Construction Starts on Antigonish Collaborative Care Clinic
The new Antigonish collaborative care clinic is scheduled to open next year. Health and Wellness Minster Michelle Thompson, local doctors and Nova Scotia Health officials visited the site last week. (Communications Nova Scotia)
Work has started on a new collaborative care clinic in Antigonish that will improve access to primary healthcare in the community.
The clinic will accommodate more than 30 healthcare professionals and support staff and will open in 2025. It will have the capacity to support about 10,000 patients.
“Patients want to receive care in modern facilities from a team of connected healthcare professionals,” said Health and Wellness Minister Michelle Thompson. “This is an exciting opportunity for the community because we are building, from the ground up, healthcare they can count on.”
The clinic will have 29 exam rooms, nine charting stations, four procedure rooms, three collaborative team rooms, two assessment rooms, a triage room and a family room. There will be a shared waiting room, three patient education rooms and offices. The facility will incorporate natural lighting and outdoor spaces.
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 pharmacists, 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.
From left, Dr. Brittany Barron, physician co-lead, Antigonish collaborative clinic; Dr. Jane Howard, physician co-lead, Antigonish collaborative clinic; Sarah O’Brien, Director, Integrated Health Services, Nova Scotia Health; Brett MacDougall, Vice-President Operations, Eastern Zone, Nova Scotia Health; and Health and Wellness Minister Michelle Thompson look over plans for the new Antigonish collaborative clinic. (Communications Nova Scotia)
Quotes:
“We’re very excited to represent the physicians of Antigonish by being involved in the development of the new collaborative clinic. It is an excellent way to attract new physicians to practise in the area and to support the physicians who are already working so hard here.”
— Dr. Jane Howard, physician co-lead, Antigonish collaborative clinic
“As our community continues to grow, so too will the need for healthcare services in Antigonish and surrounding areas. This is a great opportunity to develop a clinic that reflects the current and future healthcare needs.”
— Dr. Brittany Barron, physician co-lead, Antigonish collaborative clinic
Quick Facts:
- 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
Additional Resources:
News release – New Primary Health Care Collaborative Clinic to Boost Access in Antigonish (Nova Scotia Health): https://www.nshealth.ca/news-and-notices/new-primary-health-care-collaborative-clinic-boost-access-antigonish
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 (Nova Scotia Health resource): 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 for the Minister of Health and Wellness: https://novascotia.ca/exec_council/letters-2021/ministerial-mandate-letter-2021-DHW.pdf