Cat Lake First Nation partners with TytoCare to expand access to healthcare

Tim Brody - Editor

Cat Lake First Nation has partnered with TytoCare to help reshape healthcare delivery in the remote First Nation community.
“The initiative introduces a community-led advanced diagnostic virtual care model designed to overcome severe access barriers in fly-in and ice-road-only regions, while prioritizing self-determination, cultural alignment, and clinical excellence,” TytoCare shared in a Feb. 10 media release.
TytoCare shared that its Pro Smart Clinic technology enables remote exams comparable to in-person visits. “These include heart and lung exams (featuring a world first AI Lung Suite detecting abnormal lung sounds), throat and ear assessments, skin exams and body temperature measurements. By leveraging this technology, clinicians can diagnose and treat more conditions remotely, reducing the need for traditional in-office visits by creating unique pathways for faster access to care focused on improving health outcomes for patients,” TytoCare shared.
Cat Lake First Nation will deploy multiple TytoClinics across new and existing community care paths. Physicians from Sioux Lookout Regional Physician Services (SLRPSI) will deliver care remotely, supported in community by Indigenous Services Canada nurses. Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority (SLFNHA) will also provide support.
TytoCare informed that a rigorous three-phase evaluation—planning, implementation, and impact—is being led by the Centre for Digital Health Evaluation (CDHE) at Women’s College Hospital, and the Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute (TBRHRI) using the Canadian Network for Digital Health Evaluation (CNDHE) framework, ensuring alignment with national standards and positions the pilot for broader recognition and scale.
“With the support of regional medical professionals and TytoCare’s advanced diagnostic tools, Cat Lake First Nation is entering a new era of healthcare,” said Cat Lake First Nation Chief Russell Wesley. “By enabling direct physician communication and enhanced remote monitoring, we are moving far beyond traditional telehealth. For a remote community without year-round road access, this innovation does more than eliminate the burdens of medical travel—it makes high-quality local care a reality. We are building a foundation of wellness for future generations and demonstrating a sustainable healthcare model for other Nishnawbe Aski Nation communities.”
Cat Lake First Nation is a remote, fly-in, Anishinaabe community located approximately 180 kilometers north of Sioux Lookout.
“This initiative addresses urgent healthcare challenges in communities lacking permanent road access, where limited medical services often result in costly and disruptive medevacs. By introducing advanced diagnostic capabilities, the program shifts the focus from a standard primary care model to diagnostic 
care—improving continuity, reducing unnecessary evacuations, and ensuring patients receive high-quality treatment within their own community,” TytoCare shared.
“This project reflects a fundamentally different approach to virtual care,” said Joe Brennan, VP at TytoCare. “It is community-led, clinically rigorous, and designed around the realities of remote Indigenous communities. Cat Lake First Nation and NAN are showing what is possible when technology supports local leadership.”
The partnership marks TytoCare’s first public sector project in Canada and, according to the company, “represents a significant step toward expanding equitable access to healthcare in remote and underserved regions.”