Right care at the right time: Virtual urgent care expands hours and access at Glace Bay Hospital

Every Thursday at Glace Bay Hospital’s emergency department, there’s a steady flow of patients accessing virtual urgent care, a service that provides an alternative care option for patients with urgent, non-life-threatening health concerns. 

With the support of onsite staff, virtual urgent care connects patients with an emergency doctor or nurse practitioner online, rather than in person.

Since April, virtual urgent care has been offered at the hospital on Thursday, a day when the emergency department is closed. Now, it is also being offered on the days when the emergency department is open on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. 

“It’s important for people to know the care options available to them,” said Angela Ford, a registered nurse in the emergency department. “Waiting in an emergency room for a minor ailment — especially for people who may not have a family physician — can take a long time. Virtual urgent care is another way for people to access healthcare.”

Like any patient who comes into an emergency department, patients are assessed by onsite staff, who then determine if they meet criteria for virtual urgent care. Concerns like colds and flu-like symptoms, urinary tract infections, some prescription refills and aches and pains are all common and can be treated through virtual care. 

“Every patient is different. That’s why the assessment is helpful to determine if they are the right fit for virtual urgent care or if they need to be seen elsewhere,” said Virginia McLanders, a registered nurse and health services manager at Glace Bay Hospital.  

McLanders estimates that about 90 per cent of the patients assessed this year meet virtual urgent care criteria. Those who do not, are referred to other appropriate care options. The emergency department team has seen more than 550 patients through virtual urgent care since it was implemented at the hospital.  

“It is not a replacement for the emergency department, but it plays a key role in expanding access and keeping care close to home,” said McLanders.   

For patients who meet virtual urgent care criteria, onsite staff connect them with an online provider — a doctor or nurse practitioner — through secure video on a computer tablet. 

Dr. Laura Hans is one of the virtual urgent care emergency medicine physicians. She said that giving patients the right care at the right time can keep their primary concern from worsening and that’s why virtual urgent care is so valuable.  

She recalled helping a patient who arrived with a persistent cough. Through a virtual appointment, she was able to assess the patient (with the support of onsite staff), prescribe medication and help prevent the illness from worsening. “Patients can access virtual care and get relief, and still follow up with their usual care provider,” she said.

Working with onsite staff, virtual providers have access to the same diagnostic and support services available during in-person visits — including ordering blood work, X-rays, ultrasounds and even CT scans — with prescriptions and follow-up appointments arranged as needed. 

Virtual urgent care is also improving patient flow at Glace Bay Hospital and reducing wait times, even on days when the emergency department is open.

Ford says she’s seen firsthand how the service helps streamline care. 

“It helps workload, helps with flow, helps get people through the department a little bit quicker,” she explained. “It means that everybody who is here isn’t waiting to see the onsite physician. We have more options. People with non-life-threatening issues wait in a different queue to see the virtual provider, which helps because it allows people to move through more quickly.”

And the results have been noticeable.

“Wait times have been significantly improved here in the emergency department,” said Ford. “Patients leave feeling well cared for. That’s what this service is all about.”

Virtual urgent care is available at Glace Bay Hospital emergency department on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Learn more about virtual urgent care. 

Photo caption (L-R): Angela Ford, a registered nurse, examines Virginia McLanders during a virtual urgent care demonstration at Glace Bay Hospital.