Dear editor,
As we reflect on the past three months, we owe a shout-out to our community for rallying behind primary care providers to set up a Primary Care Assessment Centre in Penticton.
The assessment centre allows us to care for patients across the South Okanagan Similkameen who still needed in-person appointments. It remains a vital part of our local preventative approach which is helping to lower transmission rates during the pandemic. And it protects our supplies of personal protective equipment.
As we prepare to move the Primary Care Assessment Centre from McLaren Park Arena to provide the service out of an IH facility, we’d like to take this opportunity to thank the community for their continued support.
We’d like to recognize the quick action of the City of Penticton and Emergency Operations Centre staff, who, in just days, helped get the McLaren Park location up and running at the end of March.
In addition, we couldn’t have accomplished this without the support of so many – including Wildstone providing supplies and planning support, Penticton Dental Centre, the SOEC and dozens of businesses and community members donating personal protective equipment, Shades of Linen cutting fabric for gowns, local quilters sewing gowns, Starbucks providing daily coffee, and neighbours showing their support.
The list of individuals and businesses who are stepping up to help the assessment centre is lengthy.
We’d like to thank each and every one, and to let them know that all contributions, whether large or small, are very appreciated.
Please note – the assessment centre continues to see patients by-appointment. Patients are reminded to continue to first call their family medicine clinic or walk-in clinic to determine if they can be seen via phone, video, or if an in-person appointment is required.
We would also like to remind the community that we are not out of the woods yet, and encourage everyone to continue to follow our provincial health officer’s guidelines. It is our hope that together we can continue to keep our community safe.
Dr. Greg Selinger, Chair
Tracy St. Claire, Executive Director
SOS Division of Family Practice