Bourget, April 9, 2026
The new Virtual Triage and Assessment Centre (the “VTAC”) of Prescott and Russell has been a resounding success since its launch in February. The VTAC allows for better access to health care, when and where it is needed.
The VTAC services are offered to anyone with non-urgent health concerns who is living in the Prescott and Russell region, including infants, children, and adults. The services are especially useful for those who do not have a family physician or nurse practitioner, as well as for those whose health concerns require care sooner than the appointment dates offered by their primary care provider.
Based on their needs, people may receive an in-clinic appointment in Bourget, Casselman, Hawkesbury, or Rockland, or they may receive a virtual or hybrid appointment. Care is provided by a nurse practitioner and by community paramedics. Since the VTAC of Prescott and Russell’s launch on February 23, 2026, 240 patients have already received the care they needed.
“This new healthcare service centre is available to all the residents of Prescott and Russell. There is a need for more accessible health care in our region; so, this Centre will help address that need. Many people are struggling to find a family physician or nurse practitioner, but now, until they do find one, this VTAC can help offer the non-urgent health care they may desperately need. The United Counties of Prescott and Russell are very proud to be part of this amazing initiative, and we are grateful to the partners who made this new Centre possible,” said Mario Zanth, the United Counties of Prescott and Russell’s 2026 Warden.
An official launch event was held on April 9, 2026, in Bourget. Elected Officials and partners were in attendance to celebrate the successful launch of the new Centre. Participants were also given the opportunity to visit the VTAC’s clinical area at the Centre de santé communautaire de l’Estrie (the “CSCE”).
“We were delighted to offer a tour of our clinic to the region’s Elected Officials and to the project’s partners during the event celebrating the VTAC’s successful launch. I am very proud that the CSCE is participating in this initiative, which provides a concrete alternative when primary care providers are unavailable. It also ensures access to bilingual services, tailored to the realities of our community. This is a great example of collaboration between the United Counties of Prescott and Russell and the Centre de santé communautaire de l’Estrie, to the direct benefit of the community,” mentioned Lyne Martineau, the CSCE’s Executive Director.
The VTAC of Prescott and Russell’s team wishes to thank their partners:
- The United Counties of Prescott and Russell and their Emergency Services Department for coordinating the VTAC, as well as for offering in-clinic and virtual appointments with their community paramedics;
- The CSCE for helping to coordinate the VTAC, as well as for offering a clinical room in Bourget;
- The Eastern Ontario Health Unit for offering their clinical rooms in Casselman, Hawkesbury, and Rockland; and
- The Archipel Ontario Health Team for their valuable support, especially with the promotion of the new VTAC services.
The VTAC of Prescott and Russell is also made possible thanks to funding by the Ontario Ministry of Health.
To access the VTEC services, please call 1-800-240-5581 from Monday to Friday, from 8:15 a.m. to noon and from 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. For more information, please visit: cupr-ucpr.com/vtac.
About the United Counties of Prescott and Russell
The Corporation of the United Counties of Prescott and Russell (the “UCPR”) was founded in 1850. Located between the City of Ottawa to the west and the Quebec border to the east, the Prescott and Russell region covers a territory of 2,004 square kilometres. The UCPR are the soul of eight municipalities, each one with unique characteristics. Serving East Hawkesbury, Hawkesbury, Champlain, Alfred and Plantagenet, The Nation, Casselman, Russell, and Clarence-Rockland, the United Counties of Prescott and Russell act as an upper-tier municipal government entity supporting the regional interests while providing programs and services, in both official languages, to more than 95,000 residents.
The UCPR’s vision: Prescott and Russell will continue to be a community united by its traditions and cultures, working towards the prosperity of all its citizens.
Photo (from left to right): Genevieve Lajoie, Mayor of Casselman, Véronique Legault, Deputy Chief – Community Paramedicine and Special Projects, Mike Tarnowski, Mayor of Russell, Lyne Martineau, Executive Director of the Centre de santé communautaire de l’Estrie, Mario Zanth, 2026 Warden of the UCPR and Mayor of Clarence-Rockland, Dr. Paul Roumeliotis, Medical Officer of Health and Chief Executive Officer of the Eastern Ontario Health Unit, Robert Lefebvre, Mayor of Hawkesbury, Stéphane Sarrazin, MPP of Glengarry-Prescott-Russell, Marc-André Sabourin, Director of Archipel Ontario Health Team