The doors are now open at the new Community Health Centre in the Market Mall – which aims to provide specialized care to people 50 and over with complex care needs from chronic health conditions to medication-related problems and mental health issues.
The goal of the Community Health Centre is to keep seniors at home and reduce trips to the hospital.
According to Dr. Jenny Basran, geriatrician with the Saskatchewan Health Authority, the clinic is not in place of seeing a family physician, instead acting as a bridge between family physicians and the hospital.
“The way the hospital works is it’s very episodic care. So ‘What’s your issue, you come in, we fix it’. And then you come out of hospital,” she said.
“With your family physician, while they do take a look at all your conditions, when you’ve become complex it’s hard for any one health professional to manage all of that.”
She said the hospital is often the default when it comes to patients with complex needs – which is where the new clinic will come in.
Linda Olbort is a 56-year old woman who suffers from rheumatoid arthritis, as well as other chronic conditions. She was one of many patient-family advisors – there could be from 25 to 30 at one time – that helped developed the clinic.
Olbort said the clinic will be a major benefit to her, because rather than having to travel across the city to get the care she needs, she can go across the street.
“There is this cushion that we can be secure in knowing it’s here when we need it,” she said.
“Instead of worrying ‘Well I’m not feeling well, maybe I’m going to have to go to the emergency’ like they have to do now – because they can’t call anybody. They can call the ambulance, that’s about it.”
The clinic is 9,800 square feet with a focus on patient space – including various exam rooms, a space for physiotherapy and a tub room.
The Community Health Centre is open seven days a week with extended evening hours. The clinic is also open on holidays.
