Four Interior Health hospital emergency departments will be trialing a new program that will see some care provided by physicians working elsewhere in the province.
According to the IH announcement, patients seeking emergency care at the Lillooet Hospital, Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital (Clearwater), Arrow Lakes Hospital (Nakusp) and Princeton General Hospital will have the possibility of seeing the new pilot at work as of the week of Dec. 9.
“Integrating virtual care into emergency services is a proven approach already delivering results in communities across B.C.,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Health. “By expanding this technology into four communities, we’re supporting front-line staff, helping our health-care teams reach more patients, and making sure people in rural communities can access high-quality care when they need it.”
The program, IH LINK-ED (Local Integrated Network for Emergency Departments), combines in-person and virtual physician support for patients needing emergency care overnight, improving access to care for rural areas.
Teams at the four selected hospitals will start piloting the new model a few nights per week, while continuing with regular in-person care on other nights. Full seven day per week implementation is anticipated to start in the new year.
“Patient safety remains our key focus, and that is why we continue to approach the modernization of rural emergency services with care and consideration,” said Sylvia Weir, IH president and CEO. “The soft roll out gives our care teams and patients time to familiarize with the new process and share their feedback, making sure everything works seamlessly before we expand to full implementation.”
The Interior Health region has been grappling with staffing shortages at emergency departments for several years, with services at a number of departments such as Keremeos or Oliver seeing intermittent shutdowns due to a lack of available doctors.
As part of this pilot, an emergency physician provides overnight in-person care at their community hospital while offering virtual support to up to three other emergency departments elsewhere.
For mild or less urgent concerns, the physician working virtually will review the patient’s condition and guide the treatment. Secure video or phone connections may be used.
For critical, life-threatening emergencies, an in-person physician remains on standby in each community.
To follow along the project or to share questions and feedback that will be considered for the future of the pilot, Interior Health asks that community members sign up at https://engageih.ca/link-ed.