Access to urgent health care on weekends is now available in Sun Peaks.
Sun Peaks Community Health Centre (SPCHC) is operated by Kamloops-based non-profit, STEPS. The pilot project offering urgent care services started June 17 and it runs Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Anyone can use the service for medical care, whether non-residents or locals from Sun Peaks, by showing up at ski and bike patrol. Patients registered with SPCHC can book an appointment online.
Family physician Dr. Shane Barclay said the new service is available because of STEPS funding.
“[STEPS] had some funding, which included health care workers like nurses,” Barclay.
The clinic hired three part-time nurses who will work on weekends and throughout the week.
While the clinic has opened on weekends during past winters through provincial funding, the urgent care centre has expanded hours thanks to increased capacity after amalgamating with STEPS, Barclay said.
Christine Matuschewski, STEPS chief executive officer, told SPIN urgent care would help meet community needs.
“Dr. Barclay, Dr. Frank and other family doctors who are providing care up in Sun Peaks feel very strongly about providing the service,” Matuschewski said. “They have expertise, and it’s the right thing for the community as opposed to having people drive into Kamloops for services.”
Sun Peaks Resort LLP and the ski and bike patrol service have collaborated with SPCHC to offer the pilot program.
The service will likely be extended to seven days a week during the ski season, according to Matuschewski, and she noted new provincial funding models mean being a family physician is more financially sustainable.
On February 1, 2023, the provincial government shifted from a fee-for-service model to a longitudinal family physician (LFP) payment model. LFP ensures physicians are paid for the number of patients seen daily and the time taken for more complex visits.
“We have been really pleased with how it’s been able to support longitudinal family medicine, but also the government’s forethought…for meeting the needs in rural places,” Matuschewski explained.
STEPS recently asked for $36,000 in funding to enhance equipment for the pilot project through Sun Peaks Mountain Resort Municipality (SPMRM) from existing reserves for the health centre. Equipment includes stretchers, vitals monitors, office equipment, blood pressure cuffs and more.
Matuschewski said the equipment “will allow for doctors and nurses to be able to care for people in an easier, more effective, more efficient manner.”
SPCHC is also accepting some patients on its waitlist, and Barclay said they’ve focused on individuals with complex medical needs who live in Sun Peaks full-time.
“In Canada, it’s been shown that people cared for by a family doctor make for better outcomes in health care,” Barclay said. “There’s a lot of people that have multiple medical problems that don’t have a doctor. We’re prioritizing those kinds of patients and people who are living in Sun Peaks full-time.”
The clinic will offer laser services this fall, used for various medical and cosmetic treatments, from pain management to facelifts.
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