Blow out the candles! We’re 50!

Canadian MedicAlert Foundation celebrates 50 years of protecting and saving lives.

The year was 1961. John Diefenbaker was Prime Minister. Niagara Falls started producing hydroelectric power. Gas was 7.13¢ a litre!

Earlier that year, Dr. Maureen Roberts, a pediatrician from Halifax, Nova Scotia, read an article about the MedicAlert bracelet introduced in the United States. Believing this medical service could benefit her patients, she contacted MedicAlert founder Dr. Marion Collins, a Californian physician and surgeon. Eight years prior, Dr. Collins created the MedicAlert ID bracelet for his 14 year old daughter, Linda, who suffered an allergic reaction to a drug.

Thanks to Dr. Roberts, with the help of Dr. Collins, the Canadian MedicAlert Foundation was established in 1961, as a registered charity and the first affiliate of MedicAlert Foundation International. Today we happily reflect on our 50 year history of providing priceless peace of mind and protection for millions of Canadians.

As Dr. Collins profoundly said to his wife years ago, “I think I can save more lives with MedicAlert than I can with my scalpel” and looking to the future, our mission remains the same — To protect and enhance the lives of our members by meeting their health information needs.

We’ve come a long way from a stainless steel bracelet and information stored on index cards. Today, MedicAlert continues to be the leading provider of lifesaving identification devices and offers an electronic medical record that can be accessed anytime, anywhere. With loyal member support of our charitable programs and breakthrough technological advancements, all of us at MedicAlert are looking forward to improving the state of personal medical information and helping protect the lives of Canadians for many years to come.

Join the celebration! Sign our guest book at facebook.com/medicalertCanada