Technology

New initiative aims to close healthcare gaps in rural Ontario through in-home care powered by AI technology

Published

2 years ago

May 27, 2024

Gotcare and Quinte Health will leverage AI and digital health tools to allow Hastings residents to access health care in their own homes.

TORONTO, May 27, 2024 /CNW/ – Gotcare, a national health technology start-up reimagining health services in the home, has partnered with Quinte Health and the Reach Alliance at the University of Toronto to launch their AI-enabled Health Ambassador care platform in the Hastings region. DIGITAL, Canada’s Global Innovation Cluster for digital technologies, is providing co-investment of $1.5m to support the total $3.1m initiative. The organizations are working together to ensure that no resident gets left behind.

Gotcare plans to bring its AI-enabled triage and health monitoring tools into residents’ homes, starting in North Hastings. Eligible residents will be matched with a Health Ambassador, an upskilled community care provider with digital health skills, who collaborate with virtual clinicians to deliver as much care as possible in the home setting.

The Health Ambassador care platform will bridge gaps in home care and primary care for residents who do not have a family doctor, and for patients who require an alternate level of care (ALC), rather than keeping them in the hospital. Across Canada, approximately 15% of acute-level care beds in hospitals are filled by ALC patients due to a lack of structural support for care within their own homes.

The organizations are working together to decrease the Hastings region’s longer than usual wait times for primary care and home care, due to a lack of workers in these fields. This is unfortunately common for rural regions, as only eight percent of doctors in Ontario work outside of urban centres.

“How residents are doing in the home has been a black box for clinicians, health organizations, and care funders. Historically, this makes timely, cost-saving interventions tricky,” said Gotcare CEO and co-founder Chenny Xia. “I am confident that we will provide data-driven insights to help set a new standard for technology-enabled rural care.”

Gotcare Health Ambassadors will work closely with Quinte Health staff and in collaboration with community health providers with the Hastings Prince Edward Ontario Health Team to monitor residents at home in order to spot health issues early and take action before critical care is required — especially for those who do not have a family doctor.

“One of Quinte Health’s core values is, ‘imagine it’s you’,” said Gina Johar, Vice President and Chief Digital Officer of Quinte Health. “But with strained health care staffing, it can be difficult to ensure patients are getting the right care in the right place. By partnering with Gotcare, we can offer more support and early interventions to our patients — all from the comfort of their own home.”

“DIGITAL is excited to build upon the over 5 years of investments we’ve made in applied AI with this latest announcement,” said Nadia Shaikh-Naeem, Vice President of Programs at DIGITAL. “Led by Gotcare, this consortium is helping build a more efficient, supported system of connection and access to care. We’re proud to co-invest alongside innovators like Gotcare and support partnerships such as these that are building on Canada’s global reputation in AI and bringing better care to more Canadians.”

The Reach Alliance at the University of Toronto will uncover actionable insights about this health care model between Gotcare and Quinte Health. They will look at how it affects stakeholders, including patients and clinicians, as well as how home-based and early interventions create possible cost-savings for the health care system.

The Reach Alliance can then make policy recommendations based on their real-time learnings from this partnership.

“Innovative solutions addressing urgent public health challenges faced by last mile populations are a main research focus of the Reach Alliance,” said Marin MacLeod, Executive Director of the Reach Alliance. “We’re excited to partner with Gotcare and Quinte Health to better understand how innovative health care interventions can lead to improved health outcomes for geographically remote populations in Ontario.”

Gotcare has been working on bringing health care to rural Canada for years now. With rural hospitals often existing 25 kilometres or more away from residents, the company has employed its Health Ambassadors across rural Canada to make health care more accessible.

As Gotcare continues to expand on their work to bring health care to rural Canada, the company is committed to paying Health Ambassadors a living wage. Gotcare’s commitment to fair pay helps retain workers, which is especially important during a health care worker shortage.

About Gotcare

The health care worker shortage has left many older adults and people living with chronic conditions without access to the care they need. By attracting and upskilling community health workers who have previously left the sector, Gotcare is rehumanizing the patient care journey. They provide personalized in-home care, AI-driven health monitoring, and virtual care support to address low-acuity care needs right at home. Gotcare is a social enterprise and a certified living wage employer. For more information: gotcare.ca.

About Quinte Health

Quinte Health is a family of four hospitals—Belleville General Hospital, North Hastings Hospital, Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital and Trenton Memorial Hospital—that are working to “Create Healthier Communities. Together”.

The team of 2,600 staff and physicians provide care through four emergency departments, operating rooms at three hospitals, a rehabilitation day hospital, ambulatory care clinics, and a range of diagnostic services. There are more than 335 inpatient beds for acute medical patients, intensive care, obstetrics, paediatrics, mental health, complex continuing care, rehabilitation, and surgery. In addition, Quinte Health is proud to operate the Quinte Children’s Treatment Centre, community mental health programs, and to be a member of the Hastings Prince Edward Ontario Health Team.

About the Reach Alliance at the University of Toronto

The Reach Alliance is a consortium of global universities unleashing actionable research insights to tackle urgent local challenges of the hard to reach – those under-served for geographic, administrative, or social reasons. Working in interdisciplinary teams, Reach’s globally-minded researchers use rigorous methods to identify innovative solutions to public health, climate, and economic challenges. The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals provide inspiration and a guiding framework.

The Reach Alliance was created in 2015 by the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, in partnership with the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth.

About DIGITAL

DIGITAL, Canada’s Global Innovation Cluster for digital technologies, grows Canadian businesses through the development, adoption and deployment of Canadian-made technologies and by working with industry to develop a digitally skilled workforce to positively impact lives across our country.

We bring together businesses, academia, community and government agencies to solve some of industry and society’s biggest challenges – better and faster than any single organization can do on its own. Through a powerful model that combines cross-sector collaboration, Canadian IP creation and results-based co-investment, we unlock the potential of Canadian industry to lead and succeed in the digital world.

Ahead of the curve starts here. For more information, visit digitalsupercluster.ca.

SOURCE Gotcare

Technology

Accord Specialty Pharmacy Named Finalist in MMIT’s 11th Annual Retail Specialty Pharmacy Patient Choice Awards

Published

22 minutes ago

April 23, 2026

ORLANDO, Fla., April 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Accord Specialty Pharmacy, an independent specialty pharmacy serving patients across multiple states, has been named a finalist in the MMIT Patient Choice Awards, a recognition based on patient-reported satisfaction and experience.

Accord was selected as the only independent pharmacy among finalists in its category, alongside national pharmacy organizations such as Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy and Walmart Specialty Pharmacy. This distinction highlights the company’s commitment to delivering personalized, high-touch care for patients managing complex and chronic conditions.

The MMIT Patient Choice Awards recognize specialty pharmacies that demonstrate excellence in patient satisfaction, service quality, and overall care experience. Finalists are determined based on direct patient feedback, making the recognition a meaningful reflection of the trust patients place in their pharmacy providers.

“Being recognized alongside national organizations and as the only independent finalist validates our belief that personalized, patient-centered care drives better outcomes. We are building a model that combines clinical depth, national reach, and operational flexibility to better serve patients, providers, and partners.” said AJ Patel, Founder and Pharmacy Manager of Accord Specialty Pharmacy.

Accord Specialty Pharmacy supports patients across complex specialty categories, including oncology, rare disease, and infusion, through a clinically driven, high-touch care model designed to improve access, adherence, and outcomes. The company’s approach emphasizes personalized support, responsive care coordination, and strong clinical engagement to help patients navigate complex therapies more effectively. With a growing national footprint and multi-state licensure, Accord is positioned to support patients, providers, and partners across diverse markets.

For more information, visit MMIT Announces Finalists of the 11th Specialty Pharmacy Patient Choice Awards – MMITNetwork.

About Accord Specialty Pharmacy:

Accord Specialty Pharmacy is an ACHC-accredited, multi-state licensed independent specialty pharmacy located in Central Florida, dedicated to delivering high-quality, patient-centered care for individuals managing complex and chronic conditions. Through personalized support, clinical expertise, and a high-touch approach, Accord helps patients navigate every step of their treatment journey. Learn more at www.accordspecialty.com.

CONTACT: contact@accordspecialty.com

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SOURCE Accord Specialty

Technology

HAIVISION ANNOUNCES VOTING RESULTS FROM 2026 ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

Published

22 minutes ago

April 23, 2026

MONTRÉAL, April 23, 2026 /CNW/ – Haivision Systems Inc. (“Haivision” or the “Company”) (TSX: HAI) is pleased to announce the voting results from its annual meeting of shareholders held today in a virtual format.

A total of approximately 45.97 % of the issued and outstanding common shares of Haivision were represented at the meeting.

Election of Directors

Each of the six nominated directors of Haivision was elected as director of the Company with the following results:

Director

Votes
For

% Votes
For

Votes
Against

% Votes
Against

Miroslav Wicha

11,110,245

99.26 %

82,583

0.74 %

Harvey Bienenstock

11,155,137

99.66 %

37,691

0.34 %

Robin M. Rush

11,121,855

99.37 %

70,973

0.63 %

Neil Hindle

10,794,005

96.44 %

398,823

3.56 %

Julie Tremblay

10,941,969

97.76 %

250,859

2.24 %

Lee K. Levy II

9,084,418

81.16 %

2,108,410

18.84 %

2. Appointment of Auditors

Deloitte LLP were reappointed auditors of the Company for the ensuing year with 12,492,582 (98.84%) votes cast in favour and 146,406 (1.16%) votes withheld.

3. Approval of the Unallocated Awards under the Company’s Equity Incentive Plan

The Company’s unallocated awards were approved with 8,710,347 (77.82%) votes cast in favour and 2,482,481 (22.18%) votes cast against.

4. Reapproval of Company’s Shareholder Rights Plan

The Company’s shareholder rights plan was approved with 10,572,490 (94.46%) votes cast in favour and 620,338 (5.54%) votes cast against.

Final voting results on all matters voted on at the meeting will be filed under Haivision’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

About Haivision

Haivision is a leading global provider of mission-critical, real-time video streaming and visual collaboration solutions. Our connected cloud and intelligent edge technologies enable organizations globally to engage audiences, enhance collaboration, and support decision making. We provide high quality, low latency, secure, and reliable live video at a global scale. Haivision open sourced its award-winning SRT low latency video streaming protocol and founded the SRT Alliance to support its adoption. Awarded four Emmys® for Technology and Engineering from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Haivision continues to fuel the future of IP video transformation. Founded in 2004, Haivision is headquartered in Montreal and Chicago with offices, sales, and support located throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Learn more at haivision.com.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/haivision-announces-voting-results-from-2026-annual-meeting-of-shareholders-302752318.html

SOURCE Haivision Systems Inc.

Technology

Noritz upgrades EZ Pro Series of tankless water heaters with larger, multi-function panel display for faster installation and servicing

Published

22 minutes ago

April 23, 2026

Improved, fully integrated diagnostic interface eliminates the need for a separate remote controller, providing key system status data and enhanced digital controls to ease startup, operation, and maintenance for pro installers and service techs.

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., April 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Noritz America, an international leader in tankless and electric heat pump water heaters and high-efficiency combination boilers, has further enhanced its EZ Series Pro line of residential condensing tankless water heaters by expanding both the size and the functionality of the units’ built-in control panel, whose user-friendly digital interface is mounted prominently on the front exterior.

Providing upgraded monitoring and diagnostic capabilities, the multi-function panel display allows professional installers to view system status, temperature settings, service reminders, maintenance data, error codes, error history, and (if applicable) recirculation timing settings. All of this vital information is built in and readily accessible on the water heater. Besides eliminating the need for a separate, external remote controller, the panel enables guided setup during installation and faster, more effective troubleshooting.

In addition, installers and users can monitor and program the unit remotely via Bluetooth® connectivity that works alongside the panel, using the EZ Start Plus app on their smartphones. A separate external remote is optional.

“The intent of our upgrade efforts was to create a more satisfying user experience for both the professional and the consumer,” says Noritz Executive Vice President and General Manager Jason Fleming. “We focused on simplified installation, advanced diagnostics, and giving professionals and their customers easier, more responsive control of the water heater.”

Essential Features of the Multi-Function Panel

Below are the main features and capabilities of the upgraded, built-in, multi-function panel and related control system:

Digital temperature control: Professional installers and service technicians will find it easier to use the enlarged panel to set the output water temperature to 100° – 140° Fahrenheit. Temperature settings are available in increments as small as 5°F.

Key benefits: More precise temperature control for professionals and, as a result, safer, more consistent hot-water delivery for end users.

Integrated Bluetooth connectivity; no more dip switches: The EZ Start Plus app enables installers and service techs to perform system setup, adjust the temperature, run diagnostics and share this information electronically with Noritz Technical Support. Installers can even register the water heater to qualify for the accompanying warranty.

Key benefits: Simplified startups mean faster installs, minimizing the manual programming that installers previously had to perform. Smartphone-based control and troubleshooting eliminate the need for old-style manual adjustment of physical dip switches.

Improved service access: Even the physical design of the EZ Series Pro has been reengineered to work more effectively with the newly enhanced multi-function panel.

Key benefits: The latched, snap-lock front cover enables quicker access to components for easier maintenance and servicing.

Industry-Best Warranty

The upgraded EZ Series Pro continues to include three models, all with a Uniform Energy Factor of 0.98, the highest efficiency rating in the tankless water heater industry:

EZ71: input range — 12,800 to 160,000 BTU/hour; flow rate — 0.4 to 9.0 gallons per minute; turndown ratio — 12.5:1EZ98: 12,800 to 180,000 BTUh; 0.4 to 9.8 gpm; 14:1;EZ111: 12,800 to 199,900 BTUh; 0.4 to 11.1 gpm; 16:1.

All three units carry a 25-year limited warranty on their stainless steel heat exchangers, the longest such protection in the industry. Further protection includes a five-year limited parts warranty and one year for reasonable labor.

The water heaters use natural gas but are field-convertible to LP with a parts kit included with every unit. Two water heaters can be linked using Noritz’s optional Quick Connect linkage to double the hot-water flow rate.

Designed for wall-mounting indoors, the EZ Series Pro heaters can be direct-vented with two-, three-, or four-inch Schedule 40 or Schedule 80 PVC or CPVC, or two-inch or three-inch polypropylene venting. They can also be installed outdoors in milder year-round climates using an optional vent cap.

All EZ Series Pro models have received approvals from CSA, NSF5, NSF372, and are Low NOx approved by the South Coast Air Quality Management District (Rule 1146.2).

For more information on the newly upgraded Noritz EZ Series Pro, visit: https://ezseries.noritz.com/

A short product video is available at: https://youtu.be/m5iDn7sOGMc

For more information on the full line of Noritz tankless water heating products, visit www.noritz.com. You can also contact us by telephone at 866.766.7489 or by email at support@noritz.com.

For editorial assistance, contact John O’Reilly or Emma Wurzer at GreenHouse Digital PR, 15255 South 94th Avenue, Suite 500 | Orland Park, IL 60462; tel.: 708.428.6385; e-mail: john@greenhousedigitalpr.com | emma@greenhousedigitalpr.com.

Hi-res versions of photographs to accompany this press release are available for immediate download by using this link: https://noritz.greenhousedigitalpr.com/ez-series-pro-upgrades.

NORITZ AMERICA CORPORATION, a subsidiary of Noritz Japan, has corporate offices in Fountain Valley, Calif., and Atlanta, offering a full line of tankless water heaters and high-efficiency combination boilers to meet the hot water demands of residential and commercial applications. Noritz supports its products with a national network of skilled representatives and employees committed to providing our communities with the finest products and services by helping consumers live a more comfortable, efficient, and healthy lifestyle. For more information on Noritz America and the entire line of Noritz’s ENERGY STAR® tankless water heaters, please call (877) 986-6748 or visit our website at www.noritz.com.

CONTACT:
Andrew Tran
Noritz America
(714) 433-7813
atran@noritz.com

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/noritz-upgrades-ez-pro-series-of-tankless-water-heaters-with-larger-multi-function-panel-display-for-faster-installation-and-servicing-302752319.html

SOURCE Noritz