Uplifting news for residents of Nanaimo!
The BC Government has announced that a second urgent and primary care centre (UPCC) will be coming to Nanaimo, and is slated to open in 2025.
“We know that people in Nanaimo need access to timely urgent primary care and this new UPCC will do just that,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health.
In the meantime, the temporary clinic, which opened on June 12th of this year, is available by referral only for patients with complex needs that have been discharged from Nanaimo Regional Hospital (NRGH) emergency department.
“These are more actions we are taking to ensure people receive the health care they need, when and where they need it.”
The clinic provides followup care on certain weekday evenings and offers virtual support on Mondays from 1:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., and it will begin to expand hours as more staff are recruited.
Once the new UPCC opens, it will include staff from the temporary clinic as well as an expanded team-based care model with additional healthcare providers—including social workers and an Indigenous nurse liaison.
It will be open seven days a week and provide same-day care for people who need immediate support within 12 to 24 hours but do not require an emergency department, such as sprains, cuts, high fevers and minor infections.
The UPCC will also include efforts to attach people to a family physician or nurse practitioner via the provincial system.
According to a media release, the UPCC is expected to see and support more than 50,000 patient visits annually.
Including the new Nanaimo UPCC, there are currently 37 UPCCs in BC, including eight operating in the Island Health region.
