Urgent health-care centre opening in North Sydney, N.S.
Residents living in and around North Sydney, N.S. will soon have a new option to get urgent health-care treatment close to home.
During a health-care announcement on Monday, Premier Tim Houston said beginning Nov. 1, the Northside Urgent Treatment Centre – located in the Northside General Hospital in North Sydney – will started providing care for those with unexpected, non-life-threatening health concerns that require same - or next-day treatment.
In a news release from the province, it says some examples include simple fractures, sprains, earaches, minor cuts and mild mental health support.
"We know we need to do things differently and are excited about rolling out this new model of care," said Duane Jessome, manager at Northside Urgent Treatment Centre. "We believe the Northside Urgent Treatment Centre will provide much-needed access to non-emergency care to Northside residents and those in nearby communities, which is welcome news to our staff, physicians and patients."
The new centre will be available to people with or without a family doctor or nurse practitioner.
Dr. Joan Salah, physician co-lead for the Eastern zone, describes the new centre as a middle ground between a family doctor's office and the emergency room.
"I would encourage people, if they can still get into their family doctor's office to go there. That's the most appropriate place," said Salah. "But in the instance... that you can't access your family doctor, then this would be a place that you could come and be seen within a few days."
"This is a new way of offering care to Nova Scotians and the goal is to improve access to healthcare when and where people need it," Houston said Monday at the centre. "We know change is needed in our healthcare system, and we have to find new and better ways to provide care. This urgent treatment centre moves us in the right direction."
According to health officials, the centre will differ from an emergency department in several ways, which include:
- the care provided is for non-life-threatening injuries and illness;
- ambulances do not bring patients to the centre; and
- patients must make an appointment (usually, either same-day or next-day).
Patients requiring emergency care should continue to call 911.
"Emergency rooms need some support. Nova Scotians need to have the access points and this is exactly the perfect access point for many types of ailments," said Houston. "It's an urgent fix. It's a needed fix right now. And then, the plan is to continue this type of model in this community, even at another location."
Nova Scotia Health will be hosting a public education session about the new centre at 6 p.m. on Thursday at the Emera Centre Northside.
Due to COVID-19 gathering limits, registration is required. Registration information for the session will be available from Nova Scotia Health soon.
HOURS OF OPERATION FOR NEW CENTRE:
- Mondays, Tuesday and Thursdays: Open from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
- Saturdays" Open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Patients can begin booking appointments at the centre on Nov. 1 by calling 902-794-8966 or by going to the centre in-person.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
A 'tragedy that can't be measured': North Bay's forever chemical problem is also the rest of Canada's
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
opinion How to use your credit card as a powerful wealth-building tool
Irresponsibly using a credit card can land you in financial trouble, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says when used properly, it can be a powerful wealth-building tool that can help grow your credit profile and create new opportunities.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Questlove was not happy with Drake and Kendrick Lamar's beef: 'Nobody won the war'
While some may have been excited and/or amused by the diss-track feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, the man many consider to be an elder statesman of hip-hop appears less than enthused about it.
Trump heading to Jersey Shore to rally 'mega crowd' in weekend break from hush money trial
After a long week in court, Donald Trump is heading to the Jersey Shore. And his campaign says he'll be joined by "tens of thousands" of his friends.
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
For moms-to-be, it's possible to take maternity leave without breaking the bank
Pregnancy is often an exciting and anxious time for parents-to-be. And while painting the nursery and choosing a stroller are typically on the agenda, experts say preparing financially for a maternity leave can help reduce stress later on as well.
Fine dining, at a new high. A Michelin-starred chef will take his cuisine to our upper atmosphere
Six guests are set to ascend aboard Spaceship Neptune to the stratosphere, where they will enjoy an immersive dining experience served up by Danish Michelin-starred chef Rasmus Munk.