Within the non-descript walls of a clinic in downtown Kelowna, a health-care team is doing amazing things.
The Outreach Urban Health clinic includes family doctors, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, and social workers. They collaborate with mental health and substance use clinicians who are all working at the same location, to support a range of people, including those who are homeless, those dealing with mental illness, people with problematic substance use, as well as people without access to traditional health-care services, such as new immigrants.
“We are very proud of the new Outreach Urban Health site and the care that is being provided to some of the area’s most vulnerable people. Bringing over the primary care team from the original clinic on Leon Avenue and adding mental health services means that clients are now able to access care for all of their health needs within one location. This is having a really positive health impact for many of the people we see,” explains clinical operations director Danielle Cameron.
“Our goal was to create this new space to be bright and inviting, where health-care providers can offer culturally sensitive, inclusive, trauma-informed care to anyone that needs and wants it. Our teams continue to build trust with new and existing clients and the surrounding neighbourhood.”
The team at Outreach Urban Health offers a wide variety of health-care services. From giving COVID-19 vaccinations, writing and renewing prescriptions, providing vital specialist referrals, offering education on safer injection techniques for a person who uses drugs, or ensuring a client has shoes to wear, their services run the gamut - but their commitment to the population they serve is singular.
Since opening in March 2021, Outreach Urban Health has provided more than 3,000 appointments.
“This is a comprehensive medical centre offering a full suite of services to those most vulnerable in addressing both mental health and addictions. Our community is fortunate to have a facility such as this," said City of Kelowna bylaw services supervisor Ken Hunter after a recent tour of the clinic. "Interior Health has really stepped up to the plate here and there should certainly be focused community awareness to this – it truly is a good news story.”
Much of the care team’s efforts are focused on establishing familiarity and trust with clients. For example, a young street worker with multiple chronic illnesses and significant substance use issues was very nervous about accessing the health-care system, even though her health was rapidly failing. After one mental health and substance use worker invested time getting to know her and building trust, he was able to encourage her to connect with the primary care team. That young person became a regular patient, receiving much needed medical attention. She has left behind life on the streets, has a full-time job, is no longer using drugs, and her health issues are under control. This story demonstrates the impact of the care team’s collaborative, “one-stop-shop” approach.
It’s an approach that benefits many different types of clients and patients. For example, Devon is a peer worker who provides overdose prevention and harm reduction supports to those living in shelters and supportive housing. He finds the new location a great improvement for several reasons including the inclusion of supervised consumption services on site.
“The indoor supervised consumption site is much more functional for the staff and the patrons. I also have my doctor there, so it’s a one-stop-shop,” he says. “Supervised consumption is a service that’s really needed, especially in the downtown area. It’s not a matter of enabling people or encouraging them to use drugs. It’s about providing a place where people can go to use their drugs and know that they won’t die, instead of using in an alley all alone. It’s there to save lives.”
Learn more about Outreach Urban Health.
Photo above: Interior Health staff and community members gathered with Westbank First Nation elder Grouse and Edna from the Friendship Centre, to mark the opening of the newly relocated Outreach Urban Health clinic in spring 2021.
