A new urgent and primary care centre (UPCC) in Port Moody started taking in more patients today (Nov. 7) with the opening of a brand new space, as well as more physicians in the city.
After a grand opening last week, doctors are now seeing patients at the site located at 3105 Murray St., with doors opening this morning.
Walk-ins are accepted and patients are seen in order of urgency, according to Fraser Health.
More doctors, nurses at Port Moody UPCC
The new UPCC will be staffed by a team of 25.5 full-time equivalent (FTE) healthcare workers, including:
- 5.1 FTE family physicians
- 5.6 FTE nurse practitioners
- 5.1 FTE registered nurses
- 9.7 FTE allied health professionals (social workers, dietitians, physiotherapists and clinical counsellors) and support staff
That's up from a much smaller contingent of 6.9 (FTE) doctors and registered nurses at a temporary location that had been operating at Eagle Ridge Hospital.
However, it could take six to 12 months before the centre is fully-staffed, according to Fraser Health.
The temporary location treated more than 20,000 people and helped more 800 people find regular primary care since it opened in early 2021, according to the B.C. Ministry of Health.
The new centre — at the corner of Murray Street and Electronic Avenue — is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Patients are seen in order of urgency; line-ups are not permitted outside the clinic.
Here's what the new UPCC can treat
Examples of when to use urgent care:
- Cuts, wounds or skin conditions
- Infections
- New or worsening pain
- Sprains and strains
- Nausea, diarrhea or constipation
- Mental health issues such as low mood, anxiety or depression
But call 911 or visit an emergency centre if you have:
- chest pains
- head injuries
- broken bones
If you are a Tri-City resident who does not have a primary care provider, you can sign up to be placed on the Fraser Northwest Division of Family Practice waiting list to be connected.
Fraser Health expects to be able to use the centre to link more people to primary care, including those with mental health and substance use issues.
"The team will begin with providing team-based longitudinal primary care services for adults with medically complex needs, seniors and underserved and vulnerable populations such as those struggling with mental health and substance use. The hours for team-based longitudinal care will be 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday to Friday," Fraser Health confirmed in a statement to the Tri-City News.
Parking and transportation
Free, short-term street parking is available on Murray Street and at Rocky Point Park. A paid parking lot is available nearby at Moody Centre Station.
The clinic is accessible on the 181 bus route, with a stop just outside the clinic. The closest SkyTrain station is Moody Centre on the Millennium Line.
The UPCC in the Tri-Cities is the seventh centre in the Fraser Health region. There are also two in Surrey; two in Burnaby; one each in Ridge Meadows (Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows); and Abbotsford.
