Albertans Want to Use Technology to Support Health Care Access

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Albertans Want to Use Technology to Support Health Care Access

2025-05-27 19:59 Last Updated At：20:11

LETHBRIDGE, Alberta--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 27, 2025--

A new survey conducted by Nanos Group, commissioned by Teladoc Health Canada, reveals that while Albertans continue to face challenges in accessing timely care, particularly in rural areas, there is strong openness to new, innovative solutions that could help relieve pressure on the health care system.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250527433055/en/

How Open are Albertans to Innovation?

“These results show that Albertans are ready to see what their options are when it comes to health care—they are ready for new solutions,” said Joby McKenzie, Managing Director of Teladoc Health Canada. “It also tells us that many Albertans believe virtual and hybrid care can result in quicker and convenient access to health care. That’s why we’re committed to working with local leaders and health care partners to expand services that help people get the high quality of care they need faster, while easing pressure on the frontlines.”

Released during Alberta Rural Health Week, the survey also highlights the urgency behind this openness. Long wait times, staffing shortages, and delayed care continue to impact patients across the province.

Why Innovation is Important:

The survey findings are being released in conjunction with Bridging the Gap: Advancing Rural Health Care through Innovation & Collaboration, an event hosted by the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by Teladoc Health Canada. The event brings together health care leaders, decision-makers, and providers to explore the role innovation plays in expanding access to care across Alberta.

“As members of the community, we see firsthand how health care access issues affect our families, from overall well-being, productivity, and also, workforce stability,” said Cyndi Crane, CEO of the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce. “We’re proud to host an event that puts local experts, our unique challenges, and innovative solutions at the centre of the conversation.”

Teladoc Health Canada is sharing this new data to help inform ongoing policy and public conversations. Teladoc is committed to collaborating with local and provincial health care leaders to explore how virtual and hybrid care models can help make health care more accessible and timely for Albertans, while supporting care teams and keeping ERs open.

AboutTeladoc Health Canada

Teladoc Health Canada is a Canadian company within the Teladoc Health Group, with a dedicated Canadian team across all functions of the business. Headquartered in Toronto, Teladoc Health Canada has more than 20 years of experience delivering virtual health care to millions of Canadians coast to coast. Through experiences and learnings from providing services in over 175 countries across the world, Teladoc Health Canada has access to world-class research and innovation, enhancing care delivery while maintaining a strong Canadian focus.

About the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce

The Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce is the voice of business, advocating for policies that support a thriving local economy. With a strong network of members, the Chamber champions innovation, growth, and collaboration across all sectors. As a catalyst for positive change, it remains committed to building a prosperous future for Lethbridge and our surrounding region.

Hong Kong rings in 2026 without fireworks after deadliest blaze in decades

HONG KONG (AP) — Fireworks are typically a celebratory centerpiece of Hong Kong's New Year celebrations. Not this year.

The territory will ring in 2026 without spectacular and colorful explosions in the sky over its iconic Victoria Harbor after a massive fire in November that killed at least 161 people.

The city’s tourism board will instead host a music show Wednesday night featuring soft rock duo Air Supply and other singers in Central, a business district that also is home to the famous nightlife hub Lan Kwai Fong. The facades of eight landmarks will turn into giant countdown clocks presenting a three-minute light show at midnight.

Fireworks have long been part of the city’s celebrations for the New Year, Lunar New Year and National Day. The pyrotechnic displays against Hong Kong’s world-famous skyline of skyscrapers typically draw hundreds of thousands of people including many tourists to both sides of the promenade.

Rosanna Law, the territory's secretary for culture, sports and tourism, acknowledged Tuesday that having no fireworks would affect some hotel and restaurant businesses.

The financial hub’s worst blaze since 1948 broke out at Wang Fuk Court, in the northern suburban district of Tai Po, in late November. The apartment complex was undergoing a monthslong renovation project with buildings covered by bamboo scaffolding and green netting.

Authorities have pointed to the substandard netting and foam boards installed on windows as contributing factors in the fire’s rapid spread. Thousands of affected residents have moved to transitional homes, hotels and youth hostels, struggling to recover from the loss of lives and homes that took them years to buy. The casualties pained many residents across the city.

Past tragedies in Hong Kong have forced similar cancellations of fireworks. They include the 2013 National Day festivities following a vessel collision that killed 39 people on Oct. 1, 2012, and the 2018 Lunar New Year celebration after a bus crash that left 19 dead. During the 2019 anti-government protests and the COVID-19 pandemic, multiple displays also were scrapped.

The origin of fireworks is believed to date to China in the second century B.C., when someone discovered bamboo stalks exploded with loud bangs when thrown into fire, creating the first natural “firecrackers,” according to the American Pyrotechnics Association, a U.S. trade group.

The Guinness World Records organization says the first accurately documented firework, the Chinese firecracker, was created by Li Tian, a monk from China’s Tang dynasty dating to around 618 to 907 C.E. Li discovered that putting gunpowder in enclosed hollow bamboo stems created loud explosions and bound crackers together to create the traditional New Year firecrackers to drive out evil spirits, Guinness said.