Pembroke Regional Hospital has launched a new specialized care initiative aimed at catching patient health issues earlier and preventing medical emergencies. The program, known as the Rapid Assessment of Critical Events team, officially began its pilot phase on April 8, 2026.
Supported by more than $500,000 in funding from the Ministry of Health, the team consists of intensive care-trained nurses. When hospital staff notice early warning signs that a patient’s condition is worsening, such as a sudden change in blood pressure or breathing, they can call on these specialists to intervene. The goal is to provide advanced care at the bedside before a patient’s situation reaches the point where they require a transfer to the intensive care unit.
The program is currently operating with two clinical care leads from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day. The hospital plans to expand this service to provide 24-hour coverage by June 2026. Pembroke Regional Hospital serves approximately 100,000 residents across Renfrew County, and this initiative is designed to ensure that those patients receive a high level of specialized care close to home.
Dr. Natalie Needham-Nethercott, the hospital’s intensive care unit lead physician, was instrumental in developing the framework for the team. This local effort joins a wider provincial network of over 60 similar response teams overseen by Critical Care Services Ontario. Data from these programs across the province has shown that such interventions can lead to better patient outcomes, including lower rates of cardiac arrest.
This launch continues a series of recent efforts by the hospital to enhance its ability to treat complex illnesses locally, following the addition of intensive care specialists to its medical staff in 2022.
