SUDBURY, ON – Seven more hospitals in northeastern Ontario have been added to the Virtual Critical Care (VCC) Unit at Health Sciences North/Horizon Santé-Nord (HSN) in Greater Sudbury.
Joining the VCC model are the Emergency Departments at Espanola Regional Hospital and Health Centre, Manitoulin Health Centre (Little Current and Mindemoya sites), Blind River District Health Centre, Services de santé de Chapleau Health Services, Hôpital de Mattawa Hospital, and Lady Dunn Health Centre in Wawa.
The addition of the seven new sites brings to 16 the number of hospitals in northeastern Ontario using Virtual Critical Care. The VCC Unit, supported by the North East Local Health Integration Network and launched in May of 2014, is the first virtual critical care model of its kind in Canada.
Virtual Critical Care uses the latest in videoconferencing technology and electronic medical records sharing to connect HSN with smaller Critical Care units and Emergency Departments at hospitals across northeastern Ontario. The VCC model uses a specially designed software program created by the Ontario Telemedicine Network.
Under the VCC model, a team of Intensive Care physicians, specially trained nurses and ICU respiratory therapists based at HSN are available for around-the-clock consultations for critically ill patients at participating hospitals. Other allied health professionals such as dietitians and pharmacists are also available for consultation during scheduled hours.
The goal of VCC is to enhance the diagnosis and treatment of critically ill patients across northeastern Ontario, and potentially avoid the transfer of patients out of their local hospitals, away from their families and support systems.
Since its introduction, the VCC unit has been used for a total of 207 consults involving 62 patients. Consultations through the VCC allowed health care professionals to avoid medical transfers for 26 of those patients, at an estimated savings of approximately $450,000.
“Through this collaborative care model, we can provide earlier consultations that are of better quality, we form stronger ties between our hospitals and ultimately patient care is improved,”says Dr. Derek Manchuk, lead physician of the VCC Unit, Medical Director of Critical Care for HSN, and Critical Care Lead for the North East Local Health Integration Network. “The remote communities now have access to services that they don't have locally. By supporting local care, there is sometimes opportunity for patients to avoid transfer to a larger centre, which causes less disruption for patients and their families."
“The expansion of the Virtual Critical Care to more of our region’s communities means better access to quality care closer to where Northerners live,” says Louise Paquette, CEO of the North East Local Health Integration Network. “Through the leadership of Dr. Manchuk and the collaboration of Northeastern Ontario’s community hospitals, the VCC is a unique made-in-the-North solution that brings together technology and the critical care needs of patients.”
“Congratulations to the VCC team at Health Sciences North and their partners across the northeast for embracing innovation that is leading to better, more effective health care for our patients, “adds Dr. Denis Roy, HSN’s President and CEO. “Innovation will drive the improvements that must be made in health care, and I can’t think of a better example that Virtual Critical Care.”
“OTN is proud to be a partner in Virtual Critical Care (VCC) at HSN. This program is one of the first, best examples of how partnerships and telemedicine together enable a better healthcare system that delivers the right patient care, in the right place, at the right time, “ says Laurie Poole, Vice President, Telemedicine Solutions, Ontario Telemedicine Network.
“Access to the VCC team will be an integral component of the Blind River District Health Centre’s patient-centered care model. Not only will this benefit our patients, but it will also reduce the professional isolation often encountered by health providers in rural settings. Our doctors and nurses are enthusiastic that the use of VCC will assist in bridging this gap through technology,” says Gaston Lavigne, CEO of Blind River District Health Centre.
“Virtual Critical Care is a great service that utilizes Ontario Telemedicine Network and Criticall Ontario to access specialized health care services at Health Sciences North. These specialties would otherwise not have been easily accessible for the patients that we serve at the Mattawa Hospital,” says Tanya Belanger, Manager of Patient Services at Hôpital de Mattawa Hospital.
“The Virtual Critical Care Program is an excellent opportunity for our patients to receive the best possible care in life-threatening situations. The support of medical staff in managing critical patients as they await transfer to HSN is of immense value. Having the opportunity to access specialized Physicians, Nurses, and Respiratory Therapists will be instrumental in providing best practice quality care to patients in our rural community,” says Jane Battistelli, Director of Clinical Services at Espanola Regional Hospital and Health Centre.
“The expansion of the project into the small hospital emergency department setting will provide expert consultation advice on critically ill patient management; the role of small hospitals being to stabilize and prepare patients for transport to HSN for further care. This is an excellent use of telemedicine technology. As well, our physicians and nursing staff have applauded this patient centred opportunity to engage with experts on patients presenting to our organization who often have time-sensitive critical care needs, “says Pat Morka, Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President of Clinical Programs for Manitoulin Health Centre
“Health providers of Wawa are quite excited about the introduction of VCC here. It should allow us to take better care of severely ill or injured patients. Eventually it should result in lives being saved. We look forward to using it,” says Dr. Mike Cotterill, Chief of Staff, Lady Dunn Health Centre.
“Knowing that a team of critical care experts are going to be available to us through the Virtual Critical Care Programs helps us to feel less isolated and on our own when we are providing services to patients with potential life-threating medical conditions. This program is an excellent use of technology and we are looking forward to linking with the team of experts at HSN. Having access to critical care professionals such as physicians, respiratory technologists and nurses, will assist us to provide the highest possible quality of care to the patients who are critically ill,” says Anne Morris, Director of Clinical Services at Services de santé Chapleau Health Services.