After years of anticipation and ongoing physician shortages, Ucluelet’s new health centre will officially open its doors on Monday, Sept. 22.
“It’s really exciting for us to see another health centre in our communities. I think that it’s really going to be beneficial because it’s been a long time coming since we’ve been wanting to improve and increase the medical system,” said Chief Councillor Elmer Frank from the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation. “Having an added component that will serve our people and Ucluelet is going to [benefit us] to see the health care improvements in our area.”
The new facility, located at 2049 Peninsula Road, offers primary care and community health services to Ucluelet residents. This includes mental health and substance use care, physiotherapy, home care and laboratory services. Island Health has signed a 10-year lease for the clinic, which includes an on-site lab to improve access to services.
The centre is estimated to support more than 15,000 visits annually, with approximately 6,000 visits for primary care at the clinic.
“There is huge excitement in the community about the investment in primary-care and community services that is apparent in the new health centre,” said Dr. Caitlin Blewett, a Ucluelet family physician working as part of the staff for the new facility. “Community members are so enthusiastic about the new space, both for the opportunities for primary care to improve and expand services, and the sense of pride that I think we all share, knowing our families and neighbours will be cared for in a beautiful, functional, team-based facility.”
In 2023, the Alberni-Clayoquot Local Health (LHA) Area represented approximately 3.95 per cent of Island Health’s total population, about 35,885 of 908,627 residents.
About three-quarters of Alberni-Clayoquot residents have a regular physician, a rate lower than Island Health overall (77.5 per cent) but similar to the provincial average (75.9 per cent).
“The addition of this modern health centre to the Ucluelet community means more patients can receive care from a dedicated team of primary-care providers, now and into the future,” said Leah Hollins, board chair, Island Health. “Further, the addition of community-care services at the centre was done intentionally to create more timely access to services that support the health and well-being of area residents.”
“This is such a long-awaited and much-needed new amenity for Ucluelet and area residents,” said Marilyn McEwen, mayor of Ucluelet. “Mayor and council have been working toward this day for over 10 years, and we thank Island Health for prioritizing the Ucluelet Health Centre. Our community will benefit from the centre for years to come.”
As a growing community with increasing healthcare needs, the addition of a new health centre is excellent news for Ucluelet’s residents. Before the new centre, the community relied on the Ucluelet Medical Centre and the BC Mental Health and Addiction Centre.
Amidst the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ucluelet’s Medical Lab Centre was forced to close temporarily due to staff shortages. Patients requiring lab services were forced to travel to Tofino General Hospital, which increased traffic and extended the hospital's service hours.
“We’re catching up from Covid-19... and following up with a lot of appointments that have to be put on the back burner since then,” said Chief Elmer Frank. “[Covid-19] really put a strain on the medical system where...there’s a real need for more service in our communities,”
A new health centre was at the top of the Ucluelet wish-list when the only clinic in town faced closure due to financial issues in 2022. Island Health stepped in to keep the clinic’s doors open, but it wasn’t enough to keep up with the growing population.
The centre receives support from the Ministry of Health with an annual grant through Island Health, including a commitment of more than $1.5 million for estimated yearly operating costs and a one-time startup cost of approximately $160,000. Island Health provided funding for capital costs associated with the building, with additional support from the Long Beach Primary Network and BC’s Primary Care Strategy, which helped fund some of the centre’s human resources.
For the Ucluelet community, the new health centre is not just an improvement in healthcare access but a long-awaited investment in their well-being and future health.
The centre will offer primary-care services provided by physicians, nurse practitioners and health specialists visiting from other locations. The centre will be open Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., by appointment only.
