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Biron Health Group named one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies for the sixth consecutive year
For the sixth year in a row, Biron Health Group has been named one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies, a prestigious Deloitte competition that highlights the overall performance and sustainable growth of Canadian companies.
While the pandemic remained a source of concern in 2021, it was also an opportunity to develop and strengthen the range of products and services that we offer. It enabled us to establish new partnerships and prompted us to review our processes and procedures in order to increase our efficiency and competitiveness.
Here are four of our key projects completed in 2021 which have earned us top honours:
- Traveller screening at Montreal-Trudeau International Airport
- Launch of COVID-19 testing
- COVID-19 corporate vaccination campaign
- Launch of the Phase B competition
Traveller screening at Montreal-Trudeau International Airport
In 2021, following a rapid screening project with Aéroports de Montréal (ADM), we were selected by the Public Health Agency of Canada to test international travellers arriving in Montreal.
From January to August 2021, we conducted 238,000 mandatory and random COVID-19 screening tests on international travellers and passengers on private and targeted flights. We also performed tests at designated quarantine facilities and government-approved accommodations.
To fulfill these responsibilities, we conducted a massive recruitment campaign and provided training that enabled our teams to integrate into the existing ecosystem and quickly master the operational and regulatory systems of various authorities, including border services.
Solutions implemented by Biron:
- Online pre-registration system
- During peak periods, the issuance of a certificate allowing individuals to obtain a screening appointment within 24 hours at one of our service centres or a Jean Coutu partner pharmacy
- Availability of our resources according to flight schedules
- Fleet of couriers to collect samples with a schedule adjusted to the volume
Working at Biron — COVID-19 project | 2021 (French only)
Launch of COVID-19 testing
In 2021, to meet the needs of international travellers, we launched two COVID-19 screening tests at Montreal-Trudeau International Airport.
- An antigenic test, which detects the presence of proteins (or antigens) associated with SARS-CoV-2, produces results in just 15 minutes thanks to a new testing device installed in our mini-lab at the airport.
- A rapid RT-PCR test, which detects the RNA of the virus, provides results in one hour. This test, equivalent to a PCR test performed in a laboratory, meets the highest performance requirements.
French only - segment starts at 11:17
In one year, the number of COVID-19 screening tests performed at our laboratory went from about a hundred to more than 7,500 per day, an increase mainly due to our contract at the Montreal airport.
To meet the demand in a timely manner, we had to expand our laboratory by installing additional COVID-19 testing stations, which can be used for other testing after the pandemic. Testing is conducted over three shifts, every day, which has required the hiring of staff.
Corporate COVID-19 vaccinations
We participated in the COVID-19 immunization campaign for the government’s corporate vaccination program by partnering with the YUL vaccination hub, comprising ADM, Air Canada and Bombardier, and the Airbus hub. In just two months, we were able to set up three vaccination clinics and recruit all the necessary staff. In addition to accelerating the pace of vaccination in Quebec, this effort helped relieve the pressure on the health care system.
Solutions implemented by Biron:
- Recruitment and training of 124 vaccination resources in less than a month
- Implementation of a flexible resource allocation system based on the number of confirmed appointments
- Deployment of on-call teams to avoid problems related to absences
- Logistical support to maintain the Pfizer vaccine cold chain
- Administration of approximately 23,000 doses (0.1% of doses lost)
2021 corporate COVID-19 vaccinations (French only)
Launch of Phase B competition
In January 2021, Biron launched Phase B, its first social impact initiative. This annual competition encourages visionaries who develop innovative solutions in preventive and predictive medicine and make them accessible to the public.
To select the finalists, Phase B relied on a seasoned panel of judges with diverse expertise, including entrepreneurship, medicine and life sciences. The two winners of the competition received financial support from Biron and personalized coaching to help them propel their projects to the next “phase” of their development.
About Canada’s Best Managed Companies
Canada’s Best Managed Companies continues to be the mark of excellence for Canadian-owned and managed companies with revenues over $25 million. Every year since the launch of the program in 1993, hundreds of entrepreneurial companies have competed for this designation in a rigorous and independent process that evaluates their management skills and practices.
For more information, visit www.bestmanagedcompanies.ca.
