IWK unveils first-of-its-kind kids' health care program

HALIFAX , Oct. 15 /CNW/ - On Monday, October 19 , the IWK Health Centre, TELUS and Kids' Health Links Foundation will showcase 'Upopolis' for the first time to the Atlantic Canada healthcare community at the Canadian Association of Paedetric Health Centres (CAPHC) 2009 Annual Conference. Upopolis is Canada's first online, secure social networking site for kids in care.

    
    Reporters and photographers are invited to see a live demonstration of
    Upopolis at the CAPHC Conference

    When:     Monday October 19, 2009
              9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

    Where:    The Westin Nova Scotian
              1181 Hollis Street
              Halifax, Nova Scotia
              B3H 2P6

    What:     IWK Child Life Specialists will perform live demonstrations of
              Upopolis, showcasing how their young patients connect with
              their family, friends, teachers and other patients across
              Canada through the new social networking site to help make the
              hospital experience less isolating for kids in care.

    Who:      IWK Child Life Specialist
              Basile Papaevangelou, Chairman and Founder, Kids' Health Links
              Foundation
              Chitra Anand, Director, TELUS Business Solutions
    

About Kids' Health Links Foundation

Kids' Health Links was founded in 2004 by Basile Papaevangelou and his daughter Christina to connect, through technology, children in health care facilities across Canada with friends and family, their teachers and schoolwork. Kids' Health Links technology solutions help to alleviate stress, isolation and loneliness for children in medical care in order to help children heal faster and better overcome traumatic medical experiences.

About IWK Health Centre

The IWK Health Centre, located in Halifax , Nova Scotia, provides quality care to women, children and youth of the Maritimes and beyond. In addition to tertiary (highly-specialized) care, the IWK also provides primary care services. The IWK is engaged in leading-edge research, the promotion of healthy families and the education of health professionals and other learners.

About TELUS

TELUS (TSX: T, T.A; NYSE: TU) is a leading national telecommunications company in Canada , with $9.7 billion of annual revenue and 11.8 million customer connections including 6.3 million wireless subscribers, 4.1 million wireline network access lines, 1.2 million Internet subscribers and more than 100,000 TELUS TV customers. Led since 2000 by President and CEO, Darren Entwistle , TELUS provides a wide range of communications products and services including data, Internet protocol (IP), voice, entertainment and video. In support of our philosophy to give where we live, TELUS, our team members and retirees have contributed $137 million to charitable and not-for-profit organizations and volunteered more than 2.6 million hours of service to local communities since 2000. Nine TELUS Community Boards across Canada lead our local philanthropic initiatives. For more information about TELUS, please visit telus.com.

For further information: For media inquiries, please contact: Laura Fougere, IWK Public Relations, [phone]; AJ Gratton, TELUS Media Relations, [phone], [email protected]; Basile Papaevangelou, Kids' Health Links Foundation, [phone], [email protected]