Seniors, people with complex needs and those living with mental-health and substance-use conditions now have access to more primary health-care services as the Luther Court Community Health Centre (CHC) has hired more health workers for a newly renovated space at 1525 Cedar Hill Cross Rd.

The CHC is designed to serve those living in Shelbourne, Gordon Head and Oak Bay.

“I want to commend the Luther Court Society for providing access to high-quality social supports and primary-care services to people who need these services the most in Victoria,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “The new CHC expands the availability of the society's excellent services, as more health-care providers join the team.”

The Luther Court CHC is part of the Victoria Primary Care Network and is governed, owned and operated by Luther Court Society.

“The Luther Court Community Health Centre has been essential in meeting the ongoing care needs of our community,” said Murray Rankin, MLA for Oak Bay-Gordon Head. “As the centre’s team of primary-care providers continues to grow, so will the impact of the work they do to provide integrated care locally.”

Seven full-time-equivalent (FTE) health-care providers have been hired to join the existing team, including family physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, and a community health co-ordinator who works to facilitate population health in the region. Luther Court CHC continues to recruit physicians, nurses, a mental-health and substance-use clinician, dietitians and occupational therapists. Additionally, four support staff FTEs have been hired, including a primary health-care director.

On March 16, 2022, the CHC opened in a limited capacity. A team including a family physician, nurse practitioners and registered nurses began attaching patients and offering virtual appointments, while patients requiring in-person care received services at a temporary space offsite. As of June 30, 2022, and since opening, the CHC has attached 710 patients, and has had 2,732 patient visits.

The Luther Court CHC offers comprehensive services virtually and in person to people, including seniors, the frail elderly, patients living with cancer, those needing end-of-life planning and care, and those with mental health and addiction challenges. It serves patients with complex-care needs with integrated medical care for assessments, treatment and care management. The CHC  supports attachment to patients without a primary care provider. Seniors and people with mental-health and substance-use concerns are considered priority populations.

Prospective patients must register through the Victoria Health Connect Registry to be considered for attachment to the Luther Court CHC. The Victoria registry enables patients to register themselves (or on behalf of a family member or person in their care), online or by calling 811 to become attached to a primary-care provider.

Services at the Luther Court CHC are available to their attached patients Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. When fully staffed, plans are for the Luther Court CHC to extend its hours based on the needs of its clientele to increase accessibility.

“I know there have been challenges for people in Greater Victoria to access health services closer to home, especially for those needing regular care,” said Rob Fleming, MLA for Victoria-Swan Lake. “Addressing these challenges in Victoria, and across the province, is critical to meeting our commitment to delivering a modern primary-care system that is responsive to the individual needs of people in B.C.”

The Luther Court CHC supports primary-care network planning in Greater Victoria. It is the fourth community health centre in B.C. and the third announced in Greater Victoria as part of the Province’s primary-care strategy. Additional CHCs on Vancouver Island include Island Sexual Health and the Westshore CHC.

Quick Facts:

• To receive care at the CHC, patients who are eligible need to register through the Health Connect Registry.
• There are approximately 100 health-authority-run community health centres and 30 community-governed community health centres in British Columbia.

Learn More:

To learn about the Province’s primary-care strategy, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2018PREM0034-001010

To learn about Luther Court Society, visit: https://luthercourt.org/

To register to become attached to a primary-care provider at the Luther Court CHC, visit the Victoria Health Connect Registry: https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/health-connect-registry/victoria
Or call 811 to register.

Two backgrounders follow.