IH GOAL | Quality Care
The UPCC team includes (L-R) Medical Office Assistants Sue O’Connell and Janet Gale; Nursing Team Lead Vernon Ion; Manager Kerry McLean Small; Medical Office Assistant Chales Schlopp; and Ortho Tech/LPN Lin Christian.
Urgent Primary Care Centre Alternative for non-emergency, same-day appointments in Kamloops
W
hen Michele Vollweiter brought her daughter into the emergency department at Royal Inland Hospital (RIH), she settled down for a wait. She knew her seven-year-old wasn’t in a medical crisis, but she did need a same-day appointment in case antibiotics were needed. “While we were waiting, a hospital staff member approached us and asked if we wanted to consider an appointment at the Kamloops Urgent Primary Care Centre (UPCC) at the front of the hospital. He had appointments available between 5 and 9 p.m.” Michele says she and Ali were happy to be able to go home and rest, avoid the Emergency wait, and also not take up an appointment for someone who might need it more urgently. “Our appointment was for 5:30 p.m. We went in and saw the medical office assistant, the nurse came in and took some information, including Ali’s vital signs, then we saw the doctor. They were awesome down there. That’s a great place. We were in and out within 10 minutes.”
Page 6 | SUMMER 2018
The UPCC opened in June as a new option for people who aren’t able to get a same-day appointment with their own physician or nurse practitioner, but need attention within 24 hours. It’s not a walk-in clinic and, currently, accepts patients who have gone to RIH Emergency for something they would normally visit their family doctor about and/or for care that requires a procedure or equipment not readily available at their family doctor’s office, says UPCC manager Kerry McLean Small. If they meet the criteria for UPCC, patients are offered the choice of remaining in the ED or taking an appointment at the centre later that afternoon or evening. One of the goals of the UPCC is to help alleviate pressure in Emergency, so staff there can focus on patients with more critical health issues. “So far, many people have been enthusiastic about making an appointment at the UPCC. This option suits a variety of patient circumstances. We had a slow start initially while everyone from staff to patients learned the processes with