Nurse practitioners to run new health centre in Warman

Starting next Tuesday, those living in Warman and the surrounding area will be able to seek care at a new primary health centre.

The centre will be run by nurse practitioners along with clinical assistants, making it one of the first facilities to practise such a thing in Saskatchewan.

The move comes after the community of Warman has struggled to retain doctors and has searched for alternative health-care options over the years as it has continued to grow.

Doug Ramage, a councillor for Warman, said the announcement made Wednesday morning has been years in the making.

“It’s huge,” Ramage said. “The community has been expressing the need for more access to health services and this is a significant part to addressing those needs.

“It’s been a challenge. It’s something the city has had on its radar and been a priority. We’ve been fortunate to be in the meetings with (Health) Minister (Paul) Merriman. There was a lot of work put in by a lot of people. We’re glad to see this day.”

Nurse practitioners can provide a wide-range of services for patients they’ll serve, including:

• General health assessments, physical examinations and ordering of diagnostic tests;
• Diagnosis and treatment of common acute illnesses and injuries;
• Chronic disease management, including diabetes, hypertension and asthma;
• Immunizations and vaccinations for children and adults;
• Prescribing medications and prescription renewals;
• Women’s health services, including exams and family planning;
• health promotion and disease prevention counseling;
• Mental health support and counselling; and
• Referrals to specialists and other health-care providers.

Ramage feels this is important to get people the care they need.

“I think it’s a big step, but not the only step,” he said. “Even having a Saskatchewan Health Authority facility in Warman is a huge step forward. Previously, Warman and Martensville were the only two cities in the province without such a facility.”

Merriman feels this will help Warman and the surrounding communities.

“This is a standalone facility just for nurse practitioners,” Merriman said. “We needed some support in both Warman and Martensville to help with primary care.

“It’s very challenging recruiting physicians in, and as a bedroom community, they don’t have the same benefits that the rural and remote areas do. We had to come up with a unique solution for both Warman and Martensville.”

The province said during the news conference that it’ll be looking to get a similar facility in Martensville in the near future. Merriman noted the main reason Warman was first to get a facility is because the space was available for lease.

With Warman one of the fastest-growing cities in Saskatchewan, Ramage suggests his community could hopefully play a larger role in health care going forward.

“Obviously, we want to see health services expand. We are a growing community that serves north of Saskatoon,” Ramage explained. “I think there’s an excellent opportunity here for Warman to act almost as a buffer into services going into Saskatoon. I could see the expansion of more services here.”

The office will initially be open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.