The Northern Rockies Regional Municipality is moving ahead with the next phase of planning for a proposed community-driven health clinic, as local leaders continue searching for a long-term solution to primary care challenges.
The municipality announced Thursday that it has entered Phase 2 of developing a business case for a Northern Rockies Health Partnership Clinic, an initiative aimed at improving access to family physician services while supporting physician retention and work-life balance.
The project stems from physician departures announced earlier this year, which prompted Mayor Rob Fraser and council to create the Northern Rockies Primary Care Stabilization Committee. The committee was tasked with examining how primary care is delivered in the municipality and recommending a sustainable model for the future.
After reviewing primary care models from across Canada, the committee recommended a municipally owned clinic operating through a collaborative partnership model that would support both team-based primary care and critical care services.
“Access to reliable primary healthcare is vital to the health and well-being of our community,” said Fraser.
“As part of Phase 2, we are taking a disciplined, transparent approach to evaluate clinic operational models, financial sustainability, and key partnerships so Council and our community have the complete information required to make sound, long-term decisions.”
The current phase of work includes collaborating with organizations such as Northern Health and the Ministry of Health, reviewing successful municipal clinic models in other B.C. communities, and working with local physicians to explore compensation, administrative supports and governance structures.
The municipality is also evaluating potential facility options, governance models and service planning to ensure the clinic would align with provincial primary care network requirements.
Community engagement is expected to become a larger part of the process as the business case progresses, with public outreach planned alongside discussions with regional and Indigenous partners.
While the municipality said the due diligence phase will take time, council and residents can expect regular progress updates as the project moves forward.
