Increased health care services coming to Rutland area
People living in and around the Rutland area will see their local health care services bolstered.
A new urgent and primary care centre (UPCC) and a community health centre (CHC) are being built in the Kelowna neighbourhood.
“People living in Rutland and surrounding communities will directly benefit from increased access to health-care services delivered through a new urgent and primary care centre and a new community health centre,” Minister of Health Adrian Dix said.
“Integrating physicians, nurses and allied health professionals means patients can receive timely and comprehensive team-based care. These two centres are examples of our continued work to increase access to primary care services.”
The UPCC will be able to treat people with non-life threating conditions that does not require a trip to an emergency department such as minor cuts or burns, headaches, and minor infections. It will operate on an appointment-based system that will provide care to an individual within 12 to 24 hours of booking a visit.
The UPCC will open in a phased approach. Starting immediatly and until Nov. 29, it will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Between Nov. 30 and Dec. 7 it will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. After Dec. 8 it will be fully operational and open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. for urgent care needs, and Monday to Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. for longitudinal care needs.
“With the opening of Interior Health’s ninth urgent and primary care centre, we are demonstrating our commitment to connecting more patients with timely and comprehensive care,” Susan Brown, president and CEO of Interior Health, said.
“Residents of Rutland will have additional access to a team of expert health-care professionals who can address immediate health concerns and offer support for long-term health-care needs.”
Once fully operational, a team of 33 full-time health care staff consisting of family physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, social workers, physiotherapists and a community health worker will staff the Rutland UPCC.
It will be operated by Interior Health in collaboration with Central Okanagan Division of Family Practice. It will also be integrated into the larger Central Okanagan Primary Care Network.
The new Community Health Centre opened in Rutland Monday, Nov. 20, with a focus on providing health care to women and other underserved populations in the area. Once fully operational, the CHC will be open Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and will also have extended hours during evenings, weekends and holidays.
The province provided $5.5-million in one-time and operational funding to the Okanagan Family Medicine and Community Health Centre Society to establish the new facility.
“The opening of Rutland CHC stands as a statement of support for marginalized communities in the Rutland area,” Milt Stevenson, co-developer, of the Okanagan Community Health Society, said.
“We look forward to providing a dedicated space which will ensure accessible care and inclusivity for underserved populations.”
CHCs are community-governed, not-for-profit organizations with health services tailored for their specific community. The Rutland CHC will be governed and operated by Okanagan Family Medicine and Community Health Centre Society, with support from Interior Health and the Ministry of Health.