A new website designed to connect those living with complex chronic diseases and disabilities with support services, healthcare providers and information was recently launched at Bridgepoint Health.
Health Gateway (www.healthgateway.ca) came to be as a result of a partnership between the Riverdale-area hospital and the Canadian Working Group on HIV and Rehabilitation (CWGHR), a national, charitable organization that responds to the rehabilitation needs of those living with HIV and other chronic diseases and disabilities. "Health Gateway is going to make a huge difference in the lives of those who need this vital information because, for the first time, they will be able to find everything they need at the click of a link under one roof," said Marian Walsh, Bridgepoint health's president and CEO, in a release."That means that for people living with MS and HIV and diabetes and a host of other complex and chronic conditions, life just got a whole lot easier."The project, which aims to provide Ontarians and their caregivers with instant and easy-to-navigate access to an extensive e-library of resources so they can better manage their conditions and enhance their quality of life, is funded in part by the Ontario Trillium Foundation and Sun Life Financial.Developed with the consultation of various stakeholders, the user-friendly website is organized into seven topic areas: employment and income support, equipment and devices, housing, emotional and peer support, caregiving and caregiver support, self-care and self-management support, and accessing quality information.Ontario's Lieutenant Governor David Onley also attended the October launch as did Elisse Zack, CWGHR's executive director."Health Gateway will help users navigate the complex web of online health and supported-living content to find trustworthy information they can use to help with their day-to-day needs. By using this site, users will be able to efficiently find and access needed appropriate services, which will reduce unnecessary healthcare-related costs," she said in a communiqué.The website has been named a finalist in Ontario Hospital Association's 2011 Leading Practices Awards in the patient experience category.-Joanna Lavoie