Virtual ER Option Available at Carbonear General Hospital

Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) Health Services is pleased to announce that in addition to existing in-person emergency room (ER) service, a virtual ER service option is now available to patients at Carbonear General Hospital.

Patients will be assessed and triaged at the ER as normal, and appropriate patients will be offered the option of using virtual ER services. Virtual ER services will provide additional access for non-emergent patients and ease pressures on emergency departments by treating patients presenting with urgent, non-life-threatening medical injuries and illnesses. This option allows patients to receive more timely assessment by connecting the patient with a registered nurse and a virtual ER physician.

“Expanding our emergency care options at Carbonear General Hospital is part of our commitment to enhancing access to care for our patients,” says LeslieAnn Rowsell, senior director, Hospital and Clinical Services, Eastern Rural Zone. “Adding a virtual option to the ER supports the flow of patients through the ER while also providing high quality care in a safe, more efficient way.”

This virtual service is an additional service in the ER and full in-person emergency care continues to be offered at Carbonear General Hospital. It is being piloted during the evening hours to help enhance access to care, decrease wait times, and reduce the number of people leaving the ER without seeing a provider.

Virtual ER care connects patients to experienced NL-licensed virtual emergency care doctors to add capacity to the health-care system. This initiative has successfully been implemented in other sites across the province, such as St. Clare’s Mercy Hospital in St. John’s.

For more information on virtual care services, visit virtualcarenl.ca.

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