New Port Hawkesbury Collaborative Clinic
The new Port Hawkesbury Health Centre offers a connected team of healthcare professionals and better access to care close to home for people in the area. (Communications Nova Scotia)
People living in Port Hawkesbury and surrounding communities now have better access to healthcare close to home at the new Port Hawkesbury Health Centre.
The health centre was formerly privately owned and called Island Gateway Medical Clinic. It recently became a Nova Scotia Health collaborative clinic, with renovations and an expanded team of healthcare professionals.
“Supporting clinics to become a health home for patients where a connected team of healthcare professionals can provide more comprehensive care is one way we’re improving access to primary healthcare in the province,” said Finance and Treasury Board Minister Allan MacMaster, MLA for Inverness, on behalf of Health and Wellness Minister Michelle Thompson. “The expanded clinic and healthcare team will better support the care needs of patients in the community and reduce the number of people waiting for primary care.”
The healthcare team includes four physicians, a family practice nurse, a dietitian, social worker and four administrative staff. There are plans to add more staff this year, including a nurse practitioner, licensed practical nurse, care co-ordinator and administrative staff.
The clinic now includes eight more exam rooms and an enhanced phone and patient appointment reminder system. Patients can now choose to receive text messages or voicemail reminders for appointments.
It is an example of a health home, where patients receive comprehensive care from a team made up of doctors or nurse practitioners working with other healthcare professionals like nurses, dietitians and social workers.
Health homes provide the care Nova Scotians need and deserve and are part of Action for Health, the government’s plan to improve healthcare.
The expanded clinic will, over time, offer anyone in the area currently on the Need a Family Practice Registry a permanent primary care provider.
Quotes:
“Island Gateway Medical Clinic has been a pillar of healthcare in our community for decades, and we are excited to enhance the already excellent care being provided to its patients. We are growing our staff and space and improving access for those without a primary care provider with the end goal of improving the patient experience.”
— Kyla MacNeil, Health Services Lead, Nova Scotia Health
“Being able to spend more time at the health centre and collaborate with a physician or nurse down the hall has allowed me to increase the number of same-day appointments I can offer and reduce wait times for patients looking for nutrition support. In this environment, I’m able to leave work each day knowing that my patients are getting timely, compassionate and appropriate care.”
— Shelley Marchand, dietitian, Port Hawkesbury Health Centre
Quick Facts:
- the new health centre has the capacity to support about 6,000 patients
- in May 2023, the Province announced $17 million to expand access to primary healthcare by supporting new clinics and strengthening others across the province
- there are more than 100 collaborative family practice teams in Nova Scotia
- there are about 648 people on the Need a Family Practice Registry who are eligible to join the Port Hawkesbury Health Centre
Additional Resources:
More information on expansion of primary healthcare in the province is available at: https://novascotia.ca/news/docs/2023/05/10/primary-healthcare-announcement-fact-sheet.pdf
Information on where to go for healthcare: https://www.nshealth.ca/sites/default/files/documents/Where%20to%20Go%20for%20Health%20Care%20-%20EZ%20-February%202024.pdf
The government recently added more data about access to primary healthcare to its online dashboard at the Action for Health website: https://novascotia.ca/actionforhealth
Mandate letter of the Minister of Health and Wellness: https://novascotia.ca/exec_council/letters-2021/ministerial-mandate-letter-2021-DHW.pdf