FORA Report on the Oceanside Health Centre
The recent Mayors’ Breakfast Meeting, arranged by FORA (Federation of Oceanside Residents’ Associations), brought together:
The purpose of the meeting was for an update on the current operation of the Oceanside Health Centre and other health related issues.
Development of a Community Health Network is also underway.
Assurance was given that the Island Health Authority and the Ministry of Health both support using the OHC as a template in future provincial strategic planning. The OHC is viewed as an innovative laboratory, with the VIU’s new Centre of Healthy Living an important part of the concept.
The meeting was an important update, and provided the opportunity for questions and comments on the current and future operation of the OHC.
It was agreed that FORA would continue to organize these meetings on a quarterly basis, with the next one to be held at the end of January, 2014.
- Mayor of Qualicum Beach
- Mayor of Parksville,
- RDN Chair Joe Stanhope,
- MLA Michelle Stilwell,
- Dr. Robert Burns, Executive Medical Director, Allison Cutler, Executive Director, Population and Community Health (the latter two of the Island Health Authority),
- FORA committee members.
The purpose of the meeting was for an update on the current operation of the Oceanside Health Centre and other health related issues.
- From the day that Urgent Care opened, it was obvious the facility was going to be very busy.
- There are in excess of 20 doctors manning the Urgent Care Center on a sessional basis.
- Doctors are on-site in excess of 15 hrs/day with an extra full time doctor covering the busiest times which are around lunch and supper times.
- With a new building, new staff, new equipment and a new way of providing health care, the facility experienced initial start-up challenges that sometimes caused longer than acceptable wait times. Patience is needed during this break-in period
- In many cases, the long wait times were due to more serious cases taking precedent, with one such case having a positive outcome that without the OHC being close at hand, a drive to NRGH would have been too long. The Health Center is saving lives.
- Wait times have been considerably reduced. The objective is to reduce them further.
- Since the opening, 2,400 people have been through Urgent Care, approximately 55 visits a day with projected annual volume of 21,000/yr. 75-80% of visits are Urgent - 10% Emergent (stabilize and send to NRGH Emerg Dept) - 10% are non-urgent (more convenience than true need)
- These numbers indicate 5000 trips to NRGH can be avoided. Saving trips to NRGH Emergency are translating into a side benefit of a saving a significant amount of greenhouse gases. If 300,000 km travel by patients/ambulances saved = 105,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases
- A pattern has evolved showing the busiest times to be over the lunch hour and later in the day near the supper hour
- Requests are being evaluated regarding acceptance into Primary Care (Opened Sept 30/13).
- Applicants having no doctor are given preference - 500, followed by those not having a local doctor - 500, and lastly those wishing to be part of the new delivery of integrated health care - 200.
- First doctor brought 600 patients with her
- A group intake process will be introduced to speed up the process.
- The five-member Primary Care team (Team #1) includes: a Family Practitioner, Nurse Practitioner, a co-ordinator, Clinical Office Assistant and a scheduler. when it is clear that Team #1 is reaching capacity, then Team #2 will commence with the new team possible commencing in early 2014
- Also available half-time is a Behavioral Clinician working both in Primary and Urgent Care.
- The co-ordinator attaches the client to the necessary team member, and may also relate to the Integrated Community Team on the second floor. This can truly be something like one-stop medical shopping!
- The Imaging Department is seeing 300 people a day, including x-rays, ultrasound, mammography and bone density testing.
- There have been 150 Tele-Conferences since Sept. 16. These conferences are mostly in psychiatry and thoracic/cardiology.
- Capital costs have been approved for the Ambulance Services to be located beside the OHC.
- B.C. Ambulance Services are undergoing change.
- The door has been opened for the eventual integration of ambulance services with health services. This would have a very positive benefit of assisting ambulance attendants in maintaining their skills.
- FORA is meeting with personnel from Ambulance Services and advocating for training that would include telemetry and skills better suited to dealing with heart attacks. This would result in more sophisticated assessments for those experiencing heart attacks.
- Our local ambulances have a response time of from 5 to 10 minutes--the best response time in the province.
- The entrance from the highway to the OHC was designed with a split so that ambulance service would not affect normal traffic accessing the OHC.
- Vending machines have been installed for light snacks and cold drinks, and the remaining space is being evaluated as to the best use. Getting a coffee service is still on the agenda.
- Oceanside Division of Family Practice,
- Oceanside Hospice,
- Island Health Authority and many others.
Development of a Community Health Network is also underway.
Assurance was given that the Island Health Authority and the Ministry of Health both support using the OHC as a template in future provincial strategic planning. The OHC is viewed as an innovative laboratory, with the VIU’s new Centre of Healthy Living an important part of the concept.
The meeting was an important update, and provided the opportunity for questions and comments on the current and future operation of the OHC.
It was agreed that FORA would continue to organize these meetings on a quarterly basis, with the next one to be held at the end of January, 2014.
