PARRSBORO – After its first two months of operation, the South Cumberland Collaborative Care Centre is being deemed a success by the premier, health minister and Cumberland Health Authority.
Premier Darrell Dexter, Health Minister Maureen MacDonald and other dignitaries were in Parrsboro on Sept. 12 to mark the official opening of the collaborative emergency centre, which became the first of its kind in the province when it began operating in July.
“Whether you have a sick child, an aging parent, or an emergency affecting yourself, most have experienced long wait times in a doctor’s office or an emergency room, and it can be frustrating and stressful,” said Dexter. “When you or your loved one is sick, you want expert care in a timely manner. The South Cumberland Collaborative Emergency Centre is working to ease those frustrations and help alleviate the stress on the system.”
Offering extended hours, same-day appointments in a collaboration between family doctors, nurse practitioners, paramedics and nurses, the new centre saw close to 1,000 patients in just over a month, according to the premier.
“In the coming months, thousands more will benefit from this unique model,” he said. “That’s what our plan, Better Care Sooner, is all about, providing consistent, safe and quality care to every Nova Scotian.”
Cumberland Health Authority chairman Bruce Saunders admitted the local health care system was broken prior to the new centre, but declared the system now “fixed.”
(For the full story, see the Sept. 15 issue of The Citizen-Record)
