Province’s first Collaborative Emergency Centre announced
Posted Apr 6, 2011 01:33:52 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Premier Darrell Dexter and Health and Wellness Minister Maureen MacDonald announced the province’s first Collaboraitve Emergency Centre in Parrsboro today.
The centres are being called a key component of the Better Care Sooner plan.
Premier Dexter explains the centres are key for people in places like Parrsboro, where they often lack the medical care they need because they can’t see a doctor same-day or next-day and don’t have 24-7 access to emergency care.
“In July, the practice will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., seven days a week, 365 days a year,” he says. “And if a resident requires emergency care after 8 p.m. they can come here to the hospital where a highly trained paramedic and nurse can care for them.”
Health and Wellness Minister Maureen MacDonald says a lot of emergency room trips in rural communities don’t require emergency care and patients can be treated in a primary healthcare setting.
She adds the centres will bring together emergency departments and local family practices working as a team to bring better healthcare to Nova Scotians.
“A Collaborative Emergency Centre will be the first point of contact for patients,” she says. “A person will go through one door, receive an assessment, and be directed to the right health care professional.”
Over the next year, three more centres will be announced across the province.
