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BOISE, Idaho, MONTRÉAL, Québec [June 3, 2014] – The people of Quebec deserve world-class evidence-based health information written in plain language. Through the combined work of Healthwise and Capsana, over 6 million Francophones in Quebec and millions more across Canada will now have access to the Healthwise Education Solution in French for Canadians.

Since 1997 the nonprofit Healthwise has served millions of Anglophones in Canada with information and tools to help them better understand their treatment options and improve the self-management of their medical conditions. Capsana, the force behind Quebec’s 5/30 Health and Wellness Challenge, has now partnered with Healthwise to bring the same high-quality health information to those who speak French. Capsana also offers workplace health-promotion programs and produces publications and other patient information tools for clinicians.

“A partner like Capsana makes it possible to give both French- and English-speaking Canadians a solution tailored to them,” said Jim Giuffré, Healthwise president and COO. “And it helps us extend to millions more our nonprofit mission to help people make better health decisions.”

The result of the partnership is a robust health information solution in French and English. It includes:

• Bilingual online information and tools to help Canadians make better health decisions and take more effective action in support of their own health.
• A health-coaching desktop for telehealth nurses and health coaches, for triage, care planning, and prescribing education.
• A secure, personal online message center where people can pick up health information sent by their nurse or coach.
• Automated health-education interventions for population health.
• Print materials, covering chronic conditions, prevention, and wellness, for people who may not have online access.

“Capsana is proud to have made a major contribution in the development of the bilingual Healthwise solution, making it accessible to French-speaking Canadians from coast to coast,” said Guy Desrosiers, CEO of Capsana. “In partnership with Healthwise, we were responsible for the content’s translation and will be strategic distributors with special focus in eastern Canada. This collaboration coincides with our organizational mission of helping individuals take an active role in their health and adds value to our current portfolio of products and programs.”

People in Canada have turned to Healthwise more than 3 million times each year. Now they can get information in English or French. When people know more about their health, they take better care of themselves and their families and use services wisely.

About Healthwise

Healthwise is a nonprofit organization with a mission to help people make better health decisions. People have turned to Healthwise information more than a billion times to learn how to do more for themselves, ask for the care they need, and say “no” to the care they don’t need. Healthwise partners with hospitals, electronic medical record (EMR) providers, health plans, disease management companies, and health websites to provide up-to-date, evidence-based information to the people they serve. www.healthwise.org, 1.800.706.9646.

About Capsana

Capsana is a social enterprise owned by the Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont Foundation, the ÉPIC Foundation, and the Fondation PSI, and associated with the Montreal Heart Institute. Its mission is to help individuals take an active role in their health. Founded in 1988 under the name ACTI-MENU, Capsana is dedicated exclusively to the promotion of health and healthy lifestyles, as well as the prevention and management of chronic diseases. www.capsana.ca.