VERNON – Health Minister George Abbott today officially opened a new drop-in primary health-care centre that will provide access to health care for homeless and marginalized people in Vernon.
The $246,900 centre is one of several sub-projects supporting Interior Health’s new Integrated Health Networks. These health networks have received approximately $3.5 million in start-up funds from the provincial government’s Health Innovation Fund. The networks were developed to realign primary health services in the region for improved patient outcomes and reduced congestion in hospital emergency departments, and to better utilize acute care beds.
“The Downtown Primary Care Centre represents the kind of innovative community action we had hoped to stimulate when the Health Innovation Fund was first announced,” said Abbott. “The centre’s early success is a sign of our continuing progress towards improving our public health-care system.”
The centre, located at the First Nations Friendship Centre, opened its doors last November and provides services five days a week.
A bilateral agreement between the provincial government and Interior Health will
ensure that matching funds are available beyond the one-year term of the Health Innovation Fund to provide continuous service until 2010.
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