Ken and Joyce Ebert are happy to hear about Ashcroft's new urgent and primary care centre (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Chad Klassen

ASHCROFT HEALTH CENTRE

Ashcroft area residents relieved with new urgent and primary care centre opening

Sep 27, 2022 | 4:06 PM

KAMLOOPS — Ken and Joyce Ebert have to drive in from Loon Lake to access health care in Ashcroft. At times, they have to come to Kamloops for services.

In their late 80s, all the driving, especially with limited emergency room access in the village, has been a challenge.

“You can’t fall and hurt yourself on a Wednesday because they’re not open,” noted Ken. “And you say ‘carry onto Kamloops,’ but if you’re hurt real bad, that’s an extra hour.”

However, with a new urgent and primary care centre opening in the village on Tuesday (Sept. 27), they’ll have easier access to care closer to home.

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“It’s great. I’m so happy. They built this beautiful hospital years ago and it’s not used. We’ve had so much trouble keeping doctors,” noted Ebert. “Being an hour from here, it would be so advantageous over having to go to Kamloops.”

The urgent and primary care centre in Ashcroft is now open seven days a week — 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. It’s essentially replacing the emergency department, and it’s a new way of thinking about rural healthcare.

Entering from the former emergency entrance, Ashcroft residents can access the care centre for more non-emergency health issues, such as high fevers, sprains, cuts and minor infections.

Tuesday’s sudden announcement of the centre’s opening came as a surprise to mayor Barb Roden, but a pleasant one.

“This is a way to keep more people in the community. It’s health care in the community rather than having to send people off to other places, which is obviously a health issue,” she said.

The centre has 5.5 full-time equivalent (FTE) nurses on staff. Interior Health hopes to increase the number to 24 FTE positions.

“They will have access to nursing, they’ll have access to physician care, and over time we will continue to expand the care providers towards a more team-based model of care that will include nurse practitioners, that will include social workers, physiotherapists, as well as an Aboriginal patient navigator to name a few,” said vice president of IH North clinical operations Diane Shendruk.

This is all a relief for community members, who have dealt with emergency closures for more than a decade.

“With all the people that don’t have access to doctors, their own personal doctor, I think this will fill in a big gap,” said Savona resident Mel Yargeau.

As for Ebert and his wife, who don’t have a family doctor in Ashcroft, they’ll be leaning on the primary care centre, which will guarantee residents a doctor, even if one leaves the community.