Image: Supplied by Government of B.C. / Elected officials and dignitaries, including B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix and local MLAs Dan Coulter and Kelli Paddon, attend the grand opening of the Chilliwack Primary Care Centre at 7955 Evans Road, near the Evans roundabout, on May 13.

By Marcus Gordon

Primary Care Centre

Two doctors fill staffing gap at Chilliwack Primary Care Centre after five GPs left in August and September

Sep 28, 2022 | 9:28 AM

CHILLIWACK — If there’s a silver lining behind the recent exodus of five family doctors from the Chilliwack and Fraser Health Rural Primary Care Centre, two doctors have stepped in to fill the gap.

Fraser Valley Today has learned that the primary care centre has come to terms with a family doctor on a permanent basis, and another GP is filling in on a temporary basis.

Despite one nurse practitioner leaving in the past three months, there are two nurse practitioners on site, and the primary care centre has a goal of having five in place.

The Chilliwack Primary Care Centre at 7955 Evans Road, near the Evans roundabout, celebrated its grand opening in style on May 13 when dignitaries and elected officials, including B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix and local MLAs Dan Coulter and Kelli Paddon, gathered for what was billed as a new health care facility for unattached patients struggling with complex care needs.

Ever since the five doctors announced their departure, the clinic had been trying to engage Chilliwack-area physicians for immediate coverage, and it appears the strategy may have paid off.

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It is unknown whether the permanent GP and temporary family doctor are from Chilliwack, outside the region or from another province.

The idea behind the primary care clinic, previously housed at Chilliwack General Hospital, was to provide same-day health care for patients with complex care management needs, as well as access for clients requiring support for mental health and substance use.

The long-term outlook for the centre calls for two full-time family physicians, five nurse practitioners, two full-time equivalent registered nurses, one traditional wellness mentor, two pharmacists, and 15.5 allied health professionals.

Staffing it and the surrounding primary care network with family doctors and other health professionals, however, was an issue that Chilliwack Division of Family Practice executive director Daphne McRae alluded to at a Chilliwack City Council meeting held on July 5. McRae told council members that recruitment of health care staff remained a big challenge.

by Marcus Gordon

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Two doctors fill staffing gap at Chilliwack Primary Care Centre after five GPs left in August and September

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