Starting in May, the Temiskaming Hospital will be in the first wave of hospitals included in the Northeast Region’s “Virtual Critical Care Unit” program. This Ministry of Health & Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) funded program takes advantage of technology to allow collaborative care between an expert team at Health Sciences North in Sudbury and our local health care team for critically ill patients via a dedicated video link. Two other hospitals in the first wave include St. Joseph Hospital, Elliot Lake and Kirkland and District Hospital.
Critically ill patients will benefit from this enhanced service both while awaiting transport to a Regional Center or by reducing the need to transport and allowing patients to remain close to family supports. This coupled with the benefit of Temiskaming Hospital serving as a “diagnostic hub” for the District, may further reduce unnecessary travel on what has proven a dangerous corridor in the North.
This service will be provided through the Ontario Telemedicine Network and will be available 24/7, 365 days a year to bring the best critical care possible to all residents of the Temiskaming community (population 33,000) when it is needed the most.