Megan Stowe, a nurse and mother, relies on Fraser Health Virtual Care to manage her family’s urgent care needs, reducing stress and ensuring timely, personalized care.
Megan Stowe’s son, Sebastian, has chronic environmental allergies and frequent chest and throat infections. “This one time was bad. He had a 39°C fever,” says Megan. “It’s good to have options for fast care when things escalate quickly.”
Megan, a nurse herself, values reserving the emergency department for true emergencies. Since this wasn't one, she turned to Fraser Health Virtual Care, which is staffed by registered nurses with emergency experience.
“I was connected to a nurse in less than 10 minutes and provided them with Sebastian’s personal health number. It was nice that I didn’t have to explain any of his history because she could see his Fraser Health personal health record.”
After virtually assessing Sebastian’s condition, the nurse told Megan he needed to be examined in person.
“The nurse then directly coordinated an appointment for us at the Port Moody Urgent and Primary Care Centre (UPCC). Following the nurse's suggestion, we went to our local pharmacy for a throat swab to rule out strep throat before his appointment. I didn’t even know pharmacies could do that—it was such a pleasant surprise.”
Megan and Sebastian arrived at the Port Moody UPCC within three hours of her call with Fraser Health Virtual Care. She says the whole process, including testing, appointment and prescription, was very fast; they were in and out in about 30 minutes.
“I was impressed and relieved by how smoothly everything went. The system alignment, integration and local, personalized care that Fraser Health Virtual Care offers are unique in our health system.”
Megan has used the service multiple times for Sebastian's ear infections and pneumonia. “As a mom, this service allows my family to reduce stress, prevent worsening illnesses and maintain better health, all while minimizing time off work and disruption to daily life.”
Fraser Health Virtual Care is staffed by registered nurses and dietitians who provide virtual medical advice for non-urgent care needs. They are available every day, including holidays, from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and can be reached at 1-800-314-0999 for consultations via phone or web chat. For an interpreter, say your language in English. Learn more at fraserhealth.ca/VirtualCare.
To learn more about UPCCs in the Fraser Health region, visit: fraserhealth.ca/upcc.
