By Vanessa Ybarra

North Shore specialized care clinic scheduled to open February 6th

Jan 26, 2017 | 3:39 PM

KAMLOOPS — With tens of thousands of Kamloops residents still without their own doctor, increasing stress and long wait times continue to be the norm at walk-in clinics around the city.

Late last year, Interior Health and the province announced plans to build two new medical health clinics on the North Shore in an effort to provide relief for both doctors and patients.

The first facility, located at 376 Tranquille Road, is scheduled to open February 6th.

“We’re very fortunate to have secured an additional eight nurse practitioners who are highly-trained,” said Jason Giesbrecht with Interior Health.

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The North Shore Health and Science Centre will provide complex care services for ailments ranging from diabetes and chronic lung conditions to  mental health issues.

By doing so, doctors in the Thompson Nicola region will have more time to focus on primary care patients.

“For those people who require more than a ten-minute visit with their family physician or nurse practitioner, the team that we’re offering here on the second floor will provide that added support for individuals who have more complex care needs.”

Eight nurse practitioners, as well registered nurses, respiratory therapists and a social worker are expected to be on site at the new facility.

According to Giesbrecht, the second floor will serve as the first point-of-contact for patients, with the lower level catered towards continuum of care.

“The idea is, we’ll provide services to people who have complex needs, reducing their need to seek emergency department services,” added Giesbrecht.

While the centre will serve as a safe, welcome place for the community, Giesbrecht cautions it won’t be an open-door operation.

“Neither facilities are walk-in clinics,” warned Giesbrecht. “The specialized care program will receive referrals from a number of sources including self-referral, as well physician or nurse practitioner referrals. It’s really important to reinforce to the public that we want to encourage people who are seeking a physician to seek that physician through the 8-1-1 phone line.”

Giesbrecht says Interior Health is currently working with the province to hire additional physicians for the new facility.

With I.H opening a similar seniors care facility in North Hills Mall in April, Giesbrecht says the new centres may not solve the cities doctor shortage, but it’s a start.

“This is part of the solution for overcrowding but it won’t happen overnight,” said Giesbrecht. “As people receive the help they need in the times they need it, we expect health outcomes to improve, thereby reducing the burden on the acute care program.”