WHAT
WE DO
Med Response BC (MRBC) is a nonprofit organization designed to address critical gaps in prehospital & retrieval medicine for rural, remote, and Indigenous communities in British Columbia.
Our focus is on bringing care to patients and
support to clinicians & communities in their time of need.
PROGRAMS & INITIATIVES
We are preparing to deliver a comprehensive, integrated system encompassing rescue, retrieval, repatriation, immediate care, clinical support, and telemedicine—anchored by a commitment to culturally safe, community-driven, and evidence-informed service. MRBC is planning a pilot that supplements and augments existing systems such as BCEHS, SAR, and local health services, leveraging interprofessional teams and advanced technology to improve patient outcomes, reduce health inequities, and strengthen the sustainability of rural healthcare systems
Core Programs
Retrieval & Repatriation
MRBC will deploy dedicated teams—including physicians & nurses—via fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft to rapidly reach and stabilize critically ill or injured patients in rural or remote settings. These retrievals prioritize high acuity cases where definitive care is not available locally, aiming to reduce rural-urban mortality disparities and time-to-treatment delays.
Our aim is to provide care as close to home as possible for patients. If they do have to leave their home community, we will follow them throughout their journey and ensure they get home as soon as they are ready.
Rescue
In collaboration with local volunteer Search and Rescue (SAR) societies, MRBC will support the delivery of enhanced prehospital interventions at the scene—especially in hard-to-reach “edge” communities—through the establishment of a network that provides clinical training, access to medical supply chains, clinical governance & real-time consultation to support physician & nurse-integrated SAR responses.
Immediate Care
MRBC will support point-of-injury or point-of-illness response, through augmentation of local teams, including rapid response clinicians (physicians & nurses) via community-embedded care models - similar to KERPA - to form a "Rural Emergency Response Network" for BC. These initiatives aim to deliver advanced decision-making and advanced life-saving interventions when and where they are needed. The network will support and enhance BCEHS' response, not only improving patient outcomes but also providing much-needed support to paramedics through the well documented benefits of interprofessional teams.
Supporting Initiatives
Training & CPD
MRBC will offer cross-disciplinary education in prehospital and retrieval medicine, co-designed with community partners and clinicians in BC to meet their needs. These efforts will help to enhance clinician confidence, improve rural retention, and build system-wide capabilities
Clinical Coordination
Through a virtual Coordination Hub, MRBC will offer real-time medical consultation, case coordination, and logistical support to field providers, SAR teams, and rural clinicians. This service will work collaboratively with existing services such as PTN and RTVS. This will enhance situational awareness and align resources efficiently across geographies to best serve patient's needs.
Clinical Governance
MRBC will maintain a robust governance framework encompassing training, audit, supervision, quality assurance, research, and safety. It models a learning health system, drawing from international best practices (e.g., EMRTS Cymru, EMRS Scotland) to support high-reliability operations and continuous improvement across the system of prehospital and retrieval medicine in BC.
WHERE WE WORK.
MRBC's focus is on 'edge' communities, but it benefits all of BC. While there are many different ways to define the 'edge', we are currently primarily focused on addressing the significant health inequities experienced by rural, remote, and Indigenous communities in BC. If we can get care 'right' for those on the edge, we will improve care for all in BC. Edges are always in flux, and so to will MRBCs focus shift over time, but we have built into our governance a strong tether to rural, remote and Indigenous communities to ensure we never drift away from meeting their needs.
