Health centre holds open house for area residents

An open house at the newly-relocated Port Elgin and Regional Health Centre was held on Wednesday, Feb. 24 at Port Elgin Regional School.

Many area residents as well as representatives from the Horizon Health Network, School District 2, village of Port Elgin and other special guests turned out for the event.

Nurse practitioner at the health centre Corinna Power thanked the many people who had, early on, played a part in establishing the facility.

"The Port Elgin and Region Health Centre was a grassroots initiative that developed from the community of Port Elgin. The Tantramar Health Forum identified various concerns in the Tantramar community. including establishing a clinic in Port Elgin . . . and it was opened in the Westford Nursing Home in 2001," she said, noting there were many more groups and individuals who greatly assisted with the initiative, including the Horizon Health Network (former South East Regional Health Authority) and School District 2.

The advisory group of the Port Elgin and Regional Health Centre, whose purpose it is to support the growth and development of the health centre through discussion of concerns and opportunities, communication of relevant information and review of issues related to fundraising for the centre, meets monthly and welcomes new members.

Power had much praise for the Sackville Hospital Auxiliary and the Sackville Hospital Foundation who have generously contributed funds for education and health events and helped with the purchase of much-needed medical equipment.

"The auxiliary has helped us grow through numerous purchases over the years, including most recently, a TRIA Doppler for measuring fetal heart rates," she said.

Power noted that, since the health centre relocated from the basement of the Westford Nursing Home in early December 2009 to its new location at the Port Elgin Regional School building, patient numbers have doubled.

"We're seeing people we haven't seen before and our regular patients are continuing to use the health care services offered here at the health centre. We now have persons from the entire area, from Cape Tormentine to Aulac and Shemogue to Tidnish coming to the health centre, and we're pleased to offer health-care services to everyone in the region," she noted.

The Port Elgin and Region Health Centre offers a wide range of services including the services of a nurse practitioner Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. by appointment. The nurse practitioner is a registered nurse who has advanced knowledge and clinical expertise in assessment, diagnosis and health care assessment who can see clients from birth to senior years.

"A nurse practitioner can diagnose or assess a disease, disorder or condition, order and interpret lab work, order medications as well as other tests such as X-rays, ultrasounds and mammograms," Power said.

The health centre also has two registered nurses and a receptionist/secretary on staff, with three half-day physician services per month by appointment.

She noted that other nursing services are also available at the health centre including blood sugar checks, dressing changes, infant immunizations, various tests, treatments and injections, vaccinations, IV therapy for daily antibiotics, prenatal visits and education, well-baby visits, ear syringing, suture and staple removals and verification of accuracy of home blood pressure machine or glucometer (to measure blood sugar levels), among others.

"The lab is open each Wednesday and Friday morning from 8-10 a.m. and people can also drop off urine and stool specimens anytime during the week. Supplies for collection are available here as well," she explained.

Power noted that the services of a physiotherapist are available one morning each week, by appointment only; a diabetic clinic or services of a dietician are available monthly, by appointment; and the services of a respiratory therapist are available on an as-needed basis with a referral through a health-care provider. Other available services on as-needed basis with a referral from a health-care provider include social worker and addictions (which can also be self-referred).

The health centre also collaborates with Port Elgin Regional School to provide education to different age groups defined by need and requests and health services on an as-needed basis. The health centre will also provide health services to students who do not have a health-care provider.

Power said that the new location here at PERS provides much better access for the people it serves as well as a much larger facility with more equipment and expanded office hours and services.

"We welcome suggestions for services or programs here at the health centre and sincerely hope that the public will continue to take advantage of the health-care services now available at the Port Elgin and Region Health Centre," she noted.