When Dr. Ezekial Steve arrived in Robson Valley for his locum placement in January 2025, he knew he would be working hard. Covering both Valemount and McBride meant long days managing patients in clinic, the emergency room, and inpatient settings. But what made this placement different was the opportunity to test a new approach to overnight care.
For one week—January 7 to 13, 2025—Dr. Steve was part of a pilot project that brought together Real-Time Virtual Support (RTVS) and the Rural Locums Initiative. The goal was to see whether a single locum could provide daytime coverage for a rural community while handing off overnight emergency and inpatient care to a virtual team.
At 8:00 p.m. each night, Dr. Steve signed off, knowing that any patient needs would be managed remotely by physicians on RTVS’s Virtual Emergency Room Rural Assistance (VERRa) team in collaboration with on-site community nurses. VERRa, a team of emergency medicine physicians and family doctors with emergency training, has been supporting small rural hospitals experiencing staffing shortages since 2021. But this was the first time the team partnered with a locum to provide an entire week of uninterrupted coverage for a community.
Impact
The impact was immediate.
“The biggest benefit was not having to wake up the local doctor after a busy day,” one community nurse shared.
“I liked the live handover—it was helpful to see the doctor I would be working with.”
“The biggest benefit was not having to wake up the local doctor after a busy day.”
Important work
For the VERRa team, the experience reinforced the importance of their work.
“I handled multiple overnight calls for ER and inpatients, and the local physician wasn’t disturbed at all,” one VERRa doctor explained. “This program consistently receives positive feedback from the physicians we support—it truly helps retain them in their communities.”
The results spoke for themselves. Dr. Steve was able to get uninterrupted rest, preventing the exhaustion that often comes with rural locum placements. VERRa physicians seamlessly managed overnight care without needing to wake the local doctor. Nurses felt supported. Patients continued to receive high-quality care.
“This program consistently receives positive feedback from the physicians we support—it truly helps retain them in their communities”
Looking ahead
For Dr. Brydon Blacklaws, who co-leads VERRa, this pilot demonstrated how effective the model could be.
“This pilot exceeded expectations, demonstrating how the VERRa program can significantly enhance physician well-being, improve patient care, and support rural healthcare sustainability. By ensuring overnight coverage without disturbing local doctors, we help reduce burnout, retain physicians, and enhance access to care in rural communities.”
Looking ahead, there’s hope that RTVS can work with Locums for Rural BC to take what they’ve learned and explore similar models in other rural communities.
“This is something we could—and should—do again.”
The pilot showed that with the right support, rural healthcare can be more sustainable—not just for patients, but for the physicians and nurses who care for them.
