Strategic Priority
Rural and First Nations HealthLead
Dr. Shiraz Moola | Obstetrics and GynecologyAim: To equip primary maternity care providers clustered around eight rural hospitals and medical clinics across Interior Health Authority with portable tablets. Physicians will be able to provide real-time obstetric consultations for elective and emergent conditions through the use of Interior Health’s secure technology known as RealPresence
Summary: Rural and remote residents of British Columbia face challenges of accessing health care close to home, particularly when specialist care is required. Economies of scale make it unfeasible for most specialists to practice in low-volume environments, leading to the reliance on primary care physicians, the Interior Health Authority (IHA) midwives and registered nurses in rural communities. When a patient requires complex care that exceeds the scope of primary care practitioners, however, referral or transfer is the only option. In obstetrics, this means that women with ‘high risk’ pregnancies must travel to the nearest specialist centre to receive care, even for non-emergent situations.
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