Nova Scotia Health has been running a virtual urgent care program. This innovative provincial initiative seeks to reduce wait times in emergency departments across the province. The program has been expanded to all 14 rural hospitals in the commonwealth. It allows patients with urgent, non-life-threatening medical issues to receive timely treatment, bypassing the anxiety and extended wait times associated with conventional emergency departments. This project extends from 8am-7pm. It’s a big step towards improving the delivery of healthcare, particularly for those that don’t have access to a primary care doctor.
Dr. Sameer Masood, an Ontario-based physician involved in the program, noted that it serves as a bridge to improve healthcare access across provincial borders. Patients on the Need a Family Practice Registry can access full care through the program, while those with or without a primary care provider are eligible for basic care. This unique model seeks to address the issues of access and lagging healthcare provision facing many communities today.
Program Details and Eligibility
The hospitals participating in the initiative include:
- All Saints Springhill Hospital (Springhill)
- Digby General Hospital (Digby)
- Eastern Memorial Hospital (Canso)
- Eastern Shore Memorial Hospital (Sheet Harbour)
- Fishermen’s Memorial Hospital (Lunenburg)
- Guysborough Memorial Hospital (Guysborough)
- Hants Community Hospital (Windsor)
- Musquodoboit Valley Memorial Hospital (Middle Musquodoboit)
- North Cumberland Community Care Centre (Pugwash)
- Queens General Hospital (Liverpool)
- Roseway Hospital (Shelburne)
- Soldiers Memorial Hospital (Middleton)
- South Cumberland Community Care Centre (Parrsboro)
- Twin Oaks Memorial Hospital (Musquodoboit Harbour)
Members without a PCP have five free virtual visits per calendar year. Those without a provider can sign up for unlimited virtual visits. This flexibility helps ensure that individuals receive timely care, thereby alleviating pressure on emergency rooms.
Jessica Hosking, a licensed practical nurse involved in the program, highlighted its benefits, stating, “The people who have gone through it have loved the fact that when we have a day where there’s like 10-hour waits and they’re a lower acuity, it gets them in and out within an hour.”
Impact on Emergency Department Wait Times
One of the goals of virtual urgent care is to help reduce the strain on emergency departments. It routes patients with non-life-threatening conditions to more appropriate care. This forward-thinking step gets at the heart of the issues plaguing our healthcare systems—access and wait times.
Dr. Masood emphasized the significance of the program. He pointed out that it provides a supplemental access bonus without cutting existing service. What I would say is the biggest misconception to have with the program is that it’s really an added access opportunity. We are not denying patients access,” he added.
Beyond its people-driven approach, the Angels program uses innovative technology to power patient experience. This could include automatically faxing prescriptions to patients’ pharmacies of choice rather than forcing the need for physical paper prescriptions. That makes the whole onboarding process more efficient and minimizes unnecessary wait times even more.
A Transformative Model of Care
Our virtual urgent care program has been termed a “novel model of care,” by Dr. Masood. This approach is a departure from the model of emergency services we all know, which usually take place behind the hospital’s four walls. With the help of technology, healthcare providers can broaden their impact and provide crucial support in real time, no matter the distance.
“This is something which is not traditional,” Dr. Masood added, highlighting how the program challenges conventional perceptions of urgent care. This added flexibility truly allows patients, not just healthcare providers, to better address and adapt to complicated and changing healthcare needs.
Thank you to Jessica Hosking for this viewpoint. Beyond making patients feel cared for, she thinks the program should help lessen stress on medical personnel. “It’s not only stressful for patients, but for medical personnel,” she explained.
