There were smiles all around at the grand opening of the Williams Lake Urgent and Primary Care Centre on the morning of Feb. 28. Pictured from left to right: Dr. Glenn Fedor; Interior Health Executive Director Karen Cooper; Williams Lake Mayor Surinderpal Rathor; VP of Clinical Operations Diane Shendruk; UPCC manager Michelle Murray; and Director of Clinical Operations Kelly Dillon. Missing from the photo is Chief Willie Sellars, who opened the ceremony with a territory welcome, blessing and traditional drumming.
People living in Williams Lake and surrounding communities will have increased access to team-based primary health care at the new Williams Lake Urgent and Primary Care Centre (UPCC).
“Our government is committed to making sure everyone in our province has access to quality health care that’s close to home,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Health. “This new UPCC means people living in Williams Lake, 100 Mile House, and East and West Cariboo regions will have increased access to same-day primary health care so they can receive the care they need, while also easing pressure on emergency rooms and hospitals.”
The new UPCC opened on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. The 490 square-metre (5,300 square feet) clinic is located at 47 Cameron St. When fully operational, it will provide urgent and episodic primary care, in person and virtually, seven days a week, including statutory holidays, 9:30 a.m. until 8:30 p.m.
The UPCC will offer same-day care for people who need access to health care within 12 to 24 hours, but do not require an emergency department. The UPCC is available to people who do not have a primary-care provider, as well as those who are unable to schedule an appointment with their primary-care provider within a convenient timeframe.
“This UPCC will make a real difference to the lives of people living in and around Williams Lake by providing timely primary health care,” said Debra Toporowski, parliamentary secretary for rural health. “We know how important it is to have access to health care close to home, especially in rural areas, and we will continue to strengthen our health-care system to accommodate the growing demand.”
As hiring progresses, people will be cared for by more than 18 full-time-equivalent health-care providers, including family doctors, nurse practitioners, nurses, social workers, physiotherapists, Indigenous patient navigators and administrative staff.
“We are excited to welcome patients to the new urgent and primary care centre in Williams Lake,” said Diane Shendruk, vice-president clinical operations, Interior Health. “This UPCC is the first in the Interior to have a dedicated smudging space, which reflects our commitment to reconciliation by bringing Indigenous wellness practices into health care.”
The project will have a total capital cost of more than $4 million, with the ministry funding $2.67 million and the Cariboo Chilcotin Regional Hospital District funding $1.37 million.
This UPCC marks the 41st UPCC open in the province since 2018, which combined have had approximately three million patient visits. Planning for nine more UPCCs is underway, with the goal of establishing 50 UPCCs in communities throughout B.C. This work is part of B.C.’s Primary Care Strategy, which is bringing more team-based primary-care services to people in B.C.
Quotes:
Al Richmond, board chair, Thompson Regional Hospital District –
“This clinic is critical to easing the workload of the emergency room at the Cariboo Memorial Hospital, especially for those without a family doctor. Having separate spaces for emergency care and urgent care will produce the best outcomes for health-care staff and patients accessing these services.”
Chief Willie Sellars, Williams Lake First Nations, and board director, Interior Health –
“The opening of the Williams Lake Urgent and Primary Care Centre is a significant step toward improving health outcomes for Indigenous people and the broader community. Many of our community members are without family doctors and this facility will help fill that void by providing access to timely care. I’m proud to see this commitment to culturally safe health services that will make a real difference in people’s lives.”
Quick Facts:
- The Williams Lake UPCC is the 11th UPCC operating in the Interior Health region, including Ashcroft, Castlegar, Cranbrook, Kamloops, Kelowna, Penticton, Rutland, Vernon and West Kelowna.
- The Williams Lake UPCC is planning to facilitate more than 42,000 visits per year.
- Interior Health UPCCs have provided care to more than 754,000 visitors since 2018 when the first UPCC opened in the health authority.
Learn More:
To learn more about UPCCs in the Interior Health region, visit:
https://www.interiorhealth.ca/information-for/patients-and-visitors/urgent-and-primary-care-centres
To read about B.C.’s primary health strategy, visit:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/accessing-health-care/bcs-primary-care-system
and
https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2018PREM0034-001010
To learn more about the Province’s health human resource strategy, visit:
https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2022HLTH0059-001464
