Dr. Doug Cochrane, board chair, Interior Health –

“The urgent and primary care centre planned for Vernon will have a positive impact on all those living in the community and surrounding area who are looking for local, same-day access to health-care services. It will mean a team of health professionals – physicians and nurse practitioners, nurses and social workers – working together at one location to provide same-day care and, for those who do not have a care provider, facilitate connections to primary care to better support their immediate and long-term care needs.”

Dr. Kathleen Ross, president, Doctors of BC –

“We look forward to the integration of the urgent and primary care centre in hopes it will strengthen primary care in the Vernon area and ensure people in the community have access to the health-care services they need, while also supporting a longitudinal relationship between patients and their family doctors.” 

Tracey Kirkman, executive director, Shuswap North Okanagan Division of Family Practice –

“The Shuswap North Okanagan Division of Family Practice is proud to have partnered with Interior Health to create the Vernon Urgent and Primary Care Centre. This centre will increase access to care for our vulnerable and marginalized population, and provide a supportive, team-based care environment in which doctors can provide patient-centred care as part of a team. The Vernon Urgent and Primary Care Centre will enhance our existing network of primary care services and improve the health of our community.”

Jacqollyne Keath, board chair, Nurses and Nurse Practitioners of BC –

“The Association of Nurses and Nurse Practitioners of BC is pleased that the knowledge, skills and expertise of the entire health-care team will improve access to health care for British Columbians through urgent and primary care centres. We believe that this approach will be pivotal in ensuring B.C. families can access health-care services and we are excited to see the launch of another urgent and primary care centre in B.C.”

The new urgent and primary care centre in Vernon is a partnership between the Ministry of Health, Interior Health, the Shuswap North Okanagan Division of Family Practice and the Doctors of BC, which will host the urgent primary care centre on behalf of the community.

• The Vernon Urgent Primary Care Centre is located at 3306 32nd Ave. in Vernon until it transitions to a new location in spring 2020.
• Urgent primary care is the care that people need within 12 to 24 hours and for when the situation is not a true emergency.
• When fully operational, the urgent and primary care centre will be open seven days a week from 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. (including statutory holidays).
• People can self-refer for their urgent and primary-care needs. Services will be accessed through both drop-in and scheduled appointments.
• Approximately 36% of visits to the Vernon Jubilee Hospital emergency department could be dealt with in alternative settings, such as an urgent primary care centre.
• Approximately 12,800 residents in the Vernon area report not having a consistent primary care provider.
• Using a team-based care model, urgent and primary care centres identify unattached patients and support them until they are connected to the most appropriate provider in the community. They also provide:
  • extended hours of care (evenings/weekends/holidays);
  • basic in-office urgent care services (e.g., sprains, minor cuts requiring stitches, minor burns, rapid access to mental health and substance-use crisis intervention services);
  • assessment and treatment for minor illnesses (e.g., earaches, abdominal pain, skin rashes or infections and urinary tract infections); and
  • quick access to diagnostic imaging and laboratory services (e.g., electrocardiograms, X-rays and blood tests).