PC Health is (almost) available across Canada

Loblaw rolled out its PC Health app to Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories and Nunavut this week, making it available to nearly every person in Canada.

First launched last year, PC Health virtually connects users to “care navigators” that guide them towards the healthcare support they might need, such as connecting them with providers or facilities. It also offers live chats with nurses and dieticians for advice, the ability to purchase curated wellness products and programs that encourage healthy behaviours that give users PC Optimum points when completed. Through Maple Virtual Care, users can also get diagnosis and prescriptions through their device.

The company has also said PC Health is a major part of its strategic focus in healthcare going forward, which includes a major investment in further digitizing operations and services.

Quebec is the only province where the service has yet to launch. The province is part of the intended plan for the app, though the company has not indicated when it will launch there.

Thinkingbox adds to Toronto leadership

Digital studio Thinkingbox has brought on Jessie Corney as director of new business and promoted Alyssa Belova to associate director of production in Toronto.

Corney is returning to Thinkingbox after three years as an independent production consultant, and will help build the company’s sales and marketing strategy and handle outreach. Belova first joined Thinkingbox as a senior integrated producer, was promoted to executive producer in 2019 and will now be responsible for company-wide production management and furthering its capabilities on the east coast. Both will be joining Thinkingbox’s leadership team in Toronto.

NABS adds to its mental health support options

NABS is now providing members with free access to Togetherall, a virtual peer-to-peer mental health service.

Registered practitioners facilitate discussions between users in an anonymous online environment; they moderate discussions, ensure anyone in crisis receives the urgent attention they might need and will also point users to NABS’ other mental health-related services. Those include the LifeSpeak digital wellness platform, wellness webinars and professional counselling through its support line, all of which have seen “unprecidented” levels of use since the beginning of the pandemic, according to Louise Berube, director of allocations and services at NABS.

“We also recognize it can be challenging to access confidential, one-on-one counselling while working in a pandemic from home and that sometimes people crave an alternative way to access supports, often from their peers or friends,” she adds.

Togetherall’s services will be made available in French to BEC members later this year.