Cliff and Janice Querido know the challenges of receiving accessible healthcare firsthand.
As nurses, they have worked on the industry’s front lines, doing their best to ensure all patients of all ages and abilities can receive the services they need. And now, as owners of Keen Companion Health Services, the husband-and-wife team is going even further to provide quality care.
Sometimes literally.
“A couple days ago we went to Ste. Adolphe to do a presentation at their lunch and learn program,” Cliff recalls. Town residents had seen a Keen Companion social media post and were interested in their mobile laboratory services.
Since launching earlier this year, the company, which consists of a team of nurses and phlebotomists, has been visiting patients in their homes or other locations of their choice to draw and collect blood, urine and stool samples and deliver them to a provincial laboratory. EKG tests and other home services will soon be available as well.
For the time being, Janice says they’re working mostly in the Southeast and Winnipeg areas.
“We’re kind of just trying to expand and see how far we can go, like how far our team is willing to drive,” she says. “We want to bridge the gap between patients and the healthcare services they rely on to live healthy lives.”
As the Queridos point out, the timeliness of a patient’s blood sample is often vital – for instance, if an important medication requires blood work data in order to be properly dispensed.
“If a patient is on a blood thinner such as Warfarin (a medicine used to treat and prevent blood clots), they’ll need their INR checked frequently to keep the dosage within range,” says Cliff. “If they end up having to wait, their health is at risk.”
Urine and CBC tests are also required in cases of suspected infection, as doctors can’t prescribe antibiotics until they know if the infection has been caused by a bacteria or a virus. Given that many virus infections don’t respond all that well to antibiotics, it’s essential for recovery and overall well-being that patients start taking them as soon as possible.
Should a personal visit to a healthcare facility present accessibility barriers, Keen Companion can be counted on to ensure the necessary lab work is completed.
“If a doctor has ordered blood work, for example,” Janice explains, “We can come to a patient’s residence and draw the blood sample. Or, we’ll collect urine and stool samples if required. Then we’ll drop off the sample at the lab, which will send the results back to the doctor.”
She adds that she and Cliff have seen how people with limited mobility, and seniors in particular, often struggle to get to a clinic; and when they arrive, they face wait times. It’s this sort of scenario that Keen Companion exists to address.
“It’s really just about the comfort and convenience of our clients,” she says.
Keen Companion Health Services operates Monday to Saturday, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sundays from 7 a.m. to noon. A full listing of their fees, as well as additional information regarding their services, is available on their website. They can also be reached by calling (204) 914-8892 or emailing admin@keencompanion.com.
