MedicAlert and Canadian Schools Thank Flaherty for Support of ‘No Child Without’ Program
WHITBY, June 24, 2010 – Today at St. Paul’s Catholic School the Canadian MedicAlert® Foundation, local school officials and students, officially thanked the Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance and the Government of Canada for the continued support of the No Child Without program.
The event also allowed MedicAlert, participating students, and educators from the Durham District and Durham Catholic School Boards to demonstrate the reach the program has in protecting children across Canada.
“Children need and deserve our protection, especially when it comes to a life-threatening medical condition, allergy or special need,” said Robert Ridge, President and CEO of MedicAlert. “No Child Without focuses on children because they have the most difficult time communicating medical issues in the middle of a crisis,” says Ridge. The program is designed to provide students at participating elementary schools with a MedicAlert bracelet linked to a managed electronic health record with the child’s medical information, member identification and the 24-hour Emergency Hotline number.
In 2007 and 2008, the Federal Government gave a total of $5 million in grants to help protect children at risk. These funds have provided more than 40,000 students across Canada with MedicAlert protection.
“MedicAlert bracelets mean school staff and health care providers have quick access to critical information about a student’s condition,” said Martyn Beckett, Director of Education of the Durham District School Board. “We thank the MedicAlert Foundation and for its support of our students and our schools.”
“Tracking student’s individual medical conditions can be challenging for schools. The No Child Without program helps educators by monitoring and reporting student’s medical updates, at no cost to the school or board,” said Paul Pulla, Director of Education, Durham Catholic District School Board.
Developed in the spirit of Canadian medical care to help every child, regardless of circumstance or financial resources, MedicAlert plans to expand the program to all 12,000 elementary schools in Canada.
About the Canadian MedicAlert Foundation
The Canadian MedicAlert Foundation is the largest membership-based registered charity in Canada, and has been the provider of emergency medical information services to more than one million Canadians for almost 50 years. The Foundation’s services include electronic health records, a state-of-the-art secure database, a 24-hour emergency hotline and customized identification products that protect people with medical conditions or special needs. More information about MedicAlert is available on-line at www.medicalert.ca.
For more information, please contact:
Tena Dubeau
Canadian MedicAlert Foundation
416-696-0142 ext. 1236
tdubeau@medicalert.ca
