in central British Columbia, Pathways is pleased to step up as a willing community partner and support their in-novative Internet infrastructure project.

Carrier-Sekani Family Services (CSFS) was already months into designing and installing a secure network that would help boost business and telehealth ventures in the region. The plan called for a network to connect the CSFS head office in Prince George with several other branch offices and community health centres, from Vanderhoof to Burns Lake and beyond. Recognizing the opportunities to complement and leverage the work underway, the Pathways project reached out to the CSFS to support their initiative.

This groundbreaking new partnership saw Pathways provide financial assistance to significantly expand the scope of the Carrier-Sekani Family Services initiative. The investment by the Pathways project added community connections for homes and businesses in the Saikuz First Nation, Nadleh First Nation, Stellat’en First Nation, Wetsuwet’en First Nation, Takla First Nation and Yekooche First Nation.

With the project now 98% complete, over 11,000 people in 10 separate First Nation communities are receiving the benefits of high-speed Internet access.

“This network gives the community clinics and public health centres a huge advantage – and with the Pathways initiative this can also potentially bring benefits for busi-nesses, social services, community health centres and schools,” said Carrier-Sekani Family Services Director of Finance Carol Reimer. “Access to high-speed Internet ser-vice is a tremendous asset for this whole region, but the real benefactors are the people living in these communities.”

Perhaps the biggest success of the Path-ways project in Carrier-Sekani lies in the creation of a complete telehealth network that is vital for remote First Nations com-munities. With the physical network nearly complete, full access to long-distance health care programs – where in the past there was simply not enough Internet bandwidth to provide them – is now just weeks away. That gives thousands of residents the chance to see a specialist remotely over the Internet from their community health care centre, rather than travelling several hours and hundreds of kilometres for a half-hour consultation.

“Now local doctors can do far more than they could ever do without high-speed Internet,” added Joseph Mendez, Project Advisor and Vice President of Healthtech Consultants West. “Patients will be able to have doctor visits, consults, and follow ups – all without the burden and cost of travel-ling to a health centre in another city.”

Steering Committee

video communication, the opportunities are almost endless with high-speed Internet access. Local school programs now have access to thousands of educational programs and benefits, giving class time a whole new dimension. Blueberry River businesses are benefiting too, by eliminating travel cost and time while expanding their reach through a few clicks of the mouse.

“This project has been a long time coming for this community. Before Pathways came to town, our only option was dial-up Internet or taking the hour-long trip to town to go online,” said Blueberry First Nations administrator Lenora Blue. “We absolutely love having high-speed Internet at home, business owners are raving about how fast and reliable it is, and even our school is connected – it is an awesome tool for the kids.”

Moving forward, Pathways to Technology will be working with the First Nations Health Council as part of their efforts to create a fully integrated First Nations clini-cal telehealth network in British Columbia. The people living in Blueberry River will soon be able to receive expanded services at the community’s health centre, while having the benefit of remote appointments and consultations with specialists rather than travelling hundreds of kilometres.

Since the community was first connected, nearly a quarter of the homes and busi-nesses have signed up for Internet ser-vice – just the latest step in Pathways to Technology’s goal of connecting all of the First Nations in BC to the world.

Pathways to Technology is already making strides across British Columbia. One of the program’s success stories is Blueberry River, where the installation of high-speed Internet is changing the way the community does business, education and even entertainment.

Blueberry River is a small First Nations community of just over 400 people, located 45 minutes north of Fort St. John. Situated in BC’s oil and gas country, the community has long thrived as a member of Treaty 8 in the province’s north. However, the full po-tential of the region is only being realized now that access to the Internet became available to every home in the community in February 2011.

In fact, the community had been targeted for an Internet installation project in the past, but where other proposals fell through, Pathways to Technology was able to step up and provide Blueberry River with the latest wireless high-speed broad-band technology.

By partnering with the Peace Region Internet Society (PRIS), the Pathways project ensured that multiple access points were installed throughout the community including the Administration office, and set up wireless Internet receivers at no cost for any homes wishing to take advantage of high-speed Internet.

“That takes the cost of having the Internet at home from a $400 investment down to a small monthly fee, like any other Internet user in BC,” said Greg Hazel, Project Man-ager of Pathways to Technology. “It makes the Internet a more affordable option for people in Blueberry River.”

The new Internet services are already al-lowing people in the community to access resources never before available in their remote location. From online banking to


This jump in Internet technology would not be fully utilized, though, without hours of training and support through CSFS and the Pathways to Technology program. Through a strategic plan, project organizers will ensure health care professionals in the region are trained on the ins and outs of the telehealth network, in order to maximize its benefits for the Carrier-Sekani people.

High speed Internet connectivity pro-vided by the Pathways project represents an important capacity for First Nations Health Centres across the province. The First Nations Health Council (FNHC) and its government partners are committed to establishing a First Nations Telehealth/eHealth Network that will eventually link all community based Health Centres in the province. This will provide the First Nations health sector with the type of robust and secure communications infrastructure that provincial Health Authorities currently use. The Pathways to Technology project plays an important supporting role in this undertaking.

The FNHC views a First Nations Network as a critical enabling infrastructure that

...continued on next page

...continued from previous page

will support health system advancements in many areas in community health. As information management and electronic charting becomes increasingly required and desired at the Health Centre level, the need for secure a communications network is quickly becoming a key capital requirement for First Nations health. With communities spread across such a large geographic area, many in very remote set-tings, this task requires the collaborative effort of multiple partners.

“Bridging the barriers to service access by many of our remote communities is an important priority for us all,” said Pierre Leduc, First Nations Health Society Chair. “We are working towards a time when some of these geographic challenges can be reduced through clinical telehealth, where an increased number of consultations can be provided within the community and in the context of existing support systems.”

The Pathways project is committed to continue helping advance this vision by providing the broadband connectivity that is integral to the success of a fully integrated First Nations clinical telehealth network in British Columbia.









COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

Blueberry River

PROJECT UPDATE






IN THIS ISSUE





In Our Next Issue



























Steering Committee



Getting Communities Broadband FIT

Connected Communities Tap Into Opportunities

... continued from front

1. Physical construction of the broadband network to bring Internet capability to each community.

2. The physical, technical and administrative work required to make the Internet accessible to individual homes, offices, schools and other users.

3. Community training and support pro-grams to give new users the online skills they need to enjoy the full benefits of the Internet, including in-community training, train-the-trainer programs and help desks.

Perhaps the most important feature of the Pathways to Technology project is its comprehensive community consultation process. The Pathways team works with each participating community through every step of the project’s lifecycle – from identifying the priority community needs for Internet connection, through the construction and installation phase, to finally activating the broadband service.

There is no competitive application process or complex technical proposals required from communities to participate in the Pathways project. The project rolls out directly to communities in need based on an established protocol endorsed by the project’s steering committee.

In late 2007, a wide cross-section of First Nations and government technology, health, education and cultural groups came together to form the Fully Integrated Technologies (FIT) Partners Working Group. Part of the work completed by the FIT Partners Group included an assessment of communities in need of Internet connectivity or service upgrades.

The Pathways to Technology project team is using this independent analysis to plan

the project’s roll-out across the province. Simply put, the communities identified by FIT as having the highest priority for con-nectivity are those with little to no Internet access or those communities which can gain most from upgraded Internet service.

After establishing connectivity in high priority communities, the Pathways project will proceed in a strategic manner to link other communities utilizing existing telecommunications infrastructure where possible and building out the provincial network as necessary.

This consultative and strategic approach ensures that this complex project will be completed in the shortest possible time and reach the most communities possible within the project’s budget.

development. Residents of Telegraph Creek are expected to be connected by fall 2011. Community Health Centres in Iskut and Telegraph Creek will also receive enhanced connectivity at this time.

“The Pathways to Technology project will give people living in rural First Nation communities access to 21st century technology that other British Columbians take for granted,” said Ruth Williams, CEO of All Nations Trust Company which is managing the Pathways initiative.

“The project will connect community health centres to telehealth to give residents remote access to medical specialists. The project will open up educational opportunities for youth and give Aboriginal entrepreneurs access to the tools they need to market themselves around the world.”

Work is also ramping up in the northeast part of the province. Doig River will be the first community connected under a multi-year contract the Pathways Project has signed with TELUS. From there, the Pathways web of Internet connections will extend to other communities in the area.

Project planning and preparation is also underway in Canim Lake, Homalko, Whispering Pines, Alexandria, Mount Currie, Williams Lake and Ashcroft. It is expected that most of these communities will be online by the end of 2011.

Communities newly connected to the Internet through the Pathways to Technol-ogy project are tapping into new economic, social and educational opportunities. The community of Iskut was among the first locations to be connected under the Pathways project, through a contract with NorthwesTel in early 2010. Since then, more than a dozen communities have been brought online and are now enjoying the benefits of reliable, high-speed Internet.

Several more remote northwest communi-ties are currently in an active stage of

Pathways ProjectExpands Service In Carrier-Sekani

Community SpotlightBlueberry River

When opportunity comes knocking to create mutual success, the Pathways to Technology team is there to extend a help-ing hand. In the case of the Carrier-Sekani Family Services in central British Columbia, Pathways is pleased to step up as a willing community partner and support their in-novative Internet infrastructure project.

Carrier-Sekani Family Services (CSFS) was already months into designing and installing a secure network that would help boost business and telehealth ventures in the region. The plan called for a network to connect the CSFS head office in Prince George with several other branch offices and community health centres, from Vanderhoof to Burns Lake and beyond. Recognizing the opportunities to complement and leverage the work underway, the Pathways project reached out to the CSFS to support their initiative.

This groundbreaking new partnership saw Pathways provide financial assistance to significantly expand the scope of the Carrier-Sekani Family Services initiative. The investment by the Pathways project added community connections for homes and businesses in the Saikuz First Nation, Nadleh First Nation, Stellat’en First Nation, Wetsuwet’en First Nation, Takla First Nation and Yekooche First Nation.

With the project now 98% complete, over 11,000 people in 10 separate First Nation communities are receiving the benefits of high-speed Internet access.

“This network gives the community clinics and public health centres a huge advantage – and with the Pathways initiative this can also potentially bring benefits for busi-nesses, social services, community health centres and schools,” said Carrier-Sekani Family Services Director of Finance Carol Reimer. “Access to high-speed Internet ser-vice is a tremendous asset for this whole region, but the real benefactors are the people living in these communities.”

Perhaps the biggest success of the Path-ways project in Carrier-Sekani lies in the creation of a complete telehealth network that is vital for remote First Nations com-munities. With the physical network nearly complete, full access to long-distance health care programs – where in the past there was simply not enough Internet bandwidth to provide them – is now just weeks away. That gives thousands of residents the chance to see a specialist remotely over the Internet from their community health care centre, rather than travelling several hours and hundreds of kilometres for a half-hour consultation.

“Now local doctors can do far more than they could ever do without high-speed Internet,” added Joseph Mendez, Project Advisor and Vice President of Healthtech Consultants West. “Patients will be able to have doctor visits, consults, and follow ups – all without the burden and cost of travel-ling to a health centre in another city.”

Steering Committee

video communication, the opportunities are almost endless with high-speed Internet access. Local school programs now have access to thousands of educational programs and benefits, giving class time a whole new dimension. Blueberry River businesses are benefiting too, by eliminating travel cost and time while expanding their reach through a few clicks of the mouse.

“This project has been a long time coming for this community. Before Pathways came to town, our only option was dial-up Internet or taking the hour-long trip to town to go online,” said Blueberry First Nations administrator Lenora Blue. “We absolutely love having high-speed Internet at home, business owners are raving about how fast and reliable it is, and even our school is connected – it is an awesome tool for the kids.”

Moving forward, Pathways to Technology will be working with the First Nations Health Council as part of their efforts to create a fully integrated First Nations clini-cal telehealth network in British Columbia. The people living in Blueberry River will soon be able to receive expanded services at the community’s health centre, while having the benefit of remote appointments and consultations with specialists rather than travelling hundreds of kilometres.

Since the community was first connected, nearly a quarter of the homes and busi-nesses have signed up for Internet ser-vice – just the latest step in Pathways to Technology’s goal of connecting all of the First Nations in BC to the world.

Pathways to Technology is already making strides across British Columbia. One of the program’s success stories is Blueberry River, where the installation of high-speed Internet is changing the way the community does business, education and even entertainment.

Blueberry River is a small First Nations community of just over 400 people, located 45 minutes north of Fort St. John. Situated in BC’s oil and gas country, the community has long thrived as a member of Treaty 8 in the province’s north. However, the full po-tential of the region is only being realized now that access to the Internet became available to every home in the community in February 2011.

In fact, the community had been targeted for an Internet installation project in the past, but where other proposals fell through, Pathways to Technology was able to step up and provide Blueberry River with the latest wireless high-speed broad-band technology.

By partnering with the Peace Region Internet Society (PRIS), the Pathways project ensured that multiple access points were installed throughout the community including the Administration office, and set up wireless Internet receivers at no cost for any homes wishing to take advantage of high-speed Internet.

“That takes the cost of having the Internet at home from a $400 investment down to a small monthly fee, like any other Internet user in BC,” said Greg Hazel, Project Man-ager of Pathways to Technology. “It makes the Internet a more affordable option for people in Blueberry River.”

The new Internet services are already al-lowing people in the community to access resources never before available in their remote location. From online banking to


This jump in Internet technology would not be fully utilized, though, without hours of training and support through CSFS and the Pathways to Technology program. Through a strategic plan, project organizers will ensure health care professionals in the region are trained on the ins and outs of the telehealth network, in order to maximize its benefits for the Carrier-Sekani people.

High speed Internet connectivity pro-vided by the Pathways project represents an important capacity for First Nations Health Centres across the province. The First Nations Health Council (FNHC) and its government partners are committed to establishing a First Nations Telehealth/eHealth Network that will eventually link all community based Health Centres in the province. This will provide the First Nations health sector with the type of robust and secure communications infrastructure that provincial Health Authorities currently use. The Pathways to Technology project plays an important supporting role in this undertaking.

The FNHC views a First Nations Network as a critical enabling infrastructure that

...continued on next page

...continued from previous page

will support health system advancements in many areas in community health. As information management and electronic charting becomes increasingly required and desired at the Health Centre level, the need for secure a communications network is quickly becoming a key capital requirement for First Nations health. With communities spread across such a large geographic area, many in very remote set-tings, this task requires the collaborative effort of multiple partners.

“Bridging the barriers to service access by many of our remote communities is an important priority for us all,” said Pierre Leduc, First Nations Health Society Chair. “We are working towards a time when some of these geographic challenges can be reduced through clinical telehealth, where an increased number of consultations can be provided within the community and in the context of existing support systems.”

The Pathways project is committed to continue helping advance this vision by providing the broadband connectivity that is integral to the success of a fully integrated First Nations clinical telehealth network in British Columbia.









COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

Blueberry River

PROJECT UPDATE






IN THIS ISSUE





In Our Next Issue



























Steering Committee



PATHWAYS TO TECHNOLOGY NEWSLETTER SUMMER 2011| Greg Hazel

Documents

Transcript of PATHWAYS TO TECHNOLOGY NEWSLETTER SUMMER 2011| Greg Hazel