The Renfrew County Virtual Triage and Assessment Centre (VTAC) continues to support the health care needs of local residents.
In 5-months over 10,000 family physician assessments have been completed and community paramedics have swabbed over 10,000 residents for COVID-19 at testing clinics.
The VTAC provides virtual assessments to residents in Renfrew County and South Algonquin who do not have a family physician or cannot access their family doctor.
A 24/7 medical receptionist team is able to help determine the patient’s next step.
Mobile Mental Health Crisis Worker with the Pembroke Regional Hospital, Nancy Lounsbury, says she had a client who was experiencing anxiety and needed a referral, but didn’t have a family doctor. She says the VTAC provided them with the right support in a non-stressful way. Lounsbury adds this service makes care more accessible for people and is helping take a load off the emergency departments.
Clinical Coordinator for the Renfrew County Virtual Triage and Assessment Centre Doctor Jonathan Fitzsimon says as we head into the back-to-school phase of the COVID-19 crisis, VTAC will continue to support the healthcare needs of all our residents across a vast geography through our family physician assessments, in-home assessments via community paramedics and drive-thru testing clinics.
Chief Mike Nolan says paramedics continue to post rotating schedules every two weeks to ensure that everyone in Renfrew County and South Algonquin has access to mobile COVID-19 testing and assessment in their community.
VTAC Administrative Lead Karen Simpson says infrastructure in place has positioned them to meet the changing needs as the pandemic evolves in our communities.
Get more information on the VTAC here.
