By Mandy Vocke/Sylvia Masich

Premier announces team-based primary care coming to Prince George

Apr 17, 2019 | 2:51 PM

PRINCE GEORGE— People in Prince George may soon have better access to team-based everyday health care, with the new Prince George Urgent and Primary Care Centre (UPCC) anticipated to open in June 2019. There will also be a launch of a primary-care network (PCN).  

“This primary-care network and urgent primary-care centre will connect people in Prince George with better, faster health care,” Premier John Horgan says. “With more than 30 new health-care professionals joining the community to deliver team-based care, people will benefit from greater access to health care, helping them lead healthier lives.”

The PCN and UPCC will work together to recruit more than 30 new health-care providers over the next three years, including 26 nursing and allied health-care professionals, one general practitioner, two nurse practitioners, one clinical pharmacist, an Elder to ensure cultural safety and two new resources to support extended access to lab services in the community.

All of the region’s existing clinics will work collaboratively in the primary-care network. Prince George’s 32 primary-care clinics and two community health centres will work together to provide team-based care.

“The urgent and primary-care centre and the primary-care network in Prince George will ensure the health needs of people living in the community and the surrounding areas are met in a faster, more comprehensive and efficient way,” Minister of Health Adrian Dix says. “New services will include extended hours of care, teams of interdisciplinary health-care professionals and attachment opportunities, which will offer a solution for the approximately 2,000 people in Prince George who do not have a consistent primary-care provider.”

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The urgent and primary-care clinic centre will be located in the Parkwood Place Mall. At full capacity, the new centre is expected to add capacity for 8,000 additional patient visits per year for both urgent and primary-care appointments.

The centre will offer drop-in team-based care in the evenings and weekends for people with non-life-threatening conditions who need to see a health-care provider within 12 to 24 hours but do not require the level of expertise. Providers will be available on-site to provide follow-up care and care coordination through scheduled appointments on weekdays.

The provincial government will provide approximately $4.7 million in annual funding by the third year to the Prince George network. It will include the new urgent and primary-care centre as new positions are added and patients are attached.