Retired B.C. nurse launches volunteer health-care service

While many wait for government fixes to B.C.’s health-care challenges, a retired nurse is taking matters into her own hands.

After working at BC Children’s Hospital for more than two decades, Mary Paone knows firsthand just how overwhelming the health-care system can be, especially for seniors, caregivers, or anyone facing a new diagnosis.

That’s why she’s come up with Mywell Health. The free, volunteer-run website is designed to help British Columbians organize their medical information and better navigate the strained system.

“What we’re trying to say is, ‘Hey, use our health profile,’ get your health and health information all organized. So if you end up in urgent care or emergency, you’ve got that information right there for you,” Paone told 1130 NewsRadio.

Paone says the online resource is meant to be a bridge that guides users through existing services and resources. It includes conversation prompts, planning activities, and printable tools like its most popular feature: a fillable Health Profile form to track medications, medical history, and key details doctors often ask for in emergencies.

“We have to be healthcare consumers. We have to be partners in care. And in order to do that, the consumer needs to be informed. They need to have a voice. They need to know their rights as a patient. They also need to know their responsibility,” she explained.

The site also offers functions to help people prepare for housing, transportation, end-of-life care, and financial assistance.

“When I started this and searched the internet, I couldn’t find anything like it. There’s wellness journals and bits and bobs, but nothing that asks: Where do you want to live? How are you going to pay for that? What support do you need day-to-day?” said Paone.

The current focus is on seniors and adults aged 30 to 64, but Paone says her team is already developing a version tailored to younger people aged 14 to 29.

Paone adds that the goal is not to replace the health-care system, but to support people using it.

The site doesn’t collect any data, doesn’t require an email address, and doesn’t run ads.

“We started about six years ago. I created a community of wonderful people, many of them retired physicians, nurses, social workers, different health-care providers, and different roles, retired health-care administrators, accountants, and lawyers, and they all wanted to give something back, and we did this by creating this website.”

Despite being a brand-new launch, MyWell has already been picked up by some professional networks, including Doctors of BC.

So far, Paone says the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

“We just want people to share it. We want it to be an educational, teaching tool.”

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