Until last summer, it had been several years since I’d had the misfortune of spending time at Battlefords Union Hospital emergency department. My children were grown and living away from the community and I had an uncharacteristically long run of not injuring myself in some bloody way, requring stitches or glass removal.
Some elderly folks have come into our care recently, however, and with their various health problems and, in one case, a mishap, our family has again become frequent visitors to emergency.
Last summer the problem wasn’t really an emergency, but the mishap occurred on a Saturday and at that time there was no where else to turn. As expected, the wait was long and tedious. In the end it was determined no bones were broken and no concussion had occurred. We sighed with relief and made our way home after expending most of a Saturday afternoon and heading on into evening.
Fast forward to this Saturday when another elder was needing care. Instead of heading to BUH she was taken to the Twin City Medical Centre’s walk-in clinic. There she was courteously dealt with and we were out of there in about 45 minutes. Wow! What a difference.
I chatted with the woman working there, asking if the clinic has been busy since it opened in November. She said they have been, and have been told by the Prairie North Health Region the service has had an impact on wait times at BUH emergency department.
Two physicians serve the walk-in patients and will also take on new patients for those seeking a family physician.
Everyone from reception to the physician’s assistant was kind, caring, courteous and helpful. Not that those who work in ER are not all these things, but in that harried environment people with “non-emergency” problems often feel they are not wanted there at all.
So, next time you have an injury that needs treating but isn’t life threatening, or some other health issue that needs dealt with on a Saturday or during the evenings Monday to Friday, bypass BUH and head on over to the Twin City Medical Clinic at 1102 - 103rd St. I don’t think you will be disappointed.
