(flickr.com)

Media Contacts

Ministry of Health

Communications
250 952-1887 (media line)

Backgrounders

REACH Urgent and Primary Care Centre in East Vancouver
  • The most urgent patients will be treated first, with the last patient seen approximately one hour before closing.
  • Approximately 52,000 residents in East Vancouver and the surrounding communities report not having a primary care provider.
  • Annual staffing and operating costs are projected at approximately $2.65 million.
  • Using a team-based care model, urgent and primary care centres identify unattached patients and support them until they are connected to the most appropriate provider in the community. They also provide:
    • extended hours of care (evenings/weekends/holidays);
    • basic in-office urgent care services (e.g., sprains and simple fractures, minor cuts requiring stitches, minor burns, rapid access to mental health and substance use crisis intervention services);
    • assessment and treatment for minor illnesses (e.g., earaches, abdominal pain, skin rashes or infections, urinary tract infections);
    • on-site or close access to diagnostic imaging and laboratory services (e.g., electrocardiograms, x-rays, blood tests)
  • Primary care is the everyday basic health care given by a health-care provider. Urgent primary care is the care that people need within 12 to 24 hours.  
  • Approximately 40% of visits made to area emergency departments could be dealt with in alternative settings, including an urgent and primary care centre (UPCC).
  • UPCCs are part of a comprehensive strategy to transform B.C.’s health system by bringing together and co-ordinating with health-care providers, services and programs. This makes it easier for people to access care, receive follow-up and connect to other services they may need.

Media Assets

These assets are subject to the terms of the News Footage License - British Columbia.
SHOW ASSETS