The official opening for the Weyburn Primary Health Care Clinic was held Friday afternoon, which included an open house and tours of the new primary health care clinic. The new facility is housed in the second floor of the MNP building.
The official opening for the Weyburn Primary Health Care Clinic was held Friday afternoon, which included an open house and tours of the new primary health care clinic. The new facility is housed in the second floor of the MNP building.
"The new primary health care clinic will help improve access to quality care for Weyburn's growing population," said Dustin Duncan, minister of health and MLA for Weyburn-Big Muddy. "Our government is committed to meeting the health care needs of people in our province, so they can enjoy a better quality of life."
"Saskatchewan is growing, and as we all know, Weyburn is growing too," said Duncan. He referred to the last census, where Weyburn's population spiked 11.1 per cent from the years 2006 to 2011. "This has increased the demand for basic health services in the community."
Health services at the Weyburn Primary Health Care Clinic will be provided by an interdisciplinary team. Four family physicians are currently part of the team, and recruitment is underway for a nurse practitioner. Regional staff based in Weyburn provide visiting services.
Growth in the Weyburn area has increased demand for basic health services. Sun Country Health Region and the community worked together to meet this need, and ensure availability of primary health care services.
"The clinic will provide increased access for patients, help stabilize physician services, and reduce pressure on the acute care system," said Marga Cugnet, president and CEO of the Sun Country Health Region.
"The health region acted quickly last summer to find more doctors for Weyburn and area. We needed to find a space for them to practice, and this was the perfect opportunity to open a primary health care clinic."
"As a board we are focused on our patients and patient care," said Marilyn Charlton, chair of the Sun Country Health Region Authority.
"This primary health care clinic will fulfill the goal of providing day-to-day care to protect and maintain the health of our clients. It will also improve access to services, allow collaboration between staff and health care providers, and most importantly ensure better health care for our clients."
"The City of Weyburn joins in celebration with Sun Country Health Region as we announce a new option for health services that will help address the needs of our changing community," said Mayor Debra Button.
"As we continue to grow, we are confident that our health care needs will continue to be appropriately met through a variety of health care services and facilities," said Button.
Community and patient involvement were key during the clinic development process. "As a member of the Patient Family Advisory Council for Sun Country Health Region, I'm seeing that health care professionals are listening to patients' needs," said Carmen Stephens.
"That is very apparent in the design of the new Weyburn Primary Health Care Clinic. It was designed with patients and families in mind."
The government provided more than $300,000 to the Sun Country Health Region to support this initiative. The region will also receive annualized funding of over $400,000 to support the operations of the clinic.
The Weyburn Primary Health Clinic offers extended hours from Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and regular clinic hours of Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The clinic has also introduced the Electronic Medical Records, which allows team members to deliver more efficient patient care.
