Heath care service to improve with expanded clinic hours in Yellowknife

John McFadden/CKLB photo

Expanded Same Day Access to primary care clinic services in Yellowknife will increase the number of available appointments each week.

That’s according to the territorial government’s department of Heath and Social Services.

In a news release, the department states that the expanded Yellowknife Primary Care Clinic hours will take effect July 2, next Tuesday.

On that day, the downtown clinic will offer walk-in service and same-day access at the following hours:

8:05 am to 8:00 pm, Monday to Friday, and from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm on Saturdays.

Monday to Friday: Walk-in appointments will be accepted from 8:05 am – 12:00 pm and 4:30 pm – 8:00 pm, with the period of time from 12:00 pm – 4:30 pm reserved for same day appointments.

Monday to Friday: Same day appointments can be booked over the phone while clinic phone lines are open, from 8:05 am – 4:00 pm.

Calls for same day appointments after 4:00 pm will be deferred to the walk-in or the next day.

Saturday: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm will be walk-in access only.

This is the first of six demonstration projects being undertaken by NWT health authorities in collaboration with the Department of Health and Social Services.

Expanding access with the addition of a walk-in service to the same-day appointments already available will increase the number of available appointments each week, the department states.

Expanded access will allow residents to get access to care and services in a way that is convenient for them.

There will still be same-day appointments available by phone on a first-come, first-serve basis, to keep options available for people who need to see a provider quickly but also need to plan their visit.

Regularly booked appointments will continue to be offered at both Yellowknife Primary Care Clinic and Frame Lake Community Health Clinic.

Commencing on July 2, 2019, Yellowknife Primary Care Clinic will offer walk-in service and same-day access at the following hours:

The clinic will be open from 8:05 am to 8:00 pm, Monday to Friday, and from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm on Saturdays.

Monday to Friday: Walk-in appointments will be accepted from 8:05 am – 12:00 pm and 4:30 pm – 8:00 pm, with the period of time from 12:00 pm – 4:30 pm reserved for same day appointments.

Monday to Friday: Same day appointments can be booked over the phone while clinic phone lines are open, from 8:05 am – 4:00 pm.

Calls for same day appointments after 4:00 pm will be deferred to the walk-in or the next day.

Saturday: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm will be walk-in access only.

“We know expanding access to primary care clinic services will help to expand the range of care options we have available for our clients and ensure that all residents have safe and timely access to care in a way that works for them,” states Sue Cullen, Chief Executive Officer of NTHSSA

 

About the Author

John McFadden
John has been in the broadcast journalism industry since the 1980s. He has been a reporter in Yellowknife since 2012 and joined CKLB in January of 2018. John covers the crime and court beat as well as reporting on other areas including politics, business, entertainment and sports. He won seven national community newspaper awards while he was a journalist with Northern News Services Limited (NNSL). John worked in Ontario before coming North including stints as a TV sportscaster in Peterborough and senior news writer for CBC and CTV in downtown Toronto.