Calian’s Military Family Doctor Network Continues to Help More Military Family Members Find Physician Care

OTTAWA, February 17, 2021 – Calian’s Military Family Doctor Network (MFDN), part of Calian® Group Ltd., (TSX: CGY), helps Canadian military family members access family physicians. MFDN continues to gain momentum, with more than 3,000 family members referred to a physician since the program’s launch in 2016.

Calian’s Military Family Doctor Network connects more than 3,000 military family members to a physician.

While the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) provides serving members with complete health care, their family members rely on the provincial health systems, presenting a unique challenge for military families who relocate frequently due to postings. Created in partnership with Military Family Services, a division of Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services, the MFDN uses Calian’s network of health clinics to help connect military family members with participating physicians. Military families often lose access to their family doctors after a new posting and relocation to communities around the country, which can happen as often as every two-to-three years.

“Military families continue to struggle with finding a family physician compared to the average family, largely due to their frequent relocations,” explains Commodore (Ret’d) Sean N. Cantelon, CEO, Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services. “As a result, military families often rely on urgent care clinics or emergency rooms for non-emergencies as their only option, which adds to overcrowding issues at hospitals and clinics. Calian has been an incredible partner on this issue. Their dedication and tenacity has been exemplary and the results to date mean that 3,000 family members have one less worry to contend with.”

MFDN referrals have increased in Kingston, Ontario, over the past year, where the program has now helped more than 1,000 military family members secure access to a family physician.

Colleen Fairholme, Executive Director, Kingston Military Family Resource Centre says, “The Kingston Military Family Resource Centre (KMFRC) is grateful for the opportunity to share the Calian Military Family Doctor Network (MFDN) with our Kingston CAF Community families. Finding a local family physician can be a very challenging and frustrating experience for families who are new to the Kingston area. However, thanks to the MFDN, families who are in greatest need, have been able to expediently connect with a doctor through the MFDN streamlined process. The MFDN works diligently to ascertain the needs of the families and connect them to available resources. KMFRC is proud to support this initiative as without it over 1000 Kingston military family members would not have had access to essential medical care. We look forward to the continued success of this valuable program as it greatly supports the military families.”

“Finding a new family physician is not easy. This program helps to remove this unnecessary stress for military families and provides the serving member with the comfort of knowing their family has access to high-quality health care in their community,” added Gordon McDonald, President, Health, Calian. “Calian cares about helping as many families as we can with this network — and we can continue to grow it by adding physicians who are open to taking in military families. We urge physicians across the country to join the MFDN to help make a tangible difference in the lives of Canada’s military families.”

Supported by a dedicated team at Calian, the MFDN leverages participating physicians in a national network of more than 150 health clinics managed by Primacy, a Calian subsidiary. Primacy clinics are located in Loblaw stores across Canada (including Real Canadian Superstore®, Zehrs®, Loblaws® and No Frills®). Military families looking for more information should visit Calian.com/mfdn.

“It is often said that the military family is the strength behind the uniform — at Calian we know and care deeply about the vital role that Canada’s military families play in support of the Canadian Armed Forces,” says Kevin Ford, CEO, Calian. “Based on demand for this program, I am humbled to see that the Military Family Doctor Network is making a difference by helping to address this gap in care for military families. I encourage more physicians to support the network.”

MFDN is offered to military family members at no cost to the family or the CAF. A component of Calian’s social responsibility initiatives, Calian earns no profit from MFDN; Calian supports the network by contributing employee support and resources.