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Patients visiting the Tofield Health Centre emergency department will soon have access to additional physician support through Alberta Health Services’ Virtual Emergency Physician (VEP) program.
The program will begin at the Tofield facility on Monday, August 17, providing remote emergency physician support during periods when an on-site emergency physician is not available.
Under the VEP program, an experienced emergency department physician connects with local clinical staff by telephone or videoconference. The virtual physician can speak directly with patients, work alongside nursing staff, order tests and medications, and determine whether a patient can be discharged or requires transfer to another facility.
The program is intended to provide support for patients with non-life-threatening medical concerns while maintaining access to emergency services in rural communities.
Beginning August 17, Tofield will have an on-site physician available in its emergency department Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., as well as 24 hours a day on weekends.
Nursing staff will remain on-site around the clock to assess patients who arrive at the emergency department. On weeknights, a virtual emergency physician may be available between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. when an on-site physician is not present.
Patients will be advised through public communications when virtual emergency physician coverage is available.
Supporting Rural Emergency Care
AHS launched the VEP program in January 2025 as a way of providing additional physician support to rural emergency departments experiencing temporary gaps in on-site physician coverage.
Since its launch, the program has supported 16 rural emergency departments across Alberta, with additional facilities expected to join in the coming months.
AHS says the approach has proven to be a reliable way of supporting patients with non-life-threatening conditions, particularly during overnight periods when emergency departments generally see fewer patients.
“Generally, many of our emergency department service disruptions occur overnight when the number of patients is lower, and the injuries or illnesses are not as acute and can be easily handled with on-site nursing care and a virtual physician,” said Dr. Jane Ojedokun, Deputy Corridor Lead – Edmonton Rural.
For patients experiencing life-threatening medical emergencies, emergency services remain available to arrange transportation to a facility with in-person emergency physician support.
“If patients have life-threatening issues, we have plans in place to get them the care they need through the support of Emergency Health Services (EHS) and surrounding facilities,” Ojedokun said.
On-Site Physicians Remain the Priority
AHS emphasized that introducing the VEP program does not replace its efforts to recruit physicians for in-person emergency department coverage.
The health authority says it will continue actively recruiting physicians to provide on-site emergency care in communities where the virtual program is being used.
The VEP model is already being used in other rural Alberta communities. Recent AHS service advisories, for example, have identified virtual physician coverage as an option during temporary physician shortages at facilities including Athabasca and Coronation.
For Tofield residents, the expansion means that when an on-site emergency physician is unavailable overnight, nursing staff will continue to be present and may be supported remotely by an emergency physician.
The goal, AHS says, is to help ensure rural Albertans continue to have access to appropriate emergency care while longer-term efforts to secure consistent in-person physician coverage continue.
(Source: Alberta Health Services)