THUNDER BAY - A health centre in the Simpson Street area is now better suited to meet the needs of a growing client base following the completion of a new expansion.
The $8.4 million expansion to the NorWest Community Health Centre has been completed and the doors re-opened to clients Tuesday.
“Just from the very beginning when clients walk in the door, they are very surprised by how open, how bright it is, and how much room they now have,” said NorWest Community Health Centre CEO, Wendy Talbot. “Clients really appreciate this new facility. We are getting nothing but big smiles and positive remarks.”
Construction of the the 16,000 square-foot expansion started in July 2015 and nearly doubles the size of the original facility.
Talbot said staff and clientele outgrew the original 13,000 square-foot facility six or seven years ago.
“We have over 800 clients waiting to get on at our clinic, so with this expansion, it’s going to allow us to take on more clients,” said Jill Pascoe, a nurse practitioner with NorWest Community Health Centre.
Pascoe, who has worked at the health centre for five years, added there is a large need in the city when it comes to access to health care and the walk-in clinic at the health centre is busy seven days a week.
“We certainly knew the need was there,” she said. “Quite a number of physicians have retired in the city and have left a huge number of clients unattached. We already had quite a large number of applicants here prior to the start of construction.”
Talbot said there are still capacity issues at the health centre with regards to what the staff can do. She added services will continue as before, but the new facility will offer more efficiency in providing patient care.
“We will be more efficient with our service delivery because we have a building now that has the capacity to move people in and our better,” she said. “We will look at expanding programs and adding new programs. It depends on the need in the community. We want to take our time and do it right and look at where our resources are going to be best used.”
More than 65 staff members have moved into the expanded building. Talbot said there were sometimes six people sharing a single office in the original facility. And while the move to the expansion has been a little chaotic, Talbot said the staff have been working hard and has made the transition much smoother.
“Moving into a new facility, there are always some bumps and always some growing pains,” she said. “I expect within a couple of months, we will identify the best way to flow clients in and out of the building and the best use of spaces. It’s a process. I can’t speak enough about the staff and what they did. I am very proud to say I am able to work with such a great staff.”
Additional property was purchased across the street from the health centre to allow for more staff parking spaces. Talbot said parking for patients has also been greatly improved, with a lot at the back of the building for patients that will provide more accessibility to the building.
Talbot added she will continue to work with the city of Thunder Bay to bring a cross-over to the area so seniors and young families can cross the street and safely access the health centre.
A $150,000 Trillium foundation grant will also be used to develop a Shoemaker’s Garden on the corner next to the health centre. Talbot said the garden will be dedicated to the businesses on Simpson Street that first developed the area.
“Green spaces are always very positive to communities,” she added. “Yes, they cost money and involve some work, but in the long run when you have a pleasant environment to work in you get more productivity.”
The NorWest Community Health Centre and the Shoemaker’s Garden will hold it's official opening on Nov. 23.
