Today, Health Links has over 60 registered nurses available to answer health related questions.
But 30 years ago, it was just one nurse who started it all.
“She worked five hours a day, had one phone, answering voice messages with a notepad and supporting folks in the best way she could with her nursing skills,” said Lonnie Ho, the director of the Provincial Health Contact Centre.
2024 marks the 30th anniversary of Health Links, and the program has changed quite a bit in that time.
Health Links now operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with nurses like Tanis Lockhart waiting to answer health questions over the phone.
“A lot of time we can treat stuff at home, where it doesn’t necessarily have to be going in to see the doctor. But a lot of people are just unaware of even some home care stuff that they could do at home,” said Lockart, who is a registered nurse.
While sometimes the nurses help divert patients from hospital, other times it’s about encouraging people to visit a physician.
“We have had patients call us back with positive stories of how they actually needed to see a physician. Or perhaps they had to have surgery within a short period of time after speaking with our nurse,” said Ho.
In 1996, Health Links dealt with 29,056 calls. In 2024, the program is expected to respond to more than 115,000 calls.
Health Links also saw an influx of callers during the COVID-19 pandemic, dealing with over one million calls over the three-year period.
“That is critical—being able to provide the right care, at the right time, in the right location,” said Mike Nader, the president of Winnipeg Regional Health Authority.
The top three reasons why people call Health Links are abdominal pain, chest pain, and post-operative concerns.