Health Minister Celebrates RC VTAC’s Five-Year Milestone

The Honourable Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Ontario Minister of Health, presents Renfrew County Warden Peter Emon with a certificate of achievement to mark the fifth anniversary of the launch of the Renfrew County Virtual Triage and Assessment Centre (RC VTAC). Minister Jones was in Renfrew on March 27 to celebrate the milestone and tour the Clinical Assessment Centre and Paramedic Base on O’Brien Road. Photo by Pablo Bakovic

RELEASE DATE:

March 31, 2025 

A local solution designed in Renfrew County to meet health-care needs during COVID-19, which started just days after the pandemic was declared, has now celebrated its fifth anniversary while continuing to adapt for residents without access to primary care.

The Renfrew County Virtual Triage and Assessment Centre (RC VTAC), a partnership involving family doctors, the County of Renfrew Paramedic Service, primary-care teams, hospitals in Renfrew County, and the Renfrew County and District Health Unit, officially launched on March 27, 2020. The aim was to lessen pressure on local Emergency Departments and offer appropriate care for residents without a family doctor or those unable to reach their family physician for health concerns, including issues related to COVID-19.

To celebrate this important milestone, the Honourable Sylvia Jones visited Renfrew on March 27 to tour the Clinical Assessment Centre and Paramedic Base. She was joined by MPP Billy Denault, elected officials, RC VTAC staff members, and other special guests for formal remarks in the atrium of Renfrew County Place.

“On behalf of Premier Ford and our entire government, I want to congratulate the world-class team at the Renfrew County Virtual Triage and Assessment Centre on a successful five years,” said Minister Jones. “The innovative model of RC VTAC and the services you provide are a critical piece of our government’s work to connect more people to the care they need when they need it close to home.”

She presented Warden Peter Emon with a certificate recognizing RC VTAC’s anniversary while also acknowledging Paramedic Chief Michael Nolan for his quick response during February’s plane crash at Toronto Pearson Airport. Chief Nolan honored Minister Jones with a helmet and epaulettes as part of her designation as Honorary Paramedic Chief.

The Honourable Sylvia Jones received her Honorary Paramedic Chief title from County of Renfrew Paramedic Chief Michael Nolan during her visit to commemorate five years since launching RC VTAC. Photo by Pablo Bakovic

MPP Denault expressed his excitement in welcoming Minister Jones to celebrate RC VTAC’s significance within their community.

“RC VTAC’s five years serving our community represents an important milestone that reflects how vital this service is in providing care where it’s needed,” he noted. “This achievement shows our government’s commitment through collaboration with both county leaders and provincial support.”

RC VTAC continues expanding its services through teamwork aimed at addressing community needs since about 30,000 residents in Renfrew County still lack a family doctor. In 2024 alone, RC VTAC handled nearly 74,000 calls while helping prevent around 1,000 Emergency Room visits every month.

Through RC VTAC’s framework, Physicians and Paramedics evaluate health concerns using various methods tailored specifically for individual callers. This includes:

Phone appointments Video appointments In-home assessments along with diagnostic testing conducted by Community Paramedics Referrals directed toward other services such as mental health support.

Callers might also be sent to Clinical Assessment Centres located in Pembroke, Renfrew, Arnprior, Petawawa, or Eganville where trained Paramedics collaborate closely with Physicians for accurate diagnoses. Options are constantly being evaluated regarding further clinic expansions ensuring better accessibility for all residents across Renfrew County.

An essential aspect of RC VTAC is Integrated Virtual Care (IVC), which represents an advancement in hybrid healthcare approaches offering comprehensive support for patients lacking access either via family physicians or Family Health Teams. Leading this initiative is Petawawa Centennial Family Health Centre (PCFHC) along with two satellite locations – West Champlain Family Health Team situated in Pembroke alongside North Renfrew Family Health Team based out Deep River.

The IVC family physicians integrate into Petawawa Centennial Family Health Team (FHT) working primarily online but fully supported by local interdisciplinary healthcare providers including Dietitian services; Social Workers; Pharmacists; Respiratory Therapists; Midwives; Registered Practical Nurses; Nurse Practitioners among others providing seamless patient experiences through mixed modes like remote consultations combined with onsite assistance depending upon individual requirements/preferences recorded throughout each interaction made so far totaling nearly over seven thousand attached patients linked directly under assigned practitioners resulting over thirty thousand successful physician engagements logged till date!

This past March saw permanent funding announced covering $3.2 million annually provided by Ontario’s Government via Ministry Of Health & Ontario Health confirming dedication towards maintaining operations moving forward sustainably!

“RC VTAC continues playing an important role ensuring accessible medical services reach all citizens throughout Rennfew County assisting them promptly obtaining necessary advice/assistance without having travel great distances” stated Warden Emon emphasizing how invaluable resource became since inception back March2020 establishing trusted connections within regions’ overall healthcare system lightening burdens placed traditional facilities experiencing higher demands lately.”

Memberelects attended celebratory occasion honoring their fellow constituents completedfiveyears! with Renrfe WCountysvirtualtriageassessmentcenterirfestyle.
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