Local Family Care Clinic moves to Healthcare Centre

SLAVE LAKE – Alberta Health Services (AHS), in partnership with Alberta Health and the Town of Slave Lake, today officially celebrates the new location and expansion of the Family Care Clinic that will help meet Slave Lake’s growing and changing needs for primary and community care.

Since last October, the clinic has been located in the Slave Lake Healthcare Centre, offering an expanded range of services in a larger, newly renovated space.

“The expanded Family Care Clinic will help ensure patients and their families have improved access to a range of assessment and treatment options under one roof,” says Sarah Hoffman, Minister of Health. “This newly renovated facility demonstrates our government’s commitment to giving patients the right care, at the right time, closer to home.”

“Our government is committed to providing strong and sustainable primary care across the province,” says the Honourable Danielle Larivee, Minister of Municipal Affairs and MLA for Lesser Slave Lake. “As a nurse who has worked in the region, I know expanding and relocating this facility will help families in the area access the high-quality health care they need and deserve.”

The new location has 20 primary care clinic rooms, twice the number offered at the former space. The facility’s parking lot was also expanded, adding 91 spaces for a total of 176.

“Having the FCC located in our Healthcare Centre will provide more seamless care for patients across the continuum of care,” says Dr. Keith Martin, Community Medical Director for Slave Lake. “This benefits the entire community, including staff, physicians and residents.”

The Family Care Clinic improves access to primary care services with expanded hours of service and a health care team that includes doctors, nurse practitioners, public health nurses, chronic disease nurses, LPNs, dietitians, physiotherapists, addiction and mental health therapists, and an aboriginal liaison. The number of non-urgent visits to the local emergency department has been reduced by almost a third since the clinic’s opening in April 2012.

Since then, five additional physicians are practising in Slave Lake and they cite the clinic’s integrated model of care as a primary reason for choosing to practise here.

“We’re fortunate to have such a collaborative model of care in our community,” says Slave Lake Mayor Tyler Warman. “Slave Lake is a leader in health care services and this couldn’t have been done without the support of the community. We look forward to continuing to working closely with AHS and the Government of Alberta as we work to enhance local health care services.”

Alberta Health Services is the provincial health authority responsible for planning and delivering health supports and services for more than four million adults and children living in Alberta. Its mission is to provide a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans.

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