‘How can I help?’: Transforming health care in rural and Indigenous communities – The Ubyssey

Sept. 26, 2025

Access to health care has long been a challenge in rural, remote and Indigenous communities. The COVID-19 pandemic intensified the existing gaps, highlighting the urgent need for a more resilient system.

The Real-Time Virtual Support Network (RTVS) aims to enhance ongoing patient care and address inequities without replacing existing health services. The hybrid care model was launched in collaboration with the First Nations Health Authority, the BC Ministry of Health, UBC’s Digital Emergency Medicine Unit and the Rural Coordination Centre of British Columbia.

This program has been developed in collaboration with colleagues across the province. In an interview with The Ubyssey, Dr. Kendall Ho, an emergency medicine specialist, professor in the department of emergency medicine at UBC, and RTVS lead, explained that the network started with 3 core components: peer-to-peer support for health care professionals, a First Nations Health Authority Virtual Doctor of the Day line and a patient-facing 811 virtual physician service.

Read More: https://ubyssey.ca/research/rtvs-health-care-rural-indigenous-communities/