New urgent and primary care centre set to open in Port Coquitlam

A new urgent and primary care centre in Port Coquitlam is set to open later this month, promising expanded access to same-day care for thousands of Tri-Cities residents.

The B.C. Ministry of Health announced Wednesday, March 18, that the Port Coquitlam Urgent and Primary Care Centre (UPCC), located at 150-820 Village Dr., will begin operations on March 26. The facility is expected to handle up to 60,000 patient visits annually and will operate seven days a week, including statutory holidays, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Health Minister Josie Osborne said the new centre is aimed at addressing persistent gaps in access to non-emergency care, especially for people on a waitlist for a family doctor or nurse.

“Soon, residents of the Tri-Cities will have greater access and a clear pathway to connect with a family practitioner.”

The centre will provide urgent care for non-life-threatening conditions requiring attention within 12 to 24 hours – such as sprains, minor infections, fevers, and cuts requiring stitches – while also working to connect patients to ongoing primary care.

Services will be delivered through a team-based model, utilizing physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, social workers, counsellors and other health workers.

At launch, the clinic will be staffed by approximately 20 full-time equivalent clinical workers, eventually expanding to more than 25 clinical staff supported by nearly 10 administrative employees.

Mayor Brad West said getting access to health care has been a challenge for Port Coquitlam residents as the city has grown, adding city council has been pushing the province for years to expand services locally.

“Our advocacy has paid off!” he wrote on social media. “Port Coquitlam families shouldn’t have to leave the city to get the care they need. I’ll keep advocating to ensure our growing community gets the services it deserves.”

Fraser Health CEO Dermot Kelly said the centre will provide a critical local option for care.

“Getting the care you need, when you need it, close to home makes a real difference,” Kelly said. “The new Port Coquitlam UPCC gives people in the Tri-Cities a local option for timely care where they live, work and raise their families.”

Patients will primarily be seen in person, with virtual care available when appropriate. All patients will be triaged on arrival to determine the level and sequence of care required.

The province has committed more than $6 million annually to operate the centre, along with more than $890,000 in startup funding. The total capital cost is estimated at $9 million, shared between the provincial government, Fraser Health and the Eagle Ridge Hospital Foundation.

The 11,000 sq. ft. facility includes space for interdisciplinary care, as well as a quiet room designed to support patient needs. Plans are also in place to add X-ray services, including digital imaging and point-of-care ultrasound.

Dr. Nimeera Kassam, the facility’s interim medical director, said the centre will help address growing demand in the region.

“The new Port Coquitlam UPCC will be an important, much-needed resource for our growing community and surrounding areas, especially for those without a primary care provider,” Kassam said. “We will support our patients with primary and acute care services through a team-based care model . . . helping to ease the pressure on our health-care system.”

The Port Coquitlam facility is the 13th UPCC in the Fraser Health region and the 46th in British Columbia, forming part of the province’s broader strategy to expand access to team-based primary care and reduce pressure on hospital emergency departments.

Local leaders welcomed the announcement, pointing to long-standing challenges in accessing timely care in the Tri-Cities.

“This new UPCC is a welcome addition to the Port Coquitlam community,” said Mike Farnworth. “More families and individuals will have easier access to urgent, non-emergency services, ensuring they receive the care they need close to home.”

Port Moody Mayor Meghan Lahti, who saw a UPCC in Port Moody open in her community in 2022, said another local facility represents “an important step forward” for residents across the Tri-Cities.

The new centre is expected to begin accepting patients immediately upon opening later this month.