Update on the Sooke Region Community Health and Urgent and Primary Care Centre (CHC-UPCC) On April 29, 2024, the Government of BC announced the next phase of the BC Builds program. Lot A on Wadams Way in Sooke is one of the sites chosen and is the intended location for the Sooke Region CHC-UPCC. For the news release, see https://news.bchousing.org/bc-builds-adds-more-sites-to-fast-track-housing-for- people-with-middle-incomes/ As Maja Tait, mayor of Sooke, stated : "This marks another milestone in our journey toward realizing an integrated health centre for Sooke, where homes and essential services converge to meet the needs of our growing community. Together, we're forging a path toward a stronger, more inclusive future, ensuring vital services are within reach, right here at home." An information session will be held on May 9, 2024 at 10:30 am for interested developers. The BC Builds initial submissions are due July 25, 2024. Further information, including the property notice opportunity can be found at https://www.bcbuildshomes.ca/developers and then search the Sooke location. An important step towards the Sooke Region CHC-UPCC!

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Plans for the new integrated health-care centre in Sooke are gathering momentum, says Sooke Mayor Maja Tait. Sooke council directed staff to hire a consultant last week to assist with the competitive solicitation process for the design, build and financing of the project, which will have all medical services under one roof. “We need to pull it out of the ground,” Tait said. “We felt it was important to make that decision to get it out there in the public to keep the ball rolling and build momentum.” While the provincial health ministry has committed to covering the lease and implementation of staff, it is not funding the construction cost. “The aim is to find a developer who can work with us to make the building cost neutral, so cost recovery can come from other floors,” Tait explained. That may include commercial office space and affordable housing. The integrated health centre, which has been talked about for more than a decade, took a major step forward with the appointment of a steering committee by the District of Sooke last November that consists of representatives from Sooke council and three members of the Sooke Region Community Health Network (SRCHN). Their mandate is to research and develop options for a community health centre on land near the Sooke library on Wadams Way as lot A. SRCHN will be the community’s governing body for the new facility, which will include a community health centre and urgent care centre. “This centre is really needed in Sooke,” said Annemieke Holthuis, who took over as president of SRCHN last June. “SRCHN has recognized that need for a decade.” The steering committee meets monthly with the Ministry of Health and Island Health, and also weekly with Island Health. The current plan is based on one drafted in 2022 that involves the transfer of existing personnel and resources from West Coast Family Medical in Evergreen Centre to the new facility. Holthuis said a number of important steps are progressing, including work on the service delivery plan and preparing the request for proposal for development. Juan de Fuca MLA Ravi Parmar stressed that getting the centre up and running is a top priority, as underlined by former MLA John Horgan’s announcement last year to provide $6 million to equip the facility. ”We need to get builders in the community involved and find a solution,” Parmar said. “My focus is to get this up and running, and the ministry and I will help to move this along as quickly as possible. I’d like to see something by 2025. I don’t want to be talking about this in five years.” Holthuis said the committee aims to have the service delivery model finalized in the next few months. “That’s a key element of the RFP, which we hope will go out by late spring,” she said. The Ministry and Island Health have been “very” supportive, said Holthuis, who has an extensive background with non-profit organizations, and managed a similar integrated health care facility in Ontario. Part of the discussions with the ministry is about establishing staffing numbers based on Stats Canada data, which Holthuis noted is always a couple of years behind. “We want to ensure that what’s built has sufficient staff and space to deal with the community’s growing population,” Holthuis explained. “Once those stages are completed, we’ll be in a much better position to speak to the cost. “We’ve also asked for additional personnel to meet with the growing mental health needs in Sooke and for more family doctors and and nurse practitioners with a focus on team-based care,” she said. “We want to ensure that what’s built has sufficient staff and space to deal with the community’s growing population anticipated between 2025 and 2030.” Holthuis said discussion with potential partners about locating other services such as diagnostic imaging and laboratory services are ongoing. There is currently only one other similar integrated care centre in the province. Two more are planned, including the one in Sooke.

Sooke Region Communities Health Network calls for urgent government action

Sooke Rotary president John Topolniski, left, Rotary president-elect Deena Fiddler, Sooke Rotary secretary Jeanette Wilford, SRCHN board member Carol Pinalski, Roger Temple, chair of Sooke Rotary community service committee, SRCHN board vice-president Annemieke Holthuis, and SRCHN board president Mary Dunn with the $8,000 donation from Rotary for The Gathering Place. (File -Sooke News Mirror)

Above: Melanie Cunningham, left, Carol Pinalski, Myrtle Acton, Bev Lewis and June Williams will compete for the Sooke Region Spectacular Senior Award, a fundraiser for The Gathering Place. The winner of the competition will be announed at the All Sooke Day Community Picnic on Aug. 19. (Kevin Laird – Sooke News Mirror)

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To all who live here, Sooke Region is widely known to be the unofficial Volunteer Capital of Canada. Ask anyone who wants to get stuff done - we are pretty good at rolling up our sleeves and getting to work. Helping each other is the hallmark of our community brand.

People living in Sooke and the surrounding area will benefit from a new integrated health-care centre offering team-based services in the heart of Sooke village.