Health
More people in the Chilliwack and Fraser Health Rural region will have better access to quality, team-based health care with a primary care centre opening May 17, 2022, at 7955 Evans Rd. in Chilliwack.
The Chilliwack and Fraser Health Rural Primary Care Centre is called Momíyelhtelaxwt, which means “helping one another.” The centre replaces the Chilliwack Primary Care Clinic, which was located at Chilliwack General Hospital.
“Today represents a significant step forward for health care in our province. Opening a primary care centre servicing Chilliwack and surrounding rural communities means more patients, including First Nations, and those with complex needs, will have increased access to comprehensive primary care,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “We are continuing to ensure that people across British Columbia receive the health-care services they deserve closer to home.”
The centre serves the communities of Chilliwack, Agassiz/Harrison and Hope as well as communities in the Fraser Canyon. Service extends to Boothroyd and also includes regional Indigenous communities, Sunshine Valley and Manning Park.
It is a collaboration between Fraser Health, the Ministry of Health, the Chilliwack Division of Family Practice and other community partners. It operates as part of the North Chilliwack, South Chilliwack and Fraser Health Rural primary care networks.
This centre will serve three purposes:
- provide increased opportunities to get same-day health care on weekdays so that people in need of complex care management can get timely access to the comprehensive care they need;
- people in need of mental-health and substance-use supports will have better access to the right care from the right provider with improved connection to specialized services provided by health authorities, including opioid agonist treatment; and
- more co-ordinated and culturally safe primary care support for Indigenous Peoples.
The clinic will work in conjunction with the Chilliwack Division of Family Practice to attach patients with a regular primary care provider. The centre will also provide ongoing wraparound care for unattached patients on an interim basis while they arrange for patients to be connected to other local practices.
When the centre opens on May 17, approximately 40 full-time-equivalent staff, including family doctors, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, clinical pharmacists, traditional wellness mentors and other allied health professionals, will work as a team at the centre.
“People need access to high-quality mental-health and addictions care – it is a vital part of our health system,” said Sheila Malcolmson, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. “This new primary care centre provides the health care that people in Chilliwack and surrounding communities urgently need.”
The Fraser Health Intensive Case Management mental-health and substance-use program is also located at the centre. This will provide further opportunities for integration of services.
In addition, the centre provides culturally safe care by incorporating traditional wellness mentors, as well as integrating resources that reflect traditional teachings by Indigenous communities.
Patients accessing care at the Chilliwack Primary Care Clinic will have the opportunity to be supported and cared for at the new centre on Evans Road. The centre’s hours of operation are Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.
The Ministry of Health will provide approximately $11.5 million in annual funding to the Chilliwack and Fraser Health Rural primary care networks once they are fully established, as well as $5,356,462 in capital costs. The Fraser Valley Health Care Foundation contributed $1 million for the centre.
