In the wake of recent news that Sun Peaks Community Health Centre will no longer be operated by Supporting Team Excellence with Patients Society (STEPS) — the current medical services provider — concerns have circulated regarding the future of the clinic.

“The clinic is not closing,” Mayor Rob O’Toole told SPIN. 

STEPS was contracted in early 2023 to operate the clinic as the non-profit “felt that they could provide us with the things we needed,” O’Toole explained, adding the organization’s experience provided “value around better access to recruiting medical professionals, which was a challenge for us.” 

Over the past few weeks, he said council met to review the operational challenges facing the clinic, such as reduced hours leading to long wait times, lack of locums and limited access to urgent care.  

Ultimately, during the July 15 council meeting Sun Peaks Mountain Resort Municipality (SPMRM) provided verbal notice to STEPS that it would not renew the lease agreement.

Regarding hours of operation Christine Matuschewski, chief executive officer for STEPS, wrote to SPIN in an email that STEPS physicians choose their own schedules and work three-to-four days per week.

“We also provide care on other days as locums are available,” she said.  

Supplying locums, physicians who temporarily fill in for other doctors, for unattached patients was ”challenging at times and inconsistent,” particularly during bike and winter season, she explained.

Regarding urgent care, STEPS physicians provide those services “ongoing for their attached patients with fit-in appointments throughout their day,” she said.

Patients have urgent care access to other family doctors in other facilities on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, she added.

“We appreciated STEPS stepping in when they did and helping us bridge a critical gap,” O’Toole said. “But after a year and a half, it became clear that their service model was not meeting the long-term healthcare needs of this community.”

The decision to end the lease was a necessary step to ensure sustainable, quality care going forward, he said.

The last day medical services will be provided by STEPS will be Oct. 10, 2025.

“Our role was always to help build the clinic and then find the right partner to run it,” O’Toole said, adding the municipal government isn’t designed to run clinics; its mandate covers infrastructure, utilities and bylaws, not healthcare.

“We’re still committed to that approach. We’re not the operators, but we are the landlords and the community stewards of this facility.”

The mayor also commented on confusion in the community regarding the leave of the doctors from the municipality.

“There’s a lot of misinformation going around, especially online,” O’Toole said. “But to our knowledge, no doctors are leaving the community. What is ending is the operational lease with STEPS. That’s a big difference.”

“I have not made any decision to leave Sun Peaks,” Nowierski wrote to SPIN in an email. “Any future decisions will be my own and shared if and when appropriate.”

The future of Sun Peaks Health Clinic 

The search for a new operator is already underway, according to O’Toole. 

Council has organized a working group to develop recommendations for running the clinic moving forward, “whether that’s with another nonprofit, private operator or potentially a hybrid model,” O’Toole said. These recommendations will be used to create a request for proposals for interested parties to submit their plans for operating the clinic. 

Recommendations are expected back to council on Aug. 19. 

A second, smaller evaluation team will then assess incoming proposals and determine which provider is best suited to meet Sun Peaks’ healthcare demands.

While O’Toole acknowledged a temporary gap in service is possible, he did not state how long any interruption of care might be.

“I’d be lying if I said there would be no gap at all — that’s probably unrealistic,” he said. “But we’re working hard to keep it as short and manageable as possible.

Amid concerns about continuity of physicians under a new operator, many residents have voiced particular concern about losing trusted medical professionals and the clinic’s support staff.

While the municipality cannot legally require a new operator to retain existing staff, the mayor emphasized that any incoming proposals that show a clear intent to do so will be evaluated more favourably.

“These aren’t just employees — they’re our neighbours, our friends,” he said. “They are deeply invested in Sun Peaks and we want them to stay.”

What to expect

The municipality plans to provide regular updates on the process at upcoming council meetings, including those scheduled for Aug. 5 and Aug. 19. 

“I want residents to know that we hear them,” O’Toole said. “We understand the worry, especially among young families and seniors. Access to primary care is essential. We’re doing everything in our power to find a solution that’s both effective and sustainable.”

He acknowledged the process has been stressful but asked residents to trust that the long-term vision will bring better outcomes.

“Short-term stress is hard, I know. But we’re working hard, and so are many volunteers and community members. I truly believe that out of this disruption, we’ll build something stronger.”