Don’t have a family doctor or nurse practitioner? Need help but your health centre is closed? Call the Northern Health Virtual Primary and Community Care Clinic at 1-844-645-7811.
Northern Health Virtual Clinic
The Virtual Clinic is for people who don’t have a family doctor or nurse practitioner or people who need care on weekends, after their health centre is closed (you’re encouraged to call your family doctor or nurse practitioner first, or the urgent and primary care centre in your community). The Virtual Clinic is a great resource for our rural and remote communities in the North.
Helen Bourque works as a provider at the Virtual Clinic, and is also one of the Regional Directors for nurse practitioners at Northern Health.
“There are patients who don’t have a family doctor or nurse practitioner, or they have one but can't see them in a timely manner, and may have a question/concern about their care,” says Helen. “I enjoy providing my clinical skills to support patients with their care needs.”
People who live in the North who are looking for answers to their questions about their health and wellness, frequently call 8-1-1 (HealthLink BC), and 8-1-1 directs patients as needed to the Virtual Clinic for further access to care. If you’re looking for trusted information and want to speak with a health care professional about your care needs, the Virtual Clinic is a great option.
“As a health care provider, it’s important to meet the patient where they're at and hear their story, which requires time,” says Helen. “We need to understand why the patient is reaching out at this time and place.”
Virtual care is one way to connect with a patient but it's still important to receive in-person care and make sure care is linked back to health care providers in the patient’s home community when possible. Health care providers working at the Virtual Clinic connect back with a patient’s family doctor or nurse practitioner if they have one to coordinate the patient’s care.
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