School-based health centre officially opens in Port Elgin

Premier Shawn Graham and New Brunswick Health Minister Mary Schryer were among those who took part in Monday's official opening of the Port Elgin and Region Health Centre at its new location at the Port Elgin Regional School.

The health centre originally opened in Dec. 2001 in the lower level of the Westford Nursing Home and since that time had outgrown its crowded quarters.

Also on hand for the event, which included an official ribbon-cutting, were members of the Horizon Health Network (formerly South-East Regional Health Authority), School District 2, the Dept. of Education, members of the health centre volunteer board of directors, local dignitaries, and many area residents.

The health centre provides health care services to more than 2,000 individuals each year provided by a nurse practitioner, registered nurse and with the support of an administrative worker. The centre has the services of three physicians who travel from Sackville one day per week for scheduled appointments as well as a dietician and physiotherapist who visit twice monthly. It also offers twice-weekly lab services and other health care initiatives such well-woman/well-man clinics and other health education information clinics such as blood pressure monitoring, cholesterol teaching and follow-up, diabetic health teaching, healthy eating and weight-loss programs.

Horizon Health Network has contributed $90,000 and will provide staffing and ongoing operational support while the Department of Education and School District 2 kicked in $30,000 for the project and will continue to provide in-kind support in the future.

Graham said his government continually works to ensure New Brunswick residents have access to both health and educational opportunities when and where needed. He also praised the school for showing initiative in being designated a community school in Oct. 2008.

"This innovative partnership will transform the school into a centre of learning and wellness for the whole community. This is the first of its kind in this province, and perhaps the first of its kind in Canada," he said.

Schryer said creating community health centres like the Port Elgin facility gives New Brunswick residents the opportunity to access preventative health care services. When people have more regular access to these types of services, it contributes to the prevention of health issues and decreases the likelihood of them entering the health care system, she said.

"It results in better management of their health and decreases the cost of health care services," she noted.

District 2 superintendent Karen Branscombe said the new health centre is another important partnership between the school district, Dept. of Education and the Horizon Health Network.

"With these three partners joining forces, our students will have increased opportunities for health education, health promotion and onsite access to health services," she said.

The Port Elgin and Region Health Centre is open 8 a.m.- 4 p.m. weekdays. The entrance to the new facility is located at the front of PERS, to the left of the school's main entry.