Improving Health Care in Manitoba

March 6, 2012

FIRST QUICKCARE CLINIC OPENED BY PROVINCE

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Facility Offers Evening, Weekend Hours for Treatment of Minor Health Issues: Oswald

Manitoba’s first QuickCare clinic, located on McGregor Street, is now officially open for business, serving patients in Winnipeg’s North End, Health Minister Theresa Oswald announced today.
“I am very excited about this innovative, unique, first-in-Manitoba health-care clinic.  The McGregor Street QuickCare Clinic will provide easier, faster and more-convenient access to high-quality primary health care,” said Oswald.  “This new clinic is about offering patients choice.  With expanded evening and weekend hours, families now have another option instead of going to the emergency room for
non-urgent care.”
The facility is the first of eight QuickCare clinics to be opened in the province.  It is located on the second floor of Win Gardner Place, a multi-purpose wellness centre located at 363 McGregor St. in north Winnipeg.  It will be staffed by registered nurses and nurse practitioners who can diagnose and treat minor ailments, and deal with issues such as:

• bumps, bruises or sprains;
• rashes, eczema, infected cuts or minor sores;
• sore throats, earaches, colds and flu, coughs, hay fever or nose bleeds;
• immunizations;
• sore eyes with redness or infection;
• stomach pain, diarrhea and vomiting, urinary infections or indigestion;
• headaches, back or neck pain;
• birth control or breast feeding; and
• stress or anxiety. 

“The services provided by QuickCare clinics will take some pressure off family doctors, allowing them to accept more patients into their practices.  This will help to achieve our commitment to ensure that every Manitoban who wants a family doctor will have one by 2015,” Oswald said.
“This service will help save area residents a trip and wait in an emergency room when a non-urgent ailment occurs or when they cannot access a family physician,” said Réal Cloutier, vice-president of long-term care and community area services, Winnipeg Regional Health Authority.  “Improving access to care is an important component of improving the health and well-being of individuals and families in the community.”
“QuickCare clinics are one of several ways Manitoba is hiring more nurse practitioners into primary care to deliver more convenient, high quality care for families,” said Annabelle Reimer, president of the Nurse Practitioners Association of Manitoba.  “Working with family doctors and other primary-care providers, nurse practitioners are increasing the capacity of our health-care system, decreasing wait times and improving the overall health-care experience for patients across the province.”
QuickCare Clinics will be connected with family doctors in the area.  As part of an integrated system, they will help provide seamless care for families, said Oswald.
The McGregor QuickCare Clinic is open from 1 to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, and weekends and holidays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Other QuickCare Clinics that are scheduled to open this year include sites in Steinbach, Selkirk, St. Vital and St. Boniface.
Future clinic sites include west Winnipeg, Seven Oaks and Southdale.

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