Yellowknife Primary Health Care Clinic 2010

Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority (YHSSA), in conjunction with Stanton Territorial Health Authority (STHA), will be opening a new Primary Health Care Clinic in downtown Yellowknife in 2010. We are excited about this project and we want to share it with you. In this community update, we answer some of the questions that you have about what health care services will look like in 2010.

Why does Yellowknife need a new health care clinic?

The new clinic will provide the community with better access to health services. Better access includes:

Making it easier for you to schedule an appointment with your practitioner;
Improving access for people with disabilities;
Expanding our hours of service - opening earlier and staying open later in the day
Providing walk-in and same day access appointments for non-emergency cases to compliment and facilitate the provision of Emergency services offered at STHA;
Offering better support to clients at risk for, and with, chronic diseases to help them more effectively manage their health;
Providing a second location for diagnostic testing; and
Providing you with access to a multi-disciplinary team of professionals who can work with you to address your health care needs and effectively manage your health.

These are just some of the changes that will improve your access to health care services.

What will happen to the existing downtown clinics in 2010?

At the time that the new downtown Primary Health Care Clinic is established, the current clinics operating in the downtown area (Gibson Medical Clinic; Family Medical Clinic; and Great Slave Community Health Clinic) will close. Practitioners and staff will be re-located to the new downtown Primary Health Care Clinic and Frame Lake Community Health Clinic. The new downtown clinic is scheduled to open before March 2010.

How will the changes affect me and my family?

In 2010, you will have improved access to currently provided as well as additional health care services, both at the new downtown Primary Health Care Clinic and the Frame Lake Community Health Clinic. With a variety of professionals working in both the downtown and Frame Lake locations, you will have improved access to a wider range of health services. Services will continue to be provided to you by your current practitioner, however, in some cases, the location you receive services at may change. We will ensure that we communicate to you about where you can receive services from your practitioner.

Our goal is to make the transition of services immediate and as smooth as possible for our staff and the public. We will be updating the community on the plan for this transition in the coming months.

What kinds of diagnostic services will be available in the new Primary Health Care Clinic?

Stanton Territorial Health Authority will provide the following services:

Radiology – testing to determine bone abnormalities e.g. a bone fracture;
Bone densitometry – testing to assess bone loss, e.g. for clients with osteoporosis;
Laboratory services – collection of specimens for analysis, e.g. blood, urine;
Electrocardiography (ECG) - testing for the electrical activity in the heart; and
Ultrasound – testing for fetal health and growth.

What health services will be available in the new Primary Health Care Clinic?

In addition to diagnostic services, we will provide the following services to the community:

Physicians and Nurse practitioners will provide services through a variety of scheduling options, including regular appointments, walk-in, and same-day access appointments;
Mental Health and Addictions Services – our Family Counselling program will move from its current location in the Panda II Mall to the new downtown location with some counselling services offered in Frame Lake;
Public Health – while Public Health will continue to offer the majority of its services from the 1st floor of the Jan Stirling building, some public health nursing services will be provided at both the downtown and Frame Lake clinics, including sexual transmitted disease (STD) nursing and vaccination programs;
Home Care – Home Care will continue to deliver services in client’s homes and out of the 1st floor of the Jan Stirling Building, as well as offer some specialized programs in the new downtown clinic.

What will be different at Frame Lake Community Health Clinic?

Frame Lake Community Health Clinic will continue to deliver health services, with new services added, including public health and family counselling services. Our goal is to ensure a wide range of services are offered to the public at both the Frame Lake and downtown locations and outreach clincs. We are committed to one consistent model of service delivery at multiple sites.

Want More Information? Here it is!

1. Project Vision and Key Principles of Service Delivery:

The vision for this project reflects the philosophy of service that will be integral to our clinic operations in 2010. Our vision:

People taking an active role in managing their personal health
with the support of an integrated primary health care team.

2. Project Principles:

YHSSA has established several principles for this project. These principles form the basis of all of our planning efforts:

The provision of high quality services
Improved client access
One primary care model - two locations & outreach services
A sustainable health system
Proactive health promotion model
Proactive chronic disease model
Responsive case management
Technology that enhances service delivery
Inclusive planning
Culturally appropriate design and services
A collaborative practice model.

3. Project Description

The new Primary Health Care Clinic is a project that involves the re-design and renovation of a clinic on the 1st floor of an existing building in the Downtown area, recently renamed as YK Centre East (Formerly Panda 1 Mall). This project also entails the design and construction of office space for clinic staff on part of the 2nd floor of the same building.

4. Who are the Project Partners?

The project involves four key partners; 1) Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority; 2) Stanton Territorial Health Authority; 3) The Department of Health and Social Services and 4) The Department of Public Works and Services.

5. You are a key partner in making health care successful!

Our experience has taught us that people in the community are key partners in this project – we look forward to working collaboratively with the community over the next several months to make a difference in health care for the many children, adults and families that we serve.