Surrey, BC – A much needed Family and Primary Care Centre with the capacity for urgent care is to be located in the same North Surrey building complex as the Surrey Immigrant Services Society (ISS) of BC’s Surrey Welcome Centre and is slated to open by December, 2020. This expanded service facility will have four doctors, eight exam rooms, two dental chairs, as well as extensive health support services.
“This facility will have the capacity for 200 visits per day, putting the region in a much better position to meet the needs of new Canadians and the increasing demand for family physician services in this ever-growing community,” says Clinic Manager Amy Sara.
The Lower Mainland Family, Primary and Urgent Care Centre based in Vancouver is renowned for the humanitarian role it plays in providing new Canadians access to a full suite of wrap-around medical services.
This new Centre, which will open before the end of 2020 at 10334 152A Street in Surrey, will augment existing health care services in the region by largely serving a population that is not traditionally met by the conventional health care system, with one of the factors being that immigrant or refugee patients in most cases speak very little or no English.
“This clinic will be a hub for the medical needs of the Surrey community, and we are humbled to play a bigger, stronger role in providing primary care and playing a pivotal role in health care delivery “ said team member Dr. Evan Kligman. “We work in collaboration with the health authorities, but have the autonomy to be more flexible if we need to stay open longer, or expand capacity to meet patient needs as they arise.”
Dr. Dimitrios Vergidis, an Internal Medicine Specialist that is also part of the new team, notes that having services under one roof helps improve patient compliance on their path to wellness.
“Because I am also practicing in the same location as a patient’s GP, it makes it easier for patients to access their broader care needs. This eases patient frustration and fosters better communication between practitioners.”
As the population in Surrey continues to rapidly increase, so too does the challenge of ensuring residents have appropriate access to physician care. Dr. Ryan Leo, a walk-in physician who will be part of the facility notes that “practicing in an integrated clinic makes for a better health-care experience as often walk-in patients struggle to find a patient home for themselves, and at this clinic they will be able to find a physician if their initial clinic experience as a walk-in patient is satisfactory.”
The fourth doctor in the new facility, Dr. Lakbir Singh, says “Surrey needs more doctors willing to take on patients as their family doctor. It is hard enough for regular BC residents to find a family doctor; the problem is even more magnified for new immigrants. This clinic will part of the solution for all citizens.”
Lower Mainland Family, Primary & Urgent Care Centres are based on a patient-centric model. Their integrated care concept is also intended to create additional access to physician care for Surrey residents, amidst increasing demand for family physician services in the rapidly growing community.
