KAMLOOPS – After months in the making, the Mountain Resort Municipality of Sun Peaks and STEPS medical have reached a partnership.
“Normally, a municipality wouldn’t be in the healthcare business,” Al Raine, mayor of Sun Peaks, told CFJC Today.
Despite the norms, Sun Peaks has been operating their local health centre for years.
But starting April 1, the municipality will be passing the torch to STEPS, a non-profit organization responsible for managing the doctor team and running the business side of the clinic.
“They are in the business full-time, they have a whole team of doctors, and it sounded like they’d be a lot of synergism if we combined the STEPS operations in Kamloops with what’s going on in Sun Peaks,” Raine explained.
However, the municipality will still own the building and equipment at the clinic. Raine said it will be leased to STEPS at a reduced rate for the first couple of years.
STEPS President Colin O’Leary said the STEPS model is much more attractive for new doctors.
“Our doctors, when they come in and work with STEPS they can come in and just be a doctor,” O’Leary said. “We are not forcing them to become business owners and take on all this additional risk and stress associated with running a business. And in reality, most doctors don’t like running the business side.”
According to O’Leary, current clinic patients won’t notice much of a change as all the doctors will be continuing to practice under STEPS.
He says the STEPS model will increase the capacity for new patients and bring more accessibility when it comes to health care for those in Sun Peaks.
“Once the Sun Peaks clinic joins the family of steps, we are able to more resources around in the region to where they are needed most, so it will most certainly increase access and capacity,” he said.
Like many in other regions, many Sun Peaks residents have struggled to access primary care, Mayor Raine believes this new partnership will be beneficial for everyone involved.
“It’s been more difficult for new residents in Sun Peaks to get medical services so we think it’s a win-win,” Raine said.
