Reshaping emergency care at Tillsonburg District Memorial Hospital.
As Ontario marks Nurse Practitioner Week from November 9 to 15, Rural Roads Health Services is celebrating the vital contributions of nurse practitioners — including the success of a model that is reshaping emergency care at Tillsonburg District Memorial Hospital.
The Rapid Assessment Fast Track (RAFT) program, launched in fall 2024, is staffed by Nurse Practitioner Krista Wright along with a registered practical nurse. RAFT supports the emergency department by treating lower-acuity patients, helping reduce bottlenecks and improving patient flow.
Wright added the most comment cases include sore throats, earaches, sprains, minor fractures, lacerations, and coughs. She is able to assess, order tests, diagnose, prescribe medications, and refer patients if needed.
Chief Nursing Executive April Mullen says the program’s impact is clear. Before RAFT, patients often waited two to three hours for a physician assessment. Over the program’s first year, that time fell to 1.7 to 2 hours, even though Wright works weekday daytime hours only.
Mullen went on to say overall emergency department length-of-stay times have also improved.
Patients have warmly embraced the model. Wright says many now intentionally visit when she is on shift, with some calling it “the fastest I’ve ever been seen.”
Several patients have even returned later simply to thank her.
While nurse practitioners are common in primary care, Mullen notes it is still unusual in Ontario to have one embedded in an emergency department — making Tillsonburg’s success stand out. Recruitment challenges limit expansion, but the model is gaining attention.
For Wright, the role is deeply fulfilling.
She admitted that people are so thankful to have access to care, and she can see the difference Nurse Practitioners and RAFT are making.
