Health Care Expands in Northeast Vancouver –

Hastings Sunrise and surrounding neighbourhoods have a new health care hub situated at 2788 East Hastings. The Northeast Urgent and Primary Care Centre, operated by Coastal Health, opened Feb. 16.

Currently, urgent care is available for clients who need medical assistance within 12 to 24 hours but can’t see their own primary health care provider in that time, or do not have one.

Ana Fernandez, the centre’s manager, explains that “the centre is not for life threatening situations, but functions as a walk-in clinic that anyone can access without a referral”. Patients who are unsure if the clinic is suitable for their needs are encouraged to call 811 where a nurse will be able to help them assess where to go.

Hours run 8am to 10pm Monday to Saturday, and 9am to 5pm on Sundays, with the last patient being accepted one  hour prior to closing.

Within 6 to 12 months, the clinic will move into its second phase: adding primary care. This means patients without a family doctor will be assigned an on-site physician they can visit for all their primary health care needs on an on-going basis. Priority will be given to elderly residents in the neighbourhood, those with complex care needs, and marginalized and vulnerable populations. Until this is established the clinic is facilitating an “Attachment Process” where they are locating primary care providers within the community.

The current team of physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, social workers and medical office assistants speak over 15 languages and can access translation services 24/7. The team will be expanded over the coming months to include counsellors and a registered dietician.

During the pandemic, patients are asked to take the usual precautions of sanitizing and distancing and will receive a medical grade mask on arrival. More details can be found at http://www.vch.ca/Locations-Services/result?res_id=1485