VANCOUVER, BC / December 8, 2020 / EMPOWER CLINICS INC. (CSE:CBDT)(Frankfurt:8EC)(OTCQB:EPWCF) (“Empower” or the “Company“) an integrated healthcare company serving a database of 165,000 patients through clinics in the Southwest United States, a telemedicine platform and a leading medical diagnostics laboratory is pleased to announce the signing of a Memorandum Of Understanding (“MOU”) with SimpliFlying, the world’s leading aviation marketing consulting firm, to provide COVID-19 testing support for airlines and travel bubbles.
SIMPLIFLYING IS A TRUSTED NAME TO AIRLINES, AIRPORTS AND HOTEL GROUPS
SimpliFlying has been consulting to airlines for over a decade and is one of the largest in the world, having worked with over 100 major clients including airlines, OEMs and airports globally with clients that include American Airlines, Turkish Airlines, LATAM Airlines, Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier and Toronto Pearson Airport.
SimpliFlying also solves complex operational issues facing the airline and tourism industry, working with large hotel groups such as Intercontinental and others.
SIMPLIFLYING LAUNCH OF “SIMPLI TESTED” RECEIVES EARLY PRAISE AS ONE OF THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE APPROACHES SO FAR
With the Coronavirus Pandemic wreaking havoc on the global airline and tourism industry, the work of SimpliFlying has become more important than ever in helping solve how airlines, airports, cruise lines, hotels and tourism will safely get back to operations. SimpliFlying is working closely with major international airlines and major Canadian airlines on “Travel Bubbles” and “Tourism Bubbles” that involve testing protocols using PCR tests, rapid PCR, rapid antibody and rapid antigen tests throughout the travel supply chain.
To this end, SimpliFlying has just launched SimpliTested to highlight and support the needs of key industries around the globe, in partnership with FDA and CE approved testing providers, reliable labs and cutting-edge exposure notification applications. The initiative has already received early praise from the media:
“Simpliflying’s “Testing+” proposal is one of the most comprehensive approaches we’ve seen proposed so far.” (Forbes “How Testing Can Get The World Flying Again” (September 17, 2020)
EMPOWER TO PROVIDE MARKET LEADING COVID-19 TESTING SUPPORT AND TRAVELLER ACCESS TO LABS ACROSS NORTH AMERICA
Shashank Nigam, Founder & CEO of SimpliFlying stated “To kickstart travel, airlines and airports need to offer easy access to labs that can turn around accurate test results in a speedy manner. SimpliFlying’s partnership with Empower Clinics will bring access to labs all across North America to support travellers.”
Empower will provide COVID-19 testing support with our most recent products launched in the United States including:
- KAI ABC RT-PCR test protocol to differentiate between Influenza A/B and COVID-19
- FDA approved, at home/work saliva COVID-19 RT-PCR test (“Saliva Test”)
- Rapid Antibody and Rapid Antigen Tests
Empower will also provide additional critical functionality to support the strategic consulting work provided by SimpliFlying to airlines and the hospitality industry, including the ability to support onsite collection operational processes at airports, hotels and cruise lines.
Moreover, Empower has the ability to provide additional support for a variety of solutions that may require and are capable of delivering critical elements such as contact tracing technology.
Finally, both Companies intend to lead education and proof of concept with the goal of eliminating 14-day quarantine requirements upon return to Canada. Having structured policies and testing protocols to confirm that travellers are negative for the COVID-19 virus has the potential to significantly open up travel limitations.
Steven McAuley, Chairman and CEO of Empower stated “Once I made the connection with Shashank the SimpliFlying Founder & CEO, I knew right away that a partnership needed to be created given how complementary our companies are to each other. Shashank and team have impressed me with their technical knowledge of the airline, tourism and hospitality industries, they understand exactly what is required to get these key industries back on track, back to work, to get consumers traveling again. Together, utilizing the operational and testing protocols coming to market right now from our wholly owned subsidiary KAI Medical Laboratory, has the potential to make a meaningful and lasting impact on these global industries.”
PARTNERSHIP FURTHER SOLIDIFIES KAI MEDICAL FOOTHOLD IN COVID-19 TESTING SPACE
KAI Medical Laboratory operates a high-complexity CLIA and COLA accredited laboratory that provides reliable and accurate testing solutions to hospitals, medical clinics, pharmacies, and employer groups. KAI has taken an active role in COVID-19 testing, battling the pandemic through RT-PCR testing and serology testing with the capacity to process 4,000 RT-PCR test specimens per day. While the RT-PCR test identifies if a patient has an active virus, the serology or antibody test detects if a patient has previously been exposed to the virus. Both of these test results are vital to managing outbreaks and the potential spread of coronavirus.
As a result of this capability, Empower is now able to expand phase four of its COVID-19 testing rollout which was first announced on April 27, 2020 beginning with testing in-clinic testing (Phase 1) and culminating with a nationwide roll-out across the United States (Phase 4). Phase 4 allows Empower to service enterprise level clients, including airlines, hotels, cruise lines and movie & television studios that require reliable, accurate, fast and mass batch testing capabilities in order to resume production in a safe and compliant manner.
ABOUT SIMPLIFLYING
SimpliFlying is one of the world’s leading aviation marketing consulting firms with a team remote-based in Singapore, Spain, UK and Canada, with the ability to provide airlines with a global and a 24/7 presence. Since 2009, the company has worked with an enviable list of aviation brands and built a unique work culture that appeals to the disruptors in the industry. The team is energetic and brimming with ideas on how to make airlines remarkable. These are ideas based on working with over 100 clients over the past ten years.
ABOUT EMPOWER
Empower provides body and mind wellness for more than 165,000 patients through its clinics in the United States, a telemedicine platform and a world-class medical diagnostics laboratory in Texas. Supported by an experienced leadership team, Empower is aggressively growing its clinical and digital presence across the U.S. Our Health & Wellness and Diagnostics & Technology business units are positioned to positively impact the integrated health of our patients, while simultaneously providing long term value for our shareholders.
ABOUT KAI MEDICAL LABORATORY
Our mission is to improve healthcare through science and innovative quality diagnostics, providing value added services, accuracy, and consistency. Operating with an unwavering commitment to quality compliance and scientific innovation elevates Kai Medical Laboratory to higher standards for patient care. Kai Medical Laboratory is located in the Dallas Medical District in close proximity to some of the largest healthcare groups in the U.S. including Parkland Hospital, UT Southwestern, Children’s Medical Center, Baylor Scott & White Health (Dallas), Tenet Healthcare (Dallas), CHRISTUS Healthcare (Dallas). KAI Medical Laboratory has completed clinical trials on novel COVID-19 testing protocols and assisted in supporting FDA and Health Canada submissions.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
Steven McAuley
Chief Executive Officer