Steps are underway between City of Burnaby staff and the Burnaby Primary Care Network to study the feasibility of adding a medical clinic at the Christine Sinclair Community Centre on Kensington Avenue.
At a July 12 council meeting, Dr. Baldev Sanghera outlined plans to add community-based and integrated community care for residents while calling it a "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity.
"This pandemic has shown that we can do things a lot better when we work together," he said.
"We were able to set up the first drive-thru COVID testing site in B.C., in Burnaby over a span of two-and-a-half weeks when we worked together. We have an amazing opportunity to come together and put this jigsaw puzzle together."
The proposal to council outlined the following objectives:
- Delivers onsite medical and social services to support vulnerable populations
- Offers prevention and wellness services to the general public
- Integrates with the other health and wellness services that are offered in Burnaby
- Delivers culturally appropriate holistic care
- Becomes a centre of excellence for youth-specific care
The clinic would be a teaching and mentoring clinic for new doctors and nurse practitioners. It would also have the capacity to attach 5,400 Burnaby patients to a doctor permanently.
PCN programs would include a mental health counselling program, pharmacy program, social work, physiotherapy and chronic disease prevention.
Other potential services that would be targeted include subsidized dental and medical imaging, a youth wellness hub and an Aboriginal friendship centre.
The primary care medical services component would require roughly 10,500 square feet and other additions would require additional space estimated at about 10,000 square feet.
Council passed a motion that will direct city staff to work with Sanghera and his partners on the feasibility of the project.
In December of 2020, the City of Burnaby agreed to buy the 5.16-acre property in a $26.6 million deal.
The city signed a purchase and sale agreement with the Fortius Foundation to buy the land, including the roughly 146,000 square foot building on the property.
The Fortius Sport and Health Facilities opened in 2013 as an integrated athlete development centre but in November of 2020, it announced they were closing as of December 31 with COVID-19 being a large factor.
The centre includes a double-gymnasium, a fitness centre and office space.
This past May, Burnaby council announced they have approved the renaming of the former Fortius Sport and Health Facilities to "Christine Sinclair Community Centre."
- With files from Dustin Godfrey
