BC government opening new Vancouver Urgent and Primary Care Centre near PNE

Inside the North Vancouver Urgent and Primary Care Centre at 221 West Esplanade. (Bowinn Ma/Twitter)

The third urgent and primary care centre (UPCC) within the city of Vancouver will open in the Hastings-Sunrise neighbourhood next month.

Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) is in the final stages of preparing the opening of the new Vancouver Northeast UPCC at 2788 East Hastings Street, about one city block west of the PNE at Hastings Park.

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The 5,300-sq-ft leased healthcare hub space operated by VCH and funded by the provincial government will open on February 16, 2021.

“The Vancouver division is excited for this additional service for patients in Vancouver’s northeast communities. As an integral component of the implementation of primary care networks, the UPCC provides a place in the community for appropriate urgent services,” said Dr. Jay Slater, board chair and Dr. Fiona Duncan, physician lead, of the Vancouver Division of Family Practice, in a joint statement.

“The UPCC will play an important role in supporting family physicians to continue to provide high-quality primary care in the community, helping to serve the community’s needs and enhance care delivery, when and where patients need it.”

vancouver northeast urgent and primary care centre 2788 East Hastings Street

Location of the Vancouver Northeast Urgent and Primary Care Centre at 2788 East Hastings Street. (Google Maps)

The Vancouver Northeast Urgent and Primary Care Centre is located on the first level of 2788 East Hastings Street. (Google Maps)

UPCC facilities in neighbourhoods are designed to reduce pressure on hospital emergency rooms by providing medical services to people in need of healthcare within 12 to 24 hours, but do not require an emergency department. This includes sprains, cuts, high fevers, and minor infections.

As well, the facilities are meant to provide healthcare access to people who do not have a family doctor.

The new centre will have a team of family physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, and other health professionals, such as dieticians, social workers, and counsellors.

The facility will initially have a team of about 17 full-time staff for its estimated 27,000 patient visits during its first year. Its service hours are 8 am to 10 pm from Monday to Saturday, and 9 am to 5 pm on Sunday and holidays.

By January 2022, with the expansion of the team, the UPCC is forecast to see over 47,000 patient visits annually.

Happy 1 yr anniversary to City Centre Urgent Primary Care Centre! Delighted to celebrate its year of success alongside residents, health care providers in community, & its outstanding health care team. Congrats 2 partners @VCHhealthcare Seymour Health Centre & @VDoFP #Vancouver pic.twitter.com/avbOVCVPze

— Adrian Dix (@adriandix) November 9, 2019

This is the 22nd UPCC announced by the provincial government under its primary care strategy and the fourth to be announced within the jurisdiction of VCH.

The first UPCC within VCH jurisdiction opened at 1290 Hornby Street in downtown Vancouver, and it has had about 60,000 patient visits since it opened in November 2018. However, this facility could have a relatively short lifespan, requiring relocation in the not-so-distant future, as the property owner has plans to redevelop the building site into a 35-storey residential tower.

In November 2019, UPCCs opened at 1145 Commercial Drive (REACH UPCC) in East Vancouver and at 221 West Esplanade (North Vancouver UPCC) at Lonsdale in North Vancouver. They have seen over 17,000 and nearly 36,000 patient visits, respectively.

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