Renfrew County Virtual Triage and Assessment Centre was given the praise it’s rightfully earned.
The Chiefs Commendation is a decade-long award made to recognize exemplary service and those who have gone above and beyond in service to the community. County of Renfrew Paramedic Service Chief, Michael Nolan presented the award to two individuals who were instrumental in RC VTAC’s creation, Dr. Robert Cushman, former Acting Medical Officer of Heath with Renfrew County, and Leah Levesque, President and CEO of Arnprior Regional Health.
The RC VTAC guidance in progressive health systems and policies were initially a response to the pandemic as a virtual and mobile COVID testing and assessment center. RC VTAC evolved rapidly to go beyond just COVID-related issues, helping anyone who doesn’t have a family physician or access to their own physician.
In March of this year, Renfrew-Nippissing-Pembroke MPP, John Yakabuski, announced permanent funding from the province for RC VTAC with an initial commitment of $3.2 million in 2023-2024 following a successful project pilot.
RC VTAC is a collaboration between family doctors, the County of Renfrew Paramedic Service, primary care teams, Renfrew County Hospitals and the Renfrew County and District Health Unit. Funding and support for this vital service are provided by the Government of Ontario through the Ministry of Health and Ontario Health. Learn more at www.rcvtac.ca or call 1-844-727-6404, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
(Written by Luke Notman)
