Interior Health working on virtual care pilot to reduce ER closures

Emergency rooms around the Interior Health region have had thousands of temporary closures over the last two years, and virtual support might be able to help the situation.

Interior Health is working on a pilot program to introduce virtual support for emergency rooms in Clearwater, Nakusp, Lillooet and Princeton, according to a press release from IH.

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

Virtual support would be there to help assist staff who are on-site in the hospital overnight. The four hospitals are similar sizes and have a low volume of overnight patients. The program is still in the engagement phase working with healthcare workers, First Nations and local governments.

This isn’t the first time virtual care has been used in emergency rooms with the B.C. Virtual Emergency Room Rural assistance model being used to support in-person care around the province.

Interior Health has used virtual care to help in-patient care at Cariboo Memorial Hospital in Williams Lake.

This pilot program aims to improve the existing model by bringing it in-house so it can be used more widely and efficiently.

“Strong partnerships are at the heart of rural health care,” IH president and CEO Sylvia Weir said in the release. “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.”

Nakusp Mayor Tom Zeleznik said the village is excited to be part of the pilot program.

“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 health care 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.”