St. Joseph Community Health Centre in Dalhousie: new access service and community partnership
Dalhousie, April 4, 2022 – Vitalité Health Network announces a new access service at the St. Joseph Community Health Centre in Dalhousie for patients who do not have a family doctor (known as “orphan patients”). This service, which fills a need following the closure of the walk-in clinic, will leverage the success of the Collaborative Practice in Dalhousie over the past few years and employ best practices to deliver primary health care.
From left to right: Jacques Duclos, Vice-President of Community Services and Mental Health; Dr. Natalie Banville, Vice-President of Medical Affairs for the Network; Shelley Robichaud, Director of Primary Health Care; and Normand Pelletier, Mayor of Dalhousie.
Expanded access in Dalhousie
Effective April 11, 2022, orphan patients will be able to book an appointment with a primary health care provider – either a nurse practitioner or doctor – based at the Collaborative Practice of the St. Joseph Community Health Centre in Dalhousie. The number to call to book an appointment will be 811. Appointments can take place virtually or in person, as needed.
Jacques Duclos, Vice-President of Community Services and Mental Health, sees this as excellent news that is very much aligned with the Network’s strategic priorities. “The objective is to increase our primary care capacity and build on the success of the Collaborative Practice in Dalhousie, where the addition of approximately 1,000 patients has facilitated continuity of care,” he explained.
The announcement received a warm welcome from the community. “I am very satisfied with the outcome and am pleased to work with Vitalité Health Network and the Department of Health to find solutions. This is an important step forward for our community,” said the Mayor of Dalhousie, Normand Pelletier.
“Today's news is another step in our Provincial Health Plan,” said Health Minister Dorothy Shephard, “where communities and health care partners work together to find solutions that work for everyone.”
Improved access elsewhere in the Restigouche
The access service will also be available in Campbellton, where orphan patients will be able to book an appointment with a nurse practitioner, and in Belledune, where they will be able to book an appointment with a nurse practitioner or doctor. “The entire region will thus benefit from having better access to primary health care,” Mr. Duclos added.
Community partnership
The Network has stepped up its collaborative efforts with the Town of Dalhousie in recent weeks. “Productive discussions have taken place and potential solutions have been raised,” said Dr. Natalie Banville, Vice-President of Medical Affairs for the Network. “We have agreed, first of all, to establish a community advisory committee for the St. Joseph Community Health Centre, as well as on the possibility of creating a community development officer position.”
The Network is also planning to add three new nurse practitioner positions at the St. Joseph Community Health Centre over the coming year and is continuing its efforts to recruit doctors.
