A Kelowna based company has put one of Canada's most recognizable faces beside it's name.
QHR, a Canadian healthcare technology company, has added five-time Olympic medalist Hayley Wickenheiser as spokesperson for the company's ACCURO and MEDEO products. Wickenheiser is currently towards obtaining her Masters in medical science, and her experiences with the medical industry both as a student and a hockey player have given her a common interest with QHR.
"It's something that I've had a lot of recent experience with, being around doctors and shadowing doctors in the field," she explained. "Seeing sort of the transition that's going on within healthcare and how technology can help improve our lives. I've also seen the resistance to change from some doctors and staff in the field, as it is a big change to go from the paper world to the tech world. Talking with Mike (Checkley, QHR President and CEO) it's a really easy fit for me."
Founded in Kelowna in 1997, QHR is Canada's leading electronic medical software vendor, providing programs that allow patients to connect with healthcare providers online, and solving the fragmentation of medical records across Canada.
"At this pace I see us being the standard in electronic medical record software for physicians across the country," Checkley described. "I also see that as patients we will all know the brand MEDEO, which is our patient technology. As patients, the next time you're sick, you'll pick up the phone, open the MEDEO app and book an appointment or even see a doctor online immediately."
Before beginning her Master's degree last year, Wickenheiser slowly chipped away at her Bachelor of Kinesiology during her hockey career, eventually completing it in 2014 after 16 years. Once her Master's is complete, she is planning on attending medical school.
"When this opportunity came about, I think being around medicine and being around hockey we use a lot of technology to advance the game now," Wickenheiser noted. "We record everything, your heart rate, your eating, your sleep. I think that's where everything is going, and this company is just a young, exciting energized group of people. I like the fact it's Canadian, and it's driving the industry in Canada. There are a lot of synergies that way."