Interior Health pilots virtual care in rural ERs

KELOWNA, BC – Interior Health (IH), in collaboration with the BC Ministry of Health, is engaging with partners to better support overnight emergency care through a mix of virtual and on-site staffing, which is expected to enable more consistent access by reducing unplanned service interruptions.

Engagement is underway with physicians, staff, Indigenous and local governments to better understand perspectives and integrate them into the planning for the pilots planned at community hospitals in Clearwater, Nakusp, Lillooet, and Princeton.

“Virtual support has proven its value across many areas of healthcare and integrating it with local emergency teams will give people in these four communities stronger, more connected care,” said Josie Osborne, minister of health. “It’s a forward-looking approach that strengthens rural emergency services and ensures patients receive timely, high-quality care.”

The four community hospital sites are similar in size with low overnight patient volumes, which would allow physicians to share responsibilities – ultimately helping maintain access to care, promote physician wellness and improve staff retention.

“Strong partnerships are at the heart of rural healthcare,” said Sylvia Weir (pictured), IH president and CEO. “We’re taking the time to engage with physicians, staff and community partners to understand what might work. By listening and consulting from the ground up, we hope to shape a model that communities can trust and where front-line teams feel supported.”

Virtual care is not new in rural emergency departments in B.C. The Virtual Emergency Room Rural assistance (VERRa) model has been used to augment in-person services across the province, keeping overnight care accessible for patients and relieving the workload on local physicians.

This emergency care pilot project aims to build on this model by bringing it in-house to enable wider use and timelier coordination. IH has also used virtual care to successfully support in-patient care at Cariboo Memorial Hospital in Williams Lake.

IH is committed to keeping medical staff, clinical health staff, community partners and the public informed throughout the development of this initiative.

“We see this virtual pilot program as a small but meaningful step toward greater stability in local emergency care,” said Tom Zeleznik, mayor of the village of Nakusp “Our community welcomes innovative solutions, values the strong partnerships that support rural healthcare and appreciates the leadership from the Ministry of Health and Interior Health. At the heart of it all are our dedicated local doctors and nurses who keep our ER open, and our residents cared for.”