The County of Renfrew will receive funding for the Virtual Triage and Assessment Centre (VTAC) to stay in place for another year.
Warden Debbie Robinson shared the news this morning (February 9th, 2021) as part of the health committee meeting.
Robinson says the county has been told funding for VTAC has been secured until March 31st of 2023.
Funding for the virtual health care service in the region was only in place until the end of March of 2022.
Last month, Robinson told members of county council since VTAC launched, physicians have completed 43,373 assessments, community paramedics have completed 5,307 home checks, VTAC is averaging 1,648 calls per week with 72% of calls from patients unattached to a family physician.
Read the full press release from the County of Renfrew below:
The Ontario Minister of Health, Christine Elliott, recently announced that the Ontario Government has committed funding for the Renfrew County Virtual Triage and Assessment Centre (RC VTAC), ensuring that County of Renfrew residents without a family doctor will continue to have access to primary care until March 31, 2023.
The announcement, made on Wednesday, February 9th, 2022, comes amid increased lobbying efforts by County of Renfrew representatives who have been working alongside MPP John Yakabuski to get the issue in front of Minister Elliott. Securing funding for RC VTAC has been a top priority for the County of Renfrew due to the ongoing health-care crisis caused by a shortage of family physicians that greatly affects services to County residents.
“RC VTAC became a lifeline for residents of Renfrew County throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,” says County of Renfrew Warden, Debbie Robinson. “Every week, an average of 1,648 people call RC VTAC staff and speak with a doctor who either provides immediate treatment options over the phone or video, consults with community paramedics to arrange a same day visit for an in-person clinical assessment, refers to another local health-care service, prescribes medication, diagnostic testing or coordinates a paramedic transfer to the nearest hospital.”
This, in conjunction with standard registration, testing and vaccination functions of RC VTAC, has been hugely beneficial in the County of Renfrew’s response to the pandemic and reducing strain on an already overwhelmed healthcare system.
“Minister Elliott has been very clear about her support for RC VTAC and she is well aware of the positive impact it is having on the residents of Renfrew County,” MPP Yakabuski said. “Renfrew County created an innovative solution to dealing with the pandemic and the family physician shortage, and those efforts continue to be supported by Premier Doug Ford, Minister Elliott and my colleagues at Queen’s Park.”
“The commitment made today by Minister Elliott and supported by MPP Yakabuski is a great step towards ensuring that the approximately 25 percent of residents without a family doctor continue to receive the care they so desperately need,” says Warden Robinson, “RC VTAC is filling a void and has become a primary care access point for non-urgent medical needs in response to the physician shortage in rural Ontario. We are thrilled that Minister Elliot and Mr. Yakabuski see the benefit of this innovative program in our community and we are looking forward to continuing our partnership with the province.”
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