The new collaborative care clinics that will be opened up in the metro area will provide quite a different type of care compared to what people in the metro region are used to.

On Monday, Health Minister John Haggie announced the establishment of two new collaborative team clinics in the metro region, and one each in Central and Western Health.

The announcement was part of several new initiatives announced aimed at improving the overall quality of healthcare in the province.

In metro, the new clinics will complement the existing clinic, which will move to Pippy Place.

Haggie calls the clinics a different way of working. He says it’s a system that rural areas of the province have been working with for some time, but will be a relatively new concept in St. John’s.

He says patients will go to a “health home” and will be seen by the physician that can best assess their needs, such as a family physician or a mental health and addictions counsellor.

According to Haggie, such a system will not affect continuity and quality of care.

Haggie likens it to his household growing up. He grew up in a house with many relatives, and when sick it wasn’t always the same person taking care of him but he always knew he’d get the same level of care. He says the skillsets each group bring to the table are invaluable.

While new collaborative team clinics are being set up on the island, no such changes have been announced for Labrador.

Health Minister John Haggie points to other initiatives announced that he says are more suited to the challenges in Labrador.

He says it’s an issue of the geography in the region. That’s why, he says, they’ve put a focus on recruitment and retention with initiatives such as the Bachelor of Nursing Program going to Happy Valley-Goose Bay.