Pediatricians from the Rural Coordination Centre of BC’s (RCCbc) network are helping to improve equity of access to pediatric care for rural children—despite the ongoing health human resources challenges.  The Real-Time Virtual Support (RTVS) CHARLiE pathway, administered by RCCbc, is on the pediatrician on-call schedule for rural hospitals across the province—and the list is growing. It is also the first team to be contacted if there are sick children at First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) nursing stations.  

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact rural and remote regions in northern BC at a disproportionate rate compared with the rest of the province. Help being offered by Real-Time Virtual Support (RTVS) physicians – available 24/7 over Zoom – has been welcomed with open arms. And physicians are reporting that RTVS is having an impact on outcomes and helping to alleviate the challenges of rural medicine during the pandemic.