Health services will soon be enhanced in Eastern Kings through the expansion of the Eastern Kings Family Health Centre and the relocation of mental health and addiction services with other primary health care services.
The announcement was made today by Premier Pat Binns and Health and Social Services Minister Jamie Ballem when they toured the Family Health Centre following their Cabinet meeting in Souris.
Premier Binns advised that a 1,000 square-foot expansion to the Family Health Centre at the hospital will provide additional space for the four family physicians now practicing at the Centre and additional primary health care service providers. "With the expanded facilities, we will be locating additional services at the Centre and providing access to a broader range of health professionals such as nutrition and mental health counsellors, diabetes education staff, and speech language therapists," said the Premier. "Through the enhancement, we are responding to increasing demand for primary health care services at the community level. Islanders are telling us they want more services in their own communities that help them to prevent, reduce and manage health problems before the onset of serious illness."
Mental health and addiction services will relocate this fall to a two-storey 6,000 square-foot annex to be located next to the hospital. The building will be moved to Souris from St. Charles where it was previously used as a seniors housing facility. The annex will house outpatient mental health and addiction services, dental services, and five seniors housing units.
Minister Ballem said the building, which has been vacant for the past year, is in excellent condition and ideally suited for the new services. "With the new facilities, we will have five additional seniors units in the area which are centrally located and within walking distance of many community services," said the minister. "It will meet the need for additional clinic space, and more sharing of resources and collaboration among health professionals. Finally, the co-location of mental health and addictions with other health services will help to further integrate these with other primary health care services."
Minister Ballem added that the decision to sell the current addictions and mental health facility on Breakwater Street was unavoidable. The 130-year-old building is inaccessible, in need of capital repair and costly to maintain. Floor plans for the new building are now being developed and tenders for excavation and construction will be issued next month.
Government will be meeting soon with St. Charles residents to discuss possible options for the use of the St. Charles property where the seniors' units are now located.
Andy Mooney, MLA for the area, advised that the expansion provides new opportunities for the Family Health Centre to increase access to services at the community level. "By enabling our health professionals to work more closely together, we hope to improve the quality of care and treatment, as well as the way people access and utilize services," said Mr. Mooney.
Betty Fraser, CEO of the Kings Health Region, advised that the enhanced primary health care model should make it easier to recruit health professionals to the community. "Our physicians are very receptive to looking at new ways of practice where their focus is on patient and client care, without the administrative responsibilities of running an independent practice. More and more professionals prefer to work collaboratively and in teams which focus on prevention and disease management, as well as the referral of patients and clients to the most appropriate health professionals."