The Williams Lake Primary Care Hub opened its doors on April 29, 2024, in the Yorston Medical Building.
So far, the clinic is open with limited capacity and will only accept new patients by referral from a health care professional or hospital emergency department, said Karen Cooper, executive director, clinical operations for Cariboo/South Cariboo.
Cooper said this will help connect patients with the greatest needs to appropriate services at the clinic.
The clinic is meant to serve as the central facility for Central Rural Interior Primary Care Network health staff, which include a social worker, mental health and substance use clinician, dietician, respiratory therapist, occupational therapist, and clinical pharmacist. The hub will support both Williams Lake and the 100 Mile House area as the two communities share a respiratory therapist, an occupational therapist, and a clinical pharmacist, an arrangement Interior Health said has been working well so far.
Cooper said Interior Health is recruiting for nurse practitioners and is in conversation with a possible physician to staff the facility as well.
Once primary care providers are in place, patients will be matched to the clinic through the Health Connect Registry.
Cooper said going forward, physicians and nurse practitioners stationed out of the new Primary Care Network Hub will provide outreach and mobile services to local First Nation communities as well. This is possible thanks to a partnership between First Nations in the Williams Lake area supporting recruitment with funding originally allocated to them to support better access to health care for everyone in the region.
Interior Health said the team-based structure of the hub is a selling feature for many health care professionals.
A new urgent and primary care clinic coming to Williams Lake is still in development for 2025 and would be at another location.
An urgent and primary care clinic would operate something like what many refer to as a walk-in clinic for area residents.
READ MORE: Primary care network hub opens doors in Williams Lake
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