• WELL's subsidiary OceanMD has signed a $38.5 million contract with British Columbia's Provincial Health Services Authority to provide an array of digital services, such as eReferrals, eConsults, and eOrders to help further empower providers with best-in-class digital interoperability tools.
• This is the third Canadian province, in addition to Ontario and Nova Scotia, that has materially partnered with OceanMD to enable eReferrals, eOrders, and eConsult requests.
• The Ocean Platform currently supports almost 1 million eReferrals and eConsults annually and is Canada's largest community of connected healthcare solutions.
• The Ocean Platform will streamline healthcare processes by integrating various clinical systems, enabling digital patient engagement, and reducing paperwork, thus improving efficiency for providers, and granting patients easier access to their health data.

VANCOUVER, B.C., Aug. 10, 2023 /CNW/ - WELL Health Technologies Corp. (TSX: WELL) (OTCQX: WHTCF) (the "Company" or "WELL"), a digital healthcare company focused on positively impacting health outcomes by leveraging technology to empower healthcare practitioners and their patients globally, is pleased to announce that the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) in British Columbia has selected the Ocean Platform, from WELL's wholly owned subsidiary, OceanMD, for its Digital Referral & Orders (DRO) Program.

OceanMD's ground-breaking platform is set to launch an array of digital services, such as eReferrals, eConsults, and eOrders, within British Columbia through a provincial platform. This marks the third province in which OceanMD has been selected to enable these digital healthcare features. The collaboration, cemented under a $38.5 million, sole source contract, promises to be a revolutionary tool for healthcare in British Columbia. Seamlessly integrating with existing clinical systems, the technology is explicitly designed to diminish inefficiencies, rework, and administrative hassles, further underlining OceanMD's commitment to transforming the Canadian healthcare landscape.

"Our team at OceanMD has worked tirelessly to create and refine our platform, and this contract with British Columbia's PHSA is a testament to the outstanding product we have developed" said Jeff Kavanagh, CEO of OceanMD. "I am immensely proud of the work we have accomplished and the positive impact we are making in tech-enabled healthcare. We are excited and grateful to be a part of the important work that British Columbia's provincial health authority is doing through their Digital Health Strategy. Together, we will drive innovation and efficiency, enhancing patient care across the province. Furthermore, we are proud to be part of a growing national effort to connect healthcare providers and patients using open, standards-based integrations and industry-leading digital health solutions."

The decision on the vendor for the DRO program was made after extensive consultation with providers, staff, patients, and experts, including clinical leaders, regional health authorities, Doctors of BC, and the Nurses and Nurse Practitioners of BC (NNPBC) Association. These consultations addressed pain points and future needs and were also part of the provincial RFP process. As the project progresses, continuous engagement with care providers, patients, and staff will ensure that the solution minimizes disruption and that ensure users are adequately trained.

The Ocean Platform, connecting over 30 leading healthcare systems and thousands of healthcare providers, establishes OceanMD as Canada's largest community of digital healthcare solutions. Providers can easily manage digital referrals and orders, search for services, and fill pre-populated request forms, all within their primary clinical system. The platform streamlines clinical processes by digitizing traditional workflows and automatically updates both providers and patients on request statuses. This innovation enhances communication, transparency, and overall healthcare administration.

OceanMD's track record, with over 80,000 eReferrals and eConsults sent each month across hundreds of healthcare pathways and specialties, demonstrates its success in deploying provincial solutions for eReferrals, eConsults, and eOrders. OceanMD has notably proven its ability to reduce wait times by as much as 52 days, including a 35-day reduction in referral processing alone, thereby significantly improving patient access to care. In Ontario, the implementation of OceanMD's platform was shown to result in a 12% reduction in medically unnecessary MRIs, underlining a direct cost-saving impact for provincial health systems.

WELL HEALTH TECHNOLOGIES CORP.

Per:        "Hamed Shahbazi"                        
Hamed Shahbazi
Chief Executive Officer, Chairman and Director

WELL's mission is to tech-enable healthcare providers. We do this by developing the best technologies, services, and support available, which ensures healthcare providers are empowered to positively impact patient outcomes. WELL's comprehensive healthcare and digital platform includes extensive front and back-office management software applications that help physicians run and secure their practices. WELL's solutions enable more than 31,000 healthcare providers between the US and Canada and power the largest owned and operated healthcare ecosystem in Canada with more than 148 clinics supporting primary care, specialized care, and diagnostic services. In the United States WELL's solutions are focused on specialized markets such as the gastrointestinal market, women's health, primary care, and mental health. WELL is publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "WELL" and on the OTC Exchange under the symbol "WHTCF". To learn more about the Company, please visit: www.well.company.

The Provincial Health Services Authority provides specialized health care services and programs to communities across British Columbia, the territories of many distinct First Nations. We are grateful to all the First Nations who have cared for and nurtured this land for all time, including the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), and səlil̓w̓ətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) First Nations on whose unceded and ancestral territory our head office is located. We work in partnership with other B.C. health authorities, health system partners and the provincial government to deliver province-wide solutions that improve the health of British Columbians. For more information, visit www.phsa.ca or follow us @PHSAofBC.