A second urgent and primary care centre (UPCC) is scheduled to open, and the province says it’ll provide more services and access to care for those who need it.
According to the Ministry of Health, the new second facility will be located on Norwell Drive and will accommodate more than 86,000 patient visits each year and will build on a foundation set in 2018 after the first facility was launched.
It’s expected to handle conditions that are appropriate for care at a UPCC, such as sprains, cuts, high fevers, and minor infections and Nanaimo-Lantzville MLA George Anderson says expanding care and providing greater access is great news for all.
“Expanding access to health care and connecting more people with primary healthcare providers is great news for people in Nanaimo,” he says. “This new UPCC will ensure residents benefit from high-quality team-based care that’s built to meet the growing health-care needs in our region.”
Island Health board char Leah Hollins says providing a second facility is a huge step forward and a result of several collaborating partnerships.
“This is the result of extensive collaboration between our partners, including the Snuneymuxw First Nation and the Nanaimo Division of Family Practice,” she says. “Residents will receive patient-centred, culturally safe care delivered by a compassionate and dedicated team of professionals within a welcoming, trauma-informed space.”
The new facility will be open seven days a week and will have a clinical staff of nine family physicians, two nurse practitioners, and 14 registered nurses.
The province says the total capital costs for the Central Nanaimo UPCC is estimated to be $8.2 million.
The second centre opens on May. 1.
