TELUS wins CHIA 2012 Award for Corporate Citizenship

Award highlights TELUS' achievements in health and technology to improve patient outcomes

MONTREAL, Nov. 14, 2012 /CNW/ - TELUS is proud to announce that it has won the Canadian Health Informatics Award (CHIA) for Corporate Citizenship. The award, presented at the CHIA Annual Gala in Toronto on November 7 by ITAC Health recognizes the leading multi-national for-profit healthcare ICT company that is committed to and passionate about health informatics and has heavily invested in contributing to the industry in Canada. Kids' Health Link Foundation (KHLF) nominated TELUS for the award.

The award recognizes the numerous investments TELUS has made in the health sector. A decade ago, TELUS decided to use its world-class technology to address the unprecedented challenges facing the country's healthcare. Today, TELUS Health has more than 1,400 team members dedicated to health and has invested more than $1B in health over the last five years.

"TELUS is a firm believer in engaging consumers directly in the healthcare system which then drives the enablement of pan-Canadian health system improvements and outcomes, within the hospital, community and at home," cites Paul Lepage, President, TELUS Health. "This complements the organization's passion for corporate social responsibility and creates a legacy of giving based on innovation through technology."

TELUS investments in healthcare include Upopolis, launched in eight hospitals across the country with more being planned for 2013. Created by KHLF and powered by TELUS, UPOPOLIS.com is the only private, secure and trusted online social network designed just for kids in hospital. Upopolis provides the best features of social networking while also providing unique features to kids in hospital environments such as a homework site to stay up-to-date with their schoolwork, links to kid-friendly health and wellness information, and connections to other children with the same condition.

"TELUS takes pride in finding new and innovative healthcare solutions for Canadians through the use of technology," said Basile Papaevangelou, Chairman and Founder, Kids' Health Links Foundation. "Upopolis is a terrific example of the kind of generous investments TELUS has made in technology that empowers Canadians in healthcare."

Nominations for the Corporate Citizenship award are based on the criteria of visible leadership, participation in associations and institutions, sharing experience and contribution to knowledge development and measurable level of support provided to the industry.

"The Canadian Health Informatics Awards honours contributions and commitment to the Canadian Health Informatics Industry," said Karna Gupta, President and CEO ITAC. "TELUS' significant and meaningful contributions to the healthcare industry in Canada make the organization well deserving of this award and underlines TELUS Health's commitment to turn information into better health outcomes."

About Kids' Health Links Foundation
Kids' Health Links was founded 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 Foundation created Upopolis - an innovative, private online community for children in care. The 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 to overcome traumatic medical experiences.

About ITAC Health
Representing more than 120 Canadian ICT companies that are actively involved in the health sector,  ITAC Health promotes the role its members can play in establishing the Canadian healthcare industry as a global leader. Through collaboration, ITAC Health and its members work with healthcare stakeholders to improve the health of Canadians and the efficiency of the Canadian healthcare system through the implementation of information and communications technologies.

About TELUS Health
TELUS Health is a leader in telehomecare, electronic medical and health records, consumer health, benefits management and pharmacy management. TELUS Health gives health authorities, providers, physicians, patients and consumers the power to turn information into better health outcomes. For more information about TELUS Health, please visit telushealth.com

About TELUS
TELUS (TSX: T, T.A; NYSE: TU) is a leading national telecommunications company in Canada, with $10.8 billion of annual revenue and 13.0 million customer connections including 7.6 million wireless subscribers, 3.4 million wireline network access lines, 1.3 million Internet subscribers and more than 635,000 TELUS TV customers. Led since 2000 by President and CEO, Darren Entwistle, TELUS provides a wide range of communications products and services including wireless, data, Internet protocol (IP), voice, television, entertainment and video.

In support of our philosophy to give where we live, TELUS, our team members and retirees have contributed more than $260 million to charitable and not-for-profit organizations and volunteered 4.2 million hours of service to local communities since 2000. Fourteen TELUS Community Boards lead TELUS' local philanthropic initiatives. TELUS was honoured to be named the most outstanding philanthropic corporation globally for 2010 by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, becoming the first Canadian company to receive this prestigious international recognition.

For more information about TELUS, please visit telus.com.

SOURCE: TELUS Corporation