Virtual emergency physician to help alleviate Hinton’s doctor shortage

File photo of a keyboard.

A new pilot program will see a doctor remotely support Hinton’s emergency department (ED) temporarily whenever an on-site physician is not available.

On Jan. 20, Alberta Health Services (AHS) launched the Virtual Emergency Physician program at the Hinton Healthcare Centre as well as three other sites across Alberta. It has since expanded to the Edson Healthcare Centre.

“This pilot program will help support timely, efficient care for patients visiting rural emergency departments, such as the Hinton Healthcare Centre, in addition to supporting the on-site clinical staff,” said West Yellowhead MLA Martin Long in a statement.

Hinton has been experiencing a doctor shortage over the past year, with multiple instances of an on-site ED physician not being available during the night. This week, an ED doctor won’t be available for every night up to and including Friday evening.

• The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App

According to AHS, Hinton has 11 family medicine physicians, or 9.5 full-time equivalent. Six of these physicians take part in the on-call schedule for the local emergency department.

During interruptions at the ED, clinical staff will now be able to connect with an AHS physician by telephone or video conference for ED patients with non-life-threatening issues.

This virtual physician will work with local staff and be able to speak with patients, order tests and medications, and transfer or discharge patients.

AHS stated in a news release that similar models are currently being used in British Columba, Saskatchewan and Ontario, “where this approach has proven to be safe, reliable and effective in ensuring low-acuity patients receive the support they need when they need it.”

“Generally, many of our emergency department service disruptions occur overnight when the number of patients is lower, and the injuries or illnesses are not as acute and can be easily handled with on-site nursing care and a virtual physician,” said Dr. Jane Ojedokun, medical director for AHS North Zone, in a statement.

“If patients have life-threatening issues, we have plans in place to get them the care they need through the support of EMS and surrounding facilities,” Ojedokun added.

AHS says north zone ER physicians are being recruited for the program as needed, and this new pilot program would not impact ongoing recruiting efforts for more doctors.

“Once the six-month virtual emergency physician program pilot is complete, AHS will review the results and determine if and how to expand the program to other communities,” said AHS spokesperson Shelly Willsey in an email.

The Town of Hinton welcomed the launch of the pilot program as a “much-needed step toward strengthening emergency care in rural communities,” noting the program complements the Town’s ongoing advocacy and efforts to address the local healthcare crisis declared in June 2024.

“This program is a significant step forward in ensuring our residents have access to timely emergency care, even during periods when on-site physicians are unavailable,” said Mayor Nicholas Nissen in a statement.

Sarah Hoffman, Alberta NDP Shadow Minister for Health, said in a statement that people expect to be able to go to their town’s ER in case of an emergency.

“That certainly won’t be the case under this model,” Hoffman said. “This will be for lower levels of care, which is better than nothing, but emergency departments deserve the right staff to make sure that people get the right care at the right time and immediately when they’re in the middle of an emergency.”

Peter Shokeir, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Jasper Fitzhugh