The Victoria Residential Care After-Hours Call Group provides after-hours coverage for ALL residents in 29 facilities in Victoria (see map). The new after-hours coverage system successfully launched on Monday, April 3, 2017 with 25 physician innovators who are working with facility teams to help build a coordinated, responsive system of residential care coverage in Victoria. The RCI program team will support existing or new development of after-hours coverage in other local regions (Sooke, and the Saanich Peninsula) separately.
Key Features of the After-Hours Call Group
- There will be ONE phone number for facilities to call to access the physician on call (a 1-800 number).
- The call group will cover ALL residents at the 29 sites, not only those covered by RCI physicians.
- Coverage will be from 5pm to 7am Monday to Friday, and all hours on Saturday, Sunday and Statutory Holidays.
Process to Reach the Physician on Call
- All calls will be managed by a dispatch service that will connect the staff member directly to the physician on call. If dispatch is not able to reach the physician, they will continue to try until they get through, freeing up staff time.
- The dispatch service will ensure that facility staff have organized information using an After-Hours Communication Form - SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation).
- This form helps to ensure that staff have all required information on hand when an outgoing call is placed and that calls are appropriate (i.e. for urgent issues that cannot wait for the MRP the next day) Victoria After-Hours Facility Map & Coverage Zones
- This form also provides a direct way for follow up communication with the MRP, after the resident is seen by the physician on call.
Exceptions
- Physicians may, by exception, follow their patients after-hours by communicating with facility staff and leaving a note in the chart (for example, in an end of life situation).
After-Hours Call Group Member Physicians
- Have opted in to the Residential Care Initiative (RCI) and agreed to meet the best practice expectations.
- Have at least 1 or more residents in one of the 29 covered sites.
- Are willing to meet after-hours coverage practice expectations, including minimum response times and on-site visits if needed, with the aim to reduce ER visits.
Ongoing Quality Improvement
- Using a quality improvement lens, the RCI program team will continue to examine the data about call volume, as well as feedback from facility staff and physicians, to develop the best coverage system for excellent resident care and efficient practice. Thanks for helping to build this new After-Hours call system!
For questions about the RCI After-Hours call group, please contact
VictoriaSouthIsland.RCI@divisionsbc.ca or 778-265-3137.