Castlegar physician Ellen Smart says the new health care and housing project planned for Castlegar has the potential to improve primary care in the city.
On Oct. 24, the City of Castlegar announced that it had signed a memorandum of understanding with the Regional District of Central Kootenay, a commercial building developer, a medical clinic management company and local physicians to create a four-storey building that mixes health-care spaces with housing.
“It is exciting,” said Smart, who is acting as the spokesperson for local doctors. “We have been talking about whether this is a possibility that could work for the physicians in the community for a while, but it was unclear if we could actually pull it off. And now it seems now we can actually pull it off.”
All of the primary care physicians currently practicing in Castlegar signed the agreement stating they will move their offices into the new building.
Smart says the agreement is conditional on keeping the cost of leases in the new building similar to the doctor’s current leases.
With the Ministry of Health looking at team-based care, also called primary care networks, as a way to maximize health care, Smart says there is a good chance that the ministry may help with funding some of the medical components of the project.
That type of funding could help keep health practitioner’s overhead in the new building to an affordable level.
In the project announcement, the city said it believes the new facility will help recruit and retain physicians.
“It is very clear that new doctors coming out want to be in a place where they feel community and they feel supported. They also want to be surrounded by RNs, social workers and physios,” said Smart.
With a design focused on team-based care, Smart says the new facility will be attractive to those doctors.
She says that Castlegar has done better than a lot of other communities in recruiting and retaining doctors, partially thanks to the Castlegar Physician Recruitment Committee. But there is still a ways to go as the community needs another two or three doctors in order to meet current demands.
“I hate to compare bad to worse,” said Smart. “But that is all we have right now.”
Castlegar now has about a dozen physicians who work a range of part-time to full-time hours. On top of clinic hours, most local doctors spend time working in the emergency room and at long-term care homes.
Team-based care means that patients may see practitioners other than their doctor based on who can best meet their needs.
Smart gives the example of a patient with a simple strain being sent first to a physio therapist rather than to a doctor who then has to refer them to the physio.
The new building will be purpose-built to set up this kind of environment, supporting collaboration.
Smart says being able to work alongside other practitioners is good for physicians.
Out of necessity, Smart’s own clinic has recently reduced from two locations down to one, creating a more crowded work environment.
But she says, “The one thing we love is that we are bumping into each other. It is great — we can ask each other questions, get better feedback from allied health workers.
“That part is joyful, rather than just being isolated in your little clinic and seeing patients. I think it is good for people’s spirits.”
The new building will also include better technology than most doctors have in their current spaces. This will enhance things like phone and video appointments and video conferencing.
“It will be built for modern technology, which isn’t the same as the spaces that were built 50 years ago,” said Smart. “In the older buildings, technology is clunky at best.”
“It will be a draw to new doctors, and a lovely place to work for us old docs.”
Construction on the project is expected to begin in the 18-month to three-year range.
“We are grateful to Castlegar and the people who have been advocating for this. All the physicians love working here,” concludes Smart.
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