On June 16, 2017, the first ever Joint Regional Emergency Services Program (RESP) – Regional Trauma Program (RTP) meeting was hosted at a rural VCH hospital. Regional Emergency and Trauma Leadership heard the feedback from our rural partners about the need for more opportunities to collaborate, be engaged and share their perspectives and a meeting was organized to focus on rural issues.

The Attendees

Squamish General Hospital hosted the rural meeting that was attended by 13 medical, operational and nursing emergency/trauma leaders and additional participants via teleconference. Rural successes, challenges and opportunities for collaboration and improvement were shared by staff from Sechelt Hospital, Powell River General Hospital, Squamish General Hospital, Whistler Health Care Centre and Pemberton Health Care Centre.

Meeting topics and goals

Attendees discussed how all the sites could work together to provide support for nursing education, maintaining patients in their home communities, expediting transfer for patients whose care need requirements exceed that of the site, and strategies for smoothing the transition to Cerner for those sites scheduled for implementation in Fall/Winter 2017.

This meeting achieved its goal of strengthening regional teamwork and identifying learnings that can be shared between the rural and urban sites. A rural focused joint Trauma and Emergency meeting will be held annually to continue to ensure that the rural perspective and voice is celebrated.