PENTICTON – More people in Penticton and surrounding communities will soon have increased access to team-based everyday health care.
A new urgent and primary care centre (UPCC) will open March 31, 2021, at unit 101 – 437 Martin St.
Michael Sandler, executive director, Nurses and Nurse Practitioners of BC commented, “Nurses and nurse practitioners of BC are pleased to see that the knowledge, skills and expertise of the entire health-care team will be utilized to improve access to health care for all British Columbians through urgent and primary care clinics. We believe that this approach will be pivotal in ensuring BC families can access health-care services, and we are excited to see the opening of another urgent and primary care clinic in BC.”
On March 31, 2021, approximately 14 full-time equivalent clinical health-care professionals will join the centre, including physicians, a nurse practitioner, nurses and allied health professionals. The team will first provide long-term primary care services for people with mental health and substance use needs. These services include complex care management, mental health and substance use health care, opioid agonist treatment and women’s health.
“The new urgent and primary care centre planned for Penticton will have a significant impact for patients and families living in the community and surrounding area, increasing access to local health services. The team-based approach to care by family physicians and nurse practitioners, nurses and allied health professionals means people living in the area will have added support for their immediate and long-term health needs. The UPCC will also work to help vulnerable populations, providing primary care services to people where they live,” said Dr. Doug Cochrane, board chair, Interior Health
More health-care professionals will gradually join the centre. Once fully staffed, the UPCC will provide urgent and primary care services to people living in Penticton and surrounding communities who need health care provided within 12 to 24 hours, but do not require a trip to the emergency department, such as patients with sprains, cuts, high fevers and minor infections.
Importantly, the UPCC will also assist in connecting patients without a primary care provider to a family doctor or nurse practitioner either at the centre or in the community. Attachment will be provided in collaboration with the South Okanagan Similkameen Division of Family Practice.
Longitudinal care will be offered from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday upon opening on March 31. When the centre is fully implemented, care will be available seven days a week, 365 days a year.
The Penticton UPCC is a collaboration between Interior Health, the Ministry of Health, the South Okanagan Similkameen Division of Family Practice, the Martin Street Outreach Centre Association, OneSky Community Resources and local Indigenous partners, including the Penticton Indian Band and Ooknakane Friendship Centre. This UPCC is part of the South Okanagan Similkameen Primary Care Network.
This is the 23rd UPCC announced under the government’s primary care strategy, 20 of which are open. Of those, six are in the Interior Health region, including in Kelowna, Vernon, West Kelowna, Kamloops, Castlegar and Penticton.