Addressing After-Hours Primary Care Needs with Regional Nurse On-Call
The Strengthening Primary Care program brought together 20 teams of primary care providers, organizations and communities from northern, rural and remote communities across Canada to improve access to primary care.
- Topics
- Primary and community care
- First Nations, Inuit and Métis priorities
- Cultural Safety
- Audience
Healthcare leader
Community organization
Point of care provider
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With support from the program, the teams introduced promising practices — approaches that improved access to safe, including culturally safe, team-based primary care — by meeting the unique needs of communities, patients and providers while encouraging collaboration and shared learning across Canada. One of the 20 teams (Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services) advanced five unique promising practices to respond to the needs of people and providers throughout their province.
About this Promising Practice
The Regional Nurse On-Call (RNOC) program is a centralized virtual triage service addressing after-hours primary care in Cree communities of Northern Quebec, where nursing shortages have created challenges. The program has triaged over 6,200 calls, resolving more than 50% of cases over the phone and reducing avoidable visits to local clinics.
Program: Strengthening Access to Primary Care in Northern, Rural and Remote Communities
Location: James Bay, Quebec