BC Gov News

Jinny Sims, MLA for Surrey-Panorama –

“The new nurse practitioner primary care clinic in Surrey is an exciting step forward for the community. Thanks to this new approach, even more people will get access to team-based care and be attached to a primary care provider, which is much needed in the region. It will make a real difference in the lives of residents.”

Harry Bains, MLA for Surrey-Newton –

“Surrey is one of the fastest-growing communities in B.C., and the new nurse practitioner primary care clinic will help take demand off Surrey Memorial Hospital’s emergency department and connect more people to a consistent primary care provider.”

Michael Sandler, executive director, Association of Nurses and Nurse Practitioners of BC (NNPBC) –

“Nurses and Nurse Practitioners of BC are pleased to have helped lead the process of conceptualizing and opening these NP Primary Care Clinics with strong community support. It has been with the diligence and advocacy of the NP Council of NNPBC and, in particular, our director of NP provincial initiatives Danielle Daigle and project manager Patricia Telford, whose detailed knowledge of the inner workings of NP practice within the larger health-care delivery context has been key to getting where we are today. We applaud this approach to team-based care that taps into the expertise of nurse practitioners as primary care providers as well as all health-care staff. This clinic is key to ensuring B.C. families can access timely health-care services when they need them, and we are thrilled about the opening of the first NP-Primary Care Clinic in Surrey.” 

Dr. Victoria Lee, president and CEO, Fraser Health –

“We are proud of working with the Nurses and Nurse Practitioners of BC and the Surrey-North Delta Division of Family Practice to co-ordinate health services to support patients and their families. This clinic will help people further manage their existing health conditions, avoid unnecessary hospital visits and remain healthy and independent as long as possible.”

Dr. Elaine Jackson, co-chair, board of directors, Surrey-North Delta Division of Family Practice –

“The Surrey-North Delta Division is supportive of this effort to improve access to quality health care and values the opportunity to partner with Fraser Health and Nurses and Nurse Practitioners of BC to launch a new nurse practitioner primary care clinic in Surrey. This clinic will serve patients who have difficulties accessing primary care, it will strengthen the existing network of primary care services in the community and will create an alternative employment opportunity for health-care teams wanting to provide care in Surrey.”

Nurse practitioners are health practitioners who can work on their own, or with physicians and other health professionals, to provide care across a person’s life span. This includes diagnosing and treating illnesses, ordering and interpreting tests, prescribing medications and performing medical procedures.

Facts about the new Axis Primary Care Clinic:

• Patients will be received via referral and through community partners, walk-in, outreach, online or phone.
• Patient intake will start Aug. 10, 2020. Information on applying can be found here: www.npclinics.ca/axis/
• Axis Primary Care Clinic is located in Cloverdale, but will provide access to primary care services for residents of Surrey.
• Approximately 31% of visits to the Surrey Hospital emergency department could be dealt with in a primary care setting.
• Of the total Surrey population (approximately 589,000), 88,000 or 15% are 65 years of age or older.
• 41% of Surrey residents are living with illness and chronic conditions. The top five identified conditions in Surrey are hypertension, asthma, diabetes, osteoarthritis and episodic mood and anxiety disorder.
• More than 100,000 patients in Surrey-North Delta are considered unattached (16%). Of those, 15,000 live in Cloverdale.
• The available services will include:
  • new client intake and screening visits
  • regular/followup visits with clients concerning:
    • new symptom or diagnosis
    • chronic disease management, including diabetes, asthma and heart disease
    • pregnancy/prenatal/postpartum care
    • contraception advice and treatment options
    • mental health assessment/treatment/ support
    • substance use and addiction treatment/ support
    • medication prescription refills
    • screening, e.g., sexually transmitted infections, well child checks, cervical cancer/PAP smears
    • treatments/procedures, e.g., intrauterine device (IUD) insertion, cerumen (ear wax) removal)
    • referrals to medical specialist and social services and completing forms
    • outreach to local community partners, and
    • harm-reduction strategies
• Axis Primary Care Clinic will work with the Surrey-North Delta Division of Family Practice and Fraser Health to support the planning and development of a primary care network in the Cloverdale neighbourhood in Surrey.