Erie Shores HealthCare is touting a new app as a first of its kind for Essex County.

On Friday, the Leamington hospital launched the CoHealth app, meant to improve the patient experience.

In a news release, the hospital describes the app as a “patient relationship platform” that allows greater access to tools and resources developed by health-related organizations.

The app, able to be downloaded onto a cell phone, is designed as a main point of entry for “the entire healthcare journey” — connecting patients to resources to help manage and coordinate care.

“CoHealth, born out of a patient experience, was created with the vision to connect the dots in health care,” said Zack Fisch in a statement, co-founder and CEO of CoHealth.

Some of the services accessible through the app in Leamington will be Maternal-Newborn Services and Rehabilitation Program which will be first to launch on the new platform.

Inpatient services, the surgical program, diagnostic imaging, and laboratory services are set to be accessible in August. The app will continue to add services in September, including emergency department services.

“To us, that means being able to provide patients with a single entry point to manage their healthcare experience; whether it's accessing educational information to support understanding or managing medications on a day-to-day basis, we want to be there to help," said Fisch.

The CoHealth app has been brought to 30 health systems across Canada.

Signage at Erie Shores HealthCare will be posted in the coming weeks. There are also patient cards that will be made available to explain the new app.