A new health facility will be opening in the east end of St. John’s come the fall.
The ambulatory health hub and urgent care centre, located in the old Costco building on Stavanger Drive, will open in phases to patients in October.
Urgent care will handle patients who are one step away from having to go to the emergency centre while ambulatory care will accommodate things like the eye clinic, physiotherapy, bariatrics, audiology and orthopedics says Kimberley Pike, who lead yesterday’s media tour of the new facility.
Kimberley Pike, clinical planner with Provincial Capital Planning (VOCM News)
Many of those services will be transferred from St. Clare’s and/or the Health Sciences. The ambulatory facility will also have a blood collection unit, and ultrasound, X-ray machine and two additional MRI’s.
Health Minister Krista Lynn Howell says the new urgent care facility should reduce pressure on the hospital emergency rooms.
Dorothy Senior, Kimberley Pike, Krista Lynn Howell, Dr. Greg Browne (VOCM News)
“We know there are patients who show up at our emergency departments who can be better serviced in an urgent care setting, so our true emergencies will then be the main focus of our emergency rooms,” says Minister Howell.
The old Costco facility will also house a pain clinic.
Parking will be free and relatively easy to find when compared with current inner city facilities.
