Premier David Eby and Vernon-Monashee MLA Harwinder Sandhu attending a roundtable to learn about the new Urgent Primary Care Centre planned for Vernon (photo by Liam Verster / Vernon Matters)

By Liam Verster

Health Care Services

New Urgent Primary Care Centre planned for Vernon

Aug 23, 2024 | 3:26 PM

A second health care facility for minor ailment and injury treatments is coming to Vernon.

Meeting with Interior Health representatives and partners at the Vernon Health Unit on Friday, August 23, Premier David Eby confirmed that a second Urgent Primary Care Centre (UPCC) would be established in Vernon.

“We’re building up better access to doctors, nurses and other health-care professionals in Vernon and across the province because people deserve care that works for them and their families when they need it,” Eby said in a release.

“Urgent and primary care centres deliver faster access to care while relieving pressure on our emergency rooms. With a second centre for Vernon, North Okanagan residents will get better access for cuts, minor infections, sprains and those kinds of medical issues that need a doctor’s attention, but not an emergency room visit.”

Planning for the second UPCC was underway Friday, with the team saying they were looking for a site for the new facility, but do plan to have it open and serving Vernon and North Okanagan residents by the fall of 2025. It was noted that the service providers want to have it established in an area away from the existing UPCC in downtown Vernon so it can be accessed by more people.

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Once open, the second UPCC would be open 11 hours a day, seven days a week, including on statutory holidays.

During the round table meeting with the health care partners Friday, Eby, joined by Vernon-Monashee MLA Harwinder Sandhu, heard that the UPCC helps take the stress off the emergency room, and fills the gap created by the closure of the private walk-in clinics.

It was noted the first UPCC in Vernon has been able to offer health care services to roughly 28,000 people served since opening in November of 2019, and that the second facility will be able to increase the health care services able to be provided to Vernon and North Okanagan residents and visitors.

IH representatives added the walk-in clinics, when all three were operating, were able to provide 172 hours of service for the public. The first UPCC has been able to provide 39 hours of care a week since opening, and that will be increasing to 113 hours of service once the second site opens, or roughly 150 visits per day between the two facilities.

“Establishing a second UPCC in Vernon is a critical part of our ongoing strategy to enhance healthcare services for the community,” Susan Brown, president and CEO of Interior Health, said in the release.

“By expanding these services, we are not only increasing access to urgent care but also helping to reduce the strain on our emergency departments. This is a significant step towards delivering comprehensive, timely care that supports the overall health and well-being of the people of Vernon.”

The cost for the new UPCC was estimated at $4.97-million, which will be funded by the province through Interior Health and the North Okanagan Columbia Shuswap Regional Hospital District.