Patients seeking emergency care at four hospitals in British Columbia’s Interior may now be seen by a doctor working virtually in a pilot project aimed at modernizing rural health services.

The Interior Health authority says in a statement the pilot will be used in hospitals emergency departments in Lillooet, Clearwater, Nakusp and Princeton, all locations that have been closed periodically because of staffing shortages. 

It says the care teams will begin the new model a few nights a week, while continuing with in-person care on other evenings, but the authority says that will stretch to seven evenings a week starting in the new year. 

As part of the pilot, a doctor will provide in-person care at one facility, while offering virtual support at three other emergency departments, and an emergency nurse will determine the level of care needed for those departments that don’t have doctors on-site. 

The statement says for life-threatening emergencies, an in-person physician remains on standby for each community. 

Interior Health president Sylvia Weir says in the statement that the soft rollout gives the care teams and patients time to get familiar with the process and share their feedback. 

“Patient safety remains our key focus, and that is why we continue to approach the modernization of rural emergency services with care and consideration,” Weir says. 

The hospital in Nakusp has already been using the program for two nights a week.

Interior Health says the sharing of physician coverage over multiple sites allows for a “more sustainable work life” for health professionals, as well as collaboration between rural doctors and better access to expert care for rural residents.