Bayshore HealthCare marks 100,000 virtual care visits during first 18 months of pandemic

TORONTO, ON (October 19, 2021) – Bayshore HealthCare (Bayshore), a centre for clinical excellence and trusted partner with more than 50 years of experience, is pleased to announce it has now provided more than 100,000 virtual care visits to Canadians over the past 18 months.

Recognizing the important role of digital health technology in accelerating the shift from hospital to home care, reducing barriers to health care access and helping seniors age in place, Bayshore made a strategic investment three years ago in an innovative team of digital architects and accompanying digital infrastructure.

When COVID-19 hit in early 2020, Bayshore had the digital health solutions in place to significantly ramp up its virtual care offerings in a wide range of programs and services across the organization. Bayshore also implemented a change management strategy and made a significant investment in its people. This included developing virtual care training and education, effective communication, as well as engagement with our clinical managers and front-line health care providers.

“Bayshore’s digital health technology has enabled the organization to provide our patients with world-class care in the comfort and safety of their homes throughout the pandemic. Our virtual health care solutions have provided our clinicians with the tools to advance clinical practice and improved their ability to reach patients in remote Canadian communities resulting in improved patient outcomes. Bayshore’s virtual solutions have also afforded our staff with more flexible working hours and significantly reduced travel time to visit patients,” said Maureen Charlebois, Chief Nursing & Clinical Officer.

In addition to continuing to deliver high quality in-person care, Bayshore’s virtual offerings will be a key part of how the organization provides its programs and services in the post-pandemic world. Here’s a look at how Bayshore demonstrated community health sector leadership by completing more than 100,000 virtual health care visits to Canadians over the past 18 months.

• CareChart, an innovative program offered by Bayshore, recently launched an after-hours symptoms management digital health app that lets cancer and palliative patients connect with a nurse from the comfort of their home. The user-friendly CareChart Digital Health by Bayshoreapp reduces the need to go the emergency department by providing patients with world-class health care in their home.
• Bayshore’s CareChart nurses also supported numerous programs for international travelers returning to Canada with quarantine and symptom monitoring during COVID-19 peaks.
• The new Bayshore Wave virtual platform empowers our clients and patients to self-schedule virtual visits with Bayshore Specialty Rx nurses who support them with virtual injection training for diseases such as multiple sclerosis. Bayshore Wave is a customizable virtual platform available to all Bayshore divisions.
• Bayshore’s Therapy and Rehab teams incorporated virtual care to support clients needing occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech language pathology, teacher services, kinesiology and vocational rehab including home safety, home accessibility, mobility, exercise, mental health, cognitive communication, cognitive rehab, vocational assessments, job coaching and ergonomics.
• Bayshore Home Care Solutions nurses pivoted to provide a wide range of virtual person-centred care, including medication reminders, blood sugar monitoring and vital signs monitoring; mental health coping, emotional support and prevention of self-isolation; palliative care pain management; IV management; as well as physical exercise and deep breathing exercises.
• Bayshore’s Specialty Pharmacy team created a pharmacist virtual video visit program to support patients manage their complex drug regimen. In addition to pharmacist virtual care for drug regimen, pharmacist counseling for Oncology, Multiple Sclerosis, Rheumatology and Diabetes is available.

All Bayshore digital health solutions leverage the adaptable technology found in the new Bayshore Digital Experience Platform (Bayshore DXP). The innovative platform is designed to accelerate the shift from hospital to patient-centred home health care in Canada. It also enables Bayshore to partner with health care organizations and industry stakeholders across Canada on digital initiatives by supporting ease of integration.

About Bayshore HealthCare

Bayshore HealthCare is one of the country’s leading providers of home and community health care services and is a Canadian-owned company. With locations across the country, including 68 home care offices, 11 pharmacies and 81 community care clinics, Bayshore has more than 14,500 staff members and provides care to over 350,000 clients annually. Its services are purchased by government care programs, insurance companies, workers’ compensation boards, health care organizations, the corporate sector and the public. The Bayshore brand extends across three business divisions: Bayshore Home Health (medical and non-medical home care and staffing services), Bayshore Home Care Solutions (home care services for government care programs), Bayshore Specialty Rx (specialty pharmacy, infusion and pharmaceutical patient support services), in addition to three innovation teams: Integrated Care Solutions, CAREpath Digital Health, and Bayshore Digital. The company’s goal is to enhance the quality of life, well-being, dignity and independence of Canadians of all ages. Bayshore HealthCare has been a recipient of Canada’s Best Managed Companies award since 2006. In 2017, Bayshore HealthCare launched the Bayshore Foundation for Empowered Living to assist those living with illness, injury or aging reclaim or maintain their independence.

Media contact:
Patrick Callan
Manager, Corporate Communications & Public Relations
pcallan@bayshore.ca
416-770-1676