Worldwide Resource Solutions (WWRS), a subsidiary of US-based Medical Solutions and Worldwide HealthStaff Solutions Ltd., inaugurated its new operational site at the GBF Center in Bridgetowne, Quezon City, marking the company’s formal entry into virtual healthcare delivery outside the United States.
The Bridgetowne hub is WWRS’s second Philippine location and the first to offer 24/7 remote patient sitting and virtual nursing services aimed at easing workforce shortages in American hospitals. The move comes amid ongoing labor challenges in US hospitals, where many health systems struggle to recruit and retain clinical and non-clinical personnel.
“Virtual sitting is already being done in the US,” said Ron Hoppe, chief executive officer of Worldwide HealthStaff Solutions and president of WWRS. “What’s never been done before is delivering that service using staff halfway around the world.”
“If we’re short on workers, we can’t educate our way out fast enough, and we can’t bring enough people to the US, then it makes sense to bring the work to where the workers are,” he added.
The virtual healthcare services company will be employing sitters which are trained to monitor up to 15 patients at a time using video technology. A train-the-trainer program will allow staff to observe and simulate sessions before handling live patient feeds. They are not licensed nurses but are required to have at least two years of healthcare experience. “They’re not diagnosing or treating,” Hoppe said. “They’re observing and reporting to make sure patients remain safe.”
Patti Artley, chief clinical officer of Medical Solutions, said the sitters are integrated into care teams and communicate directly with bedside staff when patients exhibit high-risk behaviors. “They might notice a patient trying to climb out of bed or experiencing confusion,” she said. “The sitter can verbally redirect the patient and alert the care team right away.”
Virtual sitters will work exclusively from the WWRS facility, not from home, in order to maintain security and supervision standards. The site is equipped with commercial-grade technology infrastructure, including fail-safe and redundancy systems. Hoppe said WWRS is in the final stages of achieving ISO security certification, which he expects will be completed in July. “We can’t afford for the system to go down for even a minute,” Hoppe said.
WWRS has already begun recruiting staff from local healthcare schools and training programs. Many of the first hires are recent nursing graduates preparing for their licensure exams. “This gives them experience in a US healthcare setting without having to leave the country,” Artley said. “It’s a great stepping stone, especially for those hoping to practice in the US someday.”
WWRS plans to expand beyond patient observation to include registered nursing services delivered remotely by U.S.-licensed Filipino nurses. Artley said the expansion will include virtual ICU monitoring, medication reconciliation, discharge planning, and chronic disease case management. “The goal is to support bedside nurses, not replace them,” she said. “We’re trying to shift the workload so that frontline staff can spend more time on hands-on care.”
Hoppe said WWRS sees the Bridgetowne facility as a model for global healthcare integration. “This is the first time we’re doing this, and as far as we know, it’s the first time anyone has,” he said. “This could be the foundation of a new global standard in virtual care.”
