In the News
Press Release
After Hours Urgent Care Clinic moving from Washington Park Medical Clinic to Comox Valley Nursing Centre May 1
April 26, 2023
The Comox Valley Division of Family Practice and Island Health are pleased to announce that the Comox Valley After Hours Urgent Care Clinic, currently housed at the Washington Park Medical Clinic, will re-locate to the Comox Valley Nursing Centre at 615 10th Street, effective May 1, 2023.
Starting May 1, 2023, the After Hours Urgent Care Clinic on 10th Street will continue its service:
- Monday to Friday, 5 p.m. – 9 p.m.
- Weekends and holidays, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
- People can access the clinic by calling 250-331-8099
The Island Health owned and operated Comox Valley After Hours Urgent Care Clinic provides after hours access to non-emergency, urgent care for medical concerns that cannot wait to be seen by a family doctor or nurse practitioner. Care is provided for people who need medical care within 12 to 24 hours, or are hurt and need to see a doctor or NP quickly.
The After Hours Urgent Care Clinic is not an urgent and primary care centre. The After Hours Urgent Care Clinic was established in 2021 by the Comox Valley Division of Family Practice, in partnership with Island Health, as a community response to expand access to evening and weekend urgent primary care during the COVID-19 pandemic. The clinic has served more than 9,000 patients since opening. The team for the Comox Valley After Hours Urgent Care Clinic includes one FTE doctor and one FTE nurse with support from medical office assistants.
Island Health, the Comox Valley Division of Family Practice, First Nations Health Authority, and all other partners are committed to continue the work to expand primary care in the Comox Valley. The Comox Valley Primary Care Network has supported the expansion of team-based care in physician offices while establishing and enhancing clinics and services.
As partners in the Comox Valley Primary Care Network, the Comox Valley Division of Family Practice, Island Health, local physicians and nurse practitioners – supported by the Family Practices Services Committee of the Doctors of BC and the Ministry of Health – are continuing to develop and invest in the Comox Valley Primary Care Network.
New After Hours Urgent Care Clinic open for all in the Comox Valley
May 2021
COMOX VALLEY, BC – The Comox Valley Division of Family Practice, in partnership with Island Health, has expanded access to urgent primary care services for patients outside regular office hours.
The Comox Valley After Hours Urgent Care Clinic provides access to evening (5 p.m. - 9 p.m.) and weekend (9 a.m. - 2 p.m.) urgent medical care. Operating out of Washington Park Medical Clinic (757 Ryan Road, Courtenay, BC - above Superstore), local family doctors provide care for urgent, non-emergency health concerns. This clinic is unique in that every family doctor and general practitioner in the Comox Valley is welcome to take shifts.
Since the onset of COVID, local family doctors noticed a growing gap in care outside of regular working hours. To address this, the community of doctors responded by creating a community after hours clinic. "We created a clinic that provides timely access to urgent, non-emergency health care after most family practices and walk-in clinics have closed." said Dr. Alfredo Tura. Read more >
Primary care network to be established in the Valley by the province
September 16, 2020
Over the next three years, up to 13 new full-time equivalent health-care providers will be recruited
The B.C. government is establishing a primary care network in the Comox Valley that will bring additional resources and strengthened supports to the region.
Over the next three years, up to 13 new full-time equivalent health-care providers will be recruited. These will include a nurse practitioner, registered nurses, allied health-care professionals and a clinical pharmacist.
“Team-based care that responds to the needs of each community, as identified by those working in them, is going to be the backbone of the new primary care system in B.C. and will be how patients’ everyday health-care needs are met today, tomorrow and beyond,” Minister of Health Adrian Dix said in a news release. “These networks will work together to address long-standing gaps in everyday health care for people living in the Comox Valley.” Read more >
Seeing your Family Doctor in their Clinic
June 1, 2020
Over the coming weeks and months, we will start provision of a slowly increasing amount of in- person healthcare in Family Practice Clinics, and provide some of the routine healthcare that could be safely suspended at the beginning of this pandemic, such as screening, through a stepwise plan.
This plan will only progress as long as the risk of COVID to all of us remains low through your sensible actions.
In the first instance, we will continue to see patients virtually, via video or on the telephone.
Where we deem it necessary, not just for urgent conditions or conditions we couldn’t diagnose without doing a physical examination, but for some examinations needed for chronic diseases or some screening for example—face to face care will slowly start to occur in our own clinics. Read More >
COVID-19: Accessing your Family Doctor - Announcing The CAPE Clinic
April 8th, 2020
During this COVID pandemic we want to re-assure you that all family doctors continue to provide longitudinal care. If you have a health concern or need to discuss your medications or medical treatment, you should continue to access your family practice in the usual way by contacting their office by phone or online (if available) to book an appointment. This initial appointment will be by phone or video. This is to keep everyone safe – our patients, our staff and family doctors - through reducing risk of transmission of COVID-19.We know that accessing your family doctor is important to you. We know that having a relationship with one family doctor is best for you, someone who knows not only your medical history but you as a person. This is known as longitudinal care.
If there is a need to see a doctor face-to-face then this will occur through agreement and discussion with you.
The new CAPE (Community Assessment and Physical Examination) Clinic is for those who do not have any respiratory symptoms and need a physical examination (opened Wednesday, April 8, 2020). The location will be shared with those being referred as this is not a Drop-In clinic. Read the full press release (pdf) >
COVID-19 - A Message from the Physicians of Comox Valley Division of Family Practice
March 19th, 2020
We know that you in the community are quite rightly concerned and anxious about COVID-19.
Your family physicians have organized ourselves to respond to the situation as it evolves and to provide you with timely and accurate information regarding the novel COVID-19 pandemic currently upon our doorstep. Our goal is to provide information and direction so you may understand your own responsibilities as a member of our community and the greater population during this worldwide outbreak.
The Province’s team of public health specialists, the Medical Health Officers are working hard to support family physicians to have the information that is needed to respond to this pandemic.
We want to send out a clear message to you about how local Family Doctor healthcare is changing and explain how you can help our community fare as best it can through what will be a difficult time. Read the full press release (pdf) >