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New primary health-care centre opens on West Shore

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A new primary care health centre opened in Colwood, B.C., on Wednesday, serving patients in the West Shore communities of Colwood, Langford, Highlands and Metchosin.

The Westshore Community Health Centre is a not-for-profit primary care centre that arose out of a collaboration between Island Health, the B.C. Health Ministry, the Pacific Centre Family Services Association and the South Island Division of Family Practice.

Recent closures of health clinics have left many West Shore residents – and many residents across Vancouver Island – without a family doctor.

"Access to primary care services is a challenge for people in the West Shore and across British Columbia," Premier John Horgan said in a statement on the centre's opening Wednesday.

"With the Westshore Community Health Centre opening its doors, residents will have access to health care closer to home. This is all part of our government’s work to put patients at the centre of care with a modern, team-based primary care system," the premier added.

The new centre is part of the Western Communities Primary Care Network and is located at 324 Goldstream Ave.

Eligible patients must register to receive care at the centre through the province's Health Connect Registry.

The centre is comprised of 17 full-time equivalent health-care providers, including family doctors, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, social workers and community health workers. The province says the staff will eventually grow to 19 health-care providers.

The province says it will provide up to $1.9 million for one-time startup costs and $4 million in annual operating funding once the centre reaches full capacity.

"We’ve listened to people in the Western Communities and we are using our primary care strategy to build on the good work community organizations are already doing in the region," said Health Minister Adrian Dix in the statement.

"The Westshore Community Health Centre will play a vital role to help connect residents who have been struggling to access a family doctor with the health care they need when they need it, closer to home."

The centre is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

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