B.C. unveils new urgent and primary care centre in Victoria
A new urgent and primary care centre is open in downtown Victoria, B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix announced Wednesday.
The centre opened on July 19 near the corner of Pandora and Cook streets. It will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily for urgent care, and from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday for longitudinal care.
The centre will be open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays for longitudinal care, and closed on Sundays and holidays for non-urgent care.
Urgent and primary care centres (UPCC) provide medical services for urgent needs that require medical treatment within 24 hours, such as minor cuts or burns, sprains, ear infections or urinary problems.
NEW PRIMARY CARE NETWORKS
The UPCC is part of the larger introduction of four new primary care networks to the Greater Victoria region, which will serve approximately 200,000 people across Victoria, Saanich and Oak Bay.
Primary care networks are teams of health-care workers, such as doctors, nurse practitioners and counsellors, who work together to provide primary care.
It's an alternative to the traditional family doctor system, which is based on a sole practitioner rather than a team, according to Dix.
Primary care networks make it easier for patients to access care while maintaining continuity of care, says Dix, compared to having a sole family doctor.
"These four new primary care networks will deliver, first of all, more resources and care in the next few years," said the health minister at a news conference Wednesday.
The primary care networks will also include an Indigenous health team and two mobile medical vans.
The indigenous health team will include eight full-time Indigenous health-care providers, and the mobile care vans will focus on community outreach and senior outreach.
One of the vans, run by the Cool Aid society, is already in use serving vulnerable people in the capital region.
Through urgent and primary care centres, patients will be attached to their centre, instead of to specific doctors. The move ensures that patients can continue to receive care even if their usual doctor is unavailable, according to the province.
Dix says that primary care networks also provide benefits for health-care staff, such as expanded resources and streamlined referral processes.
He adds that more full-time health-care workers will be joining the networks over the next four years.
In total, roughly 96 full-time health practitioners will be added to the region, including family physicians, registered nurses, physiotherapists, and mental health counsellors.
Moving forward, the primary care networks will also have a focus on mental health and addictions services in the Greater Victoria area, including for vulnerable communities, according to Dix.
While primary care networks emphasize team-based care, the networks will also work to connect patients with a primary care provider if they do not have one, which many residents have struggled to find in B.C. in recent years.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Keeping these exotic pets is 'cruel' and 'dangerous,' Canadian animal advocates say
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
Demonstrators kicked out of Ontario legislature for disruption after failed keffiyeh vote
A group of demonstrators were kicked out of the legislature after a second NDP motion calling for unanimous consent to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh failed to pass.
BREAKING Man wanted in connection with deadly shooting in Toronto tops list of most wanted fugitives in Canada
A 35-year-old man wanted in connection with the murder of Toronto resident 29-year-old Sharmar Powell-Flowers nine months ago has topped the list of the BOLO program’s 25 most wanted fugitives across Canada, police announced Tuesday.
Prince William and wife Kate thank public for birthday messages for son Louis
Prince William and his wife Kate thanked the public for their messages which had been sent to mark the sixth birthday of their youngest son Louis on Tuesday.
She was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father. Then life dealt her a blow
Anne Marie Cavner was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father, but then life dealt her a blow. From an unexpected loss to a host of new relationships, a DNA test changed her life, and she doesn't regret a thing.
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Fire engulfs old Edmonton municipal airport hangar
A historical hangar at the former Edmonton municipal airport beside the NAIT main campus was on fire Monday night.
Soft skills, preparation can help new graduates land jobs, experts say
As new graduates enter the workforce over the next few weeks, they are likely to face challenges getting their foot in the door and must be prepared to effectively communicate what they bring to the company.