Springhill Hospital Expands Virtual Care
Nova Scotia Health is expanding its virtual urgent care service at All Saints Hospital in Springhill.
The move is in response to repeated closures at the hospital’s Collaborative Emergency Centre (CEC).
Virtual care is a sophisticated video system where health personnel, elsewhere in the province provide urgent care at the Springhill hospital.
The service will start next Monday, September 25th and will be open Monday to Friday from 11 am. to 7 pm, and on weekends and holidays 9 am to 1 pm.
The reduction in emergency service follows a shortage of physicians, a situation NSH says is “unexpected and extended” at the Springhill facility.
To access virtual urgent care service at All Saints, anyone with mild or moderate health concerns must register for triage. A Nova Scotia Health team member will support the patient by providing the technology and a quiet space for the virtual appointment with a health care provider — a nurse, nurse practitioner, or doctor.
The Emergency Centre is usually open 7 am to 7 pm., seven days a week, but based on physician availability. If a physician is unavailable on a specific day, a closure notice will be posted on the Nova Scotia Health temporary closures webpage. The notice is also posted on the front page at Six Rivers News with the notices of what is OPEN or CLOSED.
Nova Scotia Health launched the virtual urgent care service in July to support Nova Scotians during flooding that made travel impossible in parts of the province.
Since then, NSH expanded the hours and access points and more than 1,000 people have received virtual urgent care from home or at a growing number of Nova Scotia Health sites.
Virtual urgent care is available to all Nova Scotia-based patients with valid health cards, email, and audio/video capable devices. However, the service covers minor needs, such as:
- Prescription refills or renewals (excluding prescriptions related to controlled substances)
- Mild strains/sprains
- Body aches
- Mild headaches
- Earaches
- Sore throat
- Minor infections
- Skin and eye irritations
- Mild asthma
- Minor respiratory issues
- Cough, flu, or cold symptoms
- Fever
- Nasal congestion and sinus infection
- Nausea
- Diarrhea with stable vitals
- Bites and stings
- Tick bites
- Nail infection
- Painless red eye
- Eyelid redness or bump
- Urinary tract infections
- Mental health concerns
All Saints Hospital is closed during overnight hours, 7 pm to 7 am.
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